I O N E A N G E L E S

When songwriter/vocalist Ione Angeles left California for Jamaica, she had no way of knowing she would return a decade later via Europe, a seasoned stage performer with two albums to her credit. Her third and most recent "Hear This Kis" is a solo performance that celebrates her verbal dexterity as a lyricist, the choral clarity of her voice, and unwavering commitment to the high priestess of groove. Combining energy and a charismatic melodie depth, Ione is that rare combination of performer and artist all wrapped up in one. From her collaborations with topotch musicians to her accomplished use of premier studio facilities, Ione spells plutonian grade professionalism to industry folk.

Beginning with her first European release (Tengeh-Launch in 1995), Ione used London as an effective launching pad for establishing her band Tengeh (Jamaican patois for protective movement) in reggae venues throughout Austria, Germany, Turkey and the Netherlands. From there, she cultivated a network of musicians with whom she sang, produced and arranged. "Tengeh-Ascension 2012" came next in 1999 with fans from Hamburg to Vienna finding warmth in the dead of winter grooving to Tengeh's rhythm and following Ione's lyrical lead to feel the sun despite the cold disappointments of an unruly world. Beneath her feminine prowess and academic musicality, Ione is rhythm and groove to the core.

With the keyboard as her pen, the world is Ione's canvas, and as far as she's concerned, it's the songwriters who make it go round. Her worship of the melodic word and voice alike, and abiding respect for tone, has made her a musical force to be reckoned with. The challenge is choosing whether to sit and listen - each syllable being an orchid of sculpted precision - or get up and groove. Ione's goal is to have you do both - whether you're in a nightclup in Todyo, an arena in Istanbul, or at Exofest in Sedona, Arizona. Her universal theme, that life is a matter of moving between extremes and an ongoing effort to create a center, finds its way into every one of her songs. Through her lyrics, she conveys a genuine appreciation of this human endeavor, and with her rhythm, provides a temporary center that warmly and genuinely satiates the soul. The result is music without easy answers - only easy listening.

For Ione, songwriting "is saving myself from the inside". The beauty is that in saving herself, she saves her listeners, too.