ingrid chavez : biography

Ingrid Chavez has written poetry since her adolescence. Raised in an Américano-Mexican household, she moved to Minneapolis in 1986 at the age of 21. At the end of 87, she met Prince in a pub after writing to him. A few days later, she was invited to Paisley Park and took part in the sessions of the album Lovesexy, credited as The Spirit Child.

The first sessions for the recording of Ingrid Chavez's debut album took place at the end of the 1987. The idea was for Prince to integrate into music the poems of Ingrid.

At the same time, Ingrid appeared in the Prince film Graffiti Bridge (1990) in which she appears as the love interest. Strictly for hard-core Prince fans only!.

ingrid chavez

The sessions for her debut album resumed in March 91. Prince recorded five titles, Elephant Box, Slappy Dappy, Jadestone, Whispering Dandelions and Heaven Must Be Near.

But wishing to maintain her independence from Prince, Chavez went to Warner Bros. to discuss the contents of the album, after having recorded two songs, Hippy Blood and Little Mama, with Michael Koppelman (the sound engineer for Prince & a respected musician in his own right). Not a smart career move. The executives of Warner were enthusiastic about the album and wanted Ingrid to sing rather than to recite her poetry. This held little interest for Prince, who dropped any remaining interest in the project, leaving Michael Koppelman and Levi Seacer Jr to finish the album.

Finally, the album was released on September 24 1991 via the Paisley Park label. Called May 12th, 1992, it is a hauntingly ethereal with a kind of soft melancholic feel. Great debut album with plenty of promise that, alas, was never realised.

Unfortunately, album sales were poor and it failed to make even the briefest of appearances in any chart. Today it is mainly sold not on merit but as a release of the former Prince protege or the future Mrs David Batt (Sylvian)!

Meanwhile, Chavez sued Lenny Kravitz for not giving her credit for co-writing Madonna's Justify My Love. Chavez's style consists of breathy spoken passages over heavy dance beats and this can be clearly heard in the Madonna track. Chavez is quoted as having said that Kravitz didn't write any of the lyrics and only came up with the phrase justify my love. She is also reported to have said that Madonna only changed one line of the entire song. She was finally given credit for the lyrics plus a rumoured couple of million dollars in an out-of-court settlement

Ex-Japan singer David Sylvian was looking for a female vocal singer for Ryuichi Sakamoto's 1992's Heartbeat II single. Around that time Chavez, who was an admirer of Sylvian's voice, sent her debut solo album to his management company, Opium (Arts) Ltd., in London, UK. Listening to the album reportedly convinced Sylvian that she had the perfect voice for the track. Sylvian and Chavez soon married after recording the track.

david sylvian i surrender part 1 CD single

They currently live in New Hampshire (USA) with their son Tinondre and two daughters, Ameera and Isobel.

Her relationship with Sylvian has meant that her once promising career has faded. We can but glimpse her haunting vocals in some of the rather erratic output of her husband. However, search hard enough and you will be rewarded. She appears as lead vocalist on four of the tracks from Sylvian's 1999 cd single release, I Surrender, stretched over the two different formats. Les Fleur Du Mal 6:51 & Starred And Dreaming 2:01 on format 1 & Whose Trip Is This? 7:19 & Remembering Julia 4:46 on format 2.

Chavez also appears on vocal on other Sylvian releases, namely the aforementioned Heartbeat with Sakamoto, the laid back and over produced Dead Bees On A Cake & the kind of Sylvian best of, Everything & Nothing without, er, the best bits!

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ingrid chavez
ingrid chavez - may 19, 1992
us cd album (1991)

buy: cd (us)

ingrid chavez
hippy blood
us cd single (1992)

buy: cd (us)

david sylvian
feat: ingrid chavez
dead bees on a cake
exotic cd. 1999.
buy: cd (us)

david sylvian
feat: ingrid chavez
everything & nothing
best of 2 cd. 2000.
buy: cd (us)

ryuichi sakamoto
feat: ingrid chavez
heartbeat
cd album. 1992.
buy: cd (us)

ingrid chavez
elephant box
us deleted 4-track 12" including elephant house mix, bee bop mix, full pass mix & solo, picture sleeve

buy vinyl: eil.com (uk)

ingrid chavez
elephant box
us promo 8-track 12" remix double pack including elephant house mix, full pass mix, hip hop mix, the solo, ivory dub PRO-A-4929

buy vinyl: eil.com (uk)

ingrid chavez
hippy blood
us 8-track promo 12", includes free spirit mix, edit & dub mix, happy hippy mix, commune mix, instrumental & keep pumpin' it mix, custom stickered sleeve PRO-A-5155 (1992)

buy vinyl: eil.com (uk)

david sylvian
feat: ingrid chavez
godman
enhanced cd single feat: chavez / sylvian film
time spent.
1999.
buy: cd (us)

david sylvian
feat: ingrid chavez
i surrender
cd single feat: 2 chavez
lead vocal tracks.
1999.
buy: cd (us)

prince - graffiti bridge
soundtrack cd. 1990.
buy: cd (us)

prince - the hits 1
kind of best of album. 1993.
buy: cd (us)

prince - very best of
a quick-'n'-dirty review kind of album. 2001.
buy: cd (us)

the artist - rave un2 the year 2000
the ultimate party. 2000.
buy: dvd (us) - dvd (uk)

prince and npg - diamonds & pearls
promo clips & live tracks. 1992.
buy: video (uk)

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