Customer Reviews

La Dona

5 star:		(98)
4 star:		(38)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

In the music world one of the most under-appreciated yet soulfully brilliant singers around is Teena Marie who has given us another MASTERPIECE with the release of "La Dona". A musical journey takes off and really gets into high gear with the masterful "I'm Still In Love" with Teena singing with her classic & passionate soulful brilliance in a contemporary setting without compromising what is great about her own original groove. Funky jam "Honey Call" is infectious and seductive while "Baby I'm Your Fiend" is sublime and jazzy flowing in to the hypnotic beauty of "My Body's Hungry" which is a smooth soul classic. Gerald Levert is perfect in an engrossing soulful duet "A Rose By Any Other Name" that is the ultimate slow jam classic with both awesome singers in peak form weaving a rich tapestry of glorious vocals that become totally breathtaking & magical! Breathtaking is this brilliant set and "Off The Chain" is an over the top jam that is a totally amazing cooker with a rap by "The Birdman" flowing with perfection with Lady T. Teena raises "rap" to a new level and "Makavelli Never Lied" is a keeper with references to greats such as Stevie Wonder, Chaka Kahn, Joni Mitchell, Marvin Gaye, John Lennon, Jesus Christ, all of whom never lied which leads into revalations such as "Recycle Hate To Love" being a universal message crucial to our very survival in a latin motif that flows beautifully with a glorious guitar that is unforgettable. Hip-hop rhythms compliment and never get in the way of the brilliance of Teena Marie and "The Mackin' Game" and "I Love Him Too" demonstrate this. Full circle comes around to Rick James in "I Got You" and the cooking "Hit Me Where I Live" has a lot going on with great tempo changes while a mothers love is a joyous experience in "High Yellow Girl". "Black Rain" is a Teena Tour-De-Force classic where you can just sit back and marvel at a singer doing what she does best in a gorgeous setting that has a vocal all over the map while the finale "I'm On Fire" is another Teena masterpiece where Lady T shows what she is all about in a soft and soulful setting! A truly magical set with an artist at her absolute peak...hopefully this time Grammy will rise to the occasion and salute this amazing legendary genius-long overdue but better late than never! Bravo Teena Marie-you are so AWESOME!
12/26/10 Love you forever Teena and RIP...gone too soon & you passionate lady of soul will be missed...nobody comes close to this level of genius as composer, musician, performer, extraordinary singer with tremendous depth of soul...profoundly saddened & may God Bless & comfort Alia Rose & all friends and family of our sweet Lady T...

Teena Marie hits the scenes again. After more than ten years since her last release and after 25 years since her debut on the scene, one of the first Blue Eyed, White souls comes again at us. I am still surprised by how ghetto and hip Teena is. She is so wild and gangsta-like but at the same time lady and respectful like. The 48 year old has not made hardly any noise in the last decade or so but coming back has been hot. Before Pink, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake and some of our other soulful singers came on the scene for the current generation, Teena was the White lady holding it down like no other with soul. I am not familiar with much of her older music just because I am so young but I have heard my Mother listening to and kinda fawning over her. Maybe due to radio's heavy rotation of the song here in Chicago as well as just something about her compelling me to buy the CD, I decided to cop this CD.

LA DONA- One of the best and most meaningful intros about Teena returning to the scenes to reclaim her throne or her place in music. The inclusion of her daughter is real special and hot.

STILL IN LOVE- First single off the effort which has made some noise at radio and on the charts in the top 30 of the R&B Charts, this was not a song I really felt at first just because her vocals sound kinda tired here and it sounds too too old school for me. But after radio unrelentingly playing the cut, I was hooked more. Produced by Teena and Mannie Fresh, the song is pretty good as many people already know. A-

HONEY CALL- Produced by Teena Marie and Pamela Williams, this neo-jazzy but also R&B song talks about that "honey call" is a nice song that reminds me of the few Teena cuts I have heard played. The song is old-school but fresh and new at the same time. Probably one of the best cuts. It is a mid-tempo by the way. A

BABY I'M yOUR FIEND- Produced by Teena Marie and James Allen, this is another hot track slowed down a little more than the former cut. It is one of the better tracks with its jazzy element to it. It is more jazzy than many of the others but also newer sounding. Teena's voice fits this music pretty well and it is just refreshing to hear this unstructured, unpolished kinda R&B songs. It talks about feenin' for someone. A

MY BODY'S HUNGRY- Produced by Teena and Doug Grisby, this song where the title says it all is Quiet Storm, slow, simmering track is another signature (my opinion of signature) Teena song. It reminds me of that late night vibe and it is pretty hot. The song is just that laidback, making love kinda tune. A

A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME- I think this is the 2nd single off the CD, featuring Gerald Levert and produced by Teena and James Allen, this cut is pretty good. It has that old mixed with the new kinda vibe to it again. Gearald and Teena mix well especially at the climax. This is a nice radio-friendly cut. If they played STILL IN LOVE, they can play this as well. This song is pretty hot. A

OFF THE CHAIN- Featuring Baby "Birdman" and produced by Teena, Doug Grisby and Mooks, although this song has Baby on it and has the title about things being off da chain which means hot, the song still is Teena. Maybe some of the lyrics do sound a little different than what to expect from someone her age but Teena sounds pretty good doing it. The song is a little too weird for me. The chorus is strange and the verses are as well. It is not really matched to Teena's vocals as well. There is nothing really hot about the song except for Baby's rap. B

MAKAVELLI NEVER LIED- Produced by Teena and James Allen, this song which talks about Tupac's alter ego I think is pretty hot. It is a slower jam with a little beat to it that talks about authentic people never lying and is just a song that provokes thought. Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan and Jesus Christ are mentioned as never lying. A

RECYCLE HATE TO LOVE- This is the first song that sounds like something FULLY modern or newer because most of the cuts have that old-school or jazzy vibe to it but this one which fits Teena's vocals well featuring Lady Levi, Alia Rose and produced by Teena Marie and Doug Grisby, the song is thought-provoking about recycling hate and changing it to love. The song is hot but I dont know how much Lady Levi adds to this Reggae and also Latin-like song. Teena's high vocals fit this song well. A

THE MACKIN' GAME- Feautring M.C. Lyte and Medusa and produced by Teena, James Allen and Doug Grisby, this cut which looks at the macking game sounds hot. It can even and should be considered as a single. This is another song that sounds modern but also has Teena being herself. The raps are good on this song and it is just a hot track. Probably one of the best cuts. A+

I LOVE HIM TOO- Featuring De De O'Neal who I have never heard of before and produced by Teena and Doug Grisby, I get confused by the two because they kinda sound alike. This Quiet Storm, slow groove is Teena back into her element or what I would assume is hers because of how most of the songs sound. This cut really goes nowhere but it does set it down straight about loving whoever both of them. A-

I GOT yOU- Produced by Teena and Doug Grisby and featuring Teena's longtime musical companion, this song is a nice mix of the old and the new with its older sounding element but I also like the singy songy chorus and add-in of the background vocals. It talks about just simply having someone. A

HIT ME WHERE I LIVE- Produced by Teena, Doug Grisby and James Allen, this cut is a little faster paces jazz cut is pretty good. It is fresh and pretty hot. Teena sounds good singing this. A-

HIGH YELLOW GIRL- Featuring her daughter Alia Rose and produced by Teena and James Allen, this is a tribute to her daughter. Her daughter sounds good here. The only problem is that they stress her high yellow, "mellow yellow' skin complexion saying that entirely too much but it is a good track nonetheless with its jazzy kinda bluesy vibe to it. A-

BLACK RAIN- Produced by James Allen, this jazzy song which talks about black rain is really nothing special to me. It is maybe the weakest track just because I am not used to this kinda music. B-

I'M ON FIRE- A good close-out tune about Teena being on fire and for the most part, she pretty much is. It is just the music and Teena's voice. Produced by Teena and Doug Grisby, it kinda makes one wish that Teena would have done more songs like this where it is just her voice and the music. It is a nice tune. Music and voice. A

Overall, the CD is pretty good. Teena does talk alot at the beginning of the songs and you can tell that this lady is urban, she is hip. The CD does not sound as Hip-Hoppish as some people try to make it. Save a couple tracks, it sounds like something Teena could have done in the 80s. The production is not so polished and structured and traditional as most other R&B songs or music for that matter. I wondered how that would sound but because I am not used to it, I did not really feel it. However, Teena has introduced me to a kinda music that I have never heard before and probably would not hear for a while. It is a CD that I listen to just because I like Teena but the music I am not really used to. Teena does not try to sound young or stay young in any way so the older fans and even younger people can feel it. Teena's vocals are still pretty fresh and hot. Her high soprano fits many of the songs well. It is only the vibrato and some of the sharp higher notes that are weak or makes her sound older or off but other than that, she is still on-point with her vocals.

This is music for the discriminating music lover with mature taste. Teena Marie is my all time favorite singer, no make that sanger. I make that statement with pride as she is the epitome of an entertainer. And the blessing is her voice just gets better with time. She sounds even better live. But I digress......
Her new album (yes I did say album), La Dona, is destined to be another classic. Teena revisits her roots as a classic balladeer and infuses it with jazz, R and B, dancehall and even a little crunk. Her crystal clear tonality and crisp vocal style will take you back to a time when singers could actually SANG.

If I could compare her music to a feeling I would say this album feels like a summer breeze coupled with sunshine and the feeling of pure LOVE. Teena even gets some assistance from her partna in crime, the one and only RICK JAMES B_______!My only complaint is I wish the album was longer perhaps with a few more slow jams.
You will not be disappointed in this album. The intro skit is not annoying like on most albums. And the musical arrangement is not only original but refreshing. Tina IS La Dona, and she WILL RECLAIM HER THRONE. As a matter of fact if she were here, I would kiss her pinky ring. Please cop this album, she has made you an offer you can't refuse (okay enough with the cliches).

After 10 long years, the one & only Lady T returns, & in some ways her one-of-kind, angelic voice has never sounded better. While she's a bit more restained on some songs than in the past, she changes the timbre of her voice (Marvin Gaye-like) to fit the song. So, whether it's the sly seduction of 'Honey Call', the cunning coyness of 'The Mackin' Game', or the wistful longing of the gorgeous 'I'm On Fire', it's always about the feeling being conveyed. But when she chooses to let loose the full force of her pipes, or lets her beautiful vibrato linger over the notes (she does both on 'My Body's Hungry'), it is truly a joy to behold.

After not showing off her considerable jazz chops since 1986's 'Sunny Skies', she returns to one of her strengths with an ode to her daughter on 'High Yellow Girl', & one of the album's highlights, 'Black Rain', with it's sophisticated horn arrangement & play-on-words lyrics. Other standouts include the old school 'I'm Still in Love', the smoky swing of 'Baby I'm Your Fiend', the heartfelt Gerald Levert ballad 'A Rose By Any Other Name', & the Rick James duet 'I Got You', which features a reggae-tinged backbeat.

As usual, Lady T co-wrote & co-produced all of the songs. One of the things that sets her apart is that it isn't just about 'the voice' but rather her all-around talents. La Dona is not her best work (the middle songs drag a bit & it isn't as musically adventurous as past efforts), but 'Honey Call' & 'The Mackin' Game' are as funky as anything she's done in years, and all of the ballads & jazzier songs hold up well against her best work (but are perhaps a notch below). But when she ends the CD with the beautifully melancholy 'I'm On Fire', she reminds us she sounds just as good just singing a pretty song as she does displaying her amazing range.

Please Teena, don't make us wait so long for the follow up. I, for one, have missed you dearly. And include the lyrics next time around, so we can joyously sing along with you. La Dona is a most welcome addition to the Teena Marie catalog.

Sanctified, funk-tified and hip-tified- the Goddess of Soul (blue-eyed or otherwise) has graced us with her presence! She's intact, in your face and hasn't missed a step. I love this woman, so buy this CD!!!

Teena's voice is EXTRAORDINARY as always, but you'd think that someone away from the music charts for as long as she's been might have some trouble finding her place in a new market. No such problem for this chick. "La Dona" feels and sounds like "Lady T" and "It Must Be Magic" did in their day; fresh, vibrant, sexy, positive and soooo musical!! Her lyrics are still artistic and creative, the music still the stuff you get your groove on to. "Still In Love" makes a fine first single because it's old-school R&B at it's best. And it sets you up for all the other fine tracks to follow.

"Honey Call", "Mackin' Game" and "Off The Chain" are Teena being her oh-so street-sassy self; songs that kinda have you raising your hands as you celebrate your womanhood. But some of the best moments are "Hit Me Where I Live", "Baby I'm You Fiend" and "Black Rain" when she dips into her well to deliver mid-tempo swing and some slow-drag blusey jazz. Down right delightful because it's really amazing how versatile her voice is (as it's always been). "Recycle the Hate" and "Makavelli Never Lied" are Teena sharing some of her dreams that the world can be a better place; just like she did in 1987. Just how good a song-writer is she? Well, she referenced Jesus, Bob Marley, Joni Mitchell, Chaka Khan and John Lennon all in one song. Seamlessly.

The love-wrenching ballads that she does so well really make this a nicely rounded album, the best being "A Rose By Any Other Name" with Gerald LeVert. Like a true artist not intimidated by the skills of others, she gives some quality air time to her guest vocalists on the duets (like you didn't know Rick James was gonna show up?). For the female lyrical catfight, "I Love Him, Too" is the R&B version of Reba McEntire and Linda Davis' "Does He Love You?".

Did I mention that I love this woman? You're about to know her name, cuz' Teena's off the chain.

I'm really pleased with her cd!!!!! I just can't put words to it.......Teena Marie is BACK!!!!!! I've enjoyed all the tracks that are on this cd. It's really hard for me to pick a favorite.
Buy the cd...and you'll see what I mean
Sharon

I think this album La Dona and all her other inspirational albums are not only unique, but very well put together. I'm 41 years of age, this month, for the record, living in Washington, DC and I've never experienced such elating (meaning high spririts) soft/irregular tones, coming from someone who extensively go out of her way to give her audiences, music for the soul. Keep up the good work Teena Marie, and a fan in music, you shall always have out of my. God Bless.

Teena Marie, where have you been? It must have been somewhere special, because you've gotten better, if that is possible....

Teena Marie's new CD, "La Dona," is a welcome return from an artist who has never failed to remain true to herself. This is quite an accomplishment in the formulaic world of popular music.

Before listening to this, I was uncertain, and a bit hesitant. After all, wouldn't her voice lose some luster over the years? If you share this concern, rest assured, the opposite is true. Her voice has become more beautiful over time - unbelievably beautiful, in fact. Her trademark vibrato is richer now, yet with lush tones that reflect her maturity. And the writing is unmistakably Teena Marie - the woman is a wordsmith, and the music is sculpted beautifully around her lyrics, especially on tracks such as "Makavelli Never Lied." The refrains in this song are haunting mantras of hope, about those who have been committed to truth. Even on "I Love Him Too," she resists the urge to make this a sappy `get-away-from-my-man-or-I'll-cut-you' anthem, instead aiming for a higher road of understanding. There are some nice guests on this work as well, who complement the artist nicely, as well as the contemporary urban flavor.

I would recommend this to anyone. If you have ever been a fan of Lady T, you just can't go wrong.

Although she was featured on the soundtrack of the television show "New York Undercover", the last new music that I had from Lady T was "Ivory" from 1990.

Well, fourteen years may have passed since that release, but time has only been kind to Teena. Not only is she as strong vocally now as she was then, her songwriting skills are as sharp as ever.

The woman just knows how to perform and deliver, something the current crop of "cookie-cutter" singers can't match. She is the genuine article, not a soulful "wannabe", hoping to latch onto a trend.

While cut #2, "I"m Still in Love", is getting repeatedly airplay on R & B and Urban Contemporary radio stations, "La Dona" features some other strong tracks: "My Body's Hungry" needs no explanation; "A Rose By Any Other Name" (featuring Gerald Levert) can hold its own with her legendary "Portuguese Love" as one of her best creations; "Makaveli Never Lied" pays homage to artists Marie obviously admires: and " I Got You" has the singer joining her soul mate, the one and only Rick James. The remaining tracks offer a little bit of everything, performed in the unmistakable style of a true original.

The highlight, however, is "I Love Him Too", a song that dramatizes a confrontation between a younger woman (De De O'Neal) and a more experienced on (Marie) over a man in the middle. Their vocal "sparring" is tremendous and chilling.

It's great to see Marie back and moving toward the top.

Like in any major art form, there are always a few shining examples of rare and pure magnificence. There are few artists who constantly create art that touches the soul and it all may sound cliche until perhaps your soul is touched. I discovered Teena Marie as a child in the early 80's, one of my older cousins would play her music all the time. It wasn't until I grew up and developed my own musical consciousness, that I soon understand the power and uniqueness of a great musician. Teena Marie has always been one of the defining R&B artists of the late 70s and 80's. She created soulful, beautiful musical escapades with her luminous vocal--in my opinion, one of the most enchanting and radiant voices in music. Not only an amazing singer but a crafter of rich melodies and poetic lyrics, Teena Marie is the whole package. One of the greatest yet most underrated artists of pop, R&B, and soul.

Just last year, while I was listening to one of my cherished Teena Marie collections, I wondered if the songstress would ever return to us with her sensual signature sound. And thank heavens for La Dona! Lady T is back.

On La Dona, Teena Marie infuses her old school soul sound with edgier hip-hop melodies and for the most part it works effortlessly. Lady T's music has always, even when most sensual, been edgy. On her strongest tracks like Still In Love, Baby I'm Your Fiend, My Body's Hungry, Black Rain and I'm On Fire, Teena immerses us in her soul stirring. Her voice always tends to express passion, desire, and surrender all at once and it works magically on each track.
One thing about Teena Marie's sound that hasn't changed, is that she makes you want to be in love. Her musical genius comes from the fact that, through her music, we know she understands and has experienced the profound joys and pains of love. Her songs always magnify the extremities of wanting love, losing love, discovering love but with an intimacy and intensity that is comforting and rare, plus her free-spirited energy always keeps it exciting demonstrated on songs like The Macking Game or Off the Chain.

She may be on Cash Money Records but believe it or not, the fusion works well. Teena Marie hasn't compromised her artistry in anyway. There's an enriching mood centered in the album. She may be 48 years old but she still can hold her own with the likes of MC Lyte or Lady Levi and never appear to be an old head trying to keep up with the youngsters. It's more like the youngsters are trying to keep up with her!

This is all and all a solid comeback CD. For anyone craving a return to real music--you know, once upon a time, music had this ability to make you feel. Well, I would recommend not only buying La Dona but also picking up a greatest hits collection of hers too. Listening to Teena Marie, who has never truly received the acclaim that she so deeply deserves, is like discovering pure gold.