India.Arie is an American singer-songwriter who has achieved immense success as a recording artist with several hit albums and many Grammy Award nominations including four wins. She has toured around the world and collaborated with artists including Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock and Joe Sample. She is active in charitable work and has acted professionally portraying Nina Simone in a staged reading of the Broadway musical 'Soul Doctor' (2009). Born to a musical family in Denver, Colorado, she grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, studied at the Savannah College of Art and Design and became involved with the Groovement EarthShare independent music project. A performance at Lilith Fair in 1999 led to a recording contract and her debut album 'Acoustic Soul' was released in 2001. The album went to number three on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart and number ten on the Billboard 200 and was nominated for Grammy Awards as Album of the Year and Best R&B Album. The track 'Video' went to number six on the Adult R&B Songs Chart and was nominated for Grammy Awards as Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best R&B Song while she was nominated as Best New Artist and for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. 'Voyage to India' (2002) topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart, reached number six on the Billboard 200 and won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album. The track 'Little Things' reached number three on the Adult R&B Songs Chart and won the Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance. 'Testimony Vol. 1: Life & Relationship' (2006) topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart and the Billboard 200 with its follow-up, 'Testimony Vol. 2: Love & Politics' (2009) peaking at number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart and number three on the Billboard 200. It was nominated as Best R&B Album in the Grammy Awards and the track 'Beautiful Flower' was nominated for Best R&B Song. Her 2013 album 'SongVersation' topped the Top R&B Albums Chart and went to number four on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart and number seven on the Billboard 200, and 'Christmas With Friends' (2015) featuring Joe Sample reached number two on the Jazz Albums Chart and number seven on the Top R&B Albums Chart.
She featured with Pink, Seal, Jeff Beck, Konono No. 1 and Oumou Sangare on Herbie Hancock's 'Imagine' (2010), which peaked at number 22 on the Smooth Jazz Songs Chart and won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals. She also featured with Yo-Yo Ma on Santana's 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' (2010), which made number 13 on the Smooth Jazz Songs Chart. She released EP 'SongVersation: Medicine' in 2017 and her 2018 single 'That Magic' reached number six on the Adult R&B Songs Chart with her 2019 album 'Worthy' peaking at number five on the Independent Albums Chart and number 17 on the Top R&B Albums Chart.