Last Friday, I got a call from with a request for me to photograph the Urban Organic music festival downtown Detroit. I was happy to get this call because I had wanted to go because I wanted to see N’dambi perform. I fucking LOVE N’Dambi, so this was a win/win.

Once the details of the gig were established, I packed up my shit & hit the freeway. The event UO was pretty nice & many of the usual suspects of the Detroit soul scene were in the house.

Anyway, after 2 hours of snapping shots N’dambi was finally in the house & I totally lost my concentration for like 10 minutes.

Fast-forward 45 minutes, I got all the shots I needed, N’dambi song many of my jams & I was ready to go home. But before I left, I approached her & complimented her on her set & body of work over all.

I then told her that I had hoped that he sung “Lonely Woman”. She smiled & said that she does not always perform that but would in her next show since I put it out there.

While we were talking about “Lonely Woman”, I thought to ask her who “Eva” (she’s the lonely woman) was but I forgot. Maybe because I was excited to be talking to one of my favorite artists.

So when I got home, I hit her up on Myspace & she got back with me emailed me the next day with.

“Eva was my aunt. The song is about how she lived her life for everyone (husband/kids) and never found out what she was passionate about. She died before her time.

It’s about the inner conflict of woulda, coulda, shoulda when you know you’ve done nothing to write your story the way you want it to be.”

I was happy to hear back from her! 

From her music, I get a rich feeling that she is a warm person but to actually talk to her, it was evident that she really is!

If you are not up on N’dambi, you should be, she’s that real deal!