Category: Voice Branding

Dr. ALEXA CANADY —
FIRST BLACK FEMALE NEUROSURGEON IN U.S.

MICHELE J MARTIN

Dr. Alexa Canady climbed every barrier to achieve all she has today. The earliest being racial prejudice enacted against her by her teacher. A family member studying psychology decided to test young Alexa's intelligence, surprising the family with her high score. She was considered a very average student based on her school testing results. The IQ test raised alarms for her parents. Eventually, an investigation discovered that her teacher was lying to cover up Ms. Canady's intelligence.

"...unknown to me at the time — I learned only much later — that it was discovered during those years that my second grade teacher had lied about my standardized test scores and assigned them to a white student. Through a fairly complicated process, it was ultimately discovered. She was fired, and because my scores were so high, I got to go to the fourth grade from the second grade —learning, in the process, that the only thing you really learn in third grade is multiplication tables, which my mother taught me in the summer."

BELIEVING IN HERSELF

By the time Alexa graduated from high school, she was a National Achievement Scholar. Thinking she might become a mathematician, she attended the University of Michigan. Yet, due to what Ms. Canady had called a "crisis of confidence," she nearly dropped out before switching majors and graduating in 1971 with a B.S. in zoology. Afterward, she discovered a minority health careers program at her university, and through this program, she found her true passion.

In 1975 Alexa Canady graduated with cum laude honors from the University of Michigan Medical School. While studying for her M.D., she was recognized by the American Medical Women's Association. She would then specialize in neurosurgery, despite the apprehension of advisors. Gaining residencies was hard enough; as a Black student, it might be impossible. She then moved to Minnesota and began her residency at the University of Minnesota, becoming the first female Black neurosurgery resident in the United States.

"The greatest challenge I faced in becoming a neurosurgeon was believing it was possible.”

Later that year, she became the first Black AND first female intern in Yale-New Haven Hospital's surgical program. On her first day as an intern, she was told, "you must be our new equal-opportunity package." By the end of the program, she had been voted one of the top residents by her fellow physicians. She then moved to Minnesota and began her residency at the University of Minnesota, becoming the first female Black neurosurgery resident in the United States. ​

A CAREER OF FIRSTS

She was already a trailblazer by the time she'd finished her schooling. Still, the ground-breaking didn't stop when her residency ended. Upon completing her residency in 1981, she became the country's first Black neurosurgeon. In 1982, Dr. Canady decided to specialize as a pediatric neurosurgeon. Two years later, she became the first Black woman to become a board-certified neurosurgeon.

She chose pediatrics because of her love of the children in the pediatric ward during her residency, stating, "it never ceased to amaze me how happy the children were." She took a patient-focused approach and liked to form unique relationships with her patients. She was quite popular at Children's Hospital of Michigan for playing video games with her pediatric patients.

"It is fun to make people better."

In 1987 the Children's Hospital of Michigan named Alexa Canady as their first chief of Neurosurgery. From 1987 until her partial retirement in 2001, Canady specialized in congenital spinal abnormalities, hydrocephalus, trauma, and brain tumors. In addition to her work as a surgeon, Dr. Canady was also a dedicated researcher. Her research with Wayne State University would eventually lead to the development of an antisiphon shunt that treats hydrocephalus. ​

INSPIRED THE NEXT GENERATION

In interviews, she has said that she was unaware of the history she was making at the time. However, after retirement, she realized the significance of her accomplishments and what it meant for other Black women interesting in and working in medicine.

Recently, she discussed the challenges that the surgical community faces in attracting new talent, voicing concern that the average neurosurgeon is over 55-years of age. Dr. Canady was asked why she thought students should choose neurosurgery. Her response — "It's intellectually challenging, you get kind of a high when everybody says 'ah, the neurosurgeon is here.'" Dr. Canady continues to be both an advocate for her profession and diversity in medicine.

RECOGNITION & A LASTING LEGACY

Teacher of the Year - Children's Hospital of Michigan 1984
Candace Award - National Coalition of 100 Black Women 1986
Michigan Women's Hall of Fame inducted 1989
American Medical Women's Association President's Award 1993
Distinguished Service Award - Wayne State University Medical School 1994

AWARDED THREE HONORARY DOCTORATES –
Doctor of Humane Letters
University of Detroit-Mercy in 1997
Roosevelt University in 2014
Doctor of Science
University of Southern Connecticut in 1999.

WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT HER VOICE

Dr. Alexa Canady's vocal style is self assured, confident, and determined. It is also friendly, empathic, and down to earth. Her warmth and curiosity seeps through when in every interview.

Medical issues are scary, imagine if you had a technology application that could make it less so, help you make appointments, or access information and do so by communicating with a virtual assistant that had vocal characteristics like Dr. Canady? If technology could provide you the reassurance and amazing bedside manner that Ms. Canady's voice must for her patients? Someone build this application, please!

Unfortunately though, her vocal style has NOT been represented in the digital voices currently dominating the markets. But imagine the possibilities if the world of digital voice matched the world of human voice. If it was as dynamic and expressive? Guess what; digital voice can be all that — learn more about AI-Voice.

VOCALiD VOICE TYPE

type-bowtie

Bowtie voices are defined as Soft, Deep, Modal, and Nasal. Learn more about the unique characteristics that make up our voices and voice types here: VOCALiD Voice Types.

This is the nineteenth in our Iconic Black Voices series. Make sure to come back to our blog every day this month as we highlight more iconic Black voices in celebration of Black History Month.

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AMANDA GORMAN:
AN ICON IN THE MAKING

MICHELE J MARTIN

For many of us, the inauguration was the first time we saw and heard Amanda Gorman. Walking up to that microphone, Ms. Gorman became the youngest inaugural poet in history. As she said the words:​

"... being American is more than a pride we inherit,
it's the past we step into
and how we repair it"

— Amanda Gorman secured her place as a role-model and a voice for her generation.

LEARNING TO FIND HER VOICE

Today, Amanda Gorman's voice is resolute. Yet, it wasn't clear as a child that her future self would be reading aloud a poem she wrote, let alone reading a poem in front of the world. Diagnosed with an auditory processing disorder in kindergarten, Gorman has struggled with speech articulation issues for most of her life. To this day, she still has difficulties with saying particular letters.

"We the successors of a country and a time
where a skinny Black girl
descended from slaves and raised by a single mother
can dream of becoming president
only to find herself reciting for one."

Watch below as she shares with Anderson Cooper how writing and spoken word poetry became a form of speech therapy. ​

A VISION AND DRIVE

Amanda Gorman has been busy. She was named the first youth poet laureate of Los Angeles in 2014. She published her first book of poems, "The One for Whom Food Is Not Enough," in 2015 at 17-years old. The next year, she founded the nonprofit organization One Pen One Page, a youth writing and leadership program for underserved youth.

In 2017 she was named the first national U.S. Youth Poet Laureate. Last year she graduated from Harvard University. And in 2021, Amanda Gorman became the youngest inaugural poet ever and the first poet to perform at the Super Bowl. In a publishing deal with Viking Books — Ms. Gorman is releasing a collection of poetry next month —"The Hill We Climb." In September 2021, she will be publishing a book of poetry for children.

THE FUTURE

What comes next?! We are excited to watch Amanda Gorman's future unfold. Honestly, we wouldn't be surprised if what she told Hillary Clinton is correct:​

WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT HER VOICE

Amanda Gorman's vocal style is filled with fiery youthful passion and unwavering hope. The way she uses her voice instills trust and familiarity.​ There is warmth wrapped up with the cool unwavering steadiness of confidence. The way she uses her voice instills trust and understanding.​ She can connect with anyone with one word.

I can envision students benefiting from educational applications that utilized digital voices that harnessed the power of vocal characteristics similar to Gorman's voice. A use case such as this could potentially keep them engaged, active, and excited to learn through active participation, particularly during this time of Covid-19 and remote learning.

However, voices such as hers aren't currently represented in the digital voices dominating the markets. But, imagine the possibilities, if the world of digital voice matched the world of human voice. If it was as dynamic and expressive? More representative? Guess what, now it can be — learn more about AI-Voice.

VOCALiD VOICE TYPE

type-steam

Steam voices are defined as Soft, High, Breathy, and Nasal. Learn more about the unique characteristics that make up our voices and voice types here: VOCALiD Voice Types.

This is the eighteenth in our Iconic Black Voices series. Make sure to come back to our blog every day this month as we highlight more iconic Black voices in celebration of Black History Month.

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EDDIE MURPHY:
HOLLYWOOD'S MOST ICONIC LAUGH

MICHELE J MARTIN

Can anyone think of Eddie Murphy without immediately seeing that grin and hearing that fantastic laugh? Murphy's laugh has been entertaining the world since the late 1970s, when he got his first comedy break.​

FINDING HIMSELF THROUGH OTHERS

Eddie Murphy used his sense of humor to get him and his brother Charlie through their mother's illness as a child. The two had to live in a foster home for a year as she received treatment and recovered. Eddie began doing impersonations, inspired by comedians such as Peter Sellers, Redd Foxx, and Robin Williams. When he was 15, he realized he could have a career in comedy after listening to a comedy album by Richard Prior. That same year, he performed at a talent show, doing an impersonation of singer Al Green. ​In just a few years, his life would change.

STAND-UP & SNL

In 1980 Eddie Murphy would become only the second Black male comedian to be hired as a cast member of Saturday Night Live. For nearly five years, he entertained American audiences with characters such as Gumby, Little Richard Simmons, and Buckwheat. Paste Magazine released a ranking of the 50 Best SNL Cast Members of All Time, with Eddie Murphy ranking #1. He is widely considered to be why the show survived when it was on the brink of cancellation.

His early comedy style was famous for its NSFW language and themes. Politically incorrect, he made fun of everyone and everything. Like Richard Pryor, the comedian that inspired him, Murphy didn't shy away from potentially offensive materials or controversy on stage. His popularity translated from the television set to the big screen, as his success as a fan favorite on SNL started getting the attention of those in Hollywood.​

BIG SCREEN

The eighties would not be the same without the films of Eddie Murphy. His screen debut was in 48 Hrs, a buddy cop action film with Nick Nolte, but it would be another buddy cop film two years later that would make Eddie Murphy a certifiable film star. Beverly Hills Cop was his first leading role and is the third highest grossing "R"-rated film of all time. He would leave SNL that year and become Hollywood's biggest box office star of the decade.

“Theres this little box that African-American actors have to work in, in the first place, and I was able to rise above that box. I could have done a bunch of movies where I stayed as the Axel Foley or Reggie Hammond persona. But I didnt want to be doing the same thing all the time. Every now and then, you crash and burn, but thats part of it.”

Unfortunately, the box office success didn't continue into the nineties, when he experienced more misses than hits. However, towards the end of the decade, Murphy found renewed interest in his work. He embraced family-friendly roles, both on-screen in The Nutty Professor and Dr. Dolittle, and as a voice talent in Mulan and the Shrek series.

Eddie Murphy has had a resurgence; his film Dolemite is My Name was distributed by Netflix in 2019 and widely embraced by fans and critics alike. It was also announced in 2019 that Murphy was filming Coming to America 2. It is highly anticipated and set to be released next month on Amazon Prime.

MUSICAL CAREER

Eddie Murphy began singing in his comedy acts. In 1985 he released a musical album named How Could it Be, which brought him credibility as a recording artist when it reached and remained #2 on the Billboard Charts for three weeks. He's continued to sing in his films and release music. In 2015 he released a reggae single with Snoop Dog named Red Light.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Murphy has remained an industry favorite, celebrated and honored by his peers in tributes and honors. In 2015 he received a special tribute at the 40th Anniversary of SNL by Chris Rock, who has stated how influenced he has been by Eddie Murphy's career. That same year he received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Mark Twain was a humorist known for embracing controversial social commentary and not hesitating to call out social injustice. The award is presented to those who have "had an impact on American society in ways similar to" Twain. In 2019 he received the Critics Choice Association's Career Achievement Award at their Celebration of Black Cinema. Here is the full list of Eddie Murphy's awards and nominations.

WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT HIS VOICE

Eddie Murphy's vocal style says fun. It can make even the darkest days feel bearable. And the days that aren't dark — it can elevate those as well. AND THAT LAUGH. For those of us over 40-years old, Eddie Murphy's voice is part of the soundtrack of our lives. His voice is like a lifelong family friend.

When is the last time you heard a digital voice that made you feel like you were listening to or interacting with an old friend? That had the brightness in it that Eddie Murphy's voice has? His voice's characteristics aren't currently heard in the digital voices dominating the voice tech market.

Yet, imagine the possibilities if the world of digital voice matched the world of human voice. If it was as dynamic and expressive? More representative? If it could connect with you?! Guess what, now it can be — learn more about AI-Voice.

VOCALiD VOICE TYPE

type-windmill

Windmill voices are defined as Low, Deep, Breathy, and Nasal. Learn more about the unique characteristics that make up our voices and voice types here: VOCALiD Voice Types.

This is the seventeenth in our Iconic Black Voices series. Make sure to come back to our blog every day this month as we highlight more iconic Black voices in celebration of Black History Month.

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SADE ADU:
DEFINING MODERN BRITISH SOUL

MICHELE J MARTIN

Born in Nigeria, Sade Adu relocated to Essex, England, along with her mother and older brother Banji shortly after her parents split up. As she grew up, dreams of becoming an artist or writer were pushed aside for pragmatism — a degree in fashion from Saint Martins in London. She was raised to have a plan, and a trade was something she could fall back on. But she didn't love fashion and what would become her life's work, music, well — that was an accident. This accident made her one of the most powerful female artists at Epic Records for many years.

ACCIDENTAL ICON

Sade began her musical career as a backup singer in the early 80s for a London band called Pride. Early interviews with her suggest that it was just something to do, helping out the band until they found a longer-term option or a "real singer." On the side, she was also modeling part-time. But it was her solo performance of a song called 'Smooth Operator' that would catch everyone's attention. Quickly she had record label interest and selling out music venues. London nightclub Heaven turned away over 1,000 guests when they sold out tickets for Sade's first performance in record time. ​

MUSICAL STYLE

It was always hard for critics to define Sade's style. Some critics would lazily call them smooth jazz or a new sub-genre they'd created called "sophisti-pop." This title was used to describe other UK musicians of that time who were equally difficult to classify — such as Simply Red, Basia, Everything but the Girl, and Swing Out Sister. But like the others, their sound and influence were much more complicated. Raised on American soul such as Marvin Gaye, Nina Simone, and Curtis Mayfield, Sade and her band considered themselves also influenced by early-80s Hip Hop, Electro, and Punk.

INFLUENCE

To date, Sade has sold ~50M albums internationally, despite rarely touring and a small music catalog. They've only released six albums; however, they've recently remastered their catalog at Abbey Road Studios and reissued them as a box set called "This Far". And after ten years hiatus, there is talk of a new album and a world tour after the pandemic ends.

In a 2020 article in British GQ, bandmate Andrew Hale says, ..most bands are forgotten about when there is a long hiatus between albums, but with us it seems the opposite, particularly in the last few years." John Reid, the EMEA President of Live Nation, agrees, "There's no question that scarcity increases demand for an artist's live performances, in this case Sade."

This bolsters the case for how unique and influential Sade remains to this day.Musical artists across genres cite her as an inspiration and influence to them — Beyoncé, Rakim, Kanye West, metal-core singer Greg Puciato, Drake, Taylor Swift, Herbie Hancock, Lauryn Hill, and more. As new generations discover her, this list will undoubtedly grow.

"HOWIE" AND FAME

"The magic and the mystery is in the music itself. Knowing too much about someone can take away your attention from what they really do. Then people become celebrities rather than artists, and it's easy to step over that boundary and let yourself go.The magic and the mystery is in the music itself."

Elusive and mysterious, Sade has never been one to embrace fame. If anything, she has shied away from it. Sade didn't live lavishly, like a celebrity, as one would expect a woman who has sold over 50M albums worldwide. Friends would affectionately call Sade "Howie", a nod to the famously mysterious Howard Hughes.

Sade created her own rules and when she signed the band with Epic Records, the label agreed to her demands. From the rights to release music at the quantity and pace the band pleased, to offering a smaller upfront advance, with a backend share of sales profits at a rate that was almost unheard of at that time — 15%. This deal helped to make her one of the most successful British female artists in history.

Since the release of their first album nearly 20 years ago, Sade has won four Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist, and each of her six albums has gone multi-platinum. The Sunday Times in the U.K. has called her the most successful solo British female artist in history. VH1 ranked the band at 50 on their "100 greatest artists of all time" list, while ranking Sade herself at number 30 on their "100 Greatest Women In Music" list.

Sade would also receive British honors, which she said was "a great gesture to me and all black women in England. " She was made an Officer of the British Empire in 2002, and in 2017, she received the title of Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE).

WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT HER VOICE

Sade's vocal style is the vocal equivalent of a warm, heavy velvet blanket. Her words wrap themselves around you and pull you into the words she is saying, like stepping through the wardrobe in Narnia. Her voice transports you. Her voice has traditionally feminine and traditionally masculine characteristics, resulting in something so uniquely Sade. It is understandable why music critics had such a difficult time defining her and her musical style over the years.

Voice styles such as Sade's would be amazing in relaxation or meditation applications using digital voice. However, voices such as hers aren't currently represented in the digital voices dominating the markets. But, imagine the possibilities, if the world of digital voice matched the world of human voice. If it was as dynamic and expressive? More representative? Guess what, now it can be — learn more about AI-Voice.

VOCALiD VOICE TYPE

type-windmill

Windmill voices are defined as Low, Deep, Breathy, and Nasal. Learn more about the unique characteristics that make up our voices and voice types here: VOCALiD Voice Types.

This is the sixteenth in our Iconic Black Voices series. Make sure to come back to our blog every day this month as we highlight more iconic Black voices in celebration of Black History Month.

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BARACK OBAMA:
FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT

MICHELE J MARTIN

Is there anything we can tell you about Barack Obama that you don't already know? From a young first-term senator to the first Black president of the United States, Obama changed the script of American politics. Rather than talk about what brought him to the White House, we want to talk about his life outside the Oval Office.

AUTHOR

By the time Barack Obama became President, he had already published two best-selling autobiographies. The first "Dreams From My Father" received praise from literary luminaries such as Toni Morrison. New York Times columnist Joe Klein said the book "may be the best-written memoir ever produced by an American politician." Robert McCrum included it in his list of 100 best non-fiction books of all time. The audiobook earned Obama the Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album in 2006. In 2011, Time Magazine listed the book on its top 100 non-fiction books written in English 1923.

His next book, "The Audacity of Hope," was a best seller on both the New York Times Bestsellers List and Amazon. Three months following the book's release, Barack Obama would announce his run for President. Barack Obama's next book, "Of Thee I Sing," was finished after his successful election as President in 2008, but before taking office. It was published in 2010.

Upon leaving office Penguin Random House signed a deal with Obama to publish his memoir. "A Promised Land" was published in November 2020 and stayed on the New York Times best-seller list for eight consecutive weeks.

PRODUCER

In 2018 Barack and Michelle Obama signed a production deal with Netflix on a set of films and series touching on race, class, and democracy. In discussing them, Obama said, "we believe each of these productions won't just entertain but will educate, connect, and inspire us all."

Their first production, American Factory, was released in 2019 and focused on a reopened General Motors plant in Ohio that had previously been abandoned. Higher Ground Productions won an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature for American Factory. In 2020 they debuted Becoming, a documentary that followed Michelle Obama during her book tour for her book of the same name.

Future projects in the works are a drama series set in post-WWII New York, a film adaptation of the book "Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom," and an educational program about food for children.

ENGAGING THE NEXT GENERATION

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.."

This year Barack Obama is breaking ground on the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. To ensure all young men and women of color can reach their full potential, the center has two programs — My Brother’s Keeper Alliance and Girls Opportunity Alliance. The Obama Presidential Center has also developed several international programs to identify and engage young leaders in Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Europe. We are excited to see the work that Barack and Michelle Obama do with this new initiative.

RECOGNITIONS

Barack Obama has won Time Person of the Year... twice, a Nobel Peace Prize, 14 honorary degrees, a President's Medal from Israel, a U.S. Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service, and an Ambassador of Humanity award from The Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education. Obama also has had 13 community schools in the United States named in his honor.

WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT HIS VOICE

What is there to say about Barack Obama's vocal style? His voice reassures; it expresses empathy and connects with the listener. It can also lift people up, comfort them, and give them hope. "Thanks Obama!"

As the pandemic lockdowns in the U.S. reach a year, wouldn't it be wonderful to get daily messages of hope each morning? I want a digital voice assistant with similar vocal characteristics to Barack Obama talking to me each morning. Not a voice that sounds like Obama, but a voice that can similarly interact with its listeners and elicit similar feelings of trust and reassurance.

Unfortunately, his vocal style has NOT been represented in the digital voices currently dominating the markets. But imagine the possibilities if the world of digital voice matched the world of human voice. If it was as dynamic and expressive? Guess what; digital voice can be all that — learn more about AI-Voice.

VOCALiD VOICE TYPE

type-cocoa

Cocoa voices are defined as Soft, Deep, Modal, and Oral. Learn more about the unique characteristics that make up our voices and voice types here: VOCALiD Voice Types.

This is the fifteenth in our Iconic Black Voices series and a special edition in honor of Presidents Day. Make sure to come back to our blog every day this month as we highlight more iconic Black voices in celebration of Black History Month.

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MAYA ANGELOU:
FROM SILENCE TO SONG

MICHELE J MARTIN

Shortly after experiencing incredibly traumatic childhood abuse, Maya Angelou stopped speaking — she became, essentially, a mute. For nearly five years, she didn't speak, save a few times with her brother Bailey. Angelou discusses that trauma and how she found her voice again in her 1969 bestselling memoir, "I Know Why a Caged Bird Sings."

During that time, when Maya was silent, she was bullied terribly. Her paternal grandmother would tell her that despite what others thought of her, that she knew that Maya would grow up to become a great teacher, one that would teach all over the world.

FINDING HER VOICE AND HER PATH

With her grandmother, brother Bailey, and neighbor Bertha Flowers' love and patience, Maya Angelou finally broke her silence. Over the next decade+, Ms. Angelou would become a dancer, singer, and stage actress who toured Europe with her theatre company. A polyglot, she absorbed the languages of places she visited. Maya was a recording artist, releasing an album of Calypso music in the late 1950s. She was also a mother, having given birth to her son Guy when she was a teenager. In 1959, at the urging of novelist John Oliver Killens, she settled in New York to focus on her writing.

CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, AFRICA, AND ACTIVISM

During her time in New York, Maya Angelou became deeply involved with the Civil Rights Movement after attending a speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Together with John Oliver Killens, she organized the Cabaret for Freedom. She would become both a fundraiser and the Northern Coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, a Black Civil Rights organization led by Dr. King.

In 1961, after meeting and falling in love with South African freedom fighter Vusumzi Make, Angelou would move herself and her son to Cairo to live with Make. When their relationship later ended, Maya and Guy moved to Accra, Ghana, so that Guy could attend college.

In Ghana, Maya would meet and become close to Malcolm X. In 1965, he asked her to move back to the United States to help build a new civil rights organization called the Organization of Afro-American Unity. She didn't hesitate. Unfortunately, Malcolm X was assassinated soon after she'd arrived.

CLOUDS AND RAINBOWS

The next few years were no less tragic. She had settled in Los Angeles after Malcolm X's death. There, she witnessed the Watts' riots that took place over the course of 6-days following the attempted arrest of a young Black man by police. To end the riots, the government called in 14,000 members of the California National Guard. By the time it was over, 34 people were dead.

Two years later, in 1968, her good friend Dr. King would reach out to her and ask her to organize a march. She agreed but needed to postpone the date. That march never happened as he was assassinated soon after, on Maya's 40th birthday.

"All my work, my life, everything I do is about survival, not just bare, awful, plodding survival, but survival with grace and faith. While one may encounter many defeats, one must not be defeated."

She was despondent, but instead of silencing herself, she channeled that grief into momentous creativity. By the end of 1968, she had written, produced, and narrated a ten-part docuseries for National Educational Television, entitled Blacks, Blues, Black! The series delved into the connection between blues music and Black Americans' African heritage. The next year she would publish the first of her seven memoirs, and the one that would get her international recognition and acclaim; "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings."

GRANDMOTHERS ALWAYS KNOW

"At our best, we are all teachers."

Maya Angelou's grandmother just knew, back in the late 1930s, that eventually, Maya would teach. Her grandmother must have been saying, "I told you so," when in 1991, Wake Forest University offered her the lifetime Reynolds Professorship of American Studies. She accepted and became one of only a few full-time Black professors teaching at the Southern university. Her courses were a mix of that which she was most passionate about; philosophy, ethics, theology, science, theater, and writing.​

RECOGNITION & A LASTING LEGACY

Maya Angelou would receive over 50 honorary degrees in her lifetime. She won three Grammy's, Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award nominations, and three highly distinguished honors: Spingarn Medal (1994), the National Medal of Arts (2000), and the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2011).

She donated her personal papers and career memorabilia to the New York Public Library's Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem in 2010. This gift included over 340 boxes of documents — including handwritten notes for I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and personal and professional correspondence with writers Baldwin, Marshall Davis, Mari Evans, Hoyt Fuller, Rosa Guy, Chester Himes, Dudley Randall, Sarah E. Wright; human rights activist Malcolm X, photographer Gordon Parks, jazz singer Abby Lincoln; her longtime editor Robert Loomis, and others. ​

WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT HER VOICE

Maya Angelou's vocal style is storytelling genius. She weaved worlds with the way she used her voice to take the listener on a journey, whether speaking or singing. She sounds like an ancestral relative, guiding our way while inspiring us to push through unexplored areas of the world and our own minds. Her vocal style was soft, but it carried the world's weight with it.

Have you ever watched a pre-recorded seminar and realized half-way in that you hadn't been listening for a significant amount of time? It wasn't the material, per se, but it was because the instructor was NOT an engaging speaker? Or worse, they used a generic text-to-speech voice to narrate the class, which got your attention for the wrong reasons. What if that seminar could be narrated by someone who had similar voice characteristics to Maya Angelou?!

Unfortunately, her vocal style has NOT been represented in the digital voices currently dominating the markets. But imagine the possibilities if the world of digital voice matched the world of human voice. If it was as dynamic and expressive? Guess what; digital voice can be all that — learn more about AI-Voice.

VOCALiD VOICE TYPE

type-brook

Brook voices are defined as Soft, Deep, Modal, and Oral. Learn more about the unique characteristics that make up our voices and voice types here: VOCALiD Voice Types.

This is the fourteenth in our Iconic Black Voices series. Make sure to come back to our blog every day this month as we highlight more iconic Black voices in celebration of Black History Month.

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ISAAC HAYES:
ARCHITECT OF R&B AND HIP HOP

MICHELE J MARTIN

Some know Isaac Hayes from his work on the soundtrack of Shaft. Called a revolutionary funk/soul masterpiece, Shaft earned Hayes several historic wins.In 1971 he became the first Black American musician to win an Academy Award for a Musical Composition and the first Black American to have an album go platinum. Later that same year, he would also become the first Black American to have an album go double platinum, with his 1971 release, the double album Black Moses.

Others know Isaac Hayes for his voice-over work as the lovable (and often NSFW or young children) long-running character on South Park — Chef. Hayes voiced Chef from the series start until spring of 2006, after a controversial difference of opinion over some of the show's content.

CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT

Isaac Hayes's role during the Civil Rights Movement hasn't been as touched upon as his musical and cultural impact. Hayes had acknowledged that "Soul Man" was directly inspired by the racial violence of 1967, but there weren't many interviews I could find about his activism. The best summary of Isaac Hayes' influence during the Civil Rights Movement came from a fascinating graduate thesis paper from 2015. Jason Danielson of Iowa State University looked at the effect of the music label Stax Records on the Civil Rights Movement in Memphis, Tennessee. Isaac Hayes was an in-house songwriter, session musician, and record producer for Stax.

The following is an excerpt from Danielson's thesis. I recommend everyone interested in musical culture and the Civil Rights Movement read.

The Role of Soul: Stax Records and the Civil Rights Movement in Memphis, Tennessee —

"In addition to his enormous career at Stax, both as a writer and producer in the 1960s and as an performer in the 1970s, Isaac Hayes performed more charity work and local and national community activism than most of the Stax team. He sought to provide low-cost housing for the poor and elderly, helped quell violence and negotiate curfews with city leadership during black uprisings, performed at Wattstax to raise money for local and national organizations related to the Watts uprisings, and was honored by numerous organizations including city governments, civil rights groups, and the Academy Awards (for Shaft).

Hayes’s philanthropic and activist work, like his music, defied artificial categories; while he clearly desired black economic development and wrote music for a film about a tough black police officer, he also engaged in cooperative work with white city officials to avoid race riots, and even joined in the campaign for black Democratic congressional candidate Harold Ford in 1974."

HONORARY KING

In 1992, Hayes was crowned honorary king of the Ada region of Ghana by Princess Asie Ocansey to recognize his humanitarian work there. Hayes was then given a traditional Ghanian name —Nene Katey Ocansey I. With this new title, he became the Nkosuoehne (Chief for Development) of the Ada Traditional Area and a beloved member of the Ocansey Royal Family. Together with the Princess, he co-founded the Nene Katey Ocansey I Learning and Technology (NekoTech) Center of Excellence in Ada, Ghana, in 1998.

NekoTech opened to the public in 2000. While known primarily for its job-readiness and migrant pre-departure training programs, NekoTech also ran impactful global health campaigns. The Save a Million Lives Project ran for five years in partnership with USA National and Student National Medical Associations. Focused on global HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness, it helped save millions of lives worldwide.

RECOGNITIONS

"Just, you know, you can't put bread in a cold oven. You know, you've got to take your time. You've got to heat it up. So that's what, that's what I like to do with my music. I like to build it, and build it into a maddening, exciting crescendo."

In addition to his Academy Award for Shaft, Isaac Hayes also won 3 Grammy Awards, nine BMI Awards, and a Golden Globe. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2002 and received a BMI Icon Award at the 2003 BMI Urban Awards.

WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT HIS VOICE

Isaac Hayes's vocal style is dark, sweet, rich molasses. Those deep warm tones. His voice envelopes you, whether he was projecting humor as Chef, doing a dramatic turn for an acting role, or singing the songs that defined an era.

I wish I could have an app that spoke daily affirmations to me each morning in a digital voice with similar vocal characteristics to Isaac Hayes. Who wouldn't feel empowered and like they could take on the world with that voice setting the tone for your day?!

Unfortunately, his vocal style has NOT been represented in the digital voices currently dominating the markets. But imagine the possibilities if the world of digital voice matched the world of human voice. If it was as dynamic and expressive? Guess what; digital voice can be all that — learn more about AI-Voice.

VOCALiD VOICE TYPE

type-motorcycle

Motorcycle voices are defined as Loud, Deep, Modal, and Oral. Learn more about the unique characteristics that make up our voices and voice types here: VOCALiD Voice Types.

This is the thirteenth in our Iconic Black Voices series. Make sure to come back to our blog every day this month as we highlight more iconic Black voices in celebration of Black History Month.

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SERENA WILLIAMS:
TENNIS' G.O.A.T.

MICHELE J MARTIN

Serena Williams and her equally famous sister Venus were homeschooled by their parents, Oracene Price and Richard Williams. Their parents also acted as their primary tennis coaches after showing an interest and talent in the game. While Richard and Oracene may have received criticism for this decision at the time, clearly, the Williams family knew what they were doing.

Born in Michigan, Serena, her older sister Venus, and their other siblings moved to Compton, California, when she was quite young. She was four years old when she started to show a real interest in playing tennis, so her parents began coaching her. When she was 9-years old, they would move again, to West Palm Beach. Serena was ranked number one among under-10 players in Florida in less than a year.

However, Richard soon took his daughters off the circuit, partially due to the rising racism they were experiencing and because he wanted his daughters to enjoy some of their childhood without the pressure of tournaments. He had hoped that Serena would wait until she was 16 before she began participating in professional matches. Serena had other ideas, making her pro debut at 13-years old, playing at the Bell Challenge in Quebec City. She used a wild card entry to get around age restrictions, allowing her to play. She won two games but was out in the first round of qualifying.

FROM WILD CARD TO #1 IN THE WORLD

Serena Williams began 1997 ranked No. 304 in women's singles tennis. By the end of the year, she was ranked No. 99. Her ascent continued, and by the end of 1998, she was 16-years old and No. 20. The next year she won her first professional singles title in the final of the Open Gaz de France in Paris. Just over two months later, she made her top-10 debut, at No. 9. Serena ended 1999 ranked No. 4 — it was only her second full year on the main tour.​

"The success of every woman should be the inspiration to another. We should raise each other up. Make sure you're very courageous: be strong, be extremely kind, and above all be humble."

Injuries would slow her down for the next two years, with her ranking slipping to No. 6, however by 2002, she was back on the court full force. Quickly she rebounded and reached No. 2 ... second to her sister Venus who held the No. 1 ranking for women's singles.

The sisters would go head to head in the women's singles event at the 2002 Wimbledon Championships. Serena beat her sister without dropping a set and won her first Wimbledon title. That victory also earned her the world No. 1 ranking for the first time, dethroning her sister. She became only the third Black American woman to hold that ranking. To put this in perspective, Serena was 20-years old when she became the No. 1 women's tennis player in the world.

A PLACE IN HISTORY

In 2019 Tennis.com named Serena Williams The Women's Player of the Decade. We could argue that she earned The PLAYER of the Decade, regardless of her gender. Two years earlier, Williams became the first player, male or female, to win 80+ matches at 3 of the 4 Grand Slam events. Currently, she has the 4th highest career earnings of any tennis player, male and female. Serena is also the highest-earning female athlete of all-time across all sports. She has earned her place in history.​

RECOGNITIONS

Serena Williams has set many historical firsts, such as becoming the first Black American to win the Australian Open and the first woman to win 60+ career matches in all four Grand Slams in the Open Era.

She has won so many matches and set so many records that it is easier to include a link link rather than fill pages with her many wins. To fully appreciate her athleticism and talent, I ask that you click that link; it is truly amazing.

WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT HER VOICE

Serena William's vocal style is open and robust. Deep warm tones, she speaks like she plays — powerfully. She speaks with conviction, and her voice commands attention and trust, regardless of what she is saying.

I wish I could choose a digital voice for my smart devices with voice characteristics similar to Serena's. How motivating would THAT be?!

Unfortunately, her vocal style has NOT been represented in the digital voices currently dominating the markets. But imagine the possibilities if the world of digital voice matched the world of human voice. If it was as dynamic and expressive? Guess what; digital voice can be all that — learn more about AI-Voice.

VOCALiD VOICE TYPE

type-armor

Armor voices are defined as Loud, Deep, Modal, and Nasal. Learn more about the unique characteristics that make up our voices and voice types here: VOCALiD Voice Types.

This is the twelfth in our Iconic Black Voices series. Make sure to come back to our blog every day this month as we highlight more iconic Black voices in celebration of Black History Month.

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HARRY BELAFONTE:
ARTIST AND ACTIVIST

MICHELE J MARTIN

Harry Belafonte is known affectionately as the "King of Calypso," but his real goal was to act. He started as a club singer in the 40's, performing with the Charlie Parker band, which at that time was comprised of Charlie Parker, Max Roach, and Miles Davis. His performances at The Village Vanguard, a legendary NYC jazz club, would get music labels' attention and earn him a contract with RCA Victor. ​

Belafonte's breakthrough album, Calypso (1956), was the first LP to sell over a million copies within a year and the first million-selling album in England. Featuring the now-iconic "Banana Boat Song" (also known as "Day-O"), Calypso was the first to introduce American audiences to the calypso music of Trinidad and Tobago. In 1959, he became the first Jamaican American to win an Emmy for his special — "Revlon Revue: Tonight with Belafonte."

THE ARTIST AS ACTIVIST

Harry Belafonte was a civil rights activist before anything else. As a friend and confidante to Dr. King, Belafonte considered the Kings to be family; and he helped provide for them as the salary for a preacher was only $8,000 a year. Belafonte's generosity enabled Dr. King to continue his work as a civil rights advocate and activist.

"If I've impacted on one heart, one mind, one soul, and brought to that individual a greater truth than that individual came into a relationship with me having, then I would say that I have been successful."

His friendship with Dr. King and his outspoken opinions on civil rights issues resulted in his being blacklisted during the era of McCarthyism. However, this didn't deter him, and his actions in some of the pivotal moments of the civil rights movement are worth reiterating.

  • During the 1963 Birmingham Campaign, Belafonte raised $50k to bail King and other civil rights protestors out of Birmingham City Jail.
  • He helped to organize the 1963 March on Washington to advocate for the cibil and economic rights of Black Americans. It was here that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his historic speech — "I Have a Dream", with the Lincoln Memorial behind him.
  • In 1964 Belafonte bankrolled the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee during what was known as the "Mississippi Freedom Summer".

HUMANITARIANISM

The Civil Rights Movement wasn't the only place that Belafonte has given his attention. Over the last 40 years, he has continued to find ways to help causes in Africa, including education, healthcare, and apartheid.​

  • He helped organize the Grammy Award-winning song "We Are the World", a multi-artist effort in 1985 to raise funds for Africa.
  • In 1987, he received an appointment to UNICEF as a goodwill ambassador
  • He served as chairman of the International Symposium of Artists and Intellectuals for African Children in Dakar, Senegal in 1988.
  • In 1994, he went on a mission to Rwanda and launched a media campaign to raise awareness of the needs of Rwandan children.
  • Belafonte went to South Africa in 2001 to support the campaign against HIV/AIDS.
  • In 2004, he went to Kenya to advocate for more widespread childhood education in the region.

RECOGNITIONS

Harry Belafonte has received much admiration and recognition for his humanitarianism and activism. These are just some of the honors he has received.

In 2006 Belafonte was awarded the BET Humanitarian Award and was named one of nine 2006 Impact Award recipients by AARP. In 2013 he was presented with the NAACP Springarn Medal. In 2015 he received an Oscar for his activism — the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, which honors his fight for social justice. The next year, Harvard University's Hutchins Center for African and African American Research presented Harry Belafonte and Oprah Winfrey with their highest honor in the field of African and African American Studies — the annual W.E.B. Du Bois Medals.

A PLACE IN HISTORY

In 2020 New York Public Library's Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture announced that Harry Belafonte had gifted them with his personal archive. The collection includes: "400 linear feet of audiovisual materials, personal and professional papers such as letters and manuscripts, television scripts, and photo albums that chronicle Belafonte's life, activism, and career from 1949 to the present". ​

WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT HIS VOICE

Harry Belafonte's vocal style is so unique, and his inflections, how he speaks and tells his stories — it is magnificent. His Jamaican accent has long since disappeared, but there are ghosts of it on the edges. His voice has this wonderful texture that adds depth to his storytelling — his voice is deep and soft but never smooth. There is a quiet sandpaper growl that entrances the listener.

Imagine being able to choose a digital voice with similar characteristics for history coursework in higher education or grade schools — more interactive and engaging remote learning for elementary and high school students.

Unfortunately, his unique vocal style is NOT represented in the digital voices currently dominating the markets. But imagine the possibilities if the world of digital voice matched the world of human voice. If it was as dynamic and expressive? Guess what; digital voice can be all that — learn more about AI-Voice.

VOCALiD VOICE TYPE

type-cocoa

Cocoa voices are defined as Soft, Deep, Breathy, and Oral. Learn more about the unique characteristics that make up our voices and voice types here: VOCALiD Voice Types.

This is the eleventh in our Iconic Black Voices series. Make sure to come back to our blog every day this month as we highlight more iconic Black voices in celebration of Black History Month.

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WILL SMITH:
FROM FILL IN TO LEADING MAN

MICHELE J MARTIN

It was a chance encounter that led Will Smith to fill in as the "hype man" for Jeff Townes in 1985. Jeff, a.k.a. D.J. Jazzy Jeff was set to perform at a house party; however, when his original partner was late, he found himself in a predicament. Having just been introduced to Smith, he decided to let him fill in. Their chemistry was instant, and while the original "hype man" eventually made it to the party, D.J. Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince were born that night.​

Will Smith became known for his inclusive, profanity-free rhymes. He was still in high school when their first single, "Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble," became a hit. Soon after, they were getting the attention of industry greats such as Russell Simmons. At the 1989 Grammy Awards, D.J. Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince won their first Grammy for Best Rap Performance for their single "Parents Just Don't Understand." It wouldn't be their last Grammy. In 1991, one year after the premiere of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Smith and Townes would win their 2nd Grammy for their most popular hit, "Summertime". ​

TELEVISION FAME

The idea for Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was based on music manager Benny Medina's childhood. Medina pitched the concept to seminal music producer and composer Quincy Jones. Together they pitched the idea to NBC and suggested up and coming rap performer Will Smith in the lead role. Having never acted prior, Will Smith was hesitant but was later swayed under Quincy Jones's persuasion, now Executive Producer of the show.

In just three weeks from Smith accepting the role, the team had completed the script for the pilot and compiled a cast including seasoned television stars such as Alfonso Ribeiro (Carlton), James Avery (Uncle Phil), and British star Joseph Marcell (Geoffrey "Butler"). The show ran for six seasons, from 1990 - 1996, and earned eight wins and 29 nominations. With meme-worthy moments such as The Carlton dance, the show not only secured its place in 90's pop culture, but it launched the Hollywood film career of Will Smith. ​

TRANSITIONING TO THE BIG SCREEN

In the years he was filming Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Will Smith would star in Six Degrees of Separation and Bad Boys. Just two months after the series finale of Fresh Prince aired, Will Smith was on the big screen in Independence Day. It was one of the highest-grossing films in history at that time and proved that Smith was a solid box office draw. The next summer, in 1997, Smith would introduce the world to Agent J and the Men in Black. Twenty-four years have passed, and Will Smith has slowed down yet.​

LENDING HIS VOICE FOR CHANGE

"I am inspired beyond my ability to articulate... and now I know what and who I want to be... a soldier for peace."

Forbes ranked Smith as the most bankable star worldwide. Newsweek has named him the Most Powerful Actor in Hollywood. Still, it's what Smith and his wife Jada have done with their combined wealth and influence that is the most remarkable. Internationally they have focused a substantial amount of their time and money on issues facing children and families in South Africa, including the AIDS crisis. For issues nationally, they have founded a charity to have the most impact.​

The Will and Jada Smith Family Foundation (WJSFF) benefits inner-city community development, youth educational projects, and underprivileged children and their families. In 2020 WJSFF partnered with the #TogetherFund to combat what they believed to be the two pandemics currently facing our planet — Racial Injustice and Covid19.

WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT HIS VOICE

Will Smith's vocal style exudes charm, self-confidence, joy, and humility. And his LAUGH. We love that. He would be a magnificent couch to get me through something I didn't want to do because he transmits joy through his voice, and it is contagious.

Imagine if a health and fitness voice assistant had a vocal style like Will Smith? Wouldn't that make crunches and squats so much LESS psychologically painful? Or a digitally voiced app to talk me through laundry, dishes, or any of the chores that we put off because ... they are the worst. Amazing, right?

Unfortunately, his unique vocal style is NOT represented in the digital voices currently dominating the markets. But imagine the possibilities if the world of digital voice matched the world of human voice. If it was as dynamic and expressive? If it could make folding fitted sheets less of a painful task?! Guess what; digital voice can be all that — learn more about AI-Voice.

VOCALiD VOICE TYPE

Kettle voices are defined as Loud, High, Breathy, and Nasal. Learn more about the unique characteristics that make up our voices and voice types here: VOCALiD Voice Types.

This is the ninth in our Iconic Black Voices series. Make sure to come back to our blog every day this month as we highlight more iconic Black voices in celebration of Black History Month.

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