Goapele Talks Natural Hair & Mommyhood

Dubbed as the spiritual love child of Sade and D’Angelo by Rolling Stone, Goapele has a voice that is unmistakable. With a highly anticipated album set to give us eargasms galore, Goapele talks Break Of Dawn, Natural Hair & Mommyhood with WiseCurls. Enjoy!

WC: 10/24. Break Of Dawn. What was the concept behind the album and what makes this album different from previous albums?

G: The concept for this album was to put out good soulful music to share where I am now and give people something that they can feel.

What is your hope for us as fans to take from the album?

I want people to feel good, inspired and to know that whatever journey they are on within their own life, that they are not alone.

I have to ask! What is your hair story? Have you been natural most or all of your life?

Yes! I’ve been natural most of my life. When I was a teenager, for a few years, I had my hair pressed and had a perm for a little while. I’ve gone thru a lot of different styles, most of them have been natural. I’ve had short natural hair, locs for about 10 years and now have been rocking braids for about 4 years with thread wrapping.

Speaking of thread wrapping, how do you maintain it, do you leave it with the braids for a couple of weeks and then allow your hair to ‘breathe’?

I usually leave one style in for two weeks and then sometimes in between I’ll do twisted styles, like the two-strand twists to give my hair a break.

Do you have any favorite hair products that your hair loves?

There are a few hair products that I like to use and try to switch it up often. Right now I’m using a lot of shea based products or even pure shea butter with lavender essential oils. I’ve used some Carol’s Daughter products and olive oil based products. There is another product that I really like, Beija Flor. I really love the Cocoa Mango Buttercreme. I feel like there are so many smaller hair companies now with great products and women starting their own product companies, it’s exciting.

As a mom, I couldn’t help but read in your bio about the hiatus taken to enjoy motherhood. How has motherhood changed you for the better and how do you as an artist and a mom find the balance?

I think the balance is something that I’m constantly learning and working out. I never quite stopped working, I just slowed down to have more time with her and to get a more regular life pace. Being a mom, I feel like your perspective is expanded on the world. It’s made me more present in my life. Being able to seize every moment more because every moment is valuable. Whether I’m with her or my family or traveling, in the studio or doing a show, I just want to be present in that moment and not worry about how it’s all going to get done… as you probably know.

{laughter} Absolutely! It’s very important. Time flies and then you’re wondering ‘Man, where did the time go?!’

{laughter} Yeah…so I guess it feels like you can never feel or give enough. I have a song that touches on that, not totally autobiographical, but it touches on that. It’s called ‘Hush‘.

Who is the WiseWoman behind Goapele?

Hmm..that’s a good question. I would say that one of things that keeps me grounded is the good people around me, just that I have a lot of support from my family and the team of people I work with. Even business wise, as an artist starting out independently with Sky Blaze, my family’s label, they are still a part and have been throughout my process. All of that has been important for me to stay grounded and to stay faithful. Life will unfold as it’s supposed to. The pace is different than what I would expect sometimes, but, you know, everything is happening for a reason. Trusting in that helps me.

10/24. Break Of Dawn. ‘Nuff said.

Be sure to connect with Goapele on her official website for info on tour dates and the latest news! Goapele’s album is out MONDAY!! Let’s show up and show out for this talented beauty.

**For CurlyNikki’s interview with Goapele, click HERE.**