• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Afrobella

Natural Hair, Beauty, Fashion and Makeup Blog

  • Hair
  • Beauty
    • Makeup
  • Reviews
  • Pop Culture
  • Style
  • About
    • Awards and Acclaim
    • FAQs
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Absolutely Andy Allo — Afrobella Interviews Prince’s New Protégé

by afrobella

She’s got a gorgeous face and a heavenly voice, and the kind of full, fluffy hair that inspires awe and admiration when you see her. And I can report from experience, when you meet her she is lovely, sweet, gracious and friendly. In a nutshell, Andy Allo is awesome.

AA-Image

Who is Andy Allo? She’s a singer/songwriter from Cameroon. Her upcoming album, Superconductor, was executive produced by Prince, and features six self-penned tracks by Andy, with three songs co-written by Prince – “Superconductor,” “The Calm” and “Gone.”

393451_10151057617850197_1471433065_n

Photo Credit: Justine Walpole

Yep. Prince. Andy Allo has been cosigned by The Purple One himself. She sings with him (the photo above is from Andy’s Facebook page). She works with him. She’s a guitarist/vocalist in his band, The New Power Generation. And when the Welcome 2 Chicago tour comes to town, Andy Allo will be opening for Prince, and debuting live at Prince’s after-jam on September 24. She has nothing to worry about. From what I’ve seen, she’s AMAZING live.

 

 

I’m so glad I didn’t know all of this when I met Andy. I met Andy Allo at the Essence Women in Hollywood luncheon and she was drop dead gorgeous and I could see the “it factor” just radiating out of her – but I didn’t know who she was just yet – she was just down to earth and normal and friendly and we chatted and hit it off. Which is great because had I known, I would have rambled her ear off about how much I love Prince and my purple MAC lipglass and maybe we wouldn’t have become Twitter friends (follow her @AndyAllo!) and this here interview might never have happened. But HOORAY, it did!

The Afrobella Interview: Andy Allo.

AA-15

Afrobella — Your voice is so lovely and you’re so beautiful, Andy! Talk to me about your musical journey thus far – you’re from Cameroon! And now you live in Los Angeles and you’re working with PRINCE. It’s like a fairy tale come to life. How did you get here?

Andy Allo — I came from a distant land and journeyed a long 22 hours to the Americas. It’s been an interesting journey to say the least but once I discovered that I had been given a gift: The gift of song and songwriting, there was nothing else for me to do but sing and write songs. It’s in my blood.

 

Afrobella — Talk to me about working with Prince – how did that come to be, and what is it like? (I’d be so nervous around him, I think)!

Andy Allo — Oh no, not at all. You know that feeling when you’re around some one who’s wiser and whom you have an immense amount of respect for, you just kind of just sit quiet and listen while inside there’s a little person doing the Harlem shake and singing. That’s how it is.

When I joined the New Power Generation, it was a challenge in every sense. It was my first tour, first time playing music I had two weeks to learn, first time playing in front of 60,000 people and I loved every minute of it. In fact, I’m addicted to touring and can’t wait to get back on the road.

 

Afrobella — I take it that might be sooner than we think! Will you be joining Prince when he comes to my side of town for Welcome 2 Chicago?

Andy Allo — Absolutely! I can’t wait to be in the home of blues, deep dish pizza and steppin’! I’ve only been to Chicago once but this time, this time will be very special because… I’ll be debuting music from my new record SUPERCONDUCTOR.

 

Afrobella — There’s so much chatter about you on the prince message boards, “is Andy the new Wendy” etc etc. Is there anything you’d like those fans to know and understand about you?

Andy Allo — It’s always harder for the new girl in class. Prince was touted as the next Stevie Wonder when he first started. But Like a reggae woman, I just boogie on!

 

Afrobella — Your hair is full and fabulous and free – but I’ve seen photos of you earlier in your career with straight hair. How’s the hair journey been? What are your favorite products?

Andy Allo — My hair soap opera began with braids and cornrows actually. I use that term, because in a soap opera, a character will die and then be brought back to life, or someone will do something terrible but then get a second chance. An example…I remember, “dying” my hair black blue and from then nursing it back to health for about a year. I won’t be doing that again.

I actually began flat ironing my hair fairly recently, and only did so to get an even trim but now, I’m going to try trimming my hair curls without using the iron. I’ve never used a relaxer in my hair and am so happy when I hear about people transitioning because those chemicals are very toxic. I absolutely love being natural.

I don’t know what I would do without Herbal Essence’s “None Of Your Frizzness”. It smells amazing but also leaves my hair incredibly soft!

 

Afrobella — What’s your best natural hair and beauty advice?

Andy Allo — Just let it go… Let your hair do what it wants to.  If we fight with our hair, sooner or later- it departs.

 

Afrobella — How would you describe your style?

Andy Allo — Oooo… I have fallen in love with fringe…. Hmm mm mm! These days, I am channeling Africa and Fringe.

 

Afrobella — I know many up and coming artists must look to someone like you and want to BE you. What’s your best advice for someone trying to break into the industry, who looks to you and your career as inspiration?

Andy Allo — I’m learning from the greats. They should too. “This ain’t no play game” so if you decide to get in the ring…be ready.

 

Afrobella — Talk to me about Superconductor, you must be SO EXCITED!!! What is the new album like, and what can we expect to hear?

Andy Allo — I’m beyond thrilled and cannot wait to share this music with everyone. Superconductor has a bit of old school, funk and a LOT of soul. These songs,  I hope, will last for generations. There’s something for everyone. I was blessed to collaborate with Prince and The NPG on this project and I found that our styles were very complimentary.  There are some compositions and arrangements on this record that make you want to scrunch up your face, dance and/or fall down. The first single, People Pleaser, featuring Maceo Parker and Trombone Shorty is almost confrontational it’s so funky. I can’t wait to share it.

September 20th… www.alloevolution.com

 

Afrobella — What’s next for you, Andy?

Andy Allo — Some breakfast.

I cannot WAIT for Superconductor – and I’m not the only one! Check out what Ledisi had to say on Facebook!

LedisiGoodVibes

For more on the awesome Andy Allo, check out alloevolution.com, follow @andyallo and “like”  www.facebook.com/andyallo. Oh and click here to visit her iTunes store – Superconductor drops soon!

CHICAGO, did you get your Prince tickets yet?? Get them ASAP and know you’re supporting a good cause – the Welcome 2 tour is in support of the Rebuild the Dream foundation, founded by Van Jones, whose mission is to mobilize thousands of everyday people who come together to build strong vibrant communities, and to fix the U.S. economy from the ground up. Click here to learn more!

ALL photos by photographer: Justine Walpole

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Filed Under: Beauty, Featured, Hair, Jams, Pop Culture, Style Tagged With: afrobella jams, Andy Allo, celebrities, music, natural beauty, natural hair, Pop Culture, Prince, the afrobella interview

« Hello, Sun Times!
The Afrobella Interview. Janelle Monáe for Cover Girl! »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. morgan

    at

    Oh how I love her! Great interview. She’s such a true inspiration to me.

  2. IanJ

    at

    Oh, I can’t wait for the Chicago show! My wife’s birthday, and it’s gonna be great! Knowing we’ll see Andy and hear her new album makes it that much sweeter. How can we be sure to get it in to the after show? First come, first serve? Tickets for sale? I know we’ll be headed there directly after the show to try our luck if that’s what it takes!

  3. phill

    at

    I have had the pleasure of not only knowing Andy, but the pleasure of hearing her play in small venues. Andy brings a refreshing, genuine quality to whatever she does. The kids Zion, Rayshon, and Deyshon, also wifey Nekquai send out mad shouts out to you and much respects. Can’t wait to she her in Salt Lake or Park City.
    Phill

  4. Lisa

    at

    It’s interesting that you mention the “Wendy” parallel because before I read your post, the first thing that came to mind when I saw her photo was “Sheila E” or ‘Wendy & Lisa’. Curious about her sound definitely.

  5. Richard Murray

    at

    You should have asked her what musicians inspired her most coming up in cameroon? What is the difference between the Black music scene in Europe as oppose to the USA? Does she plan to get into owning her own label like PRince did? What does she think about Black ownership of recording labels, and other entities within the music industry.
    So many questions

  6. horst sauerkraut

    at

    will this cd be released in europe? what is the distribution company in the US? i would like to hear it but can i in germany??? no listings on amazon or iTunes so far. cant wait to listen to it! i like andy allos style – what i heared from paris and north sea jazz fest was great!!!

  7. Darlene

    at

    Nice job, Afrobella! I really enjoyed this interview. I think you asked great questions and also seem to have made her comfortable enough to talk with you for a bit despite being at a luncheon.

  8. Maven

    at

    Really good interview. She’s got a really cool vibe. I look forward to hearing her,. And Love her hair.

  9. in the know

    at

    Andy is from Sacramento. Give me a break.

  10. thecla

    at

    i watched her play on red kiva on the african channel it was so great,hey andy ur fellow cameroonian here love u.wish we could eat ur favorite fried plantain together

  11. cathye o

    at

    if you want to talk about hair, lets talk about esperanza spaulding. now thats hair.

  12. bathrooms pompano beach hotels

    at

    In the modern times, kitchens have become a vital area of the house
    and there are a number of houses where the kitchen is the place where the women spend a large portion of their daily lives.
    The Masterbuilt designers added a drain clip to
    the fry basket which permits you to hang the basket on the
    side of the fryer as the turkey drains and cools.
    If you have you ought to really just simply following that link.

  13. plastic surgery mn

    at

    The questions you should ask your plastic
    surgeon before rhinoplasty should be about the safety of the procedure, its efficiency, and
    most importantly, its appropriateness for your body and whether it
    would offer results in line with your expectations. Just like other facilities, medical facilities at
    Salt Lake City are quite advance and it has been serving different needs of the patients for
    the past many years. You also need to think about the recovery process
    and the ways it might affect your daily life and work.

  14. Plastic Surgery penis

    at

    Finally, mini face lift provide the sufferers an all natural
    experience by themselves as well as at the same time improve their own self esteem
    and confidence amounts. Just like other facilities,
    medical facilities at Salt Lake City are quite advance and it has been serving different needs of the patients
    for the past many years. This will give an assurance that the treatment which has offered
    is effective and suitable for you.

Primary Sidebar


Visit Afrobella Store

Popular Posts

  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • May 2024
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • November 2022
  • September 2022
  • June 2022
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
  • December 2007
  • November 2007
  • October 2007
  • September 2007
  • August 2007
  • July 2007
  • June 2007
  • May 2007
  • April 2007
  • March 2007
  • February 2007
  • January 2007
  • December 2006
  • November 2006
  • October 2006
  • September 2006
  • August 2006

Footer

  • Afrobella Radio
  • Ask Afrobella
  • Beauty
  • Body
  • Books
  • Events
  • Featured
  • Food
  • Hair
  • Health and Wellness
  • Issues
  • Jams
  • Life
  • Makeup
  • Monday Manicure
  • Pop Culture
  • Popular
  • Randomness
  • Reviews
  • Skin
  • Style
  • Travel

Copyright © 2025 · Foodie Pro & The Genesis Framework