The Indie Artist of the week

Castella Castella

In the early 1980s, a second cohort of artists was emerging on the iconic Philadelphia International Records. The Jones Girls came from Detroit and a career mostly in the background to become the label’s focus female group; and songwriter/producer Dexter Wansel, with a sense of both jazz fusion and nontraditional instrumentation, helped PIR progress into the 80s with a sound that was edgier and certainly hipper. The result of their marriage was a string of memorable songs, perhaps none more iconic than the jazzy, eclectic “Nights Over Egypt.”

We’re now four decades on, and a new generation of stars is embracing the classic sounds of Detroit, Philadelphia and Memphis from days past. And that includes SoulTracks Readers’ Choice Awards nominee Castella, fresh off her hits “I Saw You” and “Intoxicated Love.” The immediate target of her affection? “Nights Over Egypt,’ which has become an instant worldwide hit over the past few weeks.

Working with longtime producers Darryl Swann and Jeff Canady, Castella presents a fresh take on the classic that maintains its jazzy foundation but a more muscular arrangement, with an organic wall of sound and the expressive flute of Ragan Whiteside replacing the more electronic original. And Castella’s always-powerful vocals are right on point.