One-on-one with India.Arie and her “SongVersation” tour, featuring Palmer's® - Examiner.com

On Friday, October 25, 2013, fans lined up around the inside perimeter of the newly opened Wal-Mart, in Atlanta ^[1] , Georgia, to get a glimpse of, photo with, brief chat in or autographed cd with India.Arie ^[2] . Some lucky fans were even graced with an autographed lithograph. MyMeApparel Atlanta Fashion and Entertainment Examiner ^[3] was blessed the best with a moment to sit one-on-one with the multi-Grammy award winning R&B artist who is India.Arie ^[4] .

Palmer’s® VIP SWAG BAG Giveaway. Click here to enter!^[5]

Who is India.Arie ^[6] ?

Celebrity can, and will, take the “human” out of a person. However, that is not the case with India.Arie ^[7] , age 38. She is one of the most unassuming, down-to-earth, keep-it-real and say-what-it-is celebrities out there. During our one-on-one sit down, in a quiet nook in the lounge area of the Wal-mart store, there were moments when I could have easily been just chillin’ at my girlfriend’s house, as we had a few “side-eye” and “throw your head back” moments of laughter.

“Born of necessity and turmoil, the new album is the happiest record Arie has made to date.” ~ ESSENCE

Her new album is entitled, “SongVersation" with a single included, "Just Do You”. This examiner asked, “How does India.Arie do her?” The simple response, with a pause of self-reflection:

India.Arie: “You know, it’s not something I think about. I just be. I do me by being me. That’s all I can be.”

What are some words of wisdom could she offer other women (and men, too, really) who are seeking knowledge on how to gain a self-purpose-driven life? The answer is just as simple:

India.Arie: “There really is no secret. You just have to do the work. Everybody has their stuff…something going on in your life, with yourself, your family, things in your environment. Fix it. Deal with what presents itself to you. It’s like a muscle really, the more you use it…do it, it gets easier.”

“Grammy Award-Winning India.Arie weighs in with what may be one of the best releases of her career.” ~ BILLBOARD

Her natural, free-flowing appearance is a testament to her true self, including her name. India Arie ^[8] is her birth name and not just a “nice sounding moniker/stage name. Born not only into her name, she is also born into her birth right to sing. Her mother, Joyce Simpson (who goes simply by “Simpson”)^[9] is also a singer, formerly signed with the legendary record company, Motown ^[10] . (Simpson was the opening act for Stevie Wonder ^[11] and Al Green ^[12] .)

Simpson joined in with fans in support of India.Arie, at her Wal-Mart signing appearance. Like, her daughter, Simpson is extremely accessible, mingling amongst the crowd and engaging in multiple conversations. Most India.Arie fans did not even realize that they were rubbing elbows with greatness, a woman celebrated in her personal journey, and not just “India.Arie’s mother”. Simpson is now her daughter’s stylist and has her own online boutique, HavenStreet Studio ^[13] , featuring exquisite leather products.

Her brother, J’On, and sister, Victoria, also came out to show familial support.

Guess they have to catch her where and when they can.

India.Arie is on the move, both figuratively and literally?

After four years of lying low, in self-reflection and adjusting perspective, India.Arie has laid her burdens down in the form of her fifth album, “SongVersation”. In the onset of the single “Cocoa Butter”^[14] EP release, some fans questioned her loyalties to brown skin, raising the possible lightening of hers. India.Arie took her own advise and promptly provided the correct perspective as “gold skin, … luminous” for the “Cocoa Butter”^[15] EP cover.) (In interview with Oprah ^[16] , the legendary talk show host attempted to abet her by saying sometimes the camera lighting in a photo shoot may give the illusion of a particular tone according to the vision/concept.

So, what is the current state of affairs with her fans?

India.Arie stated that the skin lightening issue is “gone, done, over with.”

Fans appear to be in agreement. The “Cocoa Butter”^[17] YouTube has been viewed over 300, 000 times!

India.Arie fans also include children, who continue to embrace her from her Sesame Street “The Alphabet with Elmo and India.Aria”^[18] days. It’s Youtube video ^[19] has over 71 million views!

Fans are flocking to show their support, as she continues to bop across this the United States (from Seattle, Washington to her hometown of Atlanta, Georgia to Washington, DC and everywhere in between) to get to them. She is showing them, in her presence, that she is indeed keeping it real! Check out her tour schedule ^[20] to see if she will be in a city near you.

How does India.Arie find home on the road? What products does India.Arie take with her to give her a sense of home?

India.Arie divulged that she has a number of things, “oh so many things”, that she takes with her.

A few must have items are her essential oils (that she uses not only for the scents, but also for their natural healing qualities) and her Palmer’s® products ^[21] (that you has used for many, many years, with her all time favorite being the Palmer’s® Cocoa Butter Swivel Stick ^[22] ).

India.Arie features Palmer’s® products on her tour.

India.Arie has partnered with Palmer’s®^[23] to take the product line on the road with her, including the recently released Palmer’s for Men product line ^[24] . Fans at each tour stop have, and will have, the opportunity to receive free samples of the Palmer’s® product line.

Enter to win your very own Palmer’s® VIP Swag Bag!

Palmer’s®, a MyMeApparel Atlanta Fashion and Entertainment Examiner ^[25] sponsor, has, again, extended their generosity. Palmer’s® will provide a Palmer’s® VIP Swag Bag giveaway to one lucky MyMeApparel ^[26] Atlanta Fashion and Entertainment Examiner reader. Click here to enter to win ^[27] !