One of the most inspiring events I attended during Grammy week was a tribute to one of the world’s greatest Opera singers. Placido Domingo. An amazing talent, true gentleman and humanitarian, Placido was one of the key people responsible for creating a resurgence for Opera – moving it from small concert halls to football stadium crowds with the Three Tenors featuring Placido Domingo, Jose Carreras and Luciano Pavarotti. In addition Placido has performed in over 100 movies, released over 50 full length recordings and performed as the lead in more operas than any other tenor in history. His last telecast broadcast to over 1.4 billion people worldwide. Prior to his LIfetime Achievement award this year, he had been nominated for or won Grammy Awards for his recordings on 11 different occasions.

But more than that, as leader of the Los Angeles Opera and the Washington National Opera in Washington DC, he founded and oversees The Young Artists Programs, helping young opera singers to develop into world-class performers and have sustainable careers.

It was these young protege’s that performed in honor of Placido, when NARAS presented him with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. You didn’t need to be an opera fan to be brought to tears by the depth of the emotion and beauty in the voices of some of these future stars of of the genre. And you didn’t need to be an classical music fan to be inspired by the tremendous contribution and commitment to the world of music and to our global culture by the great Placido Domingo.

I was recently blessed to share time and collaborate on a song with the beautiful young singer from Nigeria named Nneka.  Nneka is a special artist, much in the style of a young Lauryn Hill or Eryka Badu.  And, like the musical heritage of her birthplace, Nigeria, she helps carry the torch passed on by the great late Fela Kuti – using her gift of music to inspire and inform the people.  After seeing her perform live in Los Angeles during Grammy week, I decided she would be a perfect voice for the international collaborations with conscious Hip Hop artists I am doing for the soundtrack to my current film project, Beat the World.  Beat the World writer/director and my dear friend Rob Adetuyi shared my excitement about the possibility, especially since he is also of Nigerian dissent.

Nneka got together in my studio, talked about the film and our shared mission of using music as a way to connect and inspire people to move in a more positive directions.  The song is called Express Yourself, which Nneka does quite naturally.  We recorded her vocals in Hamburg last week. I am pairing her with another amazing voice in the global conscious music scene, whose name I will reveal in one of my upcoming blogs.

Nneka, whose name means “mother is supreme” grew up in the delta region of Nigeria and moved to Hamburg when she was 18.  She recorded two albums there, making her mark on both the German and UK charts.  She has also supported other notable artists such as Femi Kuti, Bilal, Gnarls Barkley, Sean Paul and the Roots and is slated for the upcoming Lilith Fair  and Nas/Damian Marley tours this coming summer. Nneka’s US Debut album, Concrete Jungle, hit the stores here just after the Grammy’s, with an inspiring first single called “Heartbeat.” Our friend and remixer extraordinaire, JPeriod, put out a mix tape with her  to help promote the CD, which features Talib Kaweli.  If you are in Austin during the South by Southwest Music Festival this month, you should try to catch one of her five shows there.