what is R&B | Shafali's Caricatures, Portraits, and Cartoons

Presenting…
Rihanna, the Barbadian Songwriter and Singer, who blends Rhythm and Blues, a genre of popular African American music that originated in 1940s, with Caribbean music!

Rihanna’s biography:

Rihanna, 22 now, was born in Barbados on February 20, 1988. An year before the release of her first album, she moved to the US. Rihanna began singing when she was barely 7. She had a troubled childhood because of her father’s drug addiction and later the divorce of her parents.

Rihanna formed a girl-band with two of her classmates, at the age of 15. It was around this time that she was discovered by Evan Rogers, the music producer. In about an year’s time Rihanna’s demo was ready and she had moved to the US with Rogers and his wife.

Her debut album Music of the Sun received mixed reviews – it was her second album “A Girl Like Me” which truly launched her in terms of numbers, yet even the second album didn’t please the critics. (What I often wonder is – why we’ve got the critics at all? I think that for an artist, writer, or performers – what matters is the verdict of people…Rihanna’s case proves my point.)

Rihanna however wasn’t in a mood to let the critiques stop her, and so with her third album she decided to change her image. (Image makeovers are extremely important – when things aren’t working out – shock people.) This was also the time when Rihanna dyed her hair black (from brown?) and changed her persona. This album had a song “Umbrella”, which became the worldwide No. 1 hit, and which also featured the American Rapper Jay-Z. Thus began Rihanna’s awards journey – and by 2008 Rihanna had become famous!

2009 wasn’t a good year for Rihanna as she made news as a battered woman who had been beaten up black and blue by her boyfriend Chris “Brown” (Christopher Maurice “Chris” Brown – who is a singer too)! (Chris says that he grew up in a family with domestic violence – but then that can be no excuse for beating anyone up, especially someone you say, you “love.”) She’s currently in a relationship with Matt Kemp.

(Recently, the image of Rihanna’s battered face has become the subject of a fresh Police Probe. )

Other Things About Rihanna:

She idolizes Madonna and Mariah Carey, and everyone else, including Janet Jackson, Beyonce Knowles, Celine Dion…and so on and so forth. It helps to be on the good side of everyone.
Her music is influenced by Caribbean Music.
Her dressing style is considered some what vulgar by many!
Rihanna’s got numerous tattoos, including a Sanskrit prayer on her hip – now that’s what I’d like to read…really:) I think Rihanna’s hip (tattoo) should motivate many young people to learn Sanskrit. Thoughts?
Rihanna’s philanthropic efforts relate to children. (I’d recommend that she includes Battered-wives Rehabilitation Programs in her list too. Women really need to woken up!)