Milano 8 JULY 2009 , it was the most exciting day in my life, ever ...i will never forget it... a big hug.! you are the light Erykah !!! Love , Andrea.

This is photo from the Warfield in San Francisco June 6 2009, back stage with Erykah Badu, with my daughter Tanisha Tanupo, every year since Tanisha was 5 she has given Erykah flowers, What a gracious person Erykah is and what a beautiful Baby Mars is! How gracious of Erykah Badu, we saw her at the Warfield in San Francisco on June 6, 2009. Eevin her brother gave us all access passes, the concert was fantastic, back stage was GREAT, we met Mars he new baby and she is beautiful. Erykah took a really nice picture with my daughter Tanisha who is now 11 years old. Tanisha had flowers for Erykah and as always Erykah was so gracious in receiving them, she even let Tanisha give her daughter Mars a pink carnation, upon leaving Erykah worked her way over to us, gave us all a hug, shared some time with us. This was at about 1:45 in the morning.

Usually I prefer to tell the story of places and people I experience only with my photos, however, this time I need to use words to describe how powerful the voice of an artist can be. Last week I had the opportunity to travel to Curacao's sister island Aruba and attend the Soul Beach Festival, and I want to share some of that experience. Yes ....Erykah Badu....was a reason why I came to Aruba....HER VOICE ....ENERGY ...There is no words to describe it. This woman is so unique with her voice and style .... I play her music in my gallery..in my studio...she is inspiration ...her music is such a part of my creative process.. during listening to her music ..I made one of my favorite pieces. one of the rings ....I called her name and I knew one day I am going to give it to her. I am happy that we had a chance to meet ..she likes this pieces ..now is part of her life ...like her music is part of mine.

This is Tanisha & Erykah, at the Paramount Theater in Oakland Ca 2008, Tanisha is 10 years old and loves Erykah, she has been to al of concerts in the Bay Area and always gives her flowers, Erykah has been so kind and Loving to my daughter, Tanisha is so lucky to so many signed autographs forms Erykah.

I got to meet my all time favorite artist Erykah Badu this past weekend.  I flew down to Dallas with my friend Michele and had one of the best weekends imaginable. I could not have planned the events that happened even if I tried. So the condensed Campbell Soup version is...Michele went with me but did not buy a ticket for the concert before we left so she was not able to go to the actual concert. There were no tickets in the city, people came from FL, UT, GA and even overseas, it was so cool!! Anyway, she dropped me off at the concert and went to Red Lobster (LOL)  to get her drink on. The show started at 8:00 p.m. with an opening act but Erykah was 2 hours late so the show did not end till after midnight.I called Michele to come get me but she did not answer(that baby was sleeping). Then I went outside to get a cab to no avail.   I went back in the theater to ask someone if they could get me a cab as my phone was dying and I did not have a number to call. Then I started talking to this guy who happened to be a part of Erykah's family.  Erykah has just finished talking to the bored members of the theater and was now seeing family. He went to get the rest of her people and then came back to talk to me. At this point I was totally discouraged and talking out the side of my head and I said "It would be so worth my trip if I could just meet her," to which he responded go on back there!!!! I jumped up and damn near ran down the isle to go back stage.  When I got back there, all her family was in the room. She was giving one of her uncles her moms phone number and talking about the cousin that she has a group with back in the day that stole some of her music and did not give her any credit... I was so excited, moment likes this don't come often.  She hugged her other family and then something clicked within her and she finally acknowledged that I was in the room (maybe she thought I was family, who knows).  She gave me a hug and I took a picture with her.  Well when I left, I still had the dilemma of getting home, so I started talking to one of her cousins outside. Her name is Meka and she called every cab company in Dallas.  She would have taken me home but they all were waiting on Erykah to finish up with the rest of the fans that figured out how to get back stage before they locked the doors( they all had to share their moment with other fans!!SUKCAS!!!). After about 45 minutes she found me a cab but when I went to the door, one of the ushers. Ms. Nita said she would take me back to the hotel, since the cab still was not there.  She was sooooo sweet. A 40 year old Christian lady and bail bondsmen, who told me that she would have never gotten on a plane to go and see her favorite artist but was some how inspired by me and she was going to take a trip to Denver in the summer. I gave her gas money for her trouble and we exchanged email address. Everyone was so nice and helpful, they could have just let me figure it out.... I was thinking when I got back though that it would have been cool to ride with Meka and the gang but I defiantly got way more than expected so.. no worries!!!!! It was hands down the most exciting and encouraging moment in my life.  She is so tiny and her shoes... $600.00 gold and Gucci is all I have to say!!!

It was my third Erykah Badu concert. I expected the music to move me. It did. And I knew that Badu's performance would be a masterpiece.It was. But I never expected to meet her. It all began as the Aug. 17 Richmond concert ended. Before leaving, I had to get souvenirs: $25 for a pink "Badu" tank top and another $25 for a beige "Call Tyrone" T-shirt. What's an event without momentos, right? Then I briskly walked up to her big, black tour bus, hoping to catch a glimpse of my idol. After a few minutes, Badu, who rocked a towering afro, Pink Floyd shirt and a printed skirt, hopped on.She looked at her fans through the front window and waved. I almost lost my voice from screaming. Ithought she was immediately leaving so I crossed the street and waited on my friends. Then my friend Victorial called. She told me to hurry up and get across the street. She didn't exactly say why. But in my heart, I knew she had some kind of access to Badu. So that's when I got in crazy mode. I ran into oncoming traffic like I had just escaped from an asylum. I almost got hit by two cars. But I didn't care. Badu was on my brain. Once across the street, I approached the tour bus, instead of going behind the barricades with the "normal fans." I asked one of her bandmates how I could meet her and he said he didn't know. "I'm not security," he answered. My initiative kicked in. I walked up to the tour bus and guess who was standing in the entrance way!!!??? Yes, ERYKAH BADU!!! I ran up to her and hugged her for what must've been hours. I told her that I interviewed her back in June of 2005. (I really did.) Then I told her I was her biggest fan. (I really am.) My MySpace page layout theme is Erykah Badu. Her image is always in my profile pictures. I have several Badu posters, pictures and album covers hanging on my apartment walls.I own all her albums and buy brand new ones when the old ones skip. I know all the words to all her songs. My main e-mail address contains her name. I'm even in the process of making a Badu scrapbook. Despite the negative comments from the blogosphere about her hair and her style, I defend her. She could glue some grass on her head and strut around in a potato sack and I'll still bow down to her. So if there's anybody who's a devout Baduist, it's me. I couldn't believe how chill and patient Badu was with me. She even answered the million dollar question that many fans have wanted to know. Her long-awaited album is coming out in October, she said. I was elated. Then, she even agreed to take a photo with me. At this point, I was just out of my mind. I couldn't have been any happier. I was on a high, and there were no drugs to blame. Aside from marriage, children and other moments that bring joy, this ranks high on my list. Badu was everything I expected, classy, patient and down-to-earth human being. There was no diva-tude at all. As for the photo, I've already made prints. One's in my car, my pocketbook, hanging on my apartment wall and even resting on my desk at work. They're as priceless as those Mastercard commercials. But come to think of it, I didn't even think to ask for her autograph.