Kelis bringing a taste of 'Food' to Israel - but no milkshakes, please

American singer-songwriter and chef will give Israel a taste of her 6th and latest album during performance in Herzliya in early February.

By LAHAV HARKOV
Kelis (photo credit: Courtesy)
Kelis
(photo credit: Courtesy)
There are plenty of multihyphenates in the entertainment industry - singer-songwriter-actor, actor-model-musician, etc. - but Kelis Rogers, better known by the mononym Kelis, may be the only major musician-chef.
Kelis is going to give Israel a taste of her sixth and latest album, "Food" at Zappa Herzliya on February 6 and 7, after her originally-planned performance in August was canceled due to Operation Protective Edge.
As the album's name would imply, Kelis' sound was inspired by a different sense - taste. Kelis was certified as a chef by the Courdon Bleu in 2008, and even has her own cooking show and a line of sauces. She's also currently working on a cookbook.
"I think that my music reflects a lot of my changes throughout my life," she added. "'Food' was a record that I've always really wanted to make and I felt that I was in a space to do so."
Kelis' biggest hits, like "Out There (I hate you so much right now)," "Milkshake" and "Acapella," have a R&B and Dance feel to them, but her sixth and latest album, "Food" is jazzier.
"Jazz, growing up, was always a big part of my childhood," Kelis told The Jerusalem Post via e-mail, in all capital letters. "There would always be music on in my house, whether it was an old jazz record or my father playing."
Kelis described "Food" as an album expressing her nostalgia for a home in which she heard horns, trumpets and melodies.
"Jazz was always a big inspiration," she recalled.
Kelis is also known for writing about motherhood, like her David Guetta-produced hit "Acapella," which said that life before her son, Knight Jones, was born in 2009, was like music with only vocals, but after, it was like a symphony.
"In being a mom, I've really grown to love learning [and] teaching and watching my son grow up," she said.
Kelis happily embraces the label "mother," but is more hesitant about "feminist."
When asked about her songs that seem to have messages of female empowerment, Kelis said "I've never really thought of myself as a feminist. I just happened to be going through a point in time where my music was expressive, not in relation to gender."
"I guess [in] just fun pop songs, people happen to relate to female empowerment," she posited.
As for her return to Israel, Kelis said she is very excited, and that she enjoyed touring Tel Aviv her last time here, calling it one of her favorite places to visit.
Just don't offer Kelis a milkshake while she's here. Despite her famous song about how her "milkshake brings all the boys to the yard," she doesn't actually drink them.


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