#damozel

DAMOZEL 

The name comes from the French "demoiselle," meaning "young lady." Makes sense, given that the four lavishly talented members of Damozel are true ladies through and through. They may be in their teens, but Lisa, Tasha, Tamisha, and Brandy have all the required poise and polish to pull off the year's most astonishing musical debut. With their MCA album, You Don't Know Me Like That, Damozel's youthful exuberance and sophisticated vocals prove the next generation of R&B singers has kept faith with a glorious past while taking the music to greater heights.

The wind ruffled Tanya's dark hair, disordering what she had taken so long to curl and put into place. Instead of her work-clothes, plain pink or sea-foam green or white with pastel stars paired with sensible comfortable shoes, Tanya had chosen to wear what she thought of as a romantic, slightly collegiate ensemble: a tea-brown skirt, nylons, a creamy, fluffy sweater, and pale milk-colored coat. She had hovered over her sink for an hour, maybe, leaning deep into the mirror with an eyeliner pencil and wadded up tissue soaked in make-up remover. Tanya had liked her face when she had left her apartment. She was not so sure now.

She had suffered through Halloween, unreasonably bitter that she had missed the opening of the carnival, and heard about it later. Tanya reminded herself of her obligations. A good heroine suffered trials; she seemed to welcome them. Tanya's footsteps crunched over the gravel and leaves. The walk lead her past St. Anthony's, lit up, fractionally on the first floor only. It was only about eight in the evening.

Not everyone had gone to the opening, surely--but by the time Tanya had a night to herself, it seemed that everyone had already gone and seen the sights--everyone had one thousand stories to tell, and much of what she finally heard was so contradictory and strange that it seemed like a torture not to be able to. Her curiosity burned. She was not satisfied with her maze-walking. There was only one dark presence there.