Article by media partner Cuisine Noir, the country’s first Black culinary lifestyle outlet since 2009 dedicated to connecting the African diaspora through food, drink and travel.
For soul singer LeVelle, great music and good food are two things that have blessed his life. While one has afforded him a successful livelihood the other almost cost him that career. “What good is it being great when you’re out of breath and you can’t hit your notes because you’re out of shape,” muses the entertainer.
He shares that a pre-diabetic diagnosis from his doctor a couple of years ago was the catalyst for the decision to pursue a healthier lifestyle. “I’ve seen a lot of my family members lose their eyesight, lose their lives. I saw what diabetes could do and so it made me want to make a change.”
LeVelle’s Sunday Dinner Memories
LeVelle’s food journey began at his grandmother’s table in Kansas City, Missouri. “I would say some of my best moments is doing family Sunday dinners. Oh man, it was the greens, the sweet potatoes, the mac and cheese, the fried fish, the baked fish, ham, the homemade rolls and the desserts…There was just so much great food that I grew up on,” he recalls fondly about the Sunday feasts his paternal grandmother would create.
The soul singer relates his late grandmother was also generous with her culinary wisdom. “Not only could she cook, but she taught us how to make these things as well so we could cook for ourselves,” relates LeVelle. As the eldest among the grandchildren, he mastered food prep by her side and today can make fried chicken like a pro. “I always made the prettiest fried chicken, but it was never quite done in the inside,” he laughs about his earlier attempts at cooking up the yard bird.
Growing up in the “Barbecue Capital of the World,” LeVelle also knows his way around Kansas City’s signature dish. “At Gates Bar-B-Q, you can eat ribs without sauce and just taste the flavor and the tenderness; it’s something special for me because I love barbecue without a lot of sauce. Then there’s Holy Smoke BBQ. Their meat is really smoked, tender, fresh and juicy,” he reveals.
A Soul Singer’s Healthy Diet
While a history surrounded by amazing food is wonderful, too much of a good thing can take its toll. So much so that when LaVelle found his health compromised, a change had to happen.
“You learn how to transition from the things that you love to the things that will help make you a better person,” explains the rising R&B songwriter about the shift in his food journey.
By Jocelyn Amador
