Taja Sevelle

Taja Sevelle is a Minneapolis singer, songwriter, and former Prince protégé who first rose to success in 1987 with the catchy R&B-pop single "Love Is Contagious." Produced by Chico Bennett, her debut album came out on the Paisley Park label and was a Top 50 hit in the U.K. Sevelle went on to release two more albums (1991's Fountains Free and 1997's Toys of Vanity) while also working as a songwriter for Warner and releasing additional singles of her own. She became increasingly involved in humanitarian efforts in the 21st century, launching the successful Urban Farming nonprofit and resurfacing with the occasional release like 2004's Good Times EP and 2013's "Little Diva." Sevelle returned again to music in 2024, issuing a string of singles including "Living Proof," a collaboration with the late rapper Proof. The Minneapolis singer's association with Prince began with a backing vocal appearance on Prince and the Revolution's 1985 album, Around the World in a Day. In 1987, the week she was accepted at Boston's Berklee College of Music, she was also signed to Prince's Warner-affiliated label, Paisley Park Records. Sevelle found success right out of the gate when "Love Is Contagious," her debut single and the first song she'd written, became a minor chart hit in the U.S. and reached the Top Ten in the U.K. and Europe. Working with producer Chico Bennett, and co-writing two songs with Prince, she recorded her self-titled debut album, which was released later that year and made it to number 62 on the Billboard charts and 48 in the U.K. Switching to Reprise Records, she issued a follow-up, Fountains Free, in 1991 and continued working as a songwriter for Warner. After her third album, 1997's Toys of Vanity, Sevelle's output dropped off in the 2000s. She released Good Times, an EP of electronic-laced funk and soul, in 2004, then launched the nonprofit Urban Farming a year later. Starting in Detroit, Urban Farming's mission was to feed people in need through community gardens planted in unused plots of urban land. The organization eventually expanded around the world. Aside from her humanitarian efforts, Sevelle resurfaced briefly in 2014 with the single "Little Diva," then again in the early 2020s. Reuniting with producer Bennett as well as D-Moet, she released several new singles including "Silver Lining" and "Higher Way." Her 2024 single "Living Proof" featured late rapper Proof and served as the title track for the documentary film Living Proof: Dr. Khalid El-Hakim Black History.
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