Born in San Francisco, California in 1974, Adriana Evans – also known as Adriana Madera – is a neo-soul and R&B vocalist. The daughter of jazz singer Mary Stallings and the goddaughter of jazz saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, she found herself immersed in the world of music at a young age. When she was 18, she moved to Los Angeles to attend college. Evans met rapper Dred Scott and they became friends, eventually working on music together. She appeared on Scott’s 1994 single “Check the Vibe” and, in return, Scott helped produce her self-titled debut album. PMP Records’ CEO Paul Stewart signed Evans to his label, releasing it in 1997. The album reached Number 33 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip Hop and featured two minor hit singles: “Love Is All Around” and “Seein’ Is Believing”. Disillusioned with the music industry, Evans relocated to Brazil and didn’t release another album until 2004’s world music-influenced Nomadic. Her next three albums – Kismet (2005), El Camino (2010), and Walking with the Night (2010) – explored several musical avenues and revealed an artist unafraid to take musical chances. She also provided music for the hit TV series Noah’s Arc and appears on the two soundtracks released in 2006 and 2008.