Grammy winner Erykah Badu [ tickets ] has a majestic stage presence and a voice that has been compared to the likes of Billie Holiday. On stage and in her lyrics, she projects a signature sound full of inner strength and pride.

Raised by a single mom in South Dallas, TX, Badu gave her first musical performance at the age of 4, singing and dancing at the Dallas Theatre Centre. Ten years later she was performing free-style on the local radio with Roy Hargrove [ tickets ], and in 1997 Badu's very first album "Baduizm" debuted at No. 2 on The Billboard 200. A year later, the album had won her the Grammy Award.

Badu currently is making the rounds throughout California on the second leg of her "New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh)" tour, which wraps up June 14 at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, TN.

Last June, Badu performed in Oakland, CA, and I was there with my cameras. Here are some of my best shots.