1 00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:04,120 Speaker 1: I am all in again. 2 00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:22,360 Speaker 2: I am all in again with Scott Patterson and iHeartRadio Podcast. 3 00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:25,240 Speaker 1: Hey everybody, Scott Patterson, I am all in Podcast. One 4 00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:30,800 Speaker 1: of them productions. iHeartRadio Media. iHeart Podcast. We are doing 5 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:36,839 Speaker 1: episode of Luke Steiner with the one and only Andy a'llo. 6 00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:43,599 Speaker 1: She is a Cameroon born actres, singer, songwriter chef shines 7 00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:49,960 Speaker 1: in Amazon's upload in NBC's Chicago Fire as a former guitarist, 8 00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:52,720 Speaker 1: now here's the sentence that really got me as a 9 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:57,320 Speaker 1: former guitarist and vocalist for Prince. Not a lot of 10 00:00:57,320 --> 00:01:00,880 Speaker 1: people get to say that. Her music includes the Billboard 11 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:08,880 Speaker 1: charting album Super Conductor and the acclaimed singles Angels, Make Love, 12 00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:13,120 Speaker 1: Beyond Music and acting. Andy explores a Cameron and roots 13 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:17,400 Speaker 1: through fine dining, hosting pop ups which I think you 14 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:21,280 Speaker 1: got one coming up too, We'll talk about that, and 15 00:01:21,319 --> 00:01:25,800 Speaker 1: directing her award winning short film Alice Dynamic Artist. She 16 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 1: continues to inspire across music, film cuisine. Follow her journey 17 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:35,160 Speaker 1: on Spotify, Apple Music, and get on her mailing list 18 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:40,840 Speaker 1: because she is busy. Welcome Andy, Thank you for joining us. 19 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:45,680 Speaker 3: Wow, Thanks Scott Man, I haven't heard that. 20 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:50,800 Speaker 1: Bio bio is that me? That's all right, that's you. 21 00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:57,000 Speaker 1: So first of all, first of all, we have to 22 00:01:57,200 --> 00:02:01,040 Speaker 1: talk about your songwriting. We gotta do it. I mean, 23 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:03,080 Speaker 1: we'll get into the food. We're going to get into food. 24 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:08,799 Speaker 1: But but yeah, tell us about the songwriting. How did 25 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 1: you start? How'd you get into it? 26 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:13,960 Speaker 3: Well? I've always been a storyteller, whether it was through 27 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:17,799 Speaker 3: poetry or like coming up with soap operas as a 28 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:21,920 Speaker 3: kid and just entertaining myself for hours coming up with 29 00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 3: crazy stories. But I picked up the guitar kind of 30 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:32,720 Speaker 3: out of high school. My mom is a trained pianist, 31 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:38,200 Speaker 3: so we grew up with music and she taught me 32 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:41,240 Speaker 3: a little bit of piano that has not stuck at all. 33 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:45,520 Speaker 3: But I just grew up in a very musical, creative family, 34 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 3: so I knew I wanted to sing. I loved performing 35 00:02:50,639 --> 00:02:56,160 Speaker 3: and just bringing joy to people. So I when I 36 00:02:56,200 --> 00:03:02,000 Speaker 3: moved to America at thirteen from Cameroon, I knew, Okay, 37 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:07,280 Speaker 3: I'm in the place where dreams come true. This is 38 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:11,680 Speaker 3: where Hollywood is. This is where and thankfully my mom 39 00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:15,160 Speaker 3: is from Sacramento, up north, so not too far from 40 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:21,040 Speaker 3: LA and I just started doing the hustle, the grind 41 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:26,560 Speaker 3: and did open mics, recorded my first album, Put That 42 00:03:26,639 --> 00:03:32,040 Speaker 3: out two thousand and nine, which got me on a 43 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 3: program that featured African singer songwriters, and the network and 44 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:41,560 Speaker 3: people behind that ended up working with Prince a year 45 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:45,560 Speaker 3: or two later. And my phone rings and they're like, hey, 46 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:48,160 Speaker 3: you know, we love you, we think you're amazing, but 47 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:51,240 Speaker 3: we're working with Prince now we think there's some synergy. 48 00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:56,480 Speaker 3: And I was like, okay, cool, sure, you know, you 49 00:03:56,520 --> 00:04:00,560 Speaker 3: get these random calls and you're just like sure, sure, okay, Like, yeah, 50 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:02,880 Speaker 3: come on down to a concert he's putting on and 51 00:04:02,920 --> 00:04:05,480 Speaker 3: we'll try to introduce you to and so in a 52 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 3: nutshell that but you know, I I've always loved singing 53 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:13,040 Speaker 3: and telling stories in different mediums. Mm hmm. 54 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:17,720 Speaker 1: And who are your primary influences as a songwriter? 55 00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:26,920 Speaker 3: Oh, Bonnie Rait, I would say, Tracy Chapman and oh 56 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 3: so many. Joni Mitchell. 57 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 1: J Mitchell was just gonna say, yeah, one of the 58 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:38,400 Speaker 1: great storytellers. Oh yeah, uh wow, So you're steeped in 59 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:44,480 Speaker 1: all that like late sixties, early seventies folk rock, acoustics. 60 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:50,920 Speaker 3: Story, Yeah, just great story it is. J Taylor, Yeah, 61 00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:51,960 Speaker 3: oh Man. 62 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:57,719 Speaker 1: Neil Stephen still's all this Crosby Stills, NA. Sure, the 63 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:02,960 Speaker 1: great storytelling. Yeah, well that's fantastic. So do you still perform? 64 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:05,960 Speaker 1: Are you still out there playing out? 65 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:08,719 Speaker 3: Yeah? Once in a while, you know, I'll put on 66 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:11,200 Speaker 3: a show. I you know, I still play. And I've 67 00:05:11,279 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 3: recorded a new album last year. We finished mixing it 68 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:19,359 Speaker 3: and so it's in the wings. It's uh, you know, 69 00:05:19,640 --> 00:05:25,479 Speaker 3: it's simmering. And right now I'm focusing on being a chef. 70 00:05:25,960 --> 00:05:29,279 Speaker 3: But I know that new music is gonna come out. Uh, 71 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:32,000 Speaker 3: you know, when when the time is ready, it's gonna 72 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:34,040 Speaker 3: be released to the basses. 73 00:05:34,560 --> 00:05:38,320 Speaker 1: Well, let's talk about the the album or the symphonies 74 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:40,880 Speaker 1: of your culinary expertise here. 75 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:42,479 Speaker 3: Oh that was nice. 76 00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:47,839 Speaker 1: You know our listeners are people here, this incredible fan base. 77 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:52,159 Speaker 1: They love the foods of Gilmore girls. Have you ever 78 00:05:53,279 --> 00:05:56,640 Speaker 1: experimented with dishes like you know, let's say something like 79 00:05:56,800 --> 00:06:00,640 Speaker 1: stuffed fried squash bottoms and uh, you know, things like that, 80 00:06:00,720 --> 00:06:02,880 Speaker 1: but you know, put your own spin on them. Have 81 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 1: you ever done stuff like that? 82 00:06:05,120 --> 00:06:09,640 Speaker 3: I haven't, but I need to because I love eating 83 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:13,000 Speaker 3: stub squash blossoms. It's one of my favorite things to eat, 84 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:16,040 Speaker 3: especially like when it's stuff with like some ricotta and 85 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:19,039 Speaker 3: like and then you like dip it in the tomato sauce. Yeah, 86 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:21,280 Speaker 3: it's I need to start playing with it. 87 00:06:31,920 --> 00:06:35,599 Speaker 1: So tell us more about your getting into the food 88 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:37,839 Speaker 1: world and how that all happened. 89 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:42,160 Speaker 3: Well, the way I grew up, we were surrounded by 90 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:47,400 Speaker 3: just such rich flavors and Cameron, and food is very 91 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:52,640 Speaker 3: community based. You know, you're around the table as many 92 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:56,120 Speaker 3: cultures are. You're you know, we're eating with our hands. 93 00:06:56,160 --> 00:07:01,040 Speaker 3: You're in it, you're feeling it. It's very role and 94 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:04,800 Speaker 3: almost an immersive experience to eat. And it feels like 95 00:07:05,320 --> 00:07:11,440 Speaker 3: for me watching my mom my grandmother make food over 96 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:16,720 Speaker 3: a fire. It's very and the different family members in 97 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:20,800 Speaker 3: the village and at home, you just there's such a 98 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:24,600 Speaker 3: connection and it's like love an heart on a plate. 99 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:28,520 Speaker 3: And I just grew up with such a love and 100 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:32,920 Speaker 3: appreciation for especially making things from scratch. So like my 101 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:37,120 Speaker 3: mom would make tortillas from scratch. My mom's American, so 102 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:41,600 Speaker 3: she would brought in the more like different dishes that 103 00:07:42,280 --> 00:07:46,480 Speaker 3: aren't traditional to Cameroon, and that was really cool. She's 104 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:50,600 Speaker 3: grinding her own flower, you know, she's just learning how 105 00:07:50,640 --> 00:07:54,760 Speaker 3: to make things in Africa that aren't readily available, so 106 00:07:54,800 --> 00:07:58,360 Speaker 3: it was really amazing to watch that happen. And I 107 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 3: love food. I love to eat, so I've always had 108 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:09,360 Speaker 3: this appreciation and dream of being a chef, but life 109 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:14,160 Speaker 3: took me in other directions of I'm just a creative 110 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:20,600 Speaker 3: so I grew up you know, singing, dancing, acting, eating 111 00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:25,880 Speaker 3: and I actually used to bake cakes in exchange for 112 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:30,200 Speaker 3: song beats and that was like a deal that I 113 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:33,360 Speaker 3: had with a producer in Sacramento. Is like he would 114 00:08:33,360 --> 00:08:35,640 Speaker 3: give me beats and I'd like bake a cake for him. 115 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:38,920 Speaker 3: That was my payment. Because I was like a teen, 116 00:08:38,960 --> 00:08:42,600 Speaker 3: I didn't have any money, and so food has always 117 00:08:42,679 --> 00:08:43,880 Speaker 3: been a through line for me. 118 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:53,120 Speaker 1: So okay, what would you recommend? Because Laura, l I 119 00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:56,400 Speaker 1: and Rory they're you know, they're about takeout. You know, 120 00:08:56,400 --> 00:09:00,600 Speaker 1: they like their takeout stuff and their dinero. Would you 121 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:05,600 Speaker 1: if you could introduce them to one Cameroonian dish that 122 00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:09,280 Speaker 1: might rival, you know, like their pizza, their Chinese food obsession. 123 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:10,880 Speaker 1: What would that dish be? 124 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:18,840 Speaker 3: Oh? Oh that is good. And I'm a big I 125 00:09:18,880 --> 00:09:23,040 Speaker 3: love takeout. I'm not gonna lie, and pizza is my 126 00:09:23,160 --> 00:09:30,840 Speaker 3: go to as well. I think I would do a 127 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:38,760 Speaker 3: play on burger and fries. But in in Cameroon, in 128 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:44,839 Speaker 3: West African countries, there's a spice called soya and it's 129 00:09:44,880 --> 00:09:49,800 Speaker 3: a bit it's it's spicy, but it's it's nutty. And 130 00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:57,840 Speaker 3: typically it's kind of meat that's been roasted and grilled 131 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:03,240 Speaker 3: very very well and very well done. And you eat 132 00:10:03,240 --> 00:10:08,439 Speaker 3: that with you can eat that with the yams, with plantains, 133 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:12,760 Speaker 3: different different things like that a rice if you want. 134 00:10:13,480 --> 00:10:21,760 Speaker 3: But I would do a suya spiced burger and and 135 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:35,680 Speaker 3: I would do some fried root fries instead. Wow of 136 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:39,120 Speaker 3: some you know, like dip. I love dips. I'll just 137 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:40,480 Speaker 3: get me a dip and I'm happy. 138 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:48,319 Speaker 1: Okay. So you have your first ever pop up at 139 00:10:48,720 --> 00:10:53,480 Speaker 1: Do Bistro, right, yeah, and it's just around the corner. 140 00:10:53,480 --> 00:10:57,800 Speaker 1: What can diners expect from the experience. What's been the 141 00:10:57,800 --> 00:11:00,959 Speaker 1: most exciting or challenging part of putting together? By the way, 142 00:11:03,679 --> 00:11:09,400 Speaker 1: Annie pop up is February six, Okay, yes, and give 143 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:10,080 Speaker 1: us a location. 144 00:11:11,320 --> 00:11:15,679 Speaker 3: It's at the Bistro and it's this French bistro in 145 00:11:15,840 --> 00:11:20,079 Speaker 3: Woodland Hills, Okay. And I'll be there one night, one 146 00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:24,880 Speaker 3: night only pop up and it's it's filling, it pretty quickly, 147 00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:29,880 Speaker 3: which is amazing and really exciting to see. So I'm 148 00:11:29,960 --> 00:11:34,960 Speaker 3: really excited just inviting people into Cameron and food and culture, 149 00:11:35,240 --> 00:11:38,439 Speaker 3: and so you'll be taken on a journey. It's five 150 00:11:38,559 --> 00:11:44,040 Speaker 3: courses preset menu, and I'm introducing different things but in 151 00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:48,640 Speaker 3: a package that's familiar. So one of the dishes looks 152 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:52,960 Speaker 3: kind of like donuts or like donut holes, but we 153 00:11:53,080 --> 00:11:57,160 Speaker 3: call them puff puff And then I've got a bunch 154 00:11:57,160 --> 00:12:04,480 Speaker 3: of dips. So just introducing everyone in a in a 155 00:12:04,520 --> 00:12:06,800 Speaker 3: package that's like, oh, yeah, wait, I think that's what 156 00:12:06,840 --> 00:12:08,880 Speaker 3: that is, but the when you taste it, you're like, oh, 157 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:13,880 Speaker 3: that's she's a little different. And I think what's been 158 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:17,600 Speaker 3: fun is because there's so many dishes I could have, 159 00:12:17,760 --> 00:12:20,160 Speaker 3: you know, picked from, and I'm already thinking of, oh 160 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:22,000 Speaker 3: what am I going to put on the next menu 161 00:12:22,120 --> 00:12:25,840 Speaker 3: for the next pop up, but for this one, really 162 00:12:25,960 --> 00:12:30,440 Speaker 3: coming up with dishes that also feel like heart warming. 163 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:34,040 Speaker 3: And so one of them is this lamb pepper soup 164 00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:39,040 Speaker 3: that it's a little bit chilly here in La and 165 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:41,520 Speaker 3: and it's a soup that I just it always makes 166 00:12:41,520 --> 00:12:45,120 Speaker 3: me feel at home and and it's like a cozy hug. 167 00:12:45,600 --> 00:12:49,160 Speaker 3: So I'm there's some great like shredded lamb in there 168 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:51,760 Speaker 3: and a potato rose just to fancy it up a 169 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:54,880 Speaker 3: little bit. But it's one of my favorite things to 170 00:12:54,920 --> 00:12:56,160 Speaker 3: make fantastic. 171 00:12:57,679 --> 00:13:01,000 Speaker 1: I don't know why I can. All right, here we go. 172 00:13:01,080 --> 00:13:04,760 Speaker 3: And you know what in in the in the episode, 173 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:11,599 Speaker 3: it was an osu buco. Is that how you pronounced it? Yeah? Yeah, 174 00:13:11,720 --> 00:13:14,600 Speaker 3: And and I was like, oh my gosh. One of 175 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:18,040 Speaker 3: the dishes on my menu is like a Guinness braised 176 00:13:18,080 --> 00:13:22,439 Speaker 3: short rib. And when I was like looking up, ohsu 177 00:13:22,559 --> 00:13:25,120 Speaker 3: buco and I haven't wasn't really familiar with it, but 178 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:28,520 Speaker 3: I love Italian food, and and it was it's braised 179 00:13:28,840 --> 00:13:34,960 Speaker 3: beal and and I was like, oh okay, yes, I 180 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:38,320 Speaker 3: love the similarities, you know, just like raising meat for 181 00:13:38,360 --> 00:13:40,880 Speaker 3: a long time and just when it falls off the bone, 182 00:13:40,960 --> 00:13:44,080 Speaker 3: it's just oh yeah. 183 00:13:44,120 --> 00:13:52,120 Speaker 1: Well, Annie Allo go see her. Woodland Hills to Bistro, 184 00:13:53,720 --> 00:14:00,199 Speaker 1: February sixth, Woodland Hills, California. Continued success. You've got got 185 00:14:00,200 --> 00:14:04,000 Speaker 1: to come back and fill us in more about about 186 00:14:04,040 --> 00:14:08,880 Speaker 1: your journey. You're fascinating, delightful journey. Share more of it 187 00:14:08,960 --> 00:14:13,280 Speaker 1: with us. It was great talking to you, and good 188 00:14:13,360 --> 00:14:16,719 Speaker 1: luck with the show. Good luck with the pop up, 189 00:14:17,520 --> 00:14:21,080 Speaker 1: good luck with the album. What else? I mean, you're 190 00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:24,960 Speaker 1: gonna have a cookbook coming out. I'm now right here 191 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:31,680 Speaker 1: we go, continued success and we'll talk soon. Okay, thanks so. 192 00:14:31,680 --> 00:14:34,240 Speaker 3: Much, Scott. This was amazing. I'm such a big fan, 193 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:35,400 Speaker 3: so this was a dream. 194 00:14:35,480 --> 00:15:07,880 Speaker 1: Thank you, Peace and love, take care. Hey, everybody, don't forget. 195 00:15:07,960 --> 00:15:12,000 Speaker 1: Follow us on Instagram at I Am all In podcast 196 00:15:12,120 --> 00:15:26,280 Speaker 1: and email us at Gilmore at iHeartRadio dot com.