My KUTX: Chief Cleopatra

Patricia Lim/KUTX

Chief Cleopatra

My KUTX // February 26, 2022

Jalesa Jessie grew up in Corsicana, Texas playing in her church band and high school drum line. She devoured all kinds of music–rap, R&B, alternative rock–before moving to Austin. Here, she met guitarist Leonard Martinez and started performing as Chief Cleopatra, mixing lush R&B with hard-edged psychedelic rock. The music first caught the attention of Confucius and Fresh–hosts of KUTX’s The Breaks–and it’s led to collaborations with Walker Lukens and the Bright Light Social Hour as well as a record deal with the national indie Park The Van.

On March 4, Chief Cleopatra releases her new EP Luna, and she’s gearing up for a stack of SXSW shows. Ahead of all this, she teams up with Martinez for a joint guest DJ set this week on My KUTX. The pair trade tracks and stories, including SXSW discoveries, Tina Turner and Bob Marley classics, Little Dragon collaborations, and more. Hear Chief Cleopatra’s My KUTX on Saturday, February 26 at 6 p.m. or listen anytime in the player above.

Playlist:

[intro music: Chief Cleopatra – “Friends”]

  1. Outkast – “Liberation” (feat. Cee-Lo & Erykah Badu)
  2. The Kills – “Future Starts Slow”
  3. Gorillaz – “Empire Ants” (feat. Little Dragon)
  4. The Dead Weather – “I Can’t Hear You”
  5. Tina Turner – “River Deep – Mountain High”
  6. SBTRKT – “Wildfire” (feat. Little Dragon)
  7. Bob Marley & The Wailers – “High Tide Or Low Tide”
  8. Durand Jones & The Indications – “Can’t Keep My Cool”
  9. N.E.R.D. – “Run To The Sun”
  10. Parcels – “Overnight”
  11. Khruangbin – “People Everywhere (Still Alive)”

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