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| Born in New York City, Queens-bred Rosalie Vega began singing at the age
of three where her earliest recollection of vocal performance required not
much more than a hairbrush and any familial member willing to humor her.
She recalls being exposed to a wide range of musical genres, whether it
was the salsa sounds of El Gran Combo resonating from her family’s
Flushing apartment or The Beatles albums she would sneak from her mother’s
record collection. She confesses, “I had this little Fisher-Price
turntable which I cherished dearly but if you saw the condition in which
that big fat child-safe needle left on vinyl you’d understand why I had to
quietly sneak them away while mom was at work.” |
Ruining any chance for one particular Meet The Beatles album to
ever auction at Sotheby’s, Rosalie would
discover and develop a growing affection toward voices of classic soul
greats such as Aretha Franklin. “In retrospect, I didn’t really know who
the soul legends were or would be at the time. As a kid, I had access to
so many different records but somehow I just gravitated toward those as
being my favorite.” They would contain the songs and vocal styles that
she would find herself emulating for years to come. Having had no formal
training, Rosalie credits these artists in helping her define her own
style. Other influences include Tina Turner, Bonnie Raitt, Chaka Khan,
Prince, Ella Fitzgerald and Sheryl Crow. |
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Rosalie
and Prince at the Musicology
cd release party held at Webster Hall, New York City. |
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“People
ask if I get nervous before a show but the truth is that I feel most
comfortable and content when I’m performing.” She admits this
was not always the case and shares just one of the events leading up to
that comfort zone. “Back when the show Rent had busted
onto the scene as the new huge Broadway hit, I got wind that the casting directors
were holding closed auditions for equity actors only. I wanted so
badly to audition but I wasn’t equity.” Rosalie crashed the audition
anyway. “Once I heard the caliber of the singers waiting before me I
thought maybe this wasn’t such a bright idea after all.” She was asked to
sit and wait until the end of the night after everyone else was seen so
they could then determine whether or not to let her audition. Rosalie was
eventually given that chance and with her powerful Patti Labelle rendition
of Lady Marmalade she beat out hundreds of other hopefuls and
received three more callbacks to audition for the principal role of Mimi –
then played by Daphne Rubin-Vega (no relation) who earned a Tony
nomination for best actress in originating the role. “I didn’t get
the part” she laughs, “but nevertheless it was an exciting confidence
builder!” In 1998
Rosalie joined a popular New York City based funk/rock band during
which she worked some of the city’s most dynamic live music venues.
This was a significant turning point as it helped the singer tap into
the songwriting front. “I have worked with some incredible musicians
that can just speak your language and are right on target without you
having to raise an eyebrow and when you manage to get that groove
going out of everyone in the room, well for me it’s nothing short of
euphoric. Then there are some who base your credibility as an artist
solely upon your knowledge of musical theory and notation or lack
thereof.” Ironically, exposure to the latter is what propelled the
songstress to her highest level of creativity. She continued to work
the benefit of having a good ear and raw feel for music but taught
herself to play some guitar chords just so that she could communicate her ideas more effectively.
“I didn’t realize how liberating it would be to learn just a few
silly basic
chords but that’s when I fell into the actual process of songwriting
beyond just the lyrics and melody line. It really helped me
materialize much of what was floating in my head up until that point
and I realize now that I get an even greater sense of personal
satisfaction from creating something out of nothing, and then taking
that something and adding more layers to it. It's more
satisfying to me than just being able to sing and then just singing
somebody else's tunes."
Though audience response was overwhelmingly favorable, Rosalie left
the band to further develop herself as a solo artist. Soon after, she
started up Gotham Sound - a cozy home-based recording studio
and independent record label under which she writes and produces most
of the material for her upcoming debut release.
Noticeable elements reminiscent of old soul and jazz influences can be
found in this artist’s moodier inflections. She lures in listeners
with unforgettable melodies, perceptive lyricism and phrasing that is
emotionally charged. A voice that often draws comparison to those of
Macy Gray, Norah Jones, Fiona Apple & Nikka Costa, Rosalie Vega serves
up her very own rhythmic-ridden blend of pop, rock and soul with a powerhouse vocal range that demands immediate
attention.
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