Rosanna Tavarez

Last updated
Rosanna Tavarez
Born
Rosanna Tavarez

(1977-02-10) February 10, 1977 (age 47)
New York City, U.S.
Occupations
  • Singer
  • television host
  • dancer
  • teacher
Spouse
Andres Baez
​
(m. 2003)​

Rosanna Tavarez [note 1] (born February 10, 1977) is an American singer, television host, dancer, and teacher. She rose to prominence in 2001 as a contestant on the American version of the reality television franchise Popstars . As one of the show's five finalists, she became a member of the girl group Eden's Crush. In the same year, they released their debut studio album and its lead single "Get Over Yourself", but disbanded after their record label London-Sire Records closed.

Contents

After Eden's Crush, Tavarez worked as a host on music television shows and recorded Latin alternative music. Under the stage name Chana, she released the extended play (EP) Manos Arriba in 2008. Tavarez has subsequently transitioned away from music and has instead focused on teaching and dance.

Early life

Rosanna Tavarez was born on February 10, 1977, in New York City [3] [4] and was raised in the city's Washington Heights neighborhood. [5] Her parents—Frank and Lelia Tavarez—were born in the Dominican Republic. [4] [6] Her mother worked as a seamstress, doing piece work at home, [5] and according to a Warner Bros. press release, her younger brother, Omar, became a "jazz drummer". [7] [8] Tavarez stayed connected with Latino culture through her close relationship with her grandmother and being surrounded by Spanish-speaking people [4] as well as Latin music, such as salsa, méringue, tropical music, and Latin pop. [4] [5] She became interested in music and dance at a young age, being inspired by the musical Annie and imitating the Solid Gold dancers and ballerinas in The Nutcracker . [5] [8] Initially dancing salsa and merengue in her family's living room, she started ballet lessons when she was three years old. [9]

At age nine, Tavarez moved from New York City to Miami and attended the New World School of the Arts, which is a magnet school focused on the visual and performing arts. [5] [10] She studied dance as an undergraduate student at the University of Michigan, [5] and credited her first semester as the point in which she "consciously shifted and embraced a career as a dancer". [9] She went to major in choreography at the Ohio State University's graduate program. [5] Along with these studies, she spent a summer in the Dominican Republic to research Afro-Dominican dance and music. [4] [7] Tavarez remained connected to New York City, saying her goals there were to sing in a band and to be in a dance company before becoming a dance teacher. [6] [10]

Tavarez tried to join a New York dance company, but returned to Miami; while there, she was approached by Latin music producers who thought her appearance would make her an ideal Latin pop singer. She rejected their offers because she felt unprepared for a music career. At the time, she had only performed in karaoke and did not have any vocal training. In a 2008 interview with the Los Angeles Times , Tavarez recalled she did not want to be "just another girl doing Latin-y pop", instead preferring to develop "something distinctive, even if the crowd would be more niche". [5]

Career

2001–2008: Music and television

In 2001, Tavarez participated on the American version of the reality television franchise Popstars , [11] which had a first season focused on forming a girl group. [12] She decided to audition for the series after seeing an ad for it in the Miami New Times . [11] Prior to entering the competition, Tavarez was a project away from completing her studies at the Ohio State University. [8] She went on to be one of the show's five finalists and became a member of the group Eden's Crush. After being signed to London-Sire Records, the group released their debut studio album and its lead single "Get Over Yourself". The album peaked at number six on the US Billboard 200 chart and the single reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100. Eden's Crush disbanded after London-Sire Records closed in 2001. [11]

Following Eden's Crush's disbandment, Tavarez worked as a television host on entertainment news and red carpet events. [9] While working for the cable channel mun2, she was hired as an entertainment host for the music television series On Air with Ryan Seacrest. [13] [14] According to Tavarez's agent, she was hired because she was bilingual and could appeal to both English and Spanish audiences. [13] In the Richmond Times-Dispatch , Douglas Durden wrote that Tavarez was "obviously chosen to match Seacrest in overactive enthusiasm", and compared her reporting to puff pieces. [14] On Air with Ryan Seacrest premiered on January 12, 2004, and had its final broadcast on September 17, 2004, after being canceled by the Fox Broadcasting Company. [15] [16] In 2004, Tavarez was also a guest co-host on an episode of Good Day Live . [17]

Tavarez worked on several programs for the TV Guide Channel. [18] She was the host of Ready, Set, Change, a reality television series in which homeowners get a room redesigned based on their favorite television show. The Chicago Tribune 's Carmél Carrillo compared Tavarez to Paige Davis, the host from Trading Spaces , but felt she was "little more than window dressing in the early episodes". [19] Tavarez also hosted Idol Tonight—a pre-show for American Idol —along with two of the show's finalists: Kimberly Caldwell and Justin Guarini. [20] [21] She worked with Caldwell again for a pre-show for the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards. [22] Tavarez also hosted the second season of Jammin', a reality show for Sí TV. [23]

Tavarez married Univision producer Andres Baez in 2003, and moved to Los Angeles because of his work with the network. [6] [24] She was signed to SESAC and Warner Chappell Music as a songwriter and joined the Los Angeles Contemporary Dance Company. [23] [10] While living in Los Angeles, she collaborated with musician Marthin Chan and recorded Latin alternative music under the stage name Chana. [4] [6] In March 2008, she released the extended play (EP) Manos Arriba , [25] and she wrote and produced all five of its songs with Chan. [26] The EP was generally well received by critics, who praised its production. [27] Tavarez promoted Manos Arriba through live performances at nightclubs, on Spanish-language networks, and at industry showcases. [28] [note 2]

2009–present Dance and teaching

At age 32, Tavarez completed her Master of Fine Arts degree in choreography and decided to stop working as a television host. In an interview, she attributed this change by explaining that she wanted to "recommit to a full-time dance career". [9] According to a 2021 Billboard, Tavarez has transitioned from music to focus on teaching and dance; [11] she is an adjunct professor at the USC Kaufman School of Dance, [31] and a faculty member at the California Institute of the Arts. [32] She teaches yoga, as well as Countertechnique, which is an approach to dance developed by Anouk van Dijk. [9] [33]

Tavarez uses the stage name LA DANSA DANSA as a dancer in Los Angeles. According to her official website, her dance and theatre work has been featured at venues such as American Dance Festival, REDCAT, and Highways Performance Space. [2] In 2022, she performed the dance piece "Piece X Piece", which focused on immigration. [34]

Notes

  1. ↑ Tavarez has used stage names in different parts of her career. When she recorded Latin alternative music, she adopted the name Chana, a childhood nickname and a shortening of her first name Rosanna. [1] When she focused on her dance career, she took on the name LA DANSA DANSA. [2]
  2. ↑ An industry showcase is a private event in which up-and-coming singers perform for people within the music industry, such as disc jockeys, radio station managers, radio programmers, and music executives. [29] [30] These events are done to build interest in an artist. [29]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of Puerto Rico</span>

The Music of Puerto Rico has evolved as a heterogeneous and dynamic product of diverse cultural resources. The most conspicuous musical sources of Puerto Rico have primarily included African, Taino Indigenous, and European influences. Puerto Rican music culture today comprises a wide and rich variety of genres, ranging from essentially native genres such as bomba, jíbaro, seis, danza, and plena to more recent hybrid genres such as salsa, Latin trap and reggaeton. Broadly conceived, the realm of "Puerto Rican music" should naturally comprise the music culture of the millions of people of Puerto Rican descent who have lived in the United States, especially in New York City. Their music, from salsa to the boleros of Rafael Hernández, cannot be separated from the music culture of Puerto Rico itself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ana Gabriel</span> Mexican singer and songwriter

María Guadalupe Araujo Yong, known professionally as Ana Gabriel, is a Mexican singer and songwriter. With over 40 million records sold worldwide, Gabriel is the best-selling Mexican female artist, and one of the best-selling Latin music artists of all time. Dubbed as the "Diva de América" and the "Luna de América", during her long career, she has performed different genres of music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ana Bárbara</span> Mexican singer

Altagracia Ugalde Motta, better known as Ana Bárbara, is a Mexican singer. She has become a prominent figure within Latin entertainment since her professional debut in 1994 and is one of the leading female figures in regional Mexican music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheryl Baker</span> British singer

Rita Maria Stroud, known professionally as Cheryl Baker, is an English singer and television presenter. She was a member of pop group Bucks Fizz, which won the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest and, following legal disputes, now performs under the name the Fizz. Bucks Fizz had 20 singles reach the UK top 60 between 1981 and 1988, including three number one hits with "Making Your Mind Up" (1981), "The Land of Make Believe" (1981) and "My Camera Never Lies" (1982).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Julie Brown</span> English-born actress and television presenter

Julie Dorne Brown, better known as Downtown Julie Brown, is an English-born actress, television personality, SiriusXM DJ and former MTV VJ. Brown is best known as the host of the television music show Club MTV, which ran from 1987 until 1992.

Eden's Crush was an American girl group who were created on the American television series Popstars which aired on the now defunct WB. The group was formed in late 2000 and released the hit song "Get Over Yourself" in 2001, following the finale of the show. The group consisted of Ana Maria Lombo, Ivette Sosa, Maile Misajon, Nicole Scherzinger and Rosanna Tavarez.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michelle Visage</span> American singer and television personality

Michelle Visage is an American singer, television personality, broadcaster, producer, and actress. She gained recognition as a member of the dance-pop group Seduction, who charted five singles on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1989 and 1990. She later served as lead vocalist of the R&B and dance group The S.O.U.L. S.Y.S.T.E.M., who reached the top of the dance charts with the single "It's Gonna Be a Lovely Day" in 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Debi Nova</span> Musical artist

Deborah Nowalski Kader, better known by her stage name Debi Nova, born August 6, 1980, is a Costa Rican singer-songwriter that is widely considered to be the most successful Costa Rican artist in the country's history. Nova first started as a backing vocalist for Gandhi, one of Costa Rica's biggest and most-beloved rock bands of the '90s and '00s. Her international music career began when she became a backing vocalist for Sérgio Mendes and Ricky Martin. She then collaborated with multiple artists, including the Black Eyed Peas, Mark Ronson and Sean Paul, and wrote songs for Orishas and RBD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandy Mölling</span> German pop singer

Sandy Mölling is a German singer and television personality. She rose to fame as one of the members of the girl group No Angels, which were formed in 2000 on the German television talent show Popstars, becoming one of the best-selling girl groups of European origin of all time. During their hiatus, Mölling released a solo album, Unexpected (2004), which produced the top ten singles "Unnatural Blonde" and "Tell Me", and became a judge on the fourth season of Popstars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicki Chapman</span> English television presenter

Nicki Chapman is an English television and radio presenter, talent show judge and public relations agent who previously worked in the British pop music industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicole Scherzinger</span> American singer (born 1978)

Nicole Scherzinger is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and television personality. She was a member of the R&B-pop group and dance ensemble Pussycat Dolls between 2003 and 2010. With only two albums and over 55 million records sold worldwide, The Pussycat Dolls became one of the world's best-selling female groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julianne Hough</span> American dancer (born 1988)

Julianne Alexandra Hough is an American dancer, actress and television personality. In 2007, she joined the cast of ABC's Dancing with the Stars as a professional dancer, winning two seasons with her celebrity partners. After leaving the show in 2009, she returned in 2014 to serve as a judge on Dancing with the Stars, a position she held until 2017. She received three Primetime Emmy Award nominations for her work on the series, winning once in 2015 with her brother, Derek Hough.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surveen Chawla</span> Indian actress and dancer (b. 1984)

Surveen Chawla is an Indian actress and dancer who appears in Hindi and Punjabi films and television. She started her career with television shows like Kahin to Hoga and Kajjal. She is known for her roles in movies and shows like Hate Story 2 (2014), Ugly (2013), Parched (2015) and 24 (2016) along with many other films. In 2018, she was seen in the Hindi web series Haq Se.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chanelle Hayes</span> English TV personality, model and businesswoman

Chanelle Jade Hayes is an English television personality, model, singer and businesswoman. She was a student at NEW College, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, studying Spanish, music and English before becoming well known by appearing on the Channel 4 reality series Big Brother in 2007, when she was 19. She currently runs a cake making business in Wakefield, along with performing occasional media work.

<i>Popstars: The Rivals</i> Spin-off

Popstars: The Rivals is a British television talent show series, broadcast on ITV in late 2002. It was the second UK series of the international Popstars franchise. Unlike Popstars, which resulted in the formation of one winning group, Hear'Say, Popstars: The Rivals created two rival groups, Girls Aloud and One True Voice, who competed for the Christmas number one spot on the UK Singles Chart. Girls Aloud won and went on to nearly achieve 20 consecutive top-ten hits, including four number ones, and six top-ten albums, two of which reached number one. Group member Cheryl has achieved five solo number-one singles and two number-one albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queensberry (band)</span> German girl band

Queensberry was an all-female German pop group founded in late 2008. Formed during the seventh season of the television talent show Popstars, Popstars – Just 4 Girls, the original line-up consisted of singers Leonore Bartsch (Leo), Gabriella De Almeida Rinne (Gabby), Antonella Trapani (Anto), and Victoria Ulbrich (Vici). In July 2010, it was announced that both Antonella and Victoria had left the group, to be replaced by new members, Selina Herrero and Ronja Hilbig.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Debby Ryan</span> American singer and actress

Deborah Ann Ryan is an American actress and singer. She started acting professionally onstage at the age of seven, and was later discovered during Disney Channel's nationwide search for new talent. She had starring roles in the series The Suite Life on Deck (2008–2011), the film 16 Wishes (2010), the series Jessie (2011–2015), and the film Radio Rebel (2012). She also appeared in the drama film What If... (2010), the series Insatiable (2018–2019), the comedy films The Opening Act (2020) and Shortcomings (2023), the thriller film Night Teeth (2021), and the Jeff Baena films Horse Girl (2020) and Spin Me Round (2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tu Recuerdo (Ricky Martin song)</span> 2006 single by Ricky Martin

"Tu Recuerdo" is a song recorded by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin, featuring guest appearances from Spanish singer La Mari and Puerto Rican record producer Tommy Torres for Martin's first live album, MTV Unplugged (2006). The song was written and produced by Torres. It was released to radio stations by Sony BMG Norte as the lead single from the album on September 25, 2006. A Spanish language acoustic ballad and folk-pop song, it is about a person who is grasping on to the memory of someone. It received widely positive reviews from music critics, who complimented the singers' paced voices and emotional lyrics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neha Bhasin</span> Indian singer (born 1982)

Neha Bhasin is an Indian singer and songwriter. She is known for her playback work in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil cinemas and independent songs in the genre of Indian pop and Punjabi folk music. Bhasin has received seven Filmfare nominations across different languages and won two Filmfare Awards for her songs "Jag Ghoomeya" (Hindi) and "Paani Ravi Da" (Punjabi).

<i>Manos Arriba</i> 2008 EP by Chana

Manos Arriba is an extended play (EP) by American singer Rosanna Tavarez released by her own record label Patacon Productions in March 2008. Tavarez adopted the stage name Chana while pursuing a music career in Latin alternative music and used it for the EP. Chana rose to prominence in 2001 as a member of the girl group Eden's Crush. Following their disbandment, she worked as a host on music television shows and decided to record Spanish-language music after meeting producer Marthin Chan. She had previously rejected working with Latin music producers because she did not want to pursue a career in conventional Latin pop.

References

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Burstein 2008; Gurza 2008; Levin 2008
  2. 1 2 Rosannatavarez.com.
  3. ↑ The Olympian 2002, p. B8.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Burstein 2008.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Gurza 2008.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Levin 2008.
  7. 1 2 TV Guide A.
  8. 1 2 3 Warner Bros. 2001.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Countertechnique.com A.
  10. 1 2 3 González 2008.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Daw 2021.
  12. ↑ TV Guide B.
  13. 1 2 Martin 2003, p. 29.
  14. 1 2 Durden 2004, p. D5.
  15. ↑ Heffernan 2004.
  16. ↑ Salon.com 2004.
  17. ↑ The Charlotte Observer 2004, p. 13B.
  18. ↑ Belcher 2006 , p. 6; Carrillo 2005 , p. 3; Durden 2006 , p. D1
  19. ↑ Carrillo 2005, p. 3.
  20. ↑ Durden 2006, p. D1.
  21. ↑ The Morning Call 2007, p. D2.
  22. ↑ Belcher 2006, p. 6.
  23. 1 2 Ben-Yehuda 2008.
  24. ↑ Calle 2008, p. 25.
  25. ↑ González 2008; Levin 2008; Manos Arriba 2008
  26. ↑ Manos Arriba 2008.
  27. ↑ Gurza 2008; Johnson 2009 , p. E25; Kusnyer 2008; Levin 2008; Univision 2008
  28. ↑ Ben-Yehuda 2008; González 2008; Levin 2008
  29. 1 2 Weissman 2015, p. 24.
  30. ↑ Weissman 2015, p. 35.
  31. ↑ SC Kaufman School of Dance.
  32. ↑ California Institute of the Arts.
  33. ↑ Countertechnique.com B.
  34. ↑ McMullen 2022.

Citations

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.