KelownaNow wants to get to know the hard-working, up and coming artists who fill our city with music and we’re almost positive most of you do too!
Our Saturday Spotlight series that will feature a new, local act every other weekend, to better strengthen our scene and get to know the people behind the music.
Hip-Hop R&B singer Shalina Richards has been involved in music since she was young, performing at various school events and talent shows.
Not only does she have an incredible voice, but her rhymes are next level, which is no surprise seeing as she has been perfecting her songwriting since the ripe age of 12.
Fast forward a decade and Richards is now one of the anchors in Kelowna’s underground hip-hop scene, having been one of the leading females within it since 2013, garnering her the opportunity to perform at Shambala and open up for the legendary Ghostface Killah.
When it comes to her biggest influences you may be surprised, while it's evident that hip-hop is where she planted her roots, it was rock icon Freddie Mercury of Queen who ignited her dream of performing.
“I remember when I was really young my aunt brought over a Queen VHS and I must have watched it a million times!” said Richards.
“Watching Freddie Mercury live lit a fire in me and I knew that's what I wanted to do.”
While Mercury sparked her love of performance, Richards says it is the therapeutic qualities of writing that have kept her going for so long helping to turn her feelings and experiences into works of musical art.
Though some of her performance milestones are undoubtedly impressive, her achievement in breaking down gender roles within the hip-hop universe is what she is most proud of, including her participation LA’s Team Backpack Cypher Challenge.
“I am usually the only female on a roster, and I remember working alongside some guys who were discussing entering the challenge and when I expressed my interest they responded by telling me I shouldn't even try because the competition was so intense,” said Richards.
"My inner girl power took over and that night I went home wrote a verse, did a video, sent it off and ended up getting invited to Los Angeles for the finals.”
Not only did she annihilate her opponents in the first round but her final performance received a standing ovation from the crowd.
“By the end of it, I ended up in the Top 8 for the entire competition, it was definitely one of my proudest moments,” she added.
With a number of tracks, collaborations and music videos under her belt, Richards is looking ahead to the future as her upcoming EP is nearing completion saying the compilation of work will feature her best songs to date.
“I have been constructing this EP for some time now, and I think the project really captures relatable feel-good material that listeners will appreciate on their good days and their bad.”
“I went through a huge pivotal moment and evolved a lot in life while writing these songs, so this project is my soundtrack to that experience — Its very dear to me in that sense.”
While the EP release date has yet to be announced, you can still catch up on her already released content through her Youtube channel. Keep an eye on her Facebook Page to see when you can catch her next show!
If you know of a local band or musician the community needs to hear, nominate them for a Saturday Spotlight by sending an email to savannah@kelownanow.com
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