NEW
YORK (Top40 Charts) Youth culture is not getting any older. If
anything, you have to grab a hot singer even before she's a teen. This
time, let's start at age 12.
Victoria Acosta
is the latest pop diva to begin a career while beginning a life. This
talented Mexican-American, trained in traditional Mariachi music, has
stepped aside from wholly traditional roots, while still literally
mixing fiery Pop with a combustion of Mexican Urban/R&B audio
moves.
Apart
from that, there's plenty of reason for us all to be jealous of this
little lady. She's also an honor role student, who acts, reads, writes
in her journal and writes stories on computer when she's not performing
at the San Antonio Spurs games, or for the Governor of Texas, or at
events for the democratic Vice Presidential candidate.
She's
now signed up with Covert Entertainment's Record division, debuting her
fresh (in every sense of the word, for a change!) sound on the highly
anticipated "origin issue" (as they say in the comic book trade) album
on April 26, 2005.
Her music is like that of an
awakening - to live, love, musical styles and a popular sweetness that
some might call bubblegum, but which is realistically more akin to
optimism for what life has in store. Even reviewers in their 20's need
to remember what it's like to have the threat of a wonderful life in
front of them.
No other viewpoint could come up with the synth-hop beat of the low and luscious ballad "Soul to Keep" which is nearly a hip hop version of "Leader of the Pack" for God-fearing girls who know where to pray and give thanks for the blessings that people like Victoria
obviously have been given. A guileless, simple song, unpolluted and
uncluttered by the overproduction of a Britney or the crass
commercialism of a lyric that is looking for "more of a hook" in order
to invade the hot Top 10. No, this is a "giving back" song. She's got
enough other invasion tracks.
For instance, the
lead-off on the demo I received was definitely a party favor, bright in
its trippy beat and hip hop skeleton and stereo vocals from the Victoria A.
machine and a positive rap break that is money-back-guaranteed to do as
the lyric says, get you "up and down, shake it all around." The whole
point is showing you "how to move your thang." You don't even have to
move it yourself. Put this song on and it moves by itself!
The
follow-up is no slow dance either. Perhaps the political overtone of
the initial lyric might startle you ("The world's gone crazy, it's a
fact. There's another war, this time Iraq"), but the funk hop of the
bounce and intelligence of the lyrics of "The World's Gone Crazy" (the first single off the album, tune by label owner Jeff Durand and former Prince keyboardist Tommy Barbarella)
give a techno, short answer to the insane colors of this turn of the
century. Funky electric rhythm guitar and pumped electronics give it a
dance hall kick that is more to be enjoyed with friends than by
yourself. Its groove makes you braver, more apt to spill out and over,
like good friends do for you.
With one listen,
you'll wonder if all this hype is just a good PR stunt. "WHO could
sound like this and be a pre-teen?!" you'll say. And Victoria herself with tell you why she's so professional at such an early age. Seems to all come down to instinct.
"I
was actually very comfortable," she admits, about her first recording
session. "The only thing was, I wasn't holding the mike, and I had to
put headphones on and I couldn't move around like I was on stage. I had
a great time. It was a wonderful experience. I learned how to harmonize
so I was right in tune, and how to double myself exactly the same way
every time."
Her
take on what it's like to grow up INTO the limelight is wise beyond her
years. "At first, I wondered whether I would worry about it. But now I
realize that everything so far has been so much fun, that I'm just
happy to be doing this. I think that when God gives you a great
opportunity, you should take it. I love to sing. This is my first love.
I want to be a singer, but I also love to write because when you write,
you become the creator of everything that happens. You get to be
creative and you get to let your imagination flow. I'd like to some day
put the two together, singing and writing."
In
her spare time, when she's not reading trilogies by William Nicholson
(the adventure/fantasy sort) or keeping that 7th grade GPA up, "I
listen to a lot of people. When I sing Mariachi, I listen to Linda
Ronstadt, Patsy Torres because of Fiesta Texas, and then I also listen
to a lot of people on the radio, of course. Today, my favorite bands
are Maroon 5 and Evanescence. I also like Jessica Simpson, Jo, and
Usher."
Victoria
was enrolled in a Mariachi music school on San Antonio's West Side at
age 6, and it's far different than pop. "Oh yes," she explains. "When
you sing Mariachi, it's less action, a lot of long vibrant notes, and
you have to connect with the audience. With Pop, there are a lot of
quick cuts and your movement on stage usually requires a lot of action.
You have to entertain the crowd, and you have to make sure that you
keep them interested."
At a mere age 8, she was selected from among hundreds of young singers, including college music majors, to earn the title of Best Mariachi Music Vocalist in the United States at the Ford and Lincoln Mercury Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza.
So just 4 years later, with an album on the way and a life of music and living ahead of her, Victoria Acosta
is going to get a lot of press, a lot of pressure, and she's going to
prove herself as one hell of an original item in a world of Kinko
cut-outs.
