Emilia 'Burning in the Sun' album

Emilia’s love of music is deep rooted. Being a native of New Orleans, and constantly surrounded some by some of the world’s most unique sounds, Emilia was submersed in a culture of creativity and inspired by its diversity. Growing up in the music scene she learned all she could from her musician friends. After backpacking solo around the world for three years she settled back down in her native town to launch her music career and spent a couple of years singing in different rock bands.

Emilia was “discovered” by NYC indie-label 5 Points Records. Two months later she was flown to New York, and after writing a few songs with different producers, was offered a contract. The label was very impressed with her lyrical and melodic skills and unique vocal styling.

5 Points Records put Emilia together with producer tj Rehmi from Real World Music in England. They clicked and wrote what a song that would later be included on her first album, “Wondrous Skies”. Plans were hatched for a full collaboration with tj.

While in NY, Emilia sang on a kirtan session with Krishna Das along side many great musicians including Rick Allen from Def Leopard and Steely Dan’s own Walter Becker.

The timeline for the album was interrupted when Hurricane Katrina blew through New Orleans and destroyed everything Emilia had. Her home was flooded by 10 feet of water. Her business was gone, all her possessions left soaked in an oil-drenched sludge while her family and friends suffered the same shocking fate. 5 Points Records’ president David Nichtern, Real World’s Rob Bozas, and producer Rehmi were very supportive, tracking her down and working to get her back on her feet and into the studio.

After Katrina, Emilia relocated to Seattle to focus on her music. There she had the support of her manager, Brent McCrossen, and collaborated with some great musicians she had worked with in the past, including drummer KJ Sawka, Brad’s Shawn Smith, and drumming legend Michael Shrieve of Santana.

Emilia spent January 2006 working with Rehmi at his studio in Birmingham, England writing and recording her upcoming premier album. The album is slated for completion Spring 2006.

IN HER OWN WORDS:

I am first generation American.

My father, Arnoldo Sosa, is from Guatemala He fled to New Orleans with my grandmother, aunt, and uncles after my grandfather sent word from the prison that he had been tortured and that his sons would be next. They moved into the projects on the west bank of New Orleans.

My mother, Suyapa Lejarsa, is from Honduras. She came to the States with my grandmother and stepfather to get away from government unrest and (my mother later learned) to get away from her real father whom my grandmother was angry with. My mother discovered his whereabouts a week after he died.

I was raised in Catholic schools with my sister, Marcia. The only way to get a good education in New Orleans was to go to private school. Due to this background I became wary of our government and organized religion, and found comfort growing up knowing that many musicians like John Lennon and Bob Marley felt the same way.

I was raised in a Latin American culture and am fluent in Spanglish.

My realization of the hypocrisy in my grammar school led me to music as a saving grace. I’d had enough of threats of an eternity in hell for questioning ideas that make no sense. I related to the heavy metal of Metallica, Slayer, Twisted Wister, Iron Maiden, etc. and was deemed a Satan worshiper at the age of 13.

My first day of high school at Mount Carmel Academy started with the principal, Sister Camille, asking me to denounce Satan as my savior due to my musical taste, dark clothes, and pleading from the parents of other students from my grammar school. This only further ingrained in me how ridiculous and close-minded religion seemed to make people.

I started going to live shows at 14 and spending all my money on music while other girls worried about clothes and makeup. I loved the music that came out of the late 60’s, the clarity of the vision and hope for humanity. I also loved the angst of the music in the local scene I was a part of --- full of docs, mosh pits, and psychedelic overtones. It was also at this time I discovered writing poetry as a way to express my self and have since filled many notebooks and journals.

After graduating I did what kids are supposed to do, I went to college for 4 years without a clue as to what I wanted to do. Luckily my roommates offered a wealth of musical information and I was introduced to many artists --- including the artist who has inspired me above all others --- Peter Gabriel. I also discovered the rave scene and I was finally exposed to electronica in a very seductive way. I was introduced to Massive Attack, Portishead, and Morcheeba along with many great DJ’s.

I’d done very little traveling, so after saving up money bartending and waiting tables for a few years I decided to backpack in Australia for 6 months by myself. I explored caves with sinkholes, climbed mountains at midnight to catch sunrise at the peak, surfed along the east coast, camped in the desert for 2 months, explored various islands, and the Great Barrier Reef. I went to secret raves on mountain tops and went horseback riding on ranches. I stayed at hostels and bartered for food and lodging when I could. I also learned how to fire dance and play the didgeridoo during my stay at a hippy hostel in Byron Bay and this proved to be a great source of entertainment for people during the rest of my travels. I was also introduced to the music of Ben Harper and Jeff Buckley.

I then came home to New Orleans for a month to save up money for a trip to India. I arrived by myself at 2 AM in Delhi and started on a two-month journey. It seems I look Israeli on that side of the world and within two days of my arrival traveled with a group of Israeli kids my age. They were constantly amazed to learn that not only did I not speak Hebrew, but that I was in fact American.

I spent time in Dharmasala where the Dali Lama now lives and I served at a vipassana meditation retreat (I had sat at a vipassana meditation retreat in Australia a few months before). I stayed at the Golden Temple in Amritsar and various other holy places in northern India --- all the while being exposed to beautiful Hebrew music and amazing devotionals from India.

I left after two months and lived in Toronto for a year exploring Ontario and parts of Quebec. I came back to New Orleans, and shortly thereafter left to work at the Grand Canyon for a few months to do a bit of hiking. Then I went to Tennessee for a couple of months with friends I’d made while at the Canyon.

After three years of travels I needed to make a living once again so I went to massage school and started my own business. Many of my friends were doing great things in the music biz and after listening to so many not very good artists making a living singing and writing I decided it was time for me to do it and stop being scared of failing. After all I’d just explored different parts of the world by myself, what was there really to be afraid of.

Aside from the artists I’ve named I love Sarah McLachlan, Billy Holiday, Tool Soundgarden, Miles Davis, Rebirth Brass Band, and too many others.

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Emilia - Burning in the Sun