Ms Hennessey Speaks to Veruschka Pestano at www.grooveon.com.au.
Named after a supermodel from the sixties, Veruschka Pestano is more than just a pretty face. This 28 yr old West Australian born, Jamaican / German beauty has a vibrancy and passion that is infiltrating into the urban music scene and is carving a name out for herself on Sydney’s live circuit set with her original and thought-provoking music and performances.
Veruschka is a newcomer to Australia’s urban music scene but that doesn’t mean she is waiting in the wings for her chance to shine. She is up front and centre and taking hold of her dream that has brought her from an upbringing listening to Vivaldi, Bob Marley, Aretha Franklin and other Motown greats to holding a Bachelor of Contemporary Arts which a major and minor in contemporary dance and drama respectively. This singer/songwriter knows this is only the beginning but she is only just getting started as she introduces herself, “Well to start I’m an unsigned singer and songwriter. I am pretty loud, sometimes crazy but I love people and care deeply for those that are in my world. I love my husband and I think my sound, is still developing. Having said that I would best describe my sound as neo-soul.” Veruschka Pestano in a nutshell.
Having been an Urban Music Oz Award nominee and also 2006 MTV Music Awards After Party performer, Veruschka is working hard to get her name out and get her music heard. With only a handful of female artists in the Australian urban music scene to date, how hard or easy is it for Veruschka to get her originality across on her soulful/jazzy performances and set herself apart from everyone else? She sees it like this, “I don’t know if I can directly cause more female artists to perform the type of music I’m doing, or if I can perhaps I haven’t given it enough thought before now. I say that because if something is in you, I believe you just have to do it, whether there are a lot of people doing it or people who appreciate what you do is irrelevant to me. I can say that I certainly hope that as more people find out about me, that it encourages them to pursue whatever their dreams are”.
Dreams and influences are the fuel for any singer, which keeps inspiring them to keep pushing for more. When speaking influences, they vary greatly between religion, music and family for Veruschka as she says, “I think personal influences feed into musical influences. My faith is my biggest influence on me personally and musically. Being a Christian makes me want to write music that’s positive and honest and real and that encourages people. My mum is a big influence because she sacrificed so much to raise my sister and me. My husband inspires me and believes in me more than I believe in myself at times. Musically my all time hero is Lauryn Hill but I also love India Arie, Kanye West, Jill Scott, Damian Marley, too many to mention. Why I love these artists is that they are all great lyricists and are not afraid to write stuff that is deep and thought-provoking!”
Veruschka finds herself in a similar league when it comes to her songwriting skill. If you listen to her tracks Go, Easier, I Know You Can and No I Wont, you are quickly struck with a powerful and intelligent female who knows how she wants herself and her music portrayed and accepted by its audience. In a sound style all her own, to the trained ear you can pick traces of similarities to new-soul singer Goapele and at times hip-hop soultress Sy Smith, especially with Veruschka’s effortless delivery. She is completely involved in her sound, from lyrics to sound placement and says, “I write my own lyrics and melodies and I’m learning how to arrange, but my guitarist Wil Mahaussey does all the arranging for the band. I have clear ideas of the kinds of sounds/style that I like but Wil is a genius!”
So as her star slowly rises on the Sydney live soul and jazz circuit, Veruschka is no wallflower and is biding her time just so, building up her audience base with performances around town and starting work on her first EP soon. With thoughts to the future she says positively, “I’ve just started an online songwriting course through Berkley University in the US and its stretching me a lot. I’ve got gigs coming up in May in Sydney and will be starting my first EP with a producer from Melbourne called Chris Corby. One the EP is released I’m going to take it to the States and see what my luck holds there as well – you never know unless you try!”
Be sure to catch Veruschka Pestano live in May at:
The Sandringham – May 8th
The Cat & Fiddle – May 25th
www.myspace.com/veruschkapestano
Always Hip Hop, Ms Hennessey
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The music's going good. Looking forward to getting stuck into writing again & setting some fresh goals for the year ahead. Trusting 2009 has been good for you & believing the future will keep getting better. We truly are blessed to do what we do.
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It is such a lovely day at the peak of "Fruit Season"...Cherries, Apricots, Peaches, Oriental Plums. We thought you might like to join us for a "Walk & Talk" through the flowers, even if imaginary. Mahalo for coming...
Hey Veruschka, really enjoyed listening to all your tracks.
I'm gonna try & get down to your gig at the Sando in a couple of weeks - I've put it in the diary so, provided I'm not working, I'll be there & see if I can rope Queen Latifah along if she's not already gonna be there.
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