Raye Zaragoza
BornNew York City
GenresFolk
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar
Websitewww.rayezaragoza.com

Raye Zaragoza is an American singer-songwriter from New York, NY based in Los Angeles, CA.

Biography

Raye Zaragoza was born and raised in Manhattan and moved to Los Angeles at the age of fourteen.[1] Her mother is an immigrant from Japan and her father is of Mexican and Oʼodham heritage.[2][3] Her great-grandmother was adopted out of her tribe as young child, raised by a white woman and forced to assimilate.[4]

Raye became involved in school musicals, started playing guitar at age 12, and started writing songs in her late teens.[5] She released her debut EP Heroine in 2015. She started to gain national attention in 2016 with the song "In The River," protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline.[6] Raye and her brother made a video for "In The River" that included facts about Standing Rock and it received 100,000 views overnight.[2] The song was awarded the Global Music Awards' 2017 Heretic Award for Protest/Activist Music[1] and the Honesty Oscars' award for Best Song.[7]

In 2017, she independently released her debut album Fight For You. Her music covers topics related to social justice and her experience as a woman of color.[2] Multiple songs on Fight For You address the Dakota Access Pipeline.[6] "Driving to Standing Rock" portrays the power of protest, specifically of the NoDAPL movement.[8] The song "American Dream" was written in reaction to Donald Trump's election.[9] The album also includes love songs[2] and songs about New York City.[3]

In 2019, she released live recordings of four songs — new song "Warrior," two songs from Fight For You, and one song from the Heroine EP — on an EP entitled Live at Rockwood Music Hall which premiered first on Popmatters.[10]

She cites Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Joan Baez, and Buffy St. Marie as influences.[3]

In 2018, Zaragoza toured with Dispatch and Nahko and Medicine for the People raising funds for Generation Indigenous.[2]

Her sophomore album Woman In Color produced by Tucker Martine was released October 23, 2020 on her own label Rebel River Records[11] and made year-end lists from NPR Music[12] and PopMatters.[13] The album shows Raye embracing all aspects of her mixed-race identity in song.[14]

In 2021, Zaragoza was awarded the Rising Tide Award by the International Folk Music Awards presented by Folk Alliance International.[15]

Discography

  • Heroine EP (2015)
  • Fight For You (2017)
  • Live at Rockwood Music Hall EP (2019)
  • Woman in Color (2020)
  • Hold That Spirit (2023)

References

  1. 1 2 "Global Music Awards Heretic Award for Protest/Activist Music".
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Heussner, Taylor (June 15, 2018). "Raye Zaragoza Didn't Choose to Be a Political Songwriter".
  3. 1 2 3 "An Interview with the Award-Winning Singer-Songwriter, RAYE ZARAGOZA! | All Access Music". March 21, 2018. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
  4. ↑ Cardoza, Nicole. "Unpack "This Land is Your Land"". Anti-Racism Daily. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  5. ↑ Staff, G. G. M. (March 28, 2018). "Raye Zaragoza: "It's time to rise up, turn off the television, and take a stand."". Guitar Girl Magazine. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
  6. 1 2 Baker, C. J. (April 1, 2018). "The Future Is Female: 10 Women Artists Who Are Transforming Protest Music". The Ongoing History of Protest Music. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Honesty Oscars".
  8. ↑ "Raye Zaragoza Stokes the Spirit of Protest With 'Driving to Standing Rock' Video: Premiere". Billboard. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
  9. ↑ Robinson, Chloe (September 18, 2018). "Raye Zaragoza's "American Dream" inspires change". EARMILK. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Raye Zaragoza Inspires in Her "Live at Rockwood Music Hall" EP (album stream) (premiere)". PopMatters. January 23, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  11. ↑ Hart, Ron (September 2, 2020). "Raye Zaragoza Premieres "They Say," Announces New Album 'Woman in Color'". American Songwriter. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  12. ↑ "2020 Was The Year Of Protest Music". NPR.org. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  13. ↑ "6. Raye Zaragoza – Woman in Color (Rebel River/RAYEMUSIC)". PopMatters. December 4, 2020. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  14. ↑ Scott, Jason (January 12, 2021). "Raye Zaragoza Paints A Vivid Self-Portrait on Woman In Color". Audiofemme. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  15. ↑ 2021 International Folk Music Awards, retrieved March 1, 2021
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