Today we’d like to introduce you to Jimetta Rose.
Hi Jimetta, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was born and raised here in Los Angeles, CA. Singing and the written word were always consistent sources of joy and expression for me. I attended Hollywood High School for four years, it was there that I was introduced to musical theater. After high school while attending SouthWest College, I auditioned to be the lead vocalist for a local hip hop band named Naturez Dezign. I got the gig and would go on as a member of that band for a few years, later changing our moniker to Hoodie Smith. I would go on to start my own band that I began performing around the city with. Amazing bandleaders such as Shafiq Husayn, Miguel Atwood Ferguson, and Dexter Story began to include me as a featured vocalist in their music ensembles it seemed my dreams were coming true.
After experiencing some disenchantment with the competitive nature of the “business” of making music, I set out to create a choir of voices that would sing to heal themselves and others. As of April 2021, Voices of Creation will be going strong for two years, the focus remains service-oriented and the choir continues to grow despite the setbacks of the pandemic of 2020. This is an expansive time for us all, I plan to enlarge my avenues of expression over the next few years, Solo music, published writings, international choir outreach programs and recordings are all in the works, I am so relieved to find that I am still ready and willing to be of service to my gifts. I look forward to sharing more and seeing where this road leads.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No it hasn’t been easy, I don’t know that any journey ever is. Every single step has been challenging. All I knew starting out was that I wanted to sing and I had a vision that I wanted to birth and share by any means necessary. Thankfully the exploitations that I have faced haven’t undermined my integrity nor my persistence. I’ve managed to keep an honest heart in an industry known to be shady and manipulating. No challenge ever succeeded in wavering my faith and for that, I am grateful.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a singer, writer, visionary. I specialize in crafting emotion, melody, and language. I am most proud of creating my choir Voices of Creation- a safe space for people to sing songs together that heal. The songs that I write and arrange for the group are new mantras and prayers- tools to attain and maintain joy in this new post-Covid world that we’re facing where love and togetherness are under attack and scrutiny. I think my grace and gratitude are what sets me apart from others, allowing me to see creative opportunities in what may seem to be a hopeless space. I also have an unrelenting focus on and access to the elements of joy and love, so I tend to add these to all that I do as well.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
No one can grow without mentorship, inspiration, or support. Some people I’d like to thank for being a part of my journey are: Toly Ramirez, Ben Caldwell, Shafiq Husayn, Dwight Trible, Mama Renee, Ramon Rios, Pinkey Deville, Ashanti Johnson, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Carlos Nino, Dexter Story, Leigh Ann Hahn, Jack Maeby, Heiko Jahnke, David Otis, Rocio Contreras, Gilles Peterson, and Josef Leimberg. These are a few of the people I will forever be grateful to for mentorship, inspiration, and support without their urging or collaboration, I may not have grown into the artist that I am today. Thank you. Thank you. THANK YOU!!!
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: jimettarose.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/jimettarose
- Twitter: @jimettarose
- Youtube: youtube.com/jimettarose
- SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/jimettarose
Image Credits:
White choir picture – photo credit Azul Amaral Brown portrait – Brandon Williams Banks Photography photos from World Stage – Anjee McNary black and white sci fi image – Marielle Tepper
