Deepa Soul
It’s hard to believe, but dance diva Deepa Soul once lived with inhibition and fear. Raised in the “bible belt” of the deep south, the New Orleans native left her hometown after realizing there was “no chance to be happy” as an out lesbian.
After enjoying an early life abundant with gospel, soul and classical music, she kept her grandmother’s words close to her during the tribulations. “My grandmother said, ‘Don’t let no man on Earth tell you who you are. They don’t know why you’re here.’”
While working nights at an East Village record shop, Soul’s sonorous vocal power caught the ears of record producer Junior Vasquez (Madonna, Cher, Cyndi Lauper), a regular patron at the store. Ever since, she has been treating club-goers to imaginative and diverse tracks. Her first release “Nowhere Love,” a resounding, beat-driven romp, landed at the No. 3 spot on the Billboard Dance Chart. Her latest single “911 I Can’t Breathe,” is a blazing rock/funk track that comments on adverse health effects from the lingering debris at the World Trade Center site.
Though she hopes to “bring people to consciousness” about the pressing topics evident in her music, she retains her desire to maintain a fun and inviting feel.
“Life is about everything: sex, love, fighting, and standing up for what you believe in…but it’s also about balance,” she says.
The songwriter is currently recording and awaiting completion of her 2008 triple disc release, Funk/Rock, Deepest Supreme and Spirit Free: A Musical Journey of Life, Fun, Love, and Pain.
Visit myspace.com/deepasoul for more. –PC
