According to her mother, Rhonda sang, "When A Man Loves A Woman" and "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby" before she could talk, let alone understand what she was singing about. Sounds like a natural calling, right? Certainly that's what you feel when you hear her multifaceted voice swooping and soaring, sweet as an angel, sharp as a knife and all with the ease of a songbird in flight. Rhonda was obviously destined to sing.
Her attraction to the romantic lasted beyond her childhood: "I love to write about the many places emotions are bold enough to go. Expressing my feelings and the feelings inspired by others in my music is like making an audible recording of my mind's eye. I may not have experienced everything I write about, but someone has. I enjoy telling life’s stories." Her skillfully penned, honestly revealing and compassionately motivating lyrics invite her listeners to get up close and personal. "…Narrative nakedness suits me. "
Growing up in Philly with her two brothers, music was everywhere. There was always a radio or stereo in the living room, the dining room, the kitchen, the bedrooms, the basement and yes, even in the bathrooms. So no wonder music plays a pivotal part in Rhonda's life. She remembers learning all of the lyrics to Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" album and staying up all night performing it over and over again with her younger brother. It's still one of her all-time favorites: "Marvin had a very special way of communicating life through his music, with heart, soul and sincerity. I admired that and thought, mmh one day..." Well, that day has arrived; now she too tells her soulful stories from the heart in song. Her music gives her listener something to feel, reminisce about, dream of, long for...
That feel is focused. And yet Rhonda is a musical explorer. She continuously hones her craft, discovering new facets of herself. And her expanding knowledge and awareness are expressed in her songwriting talent every step of the way. The maturity of her voice is reflected in her sophisticated compositions and adept arrangements. She says: "I get more out of my music as I get more out of life. I like that. You live, you grow, you reap what you sow, and hopefully before you go."
Rest assured, the lady’s by no means done yet! Listen to her, watch her perform and relax into her celebration of life. Her voice will show you the way, because Rhonda lives her music and her audience does too. "I feel (music)...people who are real, true to themselves. It’s the "realness feel" I choose for my music, my life."
In her song "Living It" she tells the finger-popping, autobiographical story of living her dreams. The soul-baring "Far From You" is a ballad revealing the honesty of letting go. With its uplifting message and move-your-body beat, "The Sun" invites you to celebrate the bounce-back-ability that defies the odds. Then there's the taste-bud-tempting single "Chocolate Sound" with its appetizing food-4-thought and Rhonda’s revelation of what chocolate sounds like; yes, sounds like!
Rhonda's music recipe is flavored with the R&B she was nurtured on and the Gospel realness that gave birth to her voice. Mixed in is just the right twist of her very own Neo-Soul spice. Rhonda Dorsey's "Chocolate Sound", a tasty dish of sounds and moods, makes you keen for more. Bon Appetit!
Source: rhondadorsey.com
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