Arist: VaneliLocation: New York
Influences: Whitney Houston,
Mariah Carey, Toni Braxton, Christina Aguilera, Janet Jackson
Why You Should Know Vaneli: The
name Vaneli may not be on the tip of your tongue, but the 21-year-old singer’s
voice has already invaded your earspace.
With a popular remix of rapper Fabolous’ hit song “Make Me
Better” under her belt as well as her new single, “Ur Money,”
generating a healthy buzz, Vaneli is catching a wave of momentum as she
prepares to unveil her forthcoming debut album Hard
to Believe
. As for how the Fabolous remix came about, the song birdcites a natural admiration as well as a desire to put her personal stamp on a
well-known tune.
“First of all, l I
love the song. Who doesn’t? I don’t know if it went to number one,
but to me it was number one. I loved it,” Vaneli says. “We
didn’t really know what song to choose so I was like; you know what… it just came off the
top of my head. So I was like “Make Me Better.” So my label got in
contact with the proper people and I went to the studio and I did this song
that I co-wrote with Makeela Ivy.”
Although the original and new version of “Make Me Better” testify to
the great woman behind every great man philosophy, Vaneli is neutral as to
which version best exemplifies the track.
“I love the original, you know what I mean,” the singer said.
“The men are saying she makes him better. I still believe a woman can make
a man better. We do as much as we can to make them happy. Our love for them can
change them, make them better.”
Born in Brazil and raised in Toronto, Vaneli is the “middle child” in
a family of three. Despite introducing her musical self while singing in her
father’s church, the entertainer opted to pursue a career in R&B, a
journey that received the full support of her parents.
“They’re totally supportive of what I do. They’ve been there
from the beginning,” Vaneli says. “They support me 100 percent. It
doesn’t matter what type of music. I do. They back me up 100
percent.”
The support not only motivated Vaneli, but also added to her passion for music
while overcoming naysayers and putting in long hours towards working on Hard to Believe. The album, which is
slated to be released in April or May of 2008, is, according to the singer,
“a reflection of me and how I see things, pretty much.” Whether
it’s dance tracks such as “Lose Em,” sexy songs like “5
Minutes” or the up tempo groove and fun female empowerment vibe of
“Ur Money,” Vaneli believes listeners will find something to relate
to in her music.
“I talk about daily things, my past and my present life experiences,” she explains. “And a lot of people they go through the same
experiences I go through. Things you go through other people go through, same
things on the daily. Especially in love. So hopefully my words can help them
get through their problems, help them solve some of their issues. And make them
feel good. Even the party songs that I have make them get up and dance when
they’re feeling sad, you know.”
Drawing from the work ethic of her musical influences, Vaneli is prepared to put her best foot
forward in making her first project a success while walking a path blazed by
Mariah, Whitney, Janet and Christina.
“All the hard work, all the learning, all the artist development, that’s what
I’m going through. I’m going through the same thing, pretty
much,” the singer says. “It’s like If they can make it, come
this far, they started from nothing, why can’t I? Why can’t I do
it? Of course I can. So that makes me strive. it keeps me fighting. When I want
to give up, I think of them as well as an example to keep fighting to make
it.”
Helping Vaneli construct Hard to Believe are a variety of up and coming
producers, including Yummi, Dunndee, Stereotypes, Juno and Mike Blaze. And
while the album features a mix of R&B, hip-hop and pop, fans can look for
the current New Yorker’s Brazilian roots to turn up on future releases.
“I’m thinking maybe on my second or third album,” say Vaneli,
who showed an interest in doing duets with Ne-Yo and Christina Aguilera as
well as picking up a few dance tips while singing alongside Ciara. “I do
sing Portugese fluently. I would definitely love to do a Portugese album, a
crossover album.”
That being said, Vaneli is thankful for the opportunity to do what she loves. So
much so that she references a song off Hard
to Believe that best describes what she has gone through thus far in
life on her way to being a music maker.
“It’s called ‘Fabulous.’ And that’s actually where
I got the name for my album, which is called Hard
to Believe,” Vaneli shares. “The hook in that song I
wrote, ‘It’s
hard to believe where I’m coming from my life could be so fabulous.’ And that is very true
for me. I come from Brazil. You know, raised in Toronto. I’m here in New York. I love New York.
“My family, we come from a third world country. We didn’t have
everything,” continues the singer. “My father worked really hard for
everything that he’s got right now, you know, for everything he’s
given us as well. So that would be the song that I would pick. It’s hard
to believe where I’m coming from my life could be so fabulous. And how
lucky I am, how lucky I am.”
Check out Vaneli’s single “Ur Money”
To learn more about Vaneli as well as hear more music from Hard to Believe, visit http://www.myspace.com/vanelid.
