Fonder of Rhonda!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Singer-songwriter Rhonda Ross is an African Diasporic Woman of the World. Bilingual in French and English, and raising her son to be fluent in 4 languages, Rhonda often connects with her audiences through their native tongues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her original music lives in the gap between Jazz, Neo-Soul, Funk and Gospel. Her lyrics live in the pause between life\u2019s most important questions and answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rhonda has the entire package \u2014 as an entertainer, as a poet, and as a human being. She has great power on stage and her refreshingly personal and moving performances set her apart from other vocalists of her era.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rhonda\u2019s music flows straight from her essence and her bright spirit uplifts everyone in the room. With a crown of natural hair, she graces the stage with the gravitas and glamour of a modern-day queen. As the only child of Diana Ross and Motown Founder Berry Gordy, it has become evident that Rhonda not only has the talent, but the significance to carry on her parents\u2019 legacy, all the while establishing her own unique musical destination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While her music is based in classical jazz, it reflects influences from the entire spectrum of African diaspora sound. In 1994, she met, married and began a continual musical collaboration with jazz pianist and composer Rodney Kendrick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Through her husband, Rhonda commenced studying with the late jazz great Abbey Lincoln. \u201cIt was Abbey and Rodney who convinced me to begin my journey as a singer-songwriter,\u201d she says, \u201cI primarily consider myself a storyteller and poet. I use my music to inspire and to uplift. And to teach people\u2013 including myself.\u201d They collaborated on the live CD, Rhonda Ross Liv: Featuring Rodney Kendrick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now a mother to a young son, Rhonda\u2019s music has taken on the more mature stance of a woman \u201cwith the understanding and wisdom of a 40 year-old, but the passion and dream-seeking of a 20 year-old.\u201d Rhonda is one of the rare artists today using her music to examine the society she lives in\u2013from racism to sexism to homophobia to the need for self-love and spirituality. Rhonda\u2019s songs look through all of it and ask: \u201cIn the midst of this, how can I still live the best life possible?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Through Rhonda\u2019s individual and creative expression, the legendary Ross influence continues to live on and expand. Rhonda headlined one of President Obama\u2019s 2nd Inaugural Balls, and later performed to standing ovations and rave reviews at The Hollywood Bowl, the Montreal International Jazz Festival, Wolf Trap and The Theater at Madison Square Garden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kam Williams:<\/strong> Hi Rhonda, thanks for the interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rhonda Ross:<\/strong> Hi, Kam. I am thrilled to talk with you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> I told my readers I\u2019d be interviewing you, so I\u2019ll be mixing their questions in with mine. First, let me say congratulations on receiving the Music Career Achievement Award at the Pocono Mountains Film Festival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n RR:<\/strong> Thank you. It\u2019s quite an honor and a surprise. And an insult! [LOL] I don\u2019t feel old enough to be receiving a \u201cCareer Achievement\u201d Award, but I guess I am. Oh well. [Sighs, and laughs some more]<\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Also screening at the festival is Crackdown Big City Blues. What interested you in the film?<\/p>\n\n\n\n RR:<\/strong> I was a really young actress when I was cast in Crackdown. I think I was 21. It was a huge challenge to play a young lady who was my age, but with so much tragic life experience. It taught me a lot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Larry Greenberg says: You were on Cosby back in 1997, but I\u2019m not going to ask you about that. I\u2019d like to know about your role as a dancer in the cult classic, The Last Dragon. Is dance a passion of yours and where did you learn to dance?<\/p>\n\n\n\n RR:<\/strong> The Last Dragon was a special film for me because I got to work with my father. I also enjoyed meeting Vanity, Taimak and the late Leo O\u2019Brien. Leo and I became great friends and stayed friends for years. I have never studied dance, but I love it. I love moving my body in time with the music and I even dance a little during my music concerts!<\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Reverend Florine Thompson has two questions for you: Who or what is your<\/p>\n\n\n\n primary source of inspiration? And what achievement are you most proud of?<\/p>\n\n\n\n RR:<\/strong> That\u2019s easy. It\u2019s the same answer to both! My son and my son! I am literally obsessed with being a mother. It consumes my every thought and weaves its way into the songs and plays I write\u2013into everything. And I am really proud of the effort I put into it. Don\u2019t get me wrong, I make a lot of mistakes and have to restart every day. But I know my intentions are pure and I keep on trying harder the next day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Judyth Piazza asks: What was your most memorable Motown moment growing up as a child?<\/p>\n\n\n\n RR:<\/strong> I was born in 1971, so all my Motown memories are in LA, and they mostly include my mother, my father and the Jackson brothers coming over and playing and singing with us in our home in Beverly Hills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Since your husband Rodney Kendrick is a jazz pianist, Janice Malone was wondering whether he\u2019s ever worked with your mom in concert or in the studio?<\/p>\n\n\n\n RR:<\/strong> Rodney and I have spent most of our 18-year marriage writing, recording and performing together but, for the most part, we keep our careers separate from my mother\u2019s career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Editor\/Legist Patricia Turnier says: I want you to know that \u201cDiana\u201d is the first album I bought in my life. This was during my childhood. I had no idea at the time that your mother was a legend from The Supremes which, in my book, was the most elegant female group of all time. She asks: Do you think it is better for a star\u2019s child to choose a profession different from a celebrity parent, like the way Stella McCartney did to avoid unfair comparisons and criticisms, given that the bar is much higher for them from the start?<\/p>\n\n\n\n RR:<\/strong> I think everyone should follow their hearts, especially artists. Artists can\u2019t be artists unless they follow their hearts. If they are truly following their authentic calling, it will be unique and organic and comparisons won\u2019t matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Attorney Bernadette Beekman asks: What did she think of the Broadway play, Motown the Musical?<\/p>\n\n\n\n RR:<\/strong> I love it! Saw it about 15 times, and all over the country!<\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Bernadette also asks: Do you support any charities?<\/p>\n\n\n\n RR:<\/strong> I do \u2014 mostly ones that support better lives for children: Figure Skating in Harlem, the Global Language Project, and Hearts of Gold, for which I am co-hosting their annual gala on November 5th along with Soledad O\u2019Brien and Amy Carson. I will also be performing one of my new songs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> AALBC.com<\/a> founder Troy Johnson asks: What was the last book you read?<\/p>\n\n\n\n RR:<\/strong> I am reading all the time. I read a few books at a time. I have been devouring parenting books like \u201cThe Conscious Parent\u201d and \u201cAbove All, Be Kind,\u201d but I also just finished Susan Batson\u2019s acting book, \u201cTRUTH.\u201d I also love biographies and recently finished Jennifer Lopez\u2019s \u201cTrue Love\u201d as well as Cissy Houston\u2019s \u201cRemembering Whitney\u201d and have just started Grace Jones\u2019s \u201cI\u2019ll Never Write My Memoirs\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> What is your favorite dish to cook?<\/p>\n\n\n\n RR:<\/strong> I am not a big eater and I am not a big cook, but I like cooking for Thanksgiving and Christmas. For those two meals, I can throw down macaroni and cheese, greens, black-eyed peas and rice, candied yams and garlic mashed potatoes. I usually leave the turkey to my husband, Rodney, but if I have to\u2013I\u2019ll knock that out too!<\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Was there a meaningful spiritual component to your childhood?<\/p>\n\n\n\n RR:<\/strong> Very meaningful and very spiritual. We were not a church-going family, but I was always very familiar with God\u2013the spirit of God\u2013the indwelling spirit of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> When you look in the mirror, what do you see?<\/p>\n\n\n\n RR:<\/strong> I see an artist\u2026 a mom\u2026 a woman figuring it out day by day\u2026 a wife, a loved wife\u2026 a daughter and a sister\u2026 and I see a friend\u2026 And I like what I see. I thank God for that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The \u201cRealtor to the Stars\u201d Jimmy Bayan\u2019s question: What\u2019s your dream locale in Los Angeles to live?<\/p>\n\n\n\n RR:<\/strong> The rest of my immediate family lives in LA, so we\u2019re out there a lot. I just love the ocean, the beach, specifically, the Venice\/Santa Monica area. So beautiful\u2026 so easy\u2026 I would love to spend more time out there\u2013looking at the ocean cools me out. As much as I love New York City, I can see myself living out there\u2013sitting on the beach\u2013making art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Cousin Leon Marquis asks: How would you describe your music?<\/p>\n\n\n\n RR:<\/strong> My music is based in jazz, that\u2019s where I cut my teeth. But it\u2019s also mixed with Neo-Soul and funk and Gospel and even Rock. I\u2019m a singer-songwriter. I\u2019m a storyteller. I\u2019m a seeker. My songs ask life\u2019s questions and search for their answers. They are journeys. It\u2019s a really fun show. I hope your readers will get a chance to check us out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Your website calls you a \u201cspeaker.. What do you like to speak about?<\/p>\n\n\n\n RR:<\/strong> My speaking engagements feel like my concerts! I speak about the same things that I sing about and the same things that I think about and talk about all day, every day: how to live the best life possible! How to move through and over obstacles! How to love yourself and feel worthy of that love! Same ole, same ole. [Laughs heartily]<\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> What are you working on these days?<\/p>\n\n\n\n RR:<\/strong> So much! I feel so blessed to be able to have the opportunity to practice the arts. And I love what I do. I am currently in the studio recording the first of 2 CDs. It documents the songs I have been doing on tour. The 2nd CD will be all brand new music. And I am also performing all around the country! I\u2019ll be in Philly on November 13th, in New York City on December 8th, and Plattsburgh on December 12th\u2013just to name a few. In addition to that, I have gone back to my acting roots. I will be starring in Electra: The Rewrite in New York City on November 23rd. It\u2019s an hysterical play. It\u2019s the story of Electra, the Greek Tragedy, but told with a Mel Brooks type humor. Hysterical! The writer-director is a brilliant friend of mine named Edward Pomerantz. I hope your readers will get a chance to check it out!<\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> What was your most enjoyable performance, and where would you love to perform?<\/p>\n\n\n\n RR:<\/strong> Coming out of jazz, most of the venues I have played have been clubs on the smaller side, but I recently had the opportunity to play some large venues\u2013Wolf Trap, outside of DC, the Montreal Jazz Festival, and The Theater at Madison Square Garden, and there is nothing like having thousands\u2013tens of thousands of people on one accord, swaying together, dancing and singing together. It\u2019s powerful. I want more of that!<\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Where can people find out more about you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n RR:<\/strong> My website is the best place [ http:\/\/therhondaross.com<\/a> ] but also via social media. I am pretty active on Facebook<\/p>\n\n\n\n [ https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TheRhondaRoss<\/a> ] and Twitter [ @TheRhondaRoss ]. I\u2019m not an Instagram person\u2013I guess everyone has their favorites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Finally, what\u2019s in your wallet?<\/p>\n\n\n\n RR:<\/strong> You mean how much? [LOL] I have my and my son\u2019s library cards and our Metrocards, the card that gets us on public transportation. We are homeschooling our 6 year-old and we use the entire city as our campus\u2013 traveling from river to river and tip to tip. Subways and buses are not only the fastest way to get around, there is nothing like being with the people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Thanks again for the time, Rhonda, and congrats again on the award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n RR:<\/strong> So happy to talk with you, Kam. See you soon!<\/p>\n\n\n\n To see Rhonda performing \u201cIt\u2019s All Right with Me,\u201d visit: http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/exec\/obidos\/ASIN\/B0014EVYLK\/ref%3dnosim\/thslfofire-20<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n To order a copy of Rhonda Ross Live on MP3, visit: http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/exec\/obidos\/ASIN\/B0014EVYLK\/ref%3dnosim\/thslfofire-20<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The 13th Annual Pocono Mountains Film Festival will be held at the beautiful Camelback Resort<\/p>\n\n\n\n on Friday, October 23rd and Saturday October 24th, 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n