Biography

Imagine the sonic signature of an artist whose early influences include Ella Fitzgerald, The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's," Veruca Salt, Tool and '90s grunge. Of course, the customary next statement is supposed to neatly reveal that Rama Duke-the namesake of this bio-is that very vocalist.

But it's not that easy. You are about to meet a musical tour de force all to herself. Rama is a singer and songwriter with the ability to wring every iota of emotion from a lyric... and in the next verse, roar with a delicious ferocity that makes one's bones tremble.

In fact, 1520's launch single, an inspired re-rub of Red Hot Chili Peppers' 1992 smash "Under the Bridge," is an ideal platform for Rama's guts and gusto. In her commanding duet with lyricist Chino XL-who was once mentored by Rick Rubin-the song serves up its message of strife and search for redemption, recharged for a new generation.

That said, early on she was surrounded with music. Her and her mother vacuumed and did laundry together on weekends, singing along to Madonna, Nirvana and Hall & Oates, as she also inhaled MTV videos. She was also drawn to the disparate charms of Jimmy Buffett, Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Green Day.

All of this led to an unbridled and prodigious ability to spontaneously create melodies, which Rama would record on her boom box cassette recorder, proudly pushing "play" for her parents and friends. After relocating to Los Angeles as a teen, family nudged Rama to audition for the Los Angeles School of the Performing Arts and with production company Popcorn. Both accepted. On the same day.

That soon led to Rama's signing with Hollywood Records, which itself was on fire with Hillary Duff, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, Breaking Benjamin and Plain White T's. While she developed writing chops and grew to know working in the recording studio, ultimately "the label had no idea what to do with a black woman who wanted to sing rock."

Rama then aligned with Scott Chesak, songwriter, producer and keyboardist with The All-American Rejects.

As Rama's voice-and electrifying persona-continued to gain notice in the L.A. scene, Dallas Austin again came calling. The multi-platinum producer and founder of Rowdy Records was staging a musical/performance art tour and remembered a track Rama recorded with him years earlier.

As the show grew in scope, she was designated a full-time member of the onstage troupe. The show traveled to more than two-dozen cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Atlanta. Now signed to Austin's Rowdy Records, Rama worked alongside George Clinton, Bobby Brown and Macy Gray -onstage and in the studio-still working toward that moment when the spotlight would focus on her.

That includes contributing vocals to a number of targeted EDM tracks aimed to propel the genre beyond its increasingly wearying radio-ready generic vocal signature.
- IMDb mini biography by: Chuck Taylor