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Aruba Red
Red performing live at the Royal Festival Hall in 2009
Red performing live at the Royal Festival Hall in 2009
Background information
Birth nameNatascha Eleonoré Bruce
BornStuttgart
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • lyricist
InstrumentVocals
Years active2008–present
LabelsIndependent Artist
Websitearubaredmusic.com

Aruba Red (born Natascha Eleonoré Bruce) is a London-based alt-soul and trip-hop musician named after a female pirate legend (which was invented by the Anheuser-Busch company, which gave the name to a beer).[1][2] She has described her sound as "alternative soul music centered around themes of transformation and healing, influenced by trip hop, minimalist electronica, glitch, soul, acoustic folk, and dub".[3]

Early life

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Aruba Red is the daughter of Cream bassist, vocalist, and songwriter Jack Bruce.[4]

Career

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2008–2015

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Aruba Red first appeared as a featured artist on Nitin Sawhney's album London Undersound, released on Cooking Vinyl in 2008, on the track Last Train to Midnight, which she co-wrote. This collaboration was born out of Aruba Red being selected to work on Sawhney's project Aftershock London, which led to an 18-month residency at London's South Bank Center with artists including Camilo Tirado, Riz MC, Ayanna Witter-Johnson, and Sam Carter.[5]

Other collaborations and features include Riz MC's 2011 album All of You. She also collaborated with Jamaican Reggae Artist Jah Cure on her track Light Up, released on the Jamaican record label TAD's, which was playlisted on Irie FM,[6] alongside her collaboration Struggling with Reggae Artist Jah Mason.[6] A video was shot for Light Up Light Up in Montego Bay.[7] The video was directed by Aruba Red's sister, Kyla Simone Bruce.

Aruba Red has toured with Maverick Sabre, Natty, Fat Freddy's Drop, and Ms. Dynamite.[8][9] Aruba Red has performed at festivals including Glastonbury Festival, Boardmasters Festival, Big Chill Festival, Freeze Festival, One Love Festival, Rise Festival, and Thailand's International Hot Air Balloon Festival.[10]

In 2012, Aruba Red released an EP entitled "Demos in Disguise" independently via Ditto Music. Initially, the release was only available in digital format; a physical edition was later made available in 2013, featuring several bonus tracks.[11] The digital version of the release features five original songs, whereas the limited Red String physical edition features eight original tracks and an acoustic mashup cover version of Nirvana's song Something in the Way and Ladysmith Black Mambazo's Homeless. There is also a live performance version of this cover featuring guitarist Charlie Laffer and cellist Ayanna Witter-Johnson.[12][citation needed]

She recorded backing vocals for her father's last album, Silver Rails, which was released on March 24, 2014, on Esoteric Records.[13]

In March 2015, Aruba Red was featured on 'Rip Me', a song released by 'Halflife', the collaborative project between Riz MC and dubstep producer DJ Distance.[14] In the same month, Aruba also wrote and recorded an exclusive song with Nitin Sawhney for Sawhney's BBC Radio 2 show 'Spins the Globe'. The track 'Fractured Heart' was written about the last few days Aruba spent with her late father[15]

On October 24, 2015, Aruba Red performed "We're Going Wrong" and "Folksong" at her father's tribute concert, 'Sunshine Of Your Love - A Concert Celebrating the Life and Music of Jack Bruce' which she co-produced with Nitin Sawhney. Over £30,000 was raised for Bruce's local children's hospice, EACH.[16]

2018–present

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After taking a hiatus from making music professionally, losing her father and becoming a mother, Aruba Red made her comeback releasing an EP entitled "Holy Waters" independently via Ditto Music. The EP features guest production from Nitin Sawhney and guitar by Phil Manzanera.[17] The EP reached number 7 in the Top 10 iTunes Soul/R&B chart on its release date.[18] It received positive reviews from Tinnitist,[17] The Filtered Excellence,[19] MixMag,[20] and music blog Mystic Sons.[21]

On 19 September online music magazine Tinnitist premiered "Goddess Vibes", the first music video from Holy Waters, which became the website's most viewed song of 2018.[22]

Aruba Red signed a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music on 8 November 2018.[23]

In June 2019, Aruba Red was awarded the 'Transmission Fund Grant' by Help Musicians UK to support the writing of her new album.[24]

On New Year's Day 2020, Aruba Red released a visual for her song "Violet Electric feat.Phil Manzanera[25]

In February 2020 Aruba Red released her live video Blue filmed at The Vortex Jazz Club on Blue Monday.[26]

On 6 March 2020, Aruba Red released her EP Shadow Work, which received positive reviews from At The Barrier,[27] PauzeRadio,[28] and Spiral Earth.[29] This release was followed with Aruba Red's debut headline concert at St Pancras Old Church on 11 March.[30]

Mental Health

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On 2 November 2019, Aruba Red spoke at BBC Introducing Live on a panel discussing mental health in the music industry and in December 2019 she featured on the Elevate Music Podcast, discussing inter-generational patterns around addiction and co-dependency.[31]

In February 2020 she was interviewed on BBC Radio Sussex about her own experiences battling depression and escaping an abusive relationship and using art to heal.[32]

On 27 April 2020, Aruba Red launched her 'Meditation Mondays' series on instagram[33] after hosting a guided meditation for the shesaid.so collective.[34]

References

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  1. ^ "Review: Aruba Red". January 2003.
  2. ^ Dennis, Amy (19 August 2010). "Interview With Dub Reggae Star Aruba Red", CornwallsCoolest.com. Archived from the original on 20 September 2010. Retrieved 19 June 2016. "... the fresh, soulful and rebellious songstress Aruba Red (who is touring in the right part of the world considering she is aptly named after a female pirate legend) has just finished touring Cornwall including a performance at the SAS Ball."
  3. ^ "Interview With Dub Reggae Star Aruba Red | Cornwalls Coolest". 6 March 2014. Archived from the original on 6 March 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  4. ^ "Epiphone-Supports-The-Big-O-Birthday-Bash". Epiphone.com. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  5. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 June 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. ^ a b "Digitalgig.co.uk - Aruba Red - Issue 3 - Page 1". 7 April 2014. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  7. ^ "Aruba Red - 'Light Up Light Up' feat. Jah Cure". Youtube.com.
  8. ^ "Interview with Dub Reggae Star Aruba Red | Cornwalls Coolest". Archived from the original on 6 March 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  9. ^ "Exclusive: Aruba Red feat Logic 'Take me to the light' | Richard Sudan | Independent Arts - News, notes and quotes on the Arts world - Blogs". blogs.independent.co.uk. Archived from the original on 30 June 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  10. ^ "Aruba Red Shows". ReverbNation.
  11. ^ Red, Aruba. "Limited Edition 'Red String' Demos In Disguise CD". Arubared.bigcartel.com.
  12. ^ Aruba Red: Something in the Way (Nirvana) vs. Homeless (Ladysmith Black Mambazo)
  13. ^ "Cherry Red Records - Jack Bruce - Silver Rails - 180g Vinyl LP Edition". Archived from the original on 13 February 2014. Retrieved 2014-03-04.
  14. ^ "Halflife – "Rip Me"". Stereogum.com. 23 March 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  15. ^ "BBC Radio 2 - Nitin Sawhney Spins the Globe, Nitin Sawhney & Aruba Red - Fractured Heart". BBC. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  16. ^ "StackPath". Each.org.uk.
  17. ^ a b Sterdan, Darryl (19 September 2018). "Aruba Red | Goddess Vibes: Exclusive Video Premiere!". Tinnitist.
  18. ^ "Niji Magazine | 'Holy Waters' is the new EP from Aruba Red". Nijimagazine.com. 28 September 2018. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  19. ^ Douglas, Earl (30 August 2018). "The Filtered Excellence: August 30, 2018". Theinterrobang.com. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  20. ^ "chantelle fiddy on Instagram: "New @mixmag out now 🌈💥"". Instagram.com. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  21. ^ "NEW MUSIC DISCOVERY - 23.11.18 | Mystic Sons". Mysticsons.com. 23 November 2018. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  22. ^ Sterdan, Darryl (23 December 2018). "2018 in Review | Tinnitist's Top Videos". Tinnitist.com.
  23. ^ "Aruba Red on Instagram: "Holy Waters did it! Turned dark energy into light... yesterday I signed my global publishing deal with @warner_chappelluk 🎉😅 sharing this…"". Instagram. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021.
  24. ^ "Help Musicians | Latest Transmission Fund awardees go overseas for professional development opportunities". Helpmusicians.org.uk.
  25. ^ Red, Aruba (2 January 2020). Aruba Red - Violet Red feat. Phil Manzanera (Videotape). Aruba Red Music.
  26. ^ Red, Aruba (20 January 2020). Aruba Red feat. Renell Shaw - Blue (Live At The Vortex) (Videotape). Aruba Red Music.
  27. ^ Walsh, Dominic (1 March 2020). "Aruba Red - Shadow Work: EP Review". At The Barrier.
  28. ^ "Aruba Red - Shadow Work EP - Review". Pauzeradio.com. 18 March 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  29. ^ "Shadow Work - Aruba Red". Spiral Earth. 24 February 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  30. ^ "Aruba Red, St Pancras Old Church London". Morning Star. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  31. ^ "Aruba Red - Profile". Pennyblackmusic.co.uk.
  32. ^ "Aruba Red". Facebook.com. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  33. ^ "Aruba Red on Instagram: "A couple of weeks ago I was asked to host a guided meditation for @shesaid.so. It really helped me push through my resistance of connecting…"". Instagram.com. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  34. ^ @shesaid.so (14 April 2020). "shesaidso community streaming session: Guided Meditation with @arubaredmusic Aruba Red invited you to join her in a bespoke guided meditation created especially to support you during these tough times. The 30 minute session focused on identifying current sources of anxiety or fear, acknowledging these and then working through the body in order to process them and hopefully release some of this negative energy in order to make space for new blessings. The session ended with a focus on gratitude, breath to optimise health as well as leaving everyone feeling calm and relaxed ready for a restorative night's sleep. It would be great if the participants could be encouraged to set up a quiet and private space to sit or lay down comfortably for the duration of the meditation and perhaps bring one item into the space with them that represents something they are grateful for (for example a photo of a loved one, a candle representing light, a flower to acknowledge spring, a word written on a piece of paper or any other significant object). Aruba Red is an Alt-soul artist, mama and women's wellness circle facilitator inspired by themes of healing and transformation. A mystical campfire for anyone who needs to feel the warmth" – via Instagram.
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