Broadcast Director/Marketing/Brand Management: Earthmind Media, Santa Fe
Executive Producer/Writer, Meow Cow Productions, Santa Fe
Broadcast Director and Broadcast Brand Steward: Clemson University
Advancement/Development Chair: KSFR Santa Fe (Northern New Mexico Public Radio)
Executive Director: SMART (Spartanburg Metropolitan Aids Relief Trust)
Board of Directors/Special Projects Chair: Fashion Group International, Inc., Los Angeles
Presentation and Television Projects Chair/Consultant: Westgate Training and Consultation Network
Host/Producer: “Causerie” weekly SCETV radio show
Skills: Extensive expertise in innovative marketing communications campaigns, broadcast programming, business and brand development, management, management strategy, project planning, product development, management of brand identity, creating and implementing global marketing, public relations, cross-promotional and fund-raising activities, development, relationship building, working with a diverse range of people and settings
Awards: 5x Telly award winner for :30 commercial spots, documentary films, public service announcements and radio commercial spots; President’s Award for Excellence, Clemson University; Recipient of multiple National CASE Awards; Clemson University Board of Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Service to the University in Advancement and Development
Music Background
Vocal Study: Rayna Krasner’s School for Singing and Dramatics, Chicago
Studio Singer: various recording studios in California
Writer/Producer: Under Southwestern Skies, a destination based docu-series about Santa Fe music venues, their owners, and the bands that perform in them
Education
Communications & Grant Writing
Rockhurst University – Los Angeles, CA
Certified in Mediation
Mediation Academy International
Fashion Design and Marketing in Fashion
Los Angeles Trade Technical College – Los Angeles, CA
Five-time Telly Award winner Sara Diaz doesn’t remember a time when she wasn’t singing. By the age of five years old, her parents recognized her talent and sent her to Rayna Krasner’s School for Singing and Dramatics in Chicago; she studied with Rayna from age five through her second year of high school.
Sara started performing at the ripe young age of 7 years old, singing songs from the Great American Songbook and some popular songs of the day. Much to her parent’s chagrin, her ears were listening to the R & B/soul (and of course The Beatles) and the thumping bass lines of the popular sounds of the day. All she wanted was to be a singing bass player in a rock n roll band, but that was not to be…
At the age of 17 her family up and moved to Los Angeles, where she was enrolled in a brand new college in Culver City, CA., as a voice major. Things took a hard turn when she was recruited to the theater department in that school, ostensibly to perform in musicals. Sara continued to take more professional level voice and performance lessons, audition, and eventually became a go-to for songwriters who needed their compositions recorded for demos, to sell to established artists, television and film music supervisors, etc. She preferred the studio work to live performance.
One fateful day her theater professor took her to the famous closing auctions at MGM Studios, where she sat right next to one of her costume design touchstones, the famous film costume designer Edith Head, during the famous ‘Wizard of Oz” auctions and once again, she experienced a complete shift and was guided to further her education at what was at the time, the preeminent school for costume and fashion in Los Angeles.
Still singing demos and going on auditions, Sara and two of her design school classmates opened an atelier in Beverly Hills, and as fate would have it, she started designing and creating clothing for musicians, some of them household names.
As life would have it, Sara married a musician and once again her career took a new turn to video and TV production, specifically fashion/music TV, ultimately working with Fortune 50 companies in the fashion world, creating their global fashion/trend reports, and transforming the industry standard, from slide shows to music video-style presentations. Her music background proved to be instrumental in creating evocative, compelling, and highly successful programming, yielding five Telly Awards. Music was always in the mix as a way to tell the story…
Creative Examples
These examples cite Sara’s work in the private sector.
Sizzle reel for “Under Southwestern Skies” from Meow Cow Productions and VPE (NY) for A&E, a destination based docu-series about music venues, the characters that run them, and the bands that go through them. Written and Created by Sara Diaz.
Under Southwestern Skies is a Facebook portal promoting music, fine art, dance, and other creative ventures in Santa Fe and the southwest – created and curated by Sara Diaz.
Sara Diaz Productions/Earthmind Media and Clemson University produced this Telly award-winning video. (C) all rights reserved, Sara Diaz, Clemson University.
Diaz is recipient of 5 Telly Awards, honoring excellence in video and television.
Sara Diaz Singing Pat Burns’ Sweet Strawberry Shortcake.
No copyright is claimed in the above creative examples and to the extent that material may appear to be infringed, the New Mexico Music Commission asserts that such alleged infringement is permissible under fair use principles in U.S. copyright laws. If you believe these materials have been used in an unauthorized manner, please contact us.
Singer 1. Zenobia & Friends at Cowgirl, El Farol, Vansesee, Evangelos, La Fonda, Santa Fe Bandstand; 2. Soulman Sam & Zenobia at Evangelos; 3. Jay Boy Adams & Zenobia at Santa Fe Bandstand, West Texas, NYC, and Europe; and, 4. Featured singer at New Mexico Jazz Workshop’s Music Under The Stars Ladies Sing The Blues, Women’s Voices, Johnny Otis Tribute “Dangerous Creation” with Tracey Whitney
Backup Singer 1. Jane Olivor opening for Charles Aznovar, Burt Bacharach, Bill Cosby, and Sammy Davis Jr; 2. Julie Budd in NYC cabaret venues; and, 3. Alaina Reed in NYC cabaret venues
Recording Artist 1. Recorded/debuted Disco hit “It’s Raining Men” in NYC at Studio 54; 2. Recording Contract with Streetwise Records (In The Night); 3.
Producer Co-produced Rockers’ Revenge “Living for the Weekend” Billboard #52
Media 1. Featured on the cover of ABQ Arts; 2. Featured in Albuquerque the Magazine
Awards 1. CD of the Year, “Resurrection” New Mexico Music Awards (NMMA) 2015; 2. Best Gospel Song, “One More Night” NMMA 2014
Zenobia grew up singing in a Baptist church in East L.A. and made her professional theater debut at 18 in the L.A. and Broadway casts of HAiR. Studio backup singer: her claim to fame was in 1982 in NYC, when she debuted the disco hit, “It’s Raining Men” (co-written by HAiR alumni Paul Jabara). Advertising career: as an award-winning commercial producer, Zenobia produced huge talents Luther Van Dross, Lou Rawles, Sylvester Stallone, Steve Martin, Ossie Davis, Marcia Gay Harden, James Brown and Richie Havens, etc. Musician/singer/songwriter: 2001 – debuted her first CD, “Home”. 2014 – her CD “Resurrection” included the contemporary gospel single, “One More Night”, winner of the “Best Gospel Song” award/New Mexico Music Awards. Zenobia and music partner, Jay Boy Adams, released their album, “How Long, How Long” in 2014 and tour the US/Europe with their band. Zenobia is featured on Jay Boy’s Billboard-charted Americana CD, “Let It Go”.
Creative Examples
These examples cite Zenobia’s work as a music industry professional in the private sector.
Staying with the beat w Zenobia and Lewis Winn, live streamed from the New Mexico Jazz Workshop, July 2020.
Good Enough (c) Denise Rich & Zenobia 2011
Only Lover by Tommy Mandel w Zenobia (c) Invisible City Editions 2002
In The Night music and lyrics by Zenobia, performed by Zenobia (c) Streetwise Records 1985
One and Only music and lyrics by Zenobia, performed by the Ritchie Family (c) Believe Music (on behalf of Scorpio Music); UMPG Publishing, CMRRA, Sony ATV Publishing, Peermusic, and 4 Music Rights Societies 1982
No copyright is claimed in the above creative examples and to the extent that material may appear to be infringed, the New Mexico Music Commission asserts that such alleged infringement is permissible under fair use principles in U.S. copyright laws. If you believe these materials have been used in an unauthorized manner, please contact us.
50 Years’ experience in the music industry. Highlights include:
Band Leader: The Art of Jazz with Tracey Whitney
Jazz Vocal Mastery Instructor: New Mexico School for the Arts
Voting Member: The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (the GRAMMY Awards), Los Angeles chapter
Former Ray Charles “Raelette” toured with the “Genius of Soul” as a member of his acclaimed backing group
Performed for 103.7 the Oasis Radio + Cool Jazz Forever Productions concerts with contemporary jazz elites including: Will Donato, Marc Antoine, Euge Groove, Darren Rahn, Julian Vaughn and Brian Simpson
Other concert performances have included: 1. New Mexico Jazz Workshop’s Jazz Under the Stars Women’s Voices and Ladies Sing the Blues concert series at the ABQ Museum Amphitheater, the Outpost Performance Space, the Santa Fe Bandstand; 2. Leonard Tischler’s Freedom Work: Folk Forms and Variations, Summertime in Old Town Gazebo concert series; 3. the Route 66 & Downtown Summerfest’s; 4. ABQ Film & Music Experience’s tribute concert to world-renowned bassist Nathan East at the KIMO Theater; 5. the New Mexico Black Expo opening for Shalamar member Howard Hewett at the New Mexico State Fair; 6. New Mexico Philharmonic’s New York Lights Gala; 7. The ABQ BioPark’s Botanic Garden virtual concert series; and, 8. New Mexico Jazz Workshop’s Keeping the Beat virtual concert series during the Covid-19 pandemic
Venues include: Vernon’s Black Diamond Lounge, the Santa Ana Star Casino, the Hyatt Tamaya Resort, the Isleta Casino-also featured in their Embers’ Steakhouse TV commercial and website, Pappadeaux, Scalo, the Hyatt Regency, St Clair Winery, Casa Rondena Winery, the Pueblo Harvest Café at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, and the Hotel Andaluz where she performed for many years with her band featuring Sid Fendley-piano, Rodney Bowe-bass and Wayne Johnson-drums and was resident performer in the hotel’s Casablanca Room with her show, The Art of Jazz with Tracey Whitney – among others
Founder: Babydoll Entertainment & Records. Released 3 independent CDs: Love…A Fable in 9 Acts (2007), I Am Singing Songs I Love (2012), and Live at The Outpost Performance Space (2017) was a New Mexico Music Awards nominee for Best Vocal Performance
Producer: Black Music Through the Ages: 1869-1969, and A Tribute to Michael Jackson and Prince for the African American Performing Arts Center’s 9th annual gala. Helped launch the “AAPAC Presents Afriquerque” music series featuring local African American performing artists
Producer/performer: Guess Who I saw Today: A Tribute to Nancy Wilson at both AAPAC and the Outpost Performance Space
Co-Producer/performer with Zenobia: Johnny Otis: A Dangerous Creation for the New Mexico Jazz Workshop
Freelance singer and session player: most notably recording with Heavy Metal superstars W.A.S.P. featuring Blackie Lawless on the album Still Not Black Enough, and Las Vegas performances with Soul Band, Side Effect
Freelance Journalist: Smooth Jazz Magazine, reviewing concerts and CD’s, and interviewing jazz stars including Earl Klugh, The Yellowjackets, Terence Blanchard and Arturo Sandoval
Five-year performance residency in Yokohama, Tokyo and Tokushima, Japan, including performing and/or recording with Japanese superstars Sing Like Talking, Namie Amuro and Tokiko Kato
The Whitney Family: The Whitney Family was a Los Angeles based singing group that gigged locally, performed in Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe, toured the U.S and abroad, recorded for Warner/Curb Records (where they had a Billboard Magazine “Top Singles Pick”), and United Artists Records. They appeared on several TV shows, including The Midnight Special, and were featured in Right On! and Tiger Beat magazines. Tracey Whitney performed with her family beginning when she was 11 until she turned 22, when she left to begin a solo career.
Administrative Background
President: Musicians’ Association of Albuquerque / Local 618 of the American Federation of Musicians
Trustee: Board of Directors, Central New Mexico Labor Council
President: Board of Directors, African American Performing Arts Center (AAPAC)
Executive Assistant to the VP/Editor in Chief: Weider Publications – Shape, Fit Pregnancy and Natural Health magazines
Office Manager & Executive Assistant to the President & CEO: Showscan Entertainment and TEAM Communications
Executive Assistant to the VP of Communications: Walt Disney Feature Animation
Executive Assistant to the VP of Finance: Playboy Entertainment Group, Inc.
Education
Higher Certificate in Contemporary Vocal Teaching with Upper Merit/Children and Adolescents The Vocal Academy (now known as The Voice College) 2013
Small Business Entrepreneur Los Angeles Pierce College 2010
General Business Los Angeles Pierce College 2010
Management and Supervision Los Angeles Pierce College 2008
Academic Honors: Sigma Alpha Pi National Society of Leadership and Success, Presidential Status; Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Alpha Pi Delta Chapter; Pierce College President’s Honor List and Dean’s List
Ray Charles didn’t need to meet singer Tracey Whitney to know she was his ideal back-up vocalist. Called to audition for The Genius of Soul’s background singers, The Raelettes, Tracey left her demo when Charles couldn’t make their meeting. Later that afternoon, his management called to say she’d landed the gig. “Ray just listened to my tracks and said, ‘She’s got it”, Tracey recalls. “Four days later, I was onstage singing with him at the Hollywood Bowl for the Playboy Jazz Festival, the next day in Denver, and so on… What a ride!” Luckily, Tracey, a sultry singer, prolific songwriter and passionate performer who, in the style of yesteryear, delivers R&B, Pop, and Jazz vocal stylings equally – was no stranger to the stage. Her musical history stretches all the way back to age 11, when at the famed Coconut Grove in Los Angeles, Tracey made her debut as part of The Whitney Family, a singing ensemble that included her mother Louise Whitney, brother’s Glynn, Nick, Phillip and Ellis Ray (Ray-Ray), and sister’s Cozette (Cookie) and Louise and Louanda (twins). Over the next 15 years, The Whitney Family performed in Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe, toured the world, recorded albums for both United Artists and Warner Curb Records (their 1977 Airways LP included Let Me Be Your Woman, a Billboard magazine Top Singles Pick), and made guest appearances on numerous TV shows, most notably Burt Sugarman’s The Midnight Special.
“My parents were both singers, and all eight of their kids came out singing,” she says. By the age of twenty-two she realized that the group had outgrown its “cute kid” image, and she set her sights on a solo career; regularly performing in Los Angeles before landing the much-coveted role of Raelette for Mr. Charles’ 1991 U.S. tour. In 1995, she won a featured spot on Barrymore in Hollywood, British TV show host Michael Barrymore’s American special. She did session work for various bands (most notably Heavy Metal super-group, W.A.S.P. featuring Blackie Lawless), and performed shows in Las Vegas with the band Side Effect (best known for their 1976 R&B hit Always There). Tracey lived in Japan from late 1995-2000, a highly sought after performer in various nightclubs and hotels in Tokyo, Yokohama and Tokushima. During this period, she also did session work and performed in concert with Japanese superstars Sing Like Talking, Namie Amuro and Tokiko Kato.
In 2007 Tracey launched an independent record label, Babydoll Entertainment & Records, releasing her first solo album, Love…A Fable in 9 Acts. This was followed in 2012 with I Am Singing…Songs I Love, and her third recording, Live at The Outpost Performance Space, released in May 2017, was a New Mexico Music Awards nominee for Best Vocal Performance.
She relocated from Los Angeles to Albuquerque, New Mexico in 2012 and, much to her delight, found The Land of Enchantment to be a jazz haven that she affectionately calls “The gift that keeps on giving.” With a thriving performance schedule, she’s routinely called upon to be the opening act when stars come to town for 103.7 The Oasis Radio + Cool Jazz Forever Productions concert series, allowing her the unique opportunity to perform with a host of touring contemporary jazz elites, including Will Donato, Marc Antoine, Euge Groove, Darren Rahn, Julian Vaughn and Brian Simpson.
Her concert performances have included both the New Mexico Jazz Workshop’s Jazz Under the Stars Women’s Voice’s and Ladies Sing the Blues series at the ABQ Museum Amphitheater, Leonard Tischler’s Freedom Work: Folk Forms and Variations, the Summertime in Old Town Gazebo series, and the Route 66 + Downtown Summerfest’s. She performed in the ABQ Film & Music Experience’s tribute concert to world-renowned bassist Nathan East at the KIMO Theater (he gave her a standing ovation!), as well as their VIP Reception for actor Jeff Bridges and music producer T Bone Burnett. She also opened for Shalamar member Howard Hewett at the New Mexico Black Expo.
Tracey was thrilled to co-write, produce and perform the concert, A Dangerous Creation: A Tribute to Johnny Otis with Zenobia Conkerite at the ABQ Museum Amphitheater in 2016. Coincidentally, Tracey’s mother, Louise Whitney, and Aunt Mary Lee Whitney (who was a member of Stevie Wonder’s background singers Wonderlove, and was the featured female vocalist on Stevie’s classic AS from his mega-hit LP Songs In The Key of Life), toured with Johnny Otis, an R&B pioneer, as well as gospel/soul legend and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Solomon Burke in the late 1960’s.
Other highlights for Tracey have included producing and performing her concert “Guess Who I Saw Today? A Tribute to Nancy Wilson” at both the African American Performing Arts Center and the Outpost Performance Space, being a featured performer for the New Mexico Music Awards, the New Mexico State Fair, opening for and performing again with Smooth Jazz star Will Donato for his Amplified Jazz Experience concert at AAPAC, the St John’s College Music on the Hill concert series in Santa Fe, the Santa Fe Bandstand, and the New Mexico Philharmonic’s New York Lights Gala. The Art of Jazz with Tracey Whitney performed for the ABQ BioPark’s Botanic Garden virtual concert series and the New Mexico Jazz Workshop’s Keeping the Beat virtual concert series during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Whitney brings her own blend of sophisticated jazz and classic soul throughout the city in venues such as Vernon’s Black Diamond Lounge, the Santa Ana Star Casino, the Hyatt Tamaya Resort, the Isleta Casino (she was featured in their 2014 Embers’ Steakhouse TV commercial and website), Pappadeaux, Scalo, the Hyatt Regency, St Clair Winery, Casa Rondena Winery, and more. She performed regularly at the Hotel Andaluz for many years, and along with her band, which features Sid Fendley on piano, Rodney Bowe on bass and Wayne Johnson on drums, was the resident performer every weekend in the hotel’s Casablanca Room with their show, The Art of Jazz with Tracey Whitney.
Tracey is the President of the Musicians Association of Albuquerque/Local 618 of the American Federation of Musicians, and formerly served on the Board and then as president of the African American Performing Arts Center Foundation, where she produced Black Music Through the Ages: 1869-1969, as well as A Tribute to Michael Jackson and Prince for AAPAC’s 9th anniversary gala. She also helped launch the AAPAC Presents Afriquerque music series featuring local African American performing artists. She’s a voting member of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (the GRAMMY Awards), as well as a contributing writer/music critic for Smooth Jazz magazine, tasked with reviewing concerts and CD’s, and interviewing luminaries Earl Klugh, The Yellowjackets, Terence Blanchard and Arturo Sandoval for the publication. She was surprised and thrilled when they did a feature and review of her CD, Live At The Outpost Performance Space.
She’s an Upper Merit graduate of the London-based The Voice College with a Higher Certificate in Contemporary Vocal Teaching: Children & Adolescents, and serves as the Jazz Vocal Mastery instructor at the New Mexico School for the Arts – the state’s only public, statewide high school offering pre-professional arts training and academics. As her former boss Brotha’ Ray put it, “I was born with music inside me…It was a necessity for me; like food and water.” We couldn’t agree more….
Tracey Whitney is very proud to have been appointed a Music Commissioner for the State of New Mexico under Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.
Creative Examples
These examples cite Whitney’s work as a music industry professional in the private sector.
Tracey Whitney performing 21 May 2017 for the New Mexico Music Awards Ceremony at the Sandia Resort and Casino. “Nature Boy” is from her CD, “Live At The Outpost Performance Space,” which was nominated for Best Vocal Performance. She’s accompanied by Sid Fendley-piano, Stephen Dewave Peace-bass, Wayne Johnson-drums and Lee Taylor-saxophone.
Tracey’s cover of Michael Jackson’s “I Can’t Help It” written by Stevie Wonder, from her CD “I Am Singing… Songs I Love” on the BabyDoll Entertainment label. Produced and arranged by Tracey Whitney, co-produced and instrumentation by Herman “Hollywood” Dawkins, guest vocals by Glynn Whitney, with Tim Anderson-Saxophone.
The Whitney Family Band (1971 – 2000) Louise Whitney and her 8 children Glynn, Nick, Tracey, Phillip, Ray-Ray, Cookie (Cozette) and twins Louise and Louanda toured the U.S. and abroad, played Las Vegas and Tahoe (opening for acts like Debbie Reynolds). They shared the stage with Ginger Rogers, Donny and Marie Osmond and even former First Lady, Nancy Reagan. They recorded albums for Warner Curb Records (Airways featured Let Me Be Your Woman, a Billboard Magazine Top Singles Pick), and United Artists Records. They made guest appearances on several local and national TV shows, including Burt Sugarman’s famed The Midnight Special and the Lou Rawls Parade of Stars, and were featured in teen magazines, most notably Tiger Beat and Right On!
No copyright is claimed in the above creative examples and to the extent that material may appear to be infringed, the New Mexico Music Commission asserts that such alleged infringement is permissible under fair use principles in U.S. copyright laws. If you believe these materials have been used in an unauthorized manner, please contact us.
Professional Musician with over 40 years’ experience. Highlights include:
Band Leader 1. Underground Cadence: rock and blues; 2. Una Mas: latin fusion; 3. El Brujo Trio: nuevo flamenco; 4. El Brujo Duo: latin fusion, acoustic ratpack music, blues; 5. El Brujo Solo: acoustic instrumental, classical, nuevo flamenco
Lead Guitar with Shelley Morningsong
Backing Guitar with Guitar Shorty
Festivals 1. Santa Fe LGBTQ+ Pride 2014-2019; 2. Albuquerque LGBTQ+ Pride 2014-2019; 3. Chocolate and Coffee Festival 2016-2019; 4. Lavender Festival 2016-2019; 5. New Mexico State Fair 2015-2019; 6. Santa Fe Renaissance Fair 2016-2019
Tours 1. Mexico City 2019; 2. Canada and New York 2018; 3. Santa Fe Railyard with the Iguanas 2017; 4. Key West with Larry Baeder and Bill Blue 2016; 5. Ozomatli 2015; 6. South Texas with 4Known 2015; 7. 6 Southern states and Key West 2014; 8. Midwest 13 states 2013
Solo Recital Guitar New Mexico, Kellar Hall, Classical guitar recital 2020
Recent Interviews 1. Suave Radio 99.9FM 810AM 18 Sep 2020; 2. Espejos de Aztlan, on 89.9 FM KUNM and kunm.org 28 Sep 2020; 3. Deer Tracks, Gallup Public Radio 21 Sep 2020; 4. Madrid KMRD Radio Station 96.9 17 Sep 2020
Awards New Mexico Music Award Winner 2017; New Mexico Music Award Nominee in 3 categories 2019
Past Bands 1. The Navas Band 20 years: ancestral music; 2. The Tangents 18 years: rock covers, new mexico and mexico; 3. Collective Measures: original music in New Mexico, featured in “Descansos of NM” documentary; 4. Double D: rock; 5. Los Esmitz: the smiths covers
D’Santiago “El Brujo” Nava, a native of Santa Fe, brings an interesting blend of rhythmic sounds of his indigenous culture, childhood love of classic rock, classical guitar training, and all eras of blues. D’Santi Nava’s forte is classic rock, nuevo flamenco, blues, and latin music from all eras.
Nava has been a musician for over 40 years, being self taught from the age of 7, guided by his brother Daniel Nava, studied with Craig Dell, Willy Chills, and most recently with Roberto Capocchi. D’Santi has a unique Amadeus quality in composing several original songs and a gifted ear capable of memorizing several songs daily.
D’Santi Nava is an integral part of the music scene with the Nava’s for several years, The Tangents for 18 years, Collective Measures, Double D, Los Esmitz, Several private gigs with Guitar Shorty, among nationwide and worldwide talent that live in New Mexico part time. He completed a 13 state jam tour in 2013 through the midwest. In 2014, a 6 Southern state jam tour ending with musician friends in Key West. In 2015, he jammed with one of the best South Texas Rocking Band name 4Known and a dream come true to sit in with Ozomatli. In 2016 he returned to Key West where he jammed with Larry Baeder and Bill Blue. August 2017, he sat in with the Iguanas at the Railyard in SF, NM. August-September 2018, he toured in Canada. December 2019 he toured in Mexico City. He currently is lead guitar with Shelley Morningsong; Underground Cadence, a cover band playing Rock, Blues, Funk; Una Mas, a Latin Rock band sharing Santana music among favorite Latin songs; Brujo Trio sharing his original Nuevo Flamenco songs, duo with local vocalists. He is currently expanding his Solo repertoire. Main influences range from Santana, Hendrix, Jesse Cook, Los Indios, Lila Downs, Strunz and Farah to the Gypsy Kings.
D’Santi Nava believes playing music brings healing to the soul! “Music is Healing and with each note I heal.”~D’Santi Nava
Creative Examples
These examples cite Nava’s work as a music industry professional in the private sector.
Nava performing his original song “Alma de Gitana” at the 2017 New Mexico Music Awards show (NMMA). The song was a NMMA Latin Genre nominee that year. Nava is joined by Chris Riggins-Rhythm Guitar and JennJ-Cajon.
D’Santi performing with the amazing Ozomatli band at the Sunshine Theater 2015.
Nava performing with the Iguanas at the Santa Fe Railyard 2017.
No copyright is claimed in the above creative examples and to the extent that material may appear to be infringed, the New Mexico Music Commission asserts that such alleged infringement is permissible under fair use principles in U.S. copyright laws. If you believe these materials have been used in an unauthorized manner, please contact us.
Over 40 years’ experience in the music industry. Highlights include:
Band Leader and Lead Vocalist: BUSY y Los Big Deals, a 4/5 piece jazz/pop band (2005-present)
Performer: The High Hippy Associates, a 4 piece vocal group (2019 to present)
Performer: The Queen and I, an acoustic Trio with Bella Gigante & Mikey Baker (2018-2020)
Previous Band Leader and Vocalist: Southwest Wind, CROWSFEET, Busy & The Bodies, MV2=The Motion, SOULed Out, The BeatNik Spy Music Files, Ambassadors of Pleasure, Crazy 88
Albums: 1. MV2 = The Motion A New Mexico Christmas, 2. Sugar Kisses Bar’Bar’Ella ~ The Beatnik Spy Music Files, 3. Tall Girl Tales, 4. A New Mexico Christmas, 5. Nutcracker N2K; Currently working on a new studio CD co-produced by Busy, Baird Banner, and New Mexico music legend, keyboardist/producer, Kevin Zoernig
Studio Vocalist / Vocal Arranger: lead and harmony on over 100 recordings
Instructor: Thunderstorm Singing/Songwriting Club at Turquoise Trail Elementary Charter School
Music Director: Phame Inc. music productions for adults with mental and physical disabilities
Private Vocal Coach
Radio host: KSFR / SFCC and KVSF Radio Free Santa Fe/Hutton Broadcasting
Resident Narrator / Vocalist: National Dance Institute (NDI)
Songwriter: Exclusive contract with North Star Media in Los Angeles
Awards: 1. Best Album – CD titled ‘Bar’Bar’Ella ~ The Beatnik Spy Music Files’; 2. Best Song by NM Music Awards – ‘Peace by Piece’ theme song for the Film ‘Peace by Piece’; 3. Best Jazz – ‘VAGINA’ written for Eve Ensler’s VAGINA Monologues; 4. Best Song – ‘Love’; 5. Best R & B – ‘The Motion’; 6. ASCAP Special Honor Award (2 years in a row); 7. Winner of New Mexico State Song ‘O’ Fair New Mexico’ contest
Administrative Background
President: Santa Fe Music Alliance; Applied for and received a May 2020 grant for the purpose of gifting $200 to twenty five Santa Fe Musicians in need due to lost work from Covid
Producer: MAKE MUSIC SANTA FE an annual all ages, free music event which takes place on the same day in over 800 cities worldwide
Producer: numerous New Mexico music events to help raise funds and awareness for musicians in need
Co-owner and Manager: Kludgit Sound Recording Studio
Board Member: Santa Fe Arts in Education Initiative (SFAEI)
Task Force Member: Arts, Culture & Entertainment (ACE)
Commissioner: New Mexico Music Commission
Education
Santa Fe Community College
Self-taught musician with a little help and inspiration from fellow musician friends
Busy McCarroll Music is Trippy Drippy Surf sounds with a Silky Spy Soundtrack twist. It’s Sade meets Cheryl Crow with a splash of Nancy Sinatra, a sprinkle of Julie London, and a dash of Tom Waits.
Creative Examples
These examples cite McCarroll’s work as a music industry professional in the private sector.
Busy singing her original tune Hope and Toilet Paper, May 2020 (c) Busy McCarroll
New Mexico state song O’ Fair New Mexico with Lori Ottino on Melodica and harmony vocals. They performed this version for the 2014 burning of Zozobra before a crowd of 40,000 people and recorded the video shortly thereafter.
Crazy88 performing Lighten Up at The Outpost Performance Space 19th Annual Summer Thursday Jazz Nights 18 June 2014.
No copyright is claimed in the above creative examples and to the extent that material may appear to be infringed, the New Mexico Music Commission asserts that such alleged infringement is permissible under fair use principles in U.S. copyright laws. If you believe these materials have been used in an unauthorized manner, please contact us.
Sol Fire band performing original music that fuses rock with pop, R&B and Latin influences
Buddy & the Lush band
Administrative Background
Strategic Operations Manager: Assistant Speaker of the House Ben Ray Lujan New Mexico 3rd Congressional District 2015-present, duties include advising on Music and Arts Legislation, as well as meeting with local and national music advocacy groups
Education
MBA Human Resources Management New Mexico Highlands University 2018
BBA Organizational Leadership Anderson School of Management University of New Mexico 2015
Hometown
Santa Fe, Santa Fe County
Residence
Albuquerque, Mossman uptown district, Bernalillo County
Buddy Abeyta, with his brother Amado Abeyta are founding members of Sol Fire and 7th generation New Mexicans. They are known for their original music, a unique sound that fuses rock with pop, R&B and Latin influences. The sons of local music legend Chris Abeyta, a mainstay of the Santa Fe music scene, they plan to keep the flame burning for many generations to come.
After playing in local bands for many years on the Santa Fe scene, including Buddy & The Lush, the brothers formed Sol Fire in 2002. Two years later, they entered the studio and released their debut album, “Self Titled.”
Since then, Sol Fire has become a household name in Santa Fe and New Mexico.
In the summer of 2006, Sol Fire released their second studio album, “Third Floor Serenade.” The buzz around their second release took Sol Fire to new heights when they were chosen as only one of three bands to be showcased in the New Mexico Lottery Powerball commercials and ad campaigns. They were also the only band chosen to produce two commercials, one in English and one in Spanish, proving that their music can reach a diverse audience.
In 2007, their original song, “She’s Got,” was chosen for the national compilation album “The After After Party” sponsored by McDonald’s and Coca-Cola. Sol Fire also co-wrote and produced music for United Way of Central New Mexico’s ad campaign. In addition, many of their songs have been used in ads for the City of Santa Fe, local films, and national streaming playlists.
Sol Fire has also been honored with many other great opportunities, including opening for Ozomatli, English Beat (who are some of the brothers’ personal heroes), Yerba Buena, The Iguanas, Groupo Fantasma, Paul Rodriguez, Quetzal, and Los Lobos.
Ten days before the 2008 election, Sol Fire sang the national anthem and performed an acoustic set before George Lopez and then Presidential candidate Barack Obama who spoke at a rally in Albuquerque, N.M., with over 45,000 people in attendance. They have also opened speaking engagements for Former President Bill Clinton on two different occasions.
Their original sound has taken the band to a variety of venues, such as performing the National Anthem at the University of New Mexico Pit, The John Steinbeck Center, St. Mary’s University, Tingley Coliseum, headlining the Santa Fe Fiesta’s street dance, and headlining the burning of Zozobra multiple times with crowds of 40,000 plus. They are a mainstay for the tree lighting on the Santa Fe Plaza, the 4th of July, and play up to 150 shows a year as a duo and band.
Being able to share their music with so many different people has been Sol Fire’s greatest honor. Through the success that they have gained in New Mexico, the brothers of Sol Fire have proven their dedication to their music by self-producing all of their albums. Their latest EP was released last year and is getting airplay on several local radio stations. The EP’s first single is “Sophies Song.” An ode to his daughter and Autism Awareness. The full album will be released in early 2021 via all major streaming services as well as vinyl.
Creative Examples
These examples cite Abeyta’s work as a music industry professional in the private sector.
Sol Fire performing Change Love for Me live at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) Music Festival (c) 2019.
Sol Fire: Archival footage of Sol Fire performing at the Santa Fe Bandstand on the Santa Fe Plaza (c) 2012.
No copyright is claimed in the above materials and to the extent that material may appear to be infringed, the New Mexico Music Commission asserts that such alleged infringement is permissible under fair use principles in U.S. copyright laws. If you believe these materials have been used in an unauthorized manner, please contact us.
