Cruz In The Groove
By Terry Martin
Contributing Writer
Founder & Author of RnB In The D.com
In case you haven’t noticed. The United States of America has been invaded!! In the last 20-years, Canada has been invading the music world with artists who have dominated the charts and gave us the Northern Exposure we didn’t know we needed. Canadian artists in pop, r&b and Hip Hop have scored and scorched the earth with an almost endless assault, reminiscent of the British Invasion of the 60s and later 80s.
The likes of The Weeknd, PartyNextDoor, Justin Bieber, Carl Rae Jepsen, Daniel Ceasar, Torey Lanes, Alessia Cara among others, have been on charts and playlists repetitively for Spotify and Apple Music. Not to mention the ever present and long shadows cast by legendary artists such as Celine Dion, Nelly Furtado and the iconic Drake who have made worldwide impacts with their music.
The Northern well is far from dry. Enter singer-songwriter and musician Cheska Cruz, a young native Canadian artist has begun to realize her own musical aspirations are beginning to resonate with listeners. Her numbers seem to rise with every release since her debut in 2018 but so does her ambition and ability to keep up the groove. The thing is, she is still only just getting started.
“Thinking back, I don’t really remember exactly why I started but I do remember making my first beat on Garage Band. In high school, creating songs on my phone became a hobby which I never thought I’d take seriously or far at all. I guess I was just really proud of the songs I was making, proud enough to share them publicly – and when I would release a song, it felt super rewarding and then people just kept asking for more.”
An open admission and declaration from the young self-produced Cheska Cruz.
The groove seemingly just found her. When first discovering a dope new artist and their equally dope music, it is that first turn-on that hooks you and keeps you coming back to keep an eye out for more from your new discovery.
“Officially, I’ve been an artist, as Cheska Cruz, since 2018 when I released my first single, ‘On the Avenue.’ But technically, I put my very first song on YouTube in 2014, which I now have deleted,” Cheska Cruz laughs as she speaks on her own realization of the weight of her gifts and the growing desire to keep creating as a necessity rather than as a hobby, “What made me decide to continue was the amount of support and encouragement I was receiving from just singing what was in my mind and heart at the time. All my songs represent how I feel and what I go through; never thinking it would actually inspire others or relate with others or enjoyed by others. Again, it feels very rewarding.”
Currently, Cheska Cruz has been performing in her native Windsor and has even trekked stateside to perform in Detroit, MI on occasion to rouse crowds in America. Which is not lost on the Filipino Canadian R&B singer, who has lived a great portion of her life surrounded by instruments and people that have inspired her to hone her craft. This type of atmosphere has shaped her into a motivated, capable and intuitive artist.
Cheska Cruz’s whole outlook on being a performer is earnest and honest which makes her a refreshingly confident and humble artist. Although this song is almost a year old, the song “One Night” holds justice to Cheska Cruz’s style.
“Before I worry about if others dig me, I have to dig myself first. And I do! When I’m up there in front of an audience I really try to present myself as someone who is really enjoying the music and atmosphere.
– Cheska Cruz
I’m up there having fun with it and it tends to make the audience have fun with it too.
And with that, them liking my music itself is just a bonus.”
It is always great to discover an artist in their infancy as a fan and as a journalist. The raw discovery is intimate between the listener and the musical talent. Cheska Cruz will make her move to larger audiences as she expands her audience and gets discovered by the masses. It is just a matter of time before we begin our groove to her cruise.
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