Writing and producing her own music is just one of the many unique endeavors that local solo artist Renee Asteria is involved with. Accredited with a degree in Public Health, Renee conducts research on community based projects, is learning how to engineer her own music, and is in the beginning stages of developing her own record label, on which she recently released her first solo album Razteria. Renee’s synthesis of Reggae, Latin and Folk music can, in essence, be seen as a reflection of her own cultural divergence of Dutch and Bolivian roots. The idea of fusing activism with art is the force that drives her musical efforts and her ultimate goal is for her music to generate royalties that she’d then like to use as funding for social charities. In the meantime, Asteria is nourishing her musical seeds and hoping that they grow with the release of her new album.

Razteria is an album infused with messages of justice, love and political awareness, maneuvered into brilliant lyrics, layered over uplifting Reggae beats, in which Asteria’s vocals are heavenly and infectious. Originally attracted to Reggae because of its powerful forces and its overall unifying effect on the crowds, Asteria sees it as the best platform for sending out strong messages that she hold close to her heart. Razteria is a musical utopia as seen through the artist’s eyes. With nine full length tracks, Razteria has something for everyone. For more information on Renee Asteria and Asteria records, visit www.asteriarecords.com.

Carla Ramos
Writer+Blogger+Poet
lalavalentine.com