 Doria
Roberts
Singer/Songwriter
A regular on the national folk circuit,
Philadelphia bred and Atlanta based singer/songwriter
Doria Roberts
creates songs full of wit, political verve, passion and insight
into the human condition. Commanding space as a solo performer
and front woman of a three-piece ensemble, Doria’s versatility
as a songwriter and entertainer is never lost. Her R&B/jazz
roots are laced with an unmistakable folk agenda. And, when
rural folk ventures into urban territory, the result is
contemporary, tangible, yet, highly emotional and provocative
lyricism and melody.
Doria has appeared at some of the most respected listening rooms
in the country including Eddie’s Attic, The Bluebird Café, The
Knitting Factory-NYC, The Tin Angel and the legendary Club
Passim in Boston for their "Cutting Edge of the Campfire"
songwriters festival. She also won the 1999 Lilith Fair Talent
Search, which landed her a spot on the Lilith Fair Tour for two
nights. She shared stage and microphone (see photo insert) with
Sarah McLachlan, Sinead O’Connor, Suzanne Vega and The Indigo
Girls. Asked by Sarah and the Indigo Girls to solo on both
nights, Doria was able to show the sold out crowds why she was
deemed "1999 Female Artist of the Year" by the Atlanta Press.
Video excerpts of an interview with Doria by Nettmedia and a
clip of her performance are posted on the Lilith Fair website (www.lilithfair.com).
She was also chosen for an interview by VH-1 for their "Fresh
Faces on The Tour" profile.
She has been selected for showcasing at the 1999, 2000 and 2001
Atlantis Music Conferences as well as the 1995 and 1996
Philadelphia Music Conferences. She has performed at the
internationally recognized Montreux Jazz Festival in 1999 and
2000. Other Montreux performers included Buddy Guy, Paul Simon,
the late Beau Jocque, Zap Mama and many others.
 Other
festival performances include Ladyfest East in New York with
Betty and Toshi Reagon, Ladyfest Midwest Chicago with Amy Ray,
Tegan & Sara, and the Butchies, 1996-2001 Atlanta Pride
Festival, the 2000 Michigan Womyn’s Festival, 2000-2001 Boston
Pride (with Joan Jett), Baltimore Pride, Pittsburgh Pride and
AthFest 2000 .
She has opened for or shared the stage with legendary folk
artist Odetta, Janis Ian, Shawn Mullins, The Indigo Girls,
Me’Shell Nedegeocello, Pulitzer Prize Winning Author Alice
Walker, the late Poet Laureate Gwendolyn Brooks, The Josh Joplin
Group, Angie Aparo, Ellis Paul, Martin Sexton, Kenny Rankin,
Chris Smither and many others.
MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC
Doria runs her own label Hurricane Doria Records out of Atlanta,
GA. HD Records has been "Spinning the Winds of Change since
1995" and strives to put music into the world that makes a
difference socially and spiritually. She produced and released
her third independent project "Restoration" in March 1999. The
opening track "Perfect" was nominated for a 2000 Gay & Lesbian
American Music Award along with Me’Shell N’degeocello and
Luscious Jackson in the Best Pop Recording category. While
recording her fourth project "Radio Doria", she was selected as
the 2000 Citysearch.Com Atlanta "Best Songwriter" (tied with
Shawn Mullins). "Radio Doria" is a fierce collection of socially
aware music that was released on Presidential Election Day
November 7, 2000 at the venerable Seven Stages Theater in
Atlanta, GA. Her titles have sold nearly 10,000 copies
independently.
The work with her label (which recently added five other artists
to the roster) is featured in a documentary about women making
significant contributions to independent music called "For the
Love of Rock". Doria’s live music segment and interview were
filmed at the Mercury Lounge in New York City and is prominently
featured in the film. The documentary also includes
contributions from Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls, Jane Siberry,
Melissa Ferrick, Brenda Khan, Toni Blackman, Kate Shellenbach of
Luscious Jackson and Moxie. Check out
www.LoveOfRock.com.
Doria’s music also appears on the New Women’s Music Sampler
released by Mr. Lady Records. The CD includes tracks from Kaia
Wilson and the Butchies, Tribe 8, The Need, Sarah Dougher Le
Tigre and many other emerging female artists.
 COMMUNITY
As a part time activist, Doria has committed herself to
inspiring compassion through her music. While following in the
footsteps of Nina Simone (think "Pirate Jenny"), Janis Ian
(remember "Society’s Child), Billie Holiday’s "Strange Fruit",
John Lennon’s elegy "Working Class Hero", Ani DiFranco, Patti
Smith, et al, the personal experience can sometimes becomes
political and the stage sometimes becomes a forum—a space not
only to entertain but to also inform.
Doria was included on the 1997 compilation "Thrive", which
benefits Youth Pride, Inc. and Atlanta based organization that
mentors g/l/b/t youth. The disc included donated tracks from the
Indigo Girls (Epic), Shawn Mullins (Columbia), the Josh Joplin
Band (Artemis) and ten additional tracks by Atlanta’s finest
musicians.
When she wasn’t producing her own shows and tours, Doria founded
"Rock for Youth". A fundraising concert for Youth Pride in 1998
prompted Roberts to continue the concert series for all youth in
crisis. The second Rock for Youth concert was held in Atlanta in
1999 with performances by Roberts, John Mayer (Aware/Columbia
Records) and Matthew Kahler and benefited Nuci’s Space. Named
after 22 year-old musician Nuci Phillips (who committed suicide
after battling depression for five years), the state of the art
rehearsal, counseling and mentoring facility is not open and
available for all young aspiring musicians. Check out
www.nucispace.org.
She has also organized the Queerstock Tour & Festival for six
years. The tour, which showcases g/l/b/t/ artists and has
traveled to Boston, New York, Chicago, Durham, Atlanta and
Philadelphia, urges activists to "Start enjoying what you’ve
been fighting for!" Queerstock will take a hiatus in 2001 and a
compilation CD entitled "Queer Stock, Queer Soup" will be
released during Pride month, June 2002, benefiting several queer
youth agencies around he country. Doria also organized a
groundbreaking showcase for queer musicians at the 2001 Atlantis
Music Conference.
She has also participated in a number of benefit/awareness
concerts: The internationally renown Vagina Monologues V-Day
performance, which promotes an end to violence against women
worldwide, the 14th Annual Creating Change Conference, an
activist training conference sponsored by the National Gay &
Lesbian Task Force, Rock for Choice, child abuse awareness
programs for the Georgia Council on Child Abuse, the National
Association of Women for Understanding, Feminist Women’s Health
Clinic in Atlanta and fundraising concerts for Atlanta homeless
shelter the Inn Between.
Source:
http://www.doriaroberts.com
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