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Táta Vega

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Táta Vega
Birth nameCarmen Rosa Vega
Born(1951-10-07)October 7, 1951(age 72)
Jamaica,Queens, New York
GenresR&B,contemporary gospel
Occupation(s)Singer, actress
Instrument(s)Vocals
Years active1969–present
LabelsTamla,Qwest,Prophesy
Websitetatavega.com

Táta Vega(bornCarmen Rosa Vega,[1]October 7, 1951) is an Americanvocalist,[2]whose career spans theater, film, and a variety of musical genres.

Early life

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Vega was born inJamaica,Queens, New York and raised between New York, Chicago, Texas, Panama and Puerto Rico.[2]She is of African-Puerto Rican, Dominican, and Spanish descent.[3][4]Her parents are Luis Alfredo De La Vega, who served in the United States Air Force, and Rosaura Maltés. As a result of her father's work, the family moved frequently. Before she was even a teenager, the family lived inPanama,Puerto Rico,San Antonio, Texas,andColorado Springs, Colorado.Her father nicknamed her Táta, because that was the first word she uttered as a child.[5]At the age of 17, she had her name legally changed.[6]

Career

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Vega began her professional singing career in 1963. In California (1969–70) she was cast in the Los Angeles,Californiaproduction of theBroadway musical,Hair.[5]From there went on to join the group Pollution (managed byMax Baer Jr.), led byDobie Gray[2](who also appeared in the Los Angeles cast ofHair). While performing in another group with vocalists Brie Brandt and Laurie Ann Bell at the Troubadour, Berry Gordy was in the audience and signed them on the spot. As Earthquire, the group released a self-titled album produced byTom Wilsonin 1972 on Motown's Natural Resources label.[2]After the album failed to make a commercial impact, Motown dropped the group, but retained her.[2][6]

After the demise of Earthquire, Vega continued to work steadily in Top 40 bands and occasionally with some former members of Pollution. After hearing her voice on a demo for Jobete, Motown's publishing wing, producerWinston Monsequeand Motown executiveIris Gordy,were interested in managing her.

Vega went on to release four solo albums on the Tamla record label:Full Speed Ahead(1976),Totally Táta(1977),Try My Love(1978), andGivin' All My Love(1981).[2]

She is probably best remembered in the UK for her 1979 release, "Get It Up for Love",[2]from the album,Try My Lovewritten byNed Doheny.This was released a year later than the LP on 12 "format (Motown 12 TMG 1140) as well as 45 RPM. It proved to be popular in the discos in the late 1970s in the UK.

She has had an active career as a lead backing vocalist, working withRuss Taff,Stevie Wonder,[2]Andraé Crouch,Chaka Khan,Patti LaBelle,Michael Jackson,Ray CharlesandMadonna,singing duets withLou Rawls,[2]Jermaine Jackson,Peter Rivera withRare EarthandMichael Sembello.Vega is featured on the 2010Elton JohnandLeon RussellCDThe Union.She also worked in film, performing the voice of Shug Avery inThe Color Purple;[2]she is featured on four songs on the 1986soundtrackalbum,one of which, "Miss Celie's Blues(Sister) ", was nominated for anAcademy Awardin the Best Song category. Táta still remains uncredited for her contribution to writing some of the lyrics to 'Maybe God Is Trying To Tell You Something (Speak Lord)' for the film.

In 1985, Vega was nominated for Best Soul Female Gospel Performance at the27th Annual Grammy Awardsfor her vocals on "Oh, It is Jesus", written byAndrae Crouch.[7]In 1994, she recorded two Spanish versions of the song "Circle of Life"from Disney'sThe Lion King,one for Latin America ( "Ciclo Sin Fin" ) and the other one for Spain ( "El ciclo de la vida" ). In 1998, she signed withQuincy Jones'Qwest Recordsand released a gospel album,Now I See,which was nominated for aStellar Award.[citation needed]

In 2006, Vega signed with Do Rite Records, releasing a gospel album entitledThis Joyon October 27, 2009.[8]

Vega with Elton John and other singers

In 2010 Tata joined Elton John's band as a full-time backing vocalist along withRose Stone,Lisa Stone andJean Johnson Witherspoon.

In 2011, her first two solo albums,Full Speed AheadandTotally Táta(1977), were reissued on CD by soulmusic.com records.[6]

On January 18, 2013, Vega, alongsideDarlene Love,Merry Clayton,Lisa FischerandJudith Hill,premiered20 Feet from Stardom,a documentary aboutbackground singers,atRobert Redford's annualSundance Film Festival.[9]

On February 18, 2014, in the wake of20 Feet from Stardom's success, her solo albums at Motown were released digitally.[10]

Táta’s music has been sampled byDaft Punkand rappers such asEminem,DrakeandJim Jones. Teena Mariecredited both Táta and Iris Gordy for publishing one of her first songs on Táta’s debut album in 1976. Teena and Táta reconnected through her longtime manager, Lee Cadena, in the late 2000s and were in talks of forming a supergroup withShirley Murdockshortly before Teena’s death.

Personal life

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In 1975, while departing from a gas station in West Adams, Los Angeles, en route to a writing session withCarmen Twilie,Vega was shot in the back of the head by a young sniper on a shooting spree positioned atop a nearby building. Following the incident, Vega remarkably walked to a hospital located adjacent to the gas station.

Vega has two daughters, Angelica, Chloé and step son, Jeffrey. Táta was married to fellow musician Jeffery Vanderplate whom she met at Andraé Crouch’ home. Vanderplate is credited working with Sly Stone from the legendary groupSly and The Family Stone,Bobby Womack,Andraé Crouchand others. He later owned a Winery and Brewery in Northern, CA. He was close withBilly Preston.He died in 2004 from small cell lung cancer.

Chloé’s Godmother is long time collaborator, Rose Stone fromSly and The Family Stoneand her Godfather was legendary gospel music pioneer and songwriter,Andraé Crouch.[11]

Discography

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As group member

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  • 1971: Pollution;Pollution(Prophesy Records)
  • 1972: Pollution;Pollution II(Prophesy)
  • 1972: Earthquire;Earthquire(Natural Resources/Motown)

Solo albums

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  • 1976:Full Speed Ahead,Hollywood, Calif.: Tamla Motown,OCLC33057917
  • 1977:Totally Táta,Hollywood, Calif.: (Tamla Motown),OCLC33057752
  • 1978:Try My Love,Hollywood, Calif.: Tamla Motown,OCLC6634273
  • 1980:Givin' All My Love(Tamla Motown)
  • 1988:Time's So Right
  • 1998:Now I See,Burbank, CA: (Qwest Records),OCLC40485132
  • 2009:This Joy(Do Rite Records)

Appearances on other albums

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Filmography

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Year Film Role
2013 20 Feet from Stardom Herself

References

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  1. ^Roberts, David (2006).British Hit Singles & Albums(19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 584.ISBN1-904994-10-5.
  2. ^abcdefghijColin Larkin,ed. (1993).The Guinness Who's Who of Soul Music(First ed.).Guinness Publishing.pp. 283/4.ISBN0-85112-733-9.
  3. ^"Twenty Feet from Stardom: The World of Backup Singers".Kqed.org.3 May 2013.Retrieved2021-07-10.
  4. ^"The Gospel According to Jazz: Chapter 2 - Kirk Whalum | Songs, Reviews, Credits".AllMusic.Retrieved2021-07-10.
  5. ^abAbbey, John (November 1976)."Tata Vega:Tata for Now".SoulMusic.com. Archived fromthe originalon 2013-01-05.Tata was actually christened Carmen Rosa Vega when she was born back on October 7, 1951, in Queens, Long Island. It was her father who dubbed her Tata because they were the first words she learned to utter as a baby.
  6. ^abcNathan, David(2011).Full Speed Ahead(Media notes). Táta Vega.
  7. ^"27th Annual GRAMMY Awards | GRAMMY.com".grammy.com.Retrieved2024-07-04.
  8. ^"Do Rite Records".Do Rite Records.Retrieved2014-08-06.
  9. ^Peter Debruge,"Review: ‘Twenty Feet From Stardom’",Variety,January 18, 2013.
  10. ^"Tata Vega Reissues Get Digital Release in the US".United States: Universal Music. February 11, 2014.Retrieved2014-02-20.
  11. ^Brian Israel."Connection Magazine, The Premier Good News Publication".Connectionmagazine.org.Retrieved2014-08-06.
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