This is the question that has both the record industry and the press (Associated Press, Billboard, Hits Magazine, Wall Street Journal) buzzing as RCA's new and upcoming pop artist completes her first solo album, "Diamonds and Monsters".
Born and raised in the Bronx, Tarsha is an only child who always gravitated towards music and dance. Her school curriculum always included dance and drama. In the 90's, Tarsha began frequenting the nightclubs of New York City. It was here, Tarsha began to explore her attraction to music and entertainment. After school, while working part-time for "CBS Evening News", Tarsha modeled and worked as a commercial actress. Soon Tarsha's circle of friends grew to include hip-hop artists and Broadway actors. "I was fortunate to have befriended some really good people in the business," she says. But Tarsha's closeness to the entertainment world later proved to be an asset to her career as a musician.
Tarsha's road to a career in music began when introduced to Duke Mushroom (Dave Schommer) and The Freshmaka (Sam Hollander) also known as Pop Rox, by a mutual friend in 1997. The duo (currently responsible for some fierce remixes, such as Sisquo’s "Thong Song" and "Got to Get It" and DMX’s "Party Up In Here") had been working on their album "The Warriors," which called for a female vocalist to complement a few of their drum and base tracks. After hearing Tarsha's spin at the lyrics, the two were convinced they had found "Da One". Tarsha collaborated with the duo on the album and proceeded to tour with the group, including the 1998 Zenfest where they performed for over 30,000 fans. Upon her return, under the management of Nat Robinson and Sunni Gyrl Inc., Tarsha teamed up with Pop Rox and began work on a few demos and was signed to RCA Records.
Filled with powerful messages and passionate delivery "Diamonds and Monsters" is scheduled to blow onto the music scene in the Summer of 2000. The album features 11 tracks ranging from melodic and infectious grooves to live band sounds. Best described as a smart pop album with a hip-hop edge, audiences of all ages will appreciate the mature themes of tracks such as the first single "Be Ya Self" and the title track "Diamonds and Monsters". It is here, Tarsha delves into the topics of abuse and stresses the importance of being you. "Da One" is the pop rock track that will make it very clear to the world that Tarsha is "da one rockin’ over here". Also flowing with textures, the album varies in deep, eclectic sounds guaranteed to penetrate the heads of music lovers around the world. Other album highlights include the sexy "Goodbye Girl" and the Spanish flavored "Shine On". The album wraps up with "Rooftops" featuring singer/songwriter legend Carole King.
"I have a very special goal for myself and my music" says Tarsha. "My music has to be positive. I want to uplift and unite the world. The 20th century wasn’t such a beautiful time, but now we’re in a time where a lot of positive change is possible. I’d like to see a positive shift in the world because of something I did." Tarsha has boundless musical talent. She is an entertainer of astonishing proportions and an agent for change.
