Táta Vega
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Táta Vega (born Carmen Rosa Vega,[1] October 7, 1951, Queens, New York) is an American vocalist whose career spans theater, film, and a variety of musical genres.
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[edit] Early life
Born Carmen Rosa Vega in the Queens borough of New York City on October 7, 1951, her father nicknamed her Táta, because that was the first word she uttered as a baby. Her father served in the Air Force and as a result, the family moved frequently. Before she was even a teenager, the family lived in Panama, Puerto Rico, San Antonio, and Colorado Springs, Colorado.[2]
[edit] Career
Vega began her professional singing career in 1963. In California (1969–70) she was cast in the Los Angeles production of the Broadway musical Hair.[2] From there went on to join the group Pollution, led by Dobie Gray (who also appeared in the L.A. Cast of Hair), and then became a member of the group Earthquire, which released an album in 1973 on Motown's Natural Resources label.
With Motown Records, Vega released four solo albums on the Tamla label: Full Speed Ahead (1976), Totally Táta (1977), Try My Love (1978) and Givin' All My Love (1981). These albums featured a diverse range of genres, including classic Motown soul, country or southern soul, disco, jazz, funk, country, Latin, doo-wop, and gospel.[citation needed]
She has had an active career as a Lead backing vocalist, working with Russ Taff, Stevie Wonder, Andraé Crouch, Lou Rawls, Rare Earth, Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle, Michael Jackson, Ray Charles and Madonna. She is featured on the 2010 Elton John and Leon Russell CD The Union. She also worked in film, performing the voice of Shug Avery in The Color Purple; she is featured on four songs on the 1986 soundtrack album, one of which, "Miss Celie's Blues (Sister)", was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Song category.
In 1985 Vega was nominated for Best Soul female Gospel Performance at the 27th annual Grammy Awards For her vocals on "Oh,It is Jesus" written by Andrae Crouch.In which she also performed "Miss Celie's Blues (Sister)" from the motion picture The Color Purple. Other nominees included:Shirley Caesar, Kristle Edwards, Albertina Walker,and Danniebelle Hall.[citation needed]
In 1994, she recorded the Two Spanish versions of "The Circle Of Life" (El ciclo sin fin) for the Latin American dubbing of Disney's The Lion King. During 1995, she was featured in the Warren Chaney docudrama, America: A Call to Greatness.[3]
In 1998, she signed with Quincy Jones’s Qwest Records and released a gospel album, Now I See.
In 2006 Vega signed with Do Rite Records,in which she released a new Gospel album "This Joy" on October 27, 2009.
[edit] Personal life
Vega has two daughters, the eldest born in 1968 and Chloe (born February, 1990 in Berkeley, California) who is a Los Angeles celebrity make-up artist and photographer.[citation needed]
[edit] Discography
- Pollution (1971), Pollution, Prophesy Records, OCLC: 38849601
- Pollution (1972), Pollution II, Prophesy Records, OCLC: 38372430
- Earthquire (1972), Earthquire, Natural Resources Motown, OCLC: 31848118
- Vega, Táta (1976), Full Speed Ahead, Tamla Motown, OCLC: 33057917
- Vega, Táta (1977), Totally Táta, Tamla Motown, OCLC: 33057752
- Vega, Táta (1978), Try My Love, Tamla Motown, OCLC: 6634273
- Vega, Táta (1980), Givin' All My Love, Tamla Motown
- Vega, Táta (1987), Time's So Right, Independent
- Vega, Táta (1998), Now I See, Qwest Records, OCLC: 40485132
- Vega, Táta (2009), This Joy, Do Rite Records, http://www.doriterecords.com
[edit] References
- ^ Roberts, David (2006), British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.), London: Guinness World Records Limited, p. 584, ISBN 1-904994-10-5
- ^ a b Abbey, John (November 1976) "Tata Vega:Tata for Now" SoulMusic.com http://www.soulmusic.com/taveno19in.html "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."
- ^ America Movie (Musicians) [1]
