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Industry News
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Rozalla
Rozalla was born in Ndola, a town in Zambia. Her musical crusade, however, started in Zimbabwe. When she was a teenager her family moved to Zimbabwe, and it was there that Rozalla started her singing career. As a young girl she used to skip school to play with a band. Later she sang at fashion shows and soon became a national celebrity, as her songs climbed the charts and became well known in the area. Rozalla would always remain the focus of much media attention in Zimbabwe during her career. Despite consternation met by her family, Rozalla left Zimbabwe in 1988 and moved to London. In England Rozalla teamed up with the Band of Gypsies. Her first two singles failed to make an impression on the pop charts, but the tide turned when 'Everybody's Free (to feel good)' was released in 1991. The song became a massive success, reaching the top 10 in numerous countries, and was one of the bestselling singles of the year. Today this anthemic rave classic is seen as one of the most influential dance songs of the decade. 1992 was a particularly good year for Rozalla. Her debut album 'Everybody's Free' flew straight into the UK top 20 and spawned two more international hit singles: 'Are You Ready To Fly' and 'Faith (in the power of love)'. Rozalla also toured with Michael Jackson on his "Dangerous" tour, and later described it as the biggest thrill of her career. Rozalla's sophomore set, 1995's multi genre 'Look No Further' featured notable contributions by Apollo 440, Diane Warren, Jellybean and Frankie Knuckles. The album included the top 20 hits 'I Love Music' (soundtrack to the Sean Penn film 'Carlito's Way') and 'You Never Love The Same Way Twice'. A lengthy hiatus preceded the release of Rozalla's third album, which finally saw the light of day in 1998. 'Coming Home' was only released in the UK. This beautifully produced collection of songs saw her reunite with the Band of Gypsies and she co-wrote many of the songs. It stands as her strongest and most complete work to date. For the next few years Rozalla kept a relatively low profile as a solo artist, but she continued to record with various acts, and high placements on the dance charts confirmed her status as one of the leading club divas of the decade. Around this time Rozalla also got married. In recent years there has been renewed interest in her work, as her material has been covered and sampled frequently. In 2002 the German producers Aquagen remixed 'Everybody's Free' and the track went near the top 20 of the German pop chart. In 2003 Rozalla's collaboration with Plastic Boy, 'Live Another Life', marked a welcome return to the UK pop charts. It was followed by the release of her first 'Best Of' album the following year. Rozalla is currently working on new material.
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