Celia Rose has spent most of her music career performing outside of the United States, in places as varied as Haiti, Israel, France, Rwanda, and Canada. Wherever she goes, she brings her indie-folk-pop style, while also diving deep into the musical traditions of the countries she visits. The result is a wild, often exotic, and always unique musical blend, showcasing the diversity of our world and the stories that bind us together. A prolific singer/songwriter, Celia’s music ranges across the spectrum of human experience. Her songs can brim with optimism, fearlessness, love, and the constancy of change. Others slow down and reflect on paths not taken, and the loss of innocence. Her vocal style, a cross between Natalie Maine’s strength and Dolly Parton’s quick vibrato, along with her naturally warm and approachable stage presence, draws in listeners and always leaves them wanting to hear more. Her latest album, Zig Zag, was recorded in Canada at the prestigious OCL studios in Calgary. It is her fourth full length album, but the first to be produced by award winning producer/mixer Spencer Cheyne, with performances by top Canadian musicians such as Russell Broom (guitarist for Jann Arden). The album is getting spins on over a hundred radio stations throughout the U.S. and Canada. Songs from Zig Zag have been licensed by 13 TV networks including Discovery Network, E!TV and The Real World. Raised in a Jewish, vegetarian family in the middle of the deep South, Celia learned piano and guitar from her family, but her voice training was initially her own doing. “I sang everything and I sang it loud! It drove my brothers crazy on car rides.” Her first songwriting experiences started around the age of 10 when she began writing poetry and singing her poems onto cassette tapes. Madonna was her childhood idol, but soon she discovered the Indigo Girls and fell in love with their lyrics and harmonies. Other influences included Tori Amos, Nanci Griffith, Joni Mitchell and Ani Difranco. Some of her current favorites include Sara Bareilles, KT Tunstall, Dar Williams and Christina Perri. After studying at Washington University in St. Louis, Celia completed her first studio album and then in 2001, moved to Port-au-Prince, Haiti. There, she performed on Haiti’s national radio and shared the stage with top Haitian bands RAM, Boukman Experienz, and Belo. After Haiti, Celia spent 4 years in Paris, where she started the band Wrapped in Rain with fellow singer/songwriter Johannah Cantwell. They performed regularly around Paris and completed a full length studio album in 2005, entitled Butterfly. Using Paris as their base, they toured 9 countries in Africa as Cultural Ambassadors for the U.S. State Department, performing and co-writing songs about respect, women’s empowerment and hope. “When we first started these tours, we taught English through songs in French speaking countries,” Celia recounts. “But once the touring picked up and they started sending us to places like South Africa and Namibia, we changed the focus of our tours and were able to co-write with huge groups of students about how to celebrate life and one another!” After Paris, Celia settled in New York City, where she received a Master’s degree from New York University, studying the use of songwriting to benefit at-risk youth. Meanwhile she taught songwriting in Harlem and also completed her 3rd full length album, Stories, and her first music video, Little. Returning to Haiti, Celia worked with Sean Penn’s J/P HRO organization, writing songs with students living in a tent city after the horrific earthquake. She sang throughout the city, to crowds of Haitians and expats working on earthquake relief. After one of her shows, Sean Penn came up to her and called her performance “sensational!” From Haiti, Celia landed in Calgary, Canada, a hub of music in the frozen north. In addition to recording Zig Zag, she became involved with Every Woman Foundation, writing their theme song and acting as music coordinator to put together the compilation album, Be Yourself, released on U.S. record label Luxury Wafers in 2014 and including co-writes with Dan Hill and Sophie Serafino. After many years of traveling and living around the world, Celia moved back to the States and recently settled in Chicago. She lives there with her husband, a novelist, and their three young children. She writes songs to accompany his novels, the most recent of which made the NY Times Bestseller list. Her songs are included in the audiobook versions of the books. In Chicago, Celia performs at local venues and as an inspirational singer/speaker for community organizations and women’s events. She also teaches songwriting both online and in person (Songpals program details), while building the foundation for her next album, tentatively titled Welcome Home. For bookings and for more information go to: www.celiarosemusic.com