BIO
(click for One Sheet pdf)

The music of Joselyn & wild roots rides in on a funky, percussive wind, reminding you that music, real and primal, comes raw with unexplained metaphors, dancing close with a smile for your soul.  On her new CD, “ShapeShifting”, Joselyn’s voice soothes with spoken word and soulful melody, while catching your spirit in the sudden excitement that something…is coming.

A “new” artist with deep musical roots, Joselyn has put in her time in the music world.  She founded the band, ADAAWE, toured festivals and colleges nationally, and opened for:  James Brown, Sugar Hill Gang, Mickey Hart, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Hasaan Hakmoun with Paula Cole, Baba Olatunji, Yolanda Adams, Los Lobos, Pancho Sanchez and many others.  They were featured in the World Festival of Sacred Music documentary film (broadcast on PBS) and CD, and in commercials, magazines, and celebrity benefit events.  Joselyn has also collaborated with world-class choreographers, percussionists, musicians and theatre artists, creating new works, producing concerts and directing performances in Los Angeles and elsewhere.  She is a strong believer in the power of the arts to both heal the community and individual, and has taught at-risk youth theatre, music, dance and percussion for many years, sharing her gifts and giving back.

Joselyn’s debut full-length release, “ShapeShifing”, released on Calabash Productions, and produced by Kevin T. Williams (Dave Wakeling, Soulsonics), is the culmination of many years of inspiration, heartbreak and triumph.  It is brought to life by the chemistry of the musicians in wild roots, including Viviana Rama on bass (Alana Davis), Alan Lightner on drums (Ledisi), Marti Walker on flute & harmonies (X-Tribe), Al Keith on percussion (Michael Rose).  The     album also features special guests Leon Mobley on percussion (Ben Harper), Don Barrozo on trumpet, Todd Leiberman on guitar, and Tedashi Namba on keyboards.  Their "organic soul" is infused with funk, blues, folk, spoken word and world rhythms.  Joselyn’s lyrics come straight from the heart, transported by lovely melodies, and tell stories of soul searching, love, and the struggle for justice.  In a cynical world, Joselyn’s music is a breath of truth.

From her Montana mountain birthplace, her coming of age with Hollywood High hip-hop, her percussive journey through West Africa to her L.A. collaborations, Joselyn has become an artist with a distinctive voice, an original image, a fabulous live show, and a joyful spirit.  Rising on the soulful influences of the past, she points the way to the future.  

THE BAND:
Joselyn: Vocals/Percussion
Al Keith: Percussion
Alan Mark Lightner: Drums
Vivi Rama: Bass
Marti Walker: Flute & Vocals
Kevin Williams: Guitars
Don Barrozo: Trumpet


PRESS

Joselyn & wild roots at the Temple Bar, 3/04
Beverly Hills Outlook
"Joselyn, a bohemian bandleader and inspired vocalist and percussionist, gave her all and then some...showing her ethereal beauty and utter musicianship.  She really engaged her audience by being swept away by the music."                                                
- Gina Zollman, The Beverly Hills Outlook


Demo Review
Music Connection
"Most importantly, what this songstress presents...is an altogether exuberant and life-affirming spirit, a healing nature that Joselyn, via her beautiful voice, conveys seemingly with ease."