Three self-described ‘broke, brown girls from Porirua’ are one step closer to their dream, after being announced as RNZ’s Kiwi Cover Song contest winners.
Rosetta from the trio Le Art answered the phone call from Jesse Mulligan with news they had won with silent tears, as she processed the news.
The Porirua-based group was forced to separate this year, to undergo an artist development programme that not all of them could afford.
Texts flooded in praising the group.
‘I’m listening to this outstanding performance covered in goose bumps, it’s awesome.’
Was just one of the many texts from listeners blown away by the winning entry from Le Art - Anastasia, Rosetta and Tiresa - a trio from Porirua.
Le Art: Anastasia, Rosetta & Tiresa Photo: Supplied
The trio have been together for almost eight years after meeting at Brandon Intermediate, Wellington in 2013.
Raised on a musical diet of Motown, gospel and RnB, Anastasia, Rosetta and Tiresa lent their shimmering harmony singing to Ginny Blackmore & Stan Walkers’ ‘Holding You’.
Rosetta was overwhelmed when she got the call from Jesse and heard Le Art were the winners.
Their entry form described themselves as: “Three broke, brown girls from Porirua who dare to dream.”
“That’s exactly what we are, and this year has been so hard, living in different cities because we are undergoing an artist development programme right now, so we couldn’t all afford to be up here at the same time, so it’s really good news.”
Rosetta is living with her aunt in Ōtāhuhu, Auckland.
“The other girls are still in Porirua, so they’ve had to come up sporadically through the year trying to get a body of work together.”
And what is the dream? Jesse asked Rosetta.
“To share our talents with New Zealand, we have so much to offer and I just hope that every little girl who comes from a broken city like ours can get to dream as well.
“The dream is to sing on a stage with two of my best friends I hope we can do that, I’m so happy, thank you so much for choosing our cover.”
The prize for winning is a chance to record ‘Holding You’ in the RNZ studios with renowned RNZ producer Andre Upston.
It’s a song that means a lot to them, Rosetta told Jesse.
“It’s a song that we have tried to do for a long time, even when we were younger we had a crack at it, but it was so hard to embody all the emotions that that song is.
“But I feel like this year was the year where we could clearly express those as best as we could, because it’s exactly how we felt and when we recorded that Anastasia cried, because we are so lucky to have each other and the relationship that we have.”
The three have formed a strong bond of friendship since they started singing together, she said.
“We met as strangers when I thought it would be a good idea to just start a girl group and what we found on that day was a family, and we’ve stuck together like a wolf pack, like a gang.
“And so, we are thinking about ourselves, our relationships, our parents, everyone back home wishing us the best, praying for us and so having someone to hold, that song meant so much to us and it still does.”
