Bay Area neo-soul singer Tracy Cruz was born in Quezon City on the island of Luzon in the Philippines before moving to San Jose. Her foundational years were spent saturating herself with a fusion of the indigenous sound of various Tagalog ballads and American pop, soul and R&B.
Cruz’s vocal coaches mentored and enhanced her Filipino vocal style with an even more vibrant, soulful, and kaleidoscopic aesthetic. CapRadio’s Chris Campbell selected five songs that celebrate the span of her career.
“Weathered Down” — Tracy Cruz (Feel’osophy)
Cruz’s first project —“Feel’osophy,” released in 2008 — represented itself well alongside the works of other contemporary soul artists such as Maysa, Jill Scott and others.
The project provides a breath of fresh air in the indie soul music community with its timeless vibe and bright, uplifting lyrics built around the topics of love, hope and happiness.
“Love’s Galaxy” — Tracy Cruz (Universoul Symphony)
Her sophomore effort, the 2011 release “Universoul Symphony” was a happy amalgamation of soul, jazz, R&B, hip hop and indigenous music reimagined into an elegant and hypnotic subterranean listening experience.
“Golden Soul” Acoustic Version — (H3artifacts) – Tracy Cruz
After “Universoul Symphony” was released, Cruz took a break from the industry, dedicating her time to balancing motherhood with her artistry.
She reemerged armed with a trilogy of EPs in 2017 and 2018 titled H3artifacts, Art of Facts, and Purple H3artificats, with all three dropping in rapid succession, each showing off a greater amount of introspection in her songwriting.
“Keep Our Soul Alive” — Tracy Cruz (The Art of Facts)
This EP traces the arc of a breakup, the resilience needed to regain her groove and the celebration of attending a deeper understanding and self-love. Cruz’s strength is in her vulnerability, which is clearly distilled in her voice.
“Keep Our Soul Alive” also features a tune with Grammy-nominated producer Brandon Williams.
“Find A Way” — Tracy Cruz
Cruz’s musical journey continues to trend upward. Now based in the San Francisco Bay area, she is heavily involved with one of the largest Grammy chapters in the nation as a voting member. She’s also a GRAMMY U mentor and was recently voted in as its chapter governor. The program focuses on helping artists through mentorship, diversity, and inclusion while advocating social, cultural, and gender equality.
She continues to give back to the music community by taking artists under her wing and giving them vocal instruction and emotional support in the same fashion that her vocal coaches originally gave her.
Cruz uses her music and advocacy to enrich and uplift the Bay Area community while keeping it musically in a way that tugs at the heart and uplifts the soul. The concluding track of this installment is her latest single, “Find A Way.”