Ready to take the world by storm, the sultry songstress known to audiences as “Petra” crosses effortlessly into the realms of Caribbean music infused with pop, jazz and R&B melodies that places her in the evolving category called “Island Pop.”
Born Roshell Petra Hooper, the singer/songwriter who hails from Guyana, South America was raised in Trinidad and Tobago in a family of professional musicians; her mother was a talented singer and her father is the late famous Guyanese arranger, composer and performer, Eddie Hooper (best known for hits like “Tomorrow’s Sun,” “Pass It On” and “Jean and Dinah” composed for The Mighty Sparrow). With an abundance of sounds and creativity ever-present at home, Petra naturally took to music at an early age; during her childhood years she performed extensively with her sisters branching off and becoming an independent singer/songwriter during her teenage years. And, having been exposed to various types of music as a child, it’s not surprising that Petra instinctively fuses a myriad of genres to create a lyrically well-balanced sound that is uniquely hers. Along the way she’s honed her unparallelled style to perfection as a key member of several bands including the Request Band, Major Damage Band, KIT Caribbean Connection, Triad Band and the Global Vibez Band.
Currently living in the United States, Petra continuously pushes the envelope of her seductive fine-textured voice that defies standard definitions of any one genre of music. She has recorded several songs including a well received version of Sade’s “By Your Side;” three of her latest original songs “Love Games,” “Never Never” and “December” are creating a buzz as they gain momentum on the airwaves in the United States and in the Caribbean. Her golden voice and engaging performance style has landed her welcomed opportunities to open at acclaimed festivals and for top artists including: Chronixx (at the Plant It Guyana Concert 2015), Carl Thomas and Marvin Moore (at DJ Flexx’s Black and Red Affair 2015), the 9 Mile Music Festival (Miami 2016 with the Nyabinghi Drummers) and other notable lineups with celebrity artists including Konshens, Stephen, Julian and Damian Marley, Capleton, Nas and Mr. Cheeks among others.
Petra received her first award in 2015 for “Best Artist” at the Plugin U In Link Live Artist Showcase (NY). Most recently Petra’s auditions landed her bookings to perform at Trelawni Place and Milk River in New York that are venues recognized for featuring established and emerging artists like Petra, who are clearly on the rise. Of Petra’s music, Bea Montgomery, Executive Producer/Director of The Mothership Connection, Inc. an organization that focuses on supporting remarkable up-and-coming artists said: “Petra is the artist the world has been waiting for—her music is in a class of its own. It is original and refreshing, it’s classic yet modern, and fuses jazz and scat elements with Reggae and Soca rhythms.”
Petra is currently in the studio working on selections for her forthcoming freshman album and shooting a video for her single “Love Games” which has garnered great attention.
For bookings or to learn more about Petra, visiting her website at www.empresspetra.com and via her Facebook Page – Petra Music.
