Featured Artist

LaRudche

Laura Daniela Rudchenco, also known by the stage name LaRudche, is a singer-songwriter from Buenos Aires, Argentina. She has been based in Dubai, UAE, for the last eleven years. She has traveled around the world working for a prestigious airline and worked out of her field to pursue her dreams.

Her love for music and performing arts started at an early age. Despite difficulties with her family's economic situation, she always found a way to take classes and perform.

Owner of a soulful voice and under the influence of artists such as Nina Simone, Etta James, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Barry White, Amy Winehouse, and Joss Stone, she swears to be "born in the wrong era" and dares to bring back Soul and the Blues from its roots to our days with a new and colorful twist.

Q  So what made you want to become a musician?

I''ve always loved music, and I want to leave a legacy when it comes to art. However I didn't know I could sing until I was in high school, my friends heard me and pushed me to sing and so I started a rock band. Since then, I joined several bands of all kinds just trying to find my own sound, and when I found Jazz, Blues and Soul, it was magical, I knew then that that's what I wanted to do.

I don't come from a family of musicians or performers of any kind, my dad was a biochemist, my uncle was a doctor as my grandfather, my mom is a baker, and my sister is a veterinarian doctor, so it was quite challenging for me to understand that I was different and that I didn't want to study medicine and be true to my love for performing arts.

Q  What would you like to accomplish over the next few years? 

I am working hard on creating my own music. I have an album of originals out on all streaming platforms, and also several singles and covers, and I am currently making more original songs that are gonna be released soon! 

I am also working on my skills as an actress/ comedian and dancer, to apply all that on my shows and make them an unforgettable experience. 

With that said, in 5 to 10 years I see myself having my own show "The LaRudche Show" and touring, hopefully, around the world. I want to achieve a level of performance and uniqueness that can't be replaced nor imitated.

I am also aiming to release many more original songs and albums.

Q    What strengths do you have that you believe make you a great musician?

Well, I think that a great musician has to be honest and humble to start with. Because music is a way of expressing feelings and it's storytelling, and the audience has to relate to it.

As a musician I have the responsibility to use my art for a good cause, to speak for those who can't, and to inspire my audience. 

There are many ways to communicate, and music for me is the best non-violent way to express myself and be the voice of those who don't have one.

I am not afraid to be myself, and that shows in my performances, I have a strong and low register voice for a female singer, and I embrace it, I love it! 

I inspire my audience to embrace who they are and express themselves.

I always say; whatever people think of me is none of my business.-

Q  How do you interact and respond to fans?

I love my fans and I make sure they know I appreciate their support towards my art. 

On my shows, when I have the chance, I approach my audience personally and thank each one of them for coming, I ask them what they liked the most about my shows and if there is any song they would like to hear, as I always say "If I have it in my repertoire, I'll sing it!" 

Sometimes if they ask me for a song I don't know or have, I would prepare it for next week and tell them that if they come back I'll sing it for them.

On instagram I will always reply to a kind comment or message. 

I've became friends with a lot of my fans, some of them from live performances and some from instagram, it's beautiful and their love warms my heart!

Q  Describe your creative process.

When I write songs, I always start with an idea in my head, a message, and I go from there. Sometimes an idea can come at an unexpected time and that's why I'm always ready to record a voice note on my phone. 

After I have the song (lyrics) and the melody on my head, I work with my producer to find the music for that song, once that's established, the producer will make a "guide" that is usually made from a computer just for me to record on top of that and then we will add real instruments. 

That is, for me, one of the most important things for my music...I want all the sounds to be recorded from real instruments, I don't like computerized sounds or sounds coming from a machine, I want it to be as organic as possible, and I also don't use autotune, it drives me crazy, I want to sound the same way live as on the record. 

Q   Are there any musicians who inspire you? What qualities...?

Absolutely! I take inspiration from many musicians and artists.

My music is inspired by Amy Winehouse of course, since she was so honest and raw, and I love that, it is not easy to find musicians like that nowadays.

The classiness of Etta James, but also her way to express her feelings. 

The rawness and fight on Nina Simone's and Billie Holiday's lyrics and message, so poetic and controversial at the same time. 

The unapologetic lyrics and artistry of Lady Gaga is very inspiring for me cause I am all about telling a story with my music and looks/outfits. 

There are many more, but I think these are good examples of musicians who I admire and take inspiration from.

When it comes to artists in general, I love Alexander Mc Queen, Vivienne Westwood, and RuPaul is my biggest mentor!

Q   Which skills have you gained...?

I would say my skills with makeup and putting cool outfits together has definitely helped me with characterization and to make my shows interesting and different. 

Acting, Stage presence and being overall "shameless" lol! also help a lot to loosen up and not to be afraid of the stage (not that I've ever had stage freight) 

Q  Worst performance, what did you learn?

When I was just starting, I had a couple of gigs that were awful and made me realize that, sound, as in...the sound system in the venue, is key for a successful performance, no matter how good you are as a singer/performer, if the sound is not right and there's no sound technician to assist you, you're being set up for failure.

That night I remember I could not hear the tracks, I could only hear my voice and very high, so I was trying not to sing too loud, therefore, the audience could not hear my voice and I was getting constantly lost because I could not hear the track and music beats properly...it's every singer's nightmare. 

So I bought my own mic (because most microphones don't pick up my low notes) and my in-ear monitor system (key for loud places, to be able to hear yourself and the music perfectly) 

Now I make sure there's a sound technician in the venue and I go early to set up my sound, do a proper soundcheck and to make sure everything works right. 

Most of the times these kind of problems are wrongly blamed on the performer, and when it comes to sound, a sound technician is needed to solve these problems.

Q   Describe your process for dealing with performance anxiety?

I don't really have anxiety, I get excited mainly before a performance. 

There're a few things I do to make sure I'm ready though: 

-I make sure I look my best from head to toe, sort of like a checklist: costume/outfit/nails/hair-wig/perfect makeup/perfume.

-I vocalize and warm up my body and my voice, exercise my face, shake my shoulders and legs

-I make sure I do a soundcheck before my performance

-I check my songs/lists and tracks (if using backing tracks) and that everything is working fine

-Before going on stage, I find a mirror, look at myself and I say out loud: "You are an amazing singer and performer, you look incredible and you're gonna give the best show of your life"

Q   So where can we catch you performing right now?

You can find me on Wednesdays at the Flashback speakeasy bar in the Paramount Hotel from 9:30 pm onwards

Next Saturday March 4th at Social Distrikt from 8:30 pm

and follow my instagram @larudche where I post updates of where and when I am performing next!

My website is www.larudche.com 

Q  Which qualities make a great musician?

A musician is like a magician... you need to create an illusion, specially if you're a performer, you have to captivate the audience and tell a story, and you need to believe the story you're telling in order for them to believe it.

As a musician I believe that energy, uniqueness, creativity and talent are fundamental to be the "whole package", I always say that you can hear a great voice on a record or in the radio, but to be a good performer is to be able to put on a show, even if it's only you in the stage, if you can command the room and deliver a beautiful song all together, then that's for me, not only a great musician/singer, but a complete artist.

Q    What would you do if you made a mistake during a performance?

I have made hundreds of mistakes on my career while performing!! 

I have had my music cut off by someone tripping on a cable, by my device(where I play music from) dying in the middle of a song, my device not working AT ALL and having to download all my tracks while on a show, forgotten lyrics, changing lyrics, almost falling because of my 30 centimeters shoes, forgetting the choreography....you name it! I've done it all! 

Show must go on! it doesn't matter,I keep going, I make a joke out of it, make fun of myself even, people loves when the performer shows vulnerability because it's relatable and that creates a bond between the artist and the audience, it breaks the "invisible wall"

Q      Is there a hidden meaning in any of your music?

Yes, actually my song Feathers talks about my transition in between being a flight attendant and becoming a full time singer, leaving that "dream job" (for many) and following my dream. 

When I say "I'll hang my wings and fly high": in the aviation industry, hanging your wings means to stop flying, and when I say "kiss my red lips cause I'll be gone" is because "red lips" was part of the uniform for ladies (and mandatory)

"I'm gonna take this badge off (meaning my name badge on the uniform) I'm gonna color my hair pink (because we were not allowed to have any non-natural hair color, and I used to get in trouble, A LOT, for my white-platinum hair) "You will recognize me cause...that's whom I've always been" (means that even though I was not allowed to wear crazy hair colors or face piercings, I've always been that way, and you will recognize me even after I make those changes)

My new song that will be coming out soon talks about domestic violence, but I will not disclose any more about it for now lol!

I always try to give messages in my music, I believe that is our super power as musicians and we have to use it wisely, as the famous line on the spider man movie says "A great power comes with a great responsibility"