Celeda delivers the kind of music that feels like a spiritual awakening in a dark, humid basement. Her sound is defined by a massive, gospel-trained vocal presence that cuts through thick, tribal-influenced house beats. It is music that demands space, radiating a sense of hard-won confidence and unshakeable authority. The production often leans into the 'circuit' sound of the late 90s, featuring heavy percussion and hypnotic synth lines that serve as a pedestal for her soaring delivery.
What makes Celeda truly distinctive is the intersection of her drag performance background and her role as a house music diva. Her lyrics often function as manifestos of self-love and resilience, turning the dancefloor into a site of communal empowerment. Unlike more polished pop-house, her tracks retain a gritty, underground edge, often collaborating with legendary producers like Danny Tenaglia and Peter Rauhofer to create songs that feel both massive and intimate.
Start with 'Music Is the Answer (Dancin' & Prancin')' to hear the definitive blueprint of her sound: a sprawling, rhythmic journey where the vocal becomes a mantra. From there, 'The Underground' offers a darker, more aggressive look at her club dominance, while 'Be Yourself' serves as the ultimate anthem for anyone needing a sonic reminder of their own worth.
Celeda (a.k.a. Victoria Sharpe, b. November 17, 1970) is an American dance music singer and drag performer. She was born in Chicago, Illinois. She began having hits on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart in the late 1990s, beginning with "Music Is the Answer (Dancin' & Prancin')," a collaboration with DJ and producer Danny Tenaglia that peaked at number 15 in 1998. The track reached #36 in the UK Singles Chart in September 1998. In December 2016, Billboard magazine ranked her as the 97th most successful dance artist of all-time. In 1999, Celeda released a full-length album entitled This Is It on Twisted Records and on the Portuguese Kaos Records. The album featured tracks produced by E-Smoove, Danny Tenaglia, Cevin Fisher, Peter Rauhofer and Maurice Joshua among others. The tracks released as singles were "Messin' with My Mind" (1997), "Music Is the Answer (Dancin' & Prancin')" (1998), "Be Yourself (And No One Else)" and "Burnin' Up" (1999). The album contained the dance hits "Let the Music Use You Up" and "Happy". Since then Celeda placed four consecutive singles in the top 10, including "The Underground", which hit number one on the U.S. dance chart in 2001 (originally produced by Peter Rauhofer and remixed by Saeed & Palash). This Is It track listing "Burnin' Up" "Try Again" "Hooked on You" "Music Is the Answer (Dancin' & Prancin')" "Happy" "Movin' On" "Let the Music Use You Up" "I'm Grateful" "Release the Power" "Beat Me Down" "Messin' with My Mind" "Be Yourself (And No One Else)" (Parts 1 & 2) "Get It Together" "This Is It"
Shares house, techno, disco (subgenres); studio polished, compressed loud, drum machine (production style)
Shares studio polished, compressed loud, drum machine (production style); house, disco (subgenres)
Shares house, techno, disco (subgenres); studio polished, compressed loud, drum machine (production style)
Shares studio polished, compressed loud, drum machine (production style); house, techno, disco (subgenres)
Shares studio polished, compressed loud, drum machine (production style); house, disco (subgenres)
Shares house, techno, disco (subgenres); urban night, festival, basement show (atmosphere)
Shares house, techno, disco (subgenres); studio polished, compressed loud, analog warmth (production style)
Shares house, techno, disco (subgenres); studio polished, compressed loud, drum machine (production style)
Shares house, techno (subgenres); studio polished, compressed loud, drum machine (production style)
Shares house, techno (subgenres); studio polished, compressed loud, drum machine (production style)
Shares disco, techno, house, euphoric (subgenre)
Shares disco, techno, house, vocal layering (subgenre)
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