Meet Tracy Cruz
Photo by Leah Marie Studio
Born in Quezon City on the island of Luzon in the Philippines, lose yourself in Bay Area’s Tracy Cruz’s spirit filled, rich candied vocals; she is a full-time musical artist, songwriter and vocal coach, taking home 44 prestigious music awards such as the 2022 Intercontinental Music Awards for “Best of North America in the R&B genre”, 2022 Josie Music Award for “Vocalist of the Year” (R&B/Soul), 2022 One Earth Award GOLD for “Best Jazz Single”, 2021 InterContinental Music Awards “Best of North America” in the R&B category, 2020 Gold International Singer Songwriters Association Award for “Female Emerging Artist of the Year”, World Songwriter Award for “Best R&B Song”, 2020 National Black Music Award for “Best Recorded Song” and 2020 Bay Area Black Music Award for “Best Female Neo Soul Performer”. She has also received over 80 nominations including seven Hollywood Music in Media nominations and five Soultracks.com Readers Choice Awards.
Her illustrative sophisticated sound of sultry hurdling breaths of piercingly clear reverberating mezzo soprano melodies, will cleanse your soul in a dream-like wonder. Her soothing velvet tales of hope, love, beauty and reflection are enlightened anthems of personal discoveries and affirmations. She has an earnest sound that comes deep within her soul, enthralled by the playful melodic upbeat rhythmic Neo Soul, Jazz, R&B, Hip Hop and Filipino fusions. It’s a soulful orchestra of percussion, guitar, pitched chimes, grooving bass lines, horns and angelic harp-like chords of originality and comfort with her band Instrumentali-T.
Rooted in the industry for 17+ years Tracy Cruz has journeyed through sold out concerts, tours and openings for renowned artists such as Kenny Lattimore, Pete Escovedo, Miki Howard, Keke Wyatt, Sy Smith, Moonchild, Raheem Devaughn, Wes Felton, Derrick Hodge, Dee Dee Simon, Apl.de.Ap of the Black Eyed Peas and more!
As the Chapter Governor (San Francisco Chapter) and voting member of the Recording Academy®, Tracy Cruz is heavily involved with her music community through mentorship, advocacy, promoting diversity and inclusion, saving music in schools and more. She is a part of the Board of Trustees for Living Jazz, Events Director for Your Filipino Professionals Association, a GRAMMYU mentor, a part of the Oakland School for the Arts CTE Arts Advisory Board and The Commune. She has also graced the stage, performing at prestigious venues and events such as Yoshi’s, SF Jazz, Harlow’s, Tempe Center for the Arts, Roger Smith of Tower of Power - Bump City Winery, the San Jose Jazz Festival, the San Jose Center for the Performing Artists, San Francisco Giants Filipino Heritage Night, California Maritime Academy, Rockwood Music Hall, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and Juneteenth Festivals across San Jose, Vallejo, Berkeley and San Francisco.
“I absolutely love connecting with the audience from the stage and pouring my heart out. The stage is my home and the audience are my special guests. There is nothing like seeing your audience sing to your lyrics, smile, or dance with joy. These are very special moments I hold dear.”- Tracy Cruz
To be inspired by, and to collaborate with some of the greats, Tracy stays grounded by diligently working within her community for over 15 years, teaching and inspiring the youth at her celebrated Tracy Cruz Vocal Studio through singing, performing, writing, arranging, and mentorship. She encourages her students to stay steadfast about their dreams and to be enchanted with their musical world with full embodiment and freedom. Connecting college students with the industry's brightest and most talented minds, GRAMMY U provides aspiring professionals with the tools and opportunities necessary to start a career in music. Tracy has also worked with GRAMMY® Award winner Kanetic Source and GRAMMY® nominated producer Brandon Williams.
Buzzing with excitement, Tracy’s latest single “Find A Way”, produced by Rodney Jones with credited work for Eric Roberson, Conya Doss and D Maurice, is now available and her new album “Sun After The Reign” is in the works. Tracy has consistently produced relevant, touching, gorgeous sounds that can soothe any heart or soul, making her ballads and uptempo love songs a must-have soundtrack to any mood.
-Written by Hyacinth Hues
AWARDS & NOMINATIONS
-2023- NOMINATION - Intercontinental Music Awards - R&B (America)
-2023- International Singer Songwriter Awards (ISSA Awards) - FINALIST- “US Female Vocalist of the Year”, US ”Album of the Year”, “US Music Video of the Year”, and US Female Emerging Artist”
-2023- NOMINATION - Josie Music Awards - Artist of the Year (R&B/Soul)
-2022- WINNER - Josie Music Awards - Vocalist of the Year (R&B/Soul)
-2022- WINNER - Intercontinental Music Awards - (Best of North America in the R&B genre)
-2022- WINNER - One Earth Awards - “Best Jazz Song” GOLD
-2022 - WINNER - One Earth Awards - "Best Pop Song” SILVER
-2022 - WINNER- Lit Talent Awards -GOLD “Lit Music - Best Rhythm & Blues (R&B)
-2022- WINNER- Lit Talent Awards - GOLD “Lit Music- Best Female Vocalist”
-2022 - WINNER - Akademia Music Awards -Outstanding Legacy Award
-2022 - FINALIST - Intercontinental Music Awards - 2 nominations (Best of North America in the R&B genre) “Find A Way” and “So Into You”
-2022 - 3 NOMINATIONS - Josie Music Awards - Vocalist of the Year (R&B), Artist of the Year (R&B), Songwriter Achievement
--2022- NOMINATION - Akademia Awards “2022 Outstanding Legacy Award”
-2021 - UK Songwriting Contest-RnB category - FINALIST- 5 Stars
-2021- WINNER - Akademia Award Music Awards - Artist of the Year (R&B/Soul genre)
-2021- NOMINATION - Akademia Awards “2021 Artist of the Year Award"
-2021 -NOMINATION - Soultracks.com Readers’ Choice Awards “Female Vocalist of the Year”
-2021 - NOMINATION - Hollywood Music in Media Awards - R&B/Soul/Funk Category “Find A Way”
-2021 -WINNER - Intercontinental Music Awards - R&B category - Best of North America
- 2021 - NOMINATION - National Black Music Awards -Best Song
-2021 -NOMINATION - National Black Music Award - Best Female Performer
-2021 - WINNER - 5TH LDM Music Awards - R&B Category
-2021 -NOMINATION - Intercontinental Music Awards - R&B (America)
-2021 - WINNER - The Indie Songwriting Awards - Best R&B Song "Find A Way”
-2021- WINNER - The Indie Songwriting Awards - Best R&B Song "Your Love’s Everything”
-2021 - NOMINATION - LDM Music Awards - R&B category
- 2021 - FINALIST -World Songwriting Awards -Find A Way
-2021 - TOP 5 MONTHLY WINNER - International Singer Songwriters Association - Jazz Artist of the Month
-2021 -2 NOMINATIONS - Josie Music Awards - Female Vocalist of the Year (R&B/Soul) & Songwriters Achievement (Find A Way)
-2021 -NOMINATION - International Singer Songwriters Association “Jazz Artist of Month”
- 2021 -WINNER- Surrey Hills Soul Train Best of 2020 Awards- ‘’Best Female Artist”
-2021 -WINNER- International Singer Songwriters Association - Soul Artist of the Month”
-2021 - NOMINATION - Surrey Hills Soul Train Best of 2020 Awards
-2020 - WINNER - Bright Star Awards - Best International Artist
-2021 -NOMINATION - International Singer Songwriters Association “Soul Artist of the Month”
-2021 - WINNER- Akademia Awards “Best Song” in the R&B/Soul category for Your Love’s Everything
-2020 - WINNER - World Songwriting Awards - “Best Music Production” Wish I Could
- 2020 Bright Star Awards 2020 -NOMINATION- “Best International Artist”
-2020 Hollywood Music in Media - NOMINATION - Vocal (Female) Category “Your Love’s Everything”
-2020 - WINNER- Global Music Awards - Bronze Medal “Emerging Artist”
-2020 UK Songwriting Contest -SEMI-FINALIST - 3 Categories (Jazz, Love Song, RnB/Rap Categories) 5 Star Ratings
-2020 - WINNER - National BMA Black Music Awards - “Best Recorded Song”
2020- WINNER - BMA Black Music Awards - “Best Female Neo Soul Performer”
-2020 BMA Black Music Awards - NOMINATIONS (Nationals) - “Best Female Artist” and “Best Song”
- 2020 BMA Black Music Awards - NOMINATIONS (Bay Area) - “Best Female Vocalist”, “Best Female Neo Soul Perfomer”, “Best Recorded Song”, and “Best Female Live Performer”
2020- WINNER- ISSA Awards (presented by International Singer-Songwriters Association) - GOLD “Female Emerging Artist of the Year”
2020- WINNER - World Songwriting Awards - “Best R&B Song” My H3art Says to You
2020- Josie Music Awards - 3 NOMINATIONS - “Vocalist of the Year (Female)”, “Rising Star of the Year (Female)”, and Music Video of the Year “Losing in Love”.
2020- International Singer Songwriter Awards (ISSA Awards) - FINALIST- “US Female Vocalist of the Year”, US Female Rising Star”, “US Female Songwriter of the Year”, and US Female Emerging Artist”
2020- WINNER -World Songwriting Awards “Best R&B Song” (Keep Our Soul Alive)
2020- International Singer Songwriter Awards (ISSA Awards) - 5 NOMINATIONS - “US Entertainer of the Year”, “US Female Vocalist of the Year”, US Female Rising Star”, US Band of the Year”, US Female Songwriter of the Year”, US Female Emerging Artist”
2020 - World Songwriting Awards - FINALIST “Best Music Video” Losing in Love
2020- WINNER - 9Quota Art and Music Awards “Female R&B”
2020- 9 Quota Art and Music Awards - 4 NOMINATIONS - “Female R&B”, “Overall Artist”, “Music Video”, and “Overall Artist”
2019- WINNER - World Songwriting Awards - “Best Jazz Song” (Golden Soul)
2019- WINNER - Bay Area Black Music Awards -“People’s Choice”
2019 - Bay Area Black Music Award- 5 NOMINATIONS “Best Female Vocalist”, “Best Neo Soul Female Perfomer”, “Best Recorded Song”, “Best Female Jazz Vocalist”, and “Best Female Live Perfomer”
2019 -Soultracks.com Readers’ Choice Awards - NOMINATION “Female Vocalist of the Year'“
2019 - WINNER - Akademia Awards - “Best Song” in the Jazz category for “Golden Soul”
2019- WINNER - Akademia Awards - "Best Song" in the R&B/Soul category for "My H3art Says to You"
2019- WINNER- Gran Royale Music Awards - “Best Lyrics”
-2019 - WINNER -Gran Royale Music Awards “Non Sub Genre Soul Video”
2019 - Gran Royale Music Awards - 4 NOMINATIONS “Best Lyrics", "Best Performer", "Non Sub Genre Soul Video" and "Lyrics & Soul"
2019 - WINNER - Atlas Elite Entertainment Music Awards - “Golden Soul” *(Honorable mention)
2019- WINNER - Northern California Entertainers Music Awards - “Neo Soul Artist of the Year”
2018 - Soultracks.com Readers' Choice Awards – NOMINATION "Female Vocalist of the Year"
2018 - Northern California Entertainers Music Awards - 3 NOMINATIONS “People's Choice", "Female Entertainer of the Year", and "Neo Soul Artist of the Year”
2018 - WINNER- Bay Area Black Music Awards - “Best Jazz Performer Female of the Year”
2018 - Bay Area Black Music Awards - 6 NOMINATIONS “Best Female Vocalist”, “Best Female Jazz Vocalist”, “Best Recorded Song”, “Best Live Performer”, “Best Neo Soul Female”, and “Bay Area Entertainer of the Year”
2018 - WINNER - Gran Royale Music Awards - “Best R&B song” (“My H3art Says to You, Instrumentali-T version”)
2018 - WINNER - Gran Royale Music Awards - “Favorite Artist of the Year”
2018 - Gran Royale Music Awards - 3 NOMINATIONS "Album of the Year", "Best R&B Song", and "Fan Favorite"
2018 - WINNER - Atlas Elite Entertainment Music Awards - “Keep Our Soul Alive” (Honorable mention, 2018)
2018 - Hollywood Music in Media Awards – NOMINATED "Keep Our Soul Alive" in the R&B/Soul category
2017 - WINNER - Bay Area Black Music Awards - "Best Neo Soul Female”
2017 - Bay Area Black Music Awards – 7 NOMINATIONS "Bay Area Verge Award", "Best Recorded Song", "Best Female Vocalist", "Best Neo Soul Female", "Best Live Performer", "Bay Area Entertainer of the Year", and "Best Female R&B"
2017 - WINNER -Akademia Awards –"Best Song" in the R&B/Soul category for "Wish I Could"
2017 - WINNER - Akademia Awards “Best Song" in the R&B/Soul category" for "Losing in Love"
2017 - Hollywood Music in Media Awards – 3 NOMINATIONS "Losing in Love" in the R&B/Soul category, "Golden Soul" in the Vocal Performance category, and "My H3art Says to You" in the R&B/Soul category
2017 - Northern California Entertainers Awards - 2 NOMINATIONS "Female Neo Soul Artist of the Year" and "Female Entertainer of the Year"
2016 - Bay Area Black Music Awards – 8 NOMINATIONS "Best Female R&B", "Best Female Vocalist", "The Verge Award", "Bay Area Rising Star", "Best Urban Female", "Best Live Performance", "Best Female Live Performance", and “Best CD/Recorded Performance"
2016 - WINNER -Bay Area Black Music Awards "Best CD/Recorded Performance" (Universoul Symphony)
2016 - WINNER - Bay Area Black Music Awards "Bay Area Rising Star"
2016 - Northern California Entertainers Music Awards – 2 NOMINATIONS "Female Neo Soul Artist of the Year" and "Female Entertainer of the Year"
2014 - Hollywood Music in Media Awards – NOMINATED R&B/Soul category for the song "Love's Galaxy"
2013 - WINNER - Independent Network for the Music Arts Awards - "Best Song" (Joyful Rain)
2012 - MYX TV's Independent Music Search – ONE OF TOP 6 FINALISTS
2011 - Soultracks.com Readers' Choice Awards – NOMINATED "Female Vocalist of the Year"
2009 - Soultracks.com Readers' Choice Awards – NOMINATED "New Artist of the Year"
2008 - WINNER - Muse’s Muse Awards "Best R&B CD Project" ("Feel'osophy")
2008 - WINNER- Muse’s Muse Awards "Best Lyrics Female" ("Feel'osophy")
2008 WINNER - Muse’s Muse Awards "Best Single Female" (Nothing in this World) ("Feel'osophy")
Highlights
-#29 on iTunes Top 100 R&B/Soul songs (Poland, Let’s Go Back)
-#88 on iTunes Top 100 R&B/Soul songs (Switzerland, song Your Love’s Everything)
-New R&B/Soul single “Your Love’s Everything” on UK Soul Chart, Urban Influencer Urban Chart, Urban Influencer UK Urban Chart, Breaking Artists Chart, Global Soul Chart, The
Street Soul Chart (2020)
-Performed at Bump City Winery (owned by Roger Smith, keyboardist for the legendary group Tower of Power)
-Sang the National Anthem for San Francisco Giants Filpino Heritage Night
-Interviewed and performed on Sac & Co. (ABC 10)
-Opened for Pete Escovedo & Orchestra, Raheem Devaughn & Wes Felton (The Cross Rhodes), Moonchild, Barrington "Bo" Henderson (formerly of the Temptations), Moonchild, Bilal, Kenny Lattimore, Apl. de. Ap of the Black Eyed Peas, Keke Wyatt, Miki Howard, Derrick Hodge, Chrisette Michele, Christopher Williams, Sy Smith, Slim of 112, Mark de Clive-Lowe. Shared the stage with Ruby Ibarra, Deandre Brackensick, Jaguar Wright, Dee Dee Simon, Ledisi, and Martin Luther
-Collaborated with Grammy Award winner emcee Kanetic Source, former emcee of Ozomatli
-Collaborated with Grammy nominated producer Brandon Williams
-Featured on “Asian Pacific America” with Robert Handa on NBC Bay Area TV
-Performed at the legendary music venue Yoshi’s (Oakland, CA) seven times
-Performed at the world famous SF Jazz Center
-Performed at Undiscovered SF, San Jose Juneteenth, San Francisco Juneteenth, Berkeley Juneteenth, Vallejo Juneteenth, San Jose Jazz Summer After Hours, San Jose Jazz Festival, Yerba Buena Night, Pistahan, Pista Sa Nayon, MLK2017 Music Festival @ Yerba Buena Gardens Esplanade Stage (presented by KBLX 102.9 FM and NORCal MLK Foundation), Ninhomachi Street Fair
-Multiple features on Soultrain.com
Multiple features on Soultracks.com, Soulbounce.com, Grownfolksmusic.com
-Multiple features on the San Jose Mercury News
-“Universoul Symphony" on UK Soul Chart for 14 weeks
-Chosen by the Filipino American National Historical Society as one of the Filipino Americans that play a prominent role in the Santa Clara Valley
-Chosen to be a Supercuts Rock the Cut Ambassador
-Hosted MYX TV'S Top Ten Countdown
-Music featured on BBC Radio, Jazz FM, Solar Radio, Starpoint Radio
-Music videos "Joyful Rain" & "Love's Galaxy" aired on MYX TV -
-Featured on "World Musikahan" with Ryan Cayabyan (aired on ABS- CBN)
-Hosted MYX TV'S Top Ten Countdown
-Featured on "Balintang America" (The Filipino Channel, global channel)
Notable Venues
-Tempe Center for the Arts (Tempe, AZ)
-Chayz Lounge (Columbia, SC)
-Vitello’s Supperclub (Los Angeles)
-Beyu Caffe’ (Durham, NC)
-Rockwood Music Hall (New York, NY)
-Soul Village (Atlanta, GA)
-SF Jazz (San Francisco, CA)
-Mr. Tipples (San Francisco, CA)
-The Sound Room (Oakland, CA)
-Yoshi's Oakland
-Yoshi's San Francisco
-Bump City Winery (owned by Roger Smith of Tower of Power)
-California Maritime Academy (Vallejo, CA)
- The New Parish (Oakland, CA)
-Savanna Jazz Club (San Carlos)
-Black Cat (San Francisco, CA)
-Oracle Arena
-Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater
-San Jose Center for the Performing Arts
-Harlow's (Sacramento, CA)
-The Regency Ballroom (San Francisco, CA)
-Chronicle Pavilion (side stage)
-Le Petit Trianon Theater (San Jose, CA)
-San Jose Improv
-Fenix (San Rafael, CA)
-Fairmont Hotel (San Jose, CA)