DAVINA and the VAGABONDS
Cincy Streets and ProudCheorkee Productions are very honored to have this National and International Artist on the blog. Please enjoy reading about the amazingly talented Davina Lozier with Davina and the Vagabonds
You may have seen Davina and the Vagabonds on the Bluegrass Underground television show. She performed the hit song, "I'd Rather Go Blind," by the legendary Etta James, seen here in this video.
Davina received a standing ovation, which came to be a surprise to the gracious singer. The performance brought her, and the band, much deserved recognition, which, in my opinion, was long overdue. 
Her love of music began instantly, she said, "I have always been a sponge with music. I really started to understand through a lot of the English blues; Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, and then listened to who they were influenced by. Then I understood why there were doing what they did. I started listening to Little Walter, Muddy Waters (who is my favorite). That lead me into the love of Soul music and even more."
I asked her, when did you know you wanted to be a singer? She replied, "For as long as I can remember." She explains, "My first audience show was during my lunch period in second grade. I got up in front of the whole school and sang. My first paid gig was at a coffee house when I was 16 years old."
Davina has been compared to legendary singers Amy Whinehouse, Etta James, and Janis Joplin. She has an enticing grit in her voice, and tones ranging from low to high. She is a powerhouse without a doubt.
Davina is a survivor of family and personal struggles. Through no fault of her own, she was forced to become an adult at an early age. After a decade of what seemed to be a dark time for her, she made the conscious decision to move to Minnesota and rebuild her life. Her incredibly strong will, her faithful beliefs in God, and her gifted talents, are the miracles that have saved her life and helped her share her talents with the world. She is truly an inspiration and a spiritual fighter.
Behind the scenes, Davina is an extremely friendly, caring and humble soul. On stage, shines her bravery, adventurous and daring nature. She is not afraid to express her emotions through her music. She truly sings with everything she's got.
I asked her what inspired her singing and music, she genuinely replied, "My heart. The situations around me. The ability to be truthfully who I am." 
When talking about why she chose the blues, she says, "It gets me through life. I'm not just a blues singer though. I was born with a broken heart, people say, but you can find those in many different blues based genres." 
Davina works extremely hard, not only as the singer, but also as the Band Leader. She shares, "The business is very stressful. It's really dog-eat-dog. It's a man's world, I have to keep it altogether. I keep four people employed full time, that is their job. I pay them every week, the same thing, whether they work or not. And so that puts a lot of pressure on me. I'm the one that does all the road management and all of the flight buying. I'm a perfectionist. I'm really a Type A. Socially, I get anxiety, especially with the Vagabonds. Because there's a fine line of friendship and I want to treat them right." - Excerpt from The Current Radio Station 89.3, in Minnesota.
She is passionate not only about her music, but for her band members, and her fans. They have traveled North America, as well as parts of Europe. They have been invited multiple times to appear at popular events.
Davina has shared the stage with Legendary Buddy Guy, Little Feat, Elvin Bishop, The Lamont Cranston Band, The Blues Brothers, Joe Bonamassa, Irma Thomas, James Hunter and many more. Davina and the Vagabonds have played numerous venues and festivals including the House of Blues in Atlantic City, the Bayfront Blues Festival, Edinburgh Festival, and the list goes on. When asked what her most memorable places to perform she smiles and says, "So many, it's hard to pick one. Monterey Jazz Festival, Bluegrass Underground stick out."
Davina and the Vagabonds recently headlined at the popular Cincy Blues Fest, hosted by the Cincy Blues Society. 
Davina told the crowd that this was on her Bucket List. She shares, "It's just been on my bucket list for years. Being from Pennsylvania, there is a certain feel to Cincy. Work hard, play hard, blue collar cities are my favorite. The Queen City here has that beautiful balance. "
After a long day in the sun, traveling and playing for her fans, she stayed for a meet and greet, signing CDs and memorabilia.
From morning 'til night, she is smiling and genuinely kind. She doesn't show how tired she must be from all her hard work. Davina is ever so humble. Which is what makes her even more lovable, as a musician and as a human being. She never takes anything for granted.
Davina is not afraid to be open and share her feelings. Her music is unique but also has a New Orleans feel to it. She expresses, "I love this new genre way of approaching music our younger generation has. I'm not a blues purist, which is a common factor in the blues scene. I'm just grateful that older music, in general, is finding its way to newer generations." Her ability to "let go" on stage comes from her inner strength. Davina explains, "It's the only place I can take advantage of it or I might explode if I don't."
Her advice to the younger generation: " Feel it, listen to it, pick songs you can relate to. It
takes a bit of time to get the feel of blues. It's not necessarily just the
chords… but it's being able to convey what the feel is and the story behind it
that is the most important."
To find out more about DAVINA and the VAGABONDS click the links below:
Thank you Davina, and the Vagabonds, for being on Cincystreets!
And to the readers, as always, thanks for reading!
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