Meet Stells di Rossi | Artist, Musician, Humanitarian and Model

We had the good fortune of connecting with Stells di Rossi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stells, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?

For me music, creativity and art are an important part of life, humanity and society. Being creative be it modeling, composing, painting or even cooking is what makes the spice of life.

Artists are the dream weavers, story tellers and dream weavers that connect many walks of life in society. We recreate what feelings look, sound and feel like based on moments of inspiration that we immortalize.

These creative representations are what tell the story of humanity in all shades and hues of expression, weaving all of mankind together through our open sharing of personalized interpretation.

For me- that’s magical, magnetic and why I’m here as a creative bard.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

First and foremost we have to begin with music- I’ve been a musician more than 39 years. I come from a long line of entertainment professionals and big names in the R&B and Motown genre. What sets me apart is I chose rock and roll.

Despite symphonic beginnings and jazz blues roots I LOVED rock music.

Growing up in the 80’s, I questioned why there was never anyone like me to relate to musically. I found it funny that not one female woman of color was a hard rock artist.

As I grew into young adulthood breaking away from racial musical and social stereotypes and stigma I had to deal with what I realized was a “sundown creative scene”. Basically society felt it was important to remind me it was alright for me as a woman of color to sing blues or oldies but not rock on an unsolicited manner as if it were a back handed compliment. Literal creative racism as a form of socially segregative arrogance, misogyny and just engrained bad social stigma.

It’s quite interesting that the more I tried to perform as a woman of color, being plus sized and playing alternative rock music- the ugliest side of humanity revealed an unspoken undertow.

I received more racism, negative reviews, threats and it was apparent there was another layer to the stigma of women in the music industry just being sex symbols and/or eye candy singers- there were no black plus sized female rockers. There hasn’t really been many to complete leave the African American soul singer stereotype behind, and the few that are get little to no mention.

It’s  a boys club. I’m the big leagues as well as the minor club scene- it’s male dominated and pretty bias. Out of an entire creative global community I found that mathematically impossible. No black female punks, rockers or metal artist in the mainstream media getting press or support.

Everyone was underground sort of similar to the “negro leagues in baseball”- music is still segregated like the 50’s. Few people prove art has no pigment based style. Few challenged the way its always been- time for an uprising.

To this day they will mention pop stars, or people that kept up the stereotype but no one fully integrated and broke the glass ceiling, so I strive to make myself heard globally and change this commonly overlooked anomaly and started Method to the Madness in the early 2000’s in Guatemala.

Look at the charts, look at MTV, Rolling Stone and even Google the rarity of how many women of color or black female rockers, country singers, metal artists there are on earth and only 7 show up- the rest are pop stars, gospel singers, R&B divas and rappers.

How is it possible in this day and age of social evolution, segregative society being more accepting and integrated and feminism awareness is this possible? How can female fronted bands mostly  just be singers  and not instrumentalist and almost all of them are skinny- no shame in that. Especially with Sister Rossetta as a key influence to rock n rolls greats like Bowie, Hendrix, Cobain and Claptain?

So what’s unique about me or as I’ve been told time and time again is that not only do I make this question valid but prove it while attempting to break the segregative concept of powerful female figure in a rock band….makes me a unicorn. Rare.

I’m one of the first plus sized alternative female rock artists in the nation to achieve global streaming, touring, radio and press international that is sort of ignored by both black and white society for choosing to be me and not a pigment based cliche.

So we have people playing our stuff on the radio and streaming worldwide but a total lack the support from  our own community, state and region because of closeted racism and sexism.

So we declared war on a sundown music industry starting in ARIZONA. As I’ve done this it sparked a serious of echos where fairly completed female artist emerged but they still ignore the fact that it’s pretty odd.

The goal is to open people eyes to a sad industry practice that needs to die. Music has no pigment and your complexion should not dictate your culture, sound, appearance and expression and yet everyone loves to stereotype.

I want to change that.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

My best friend is my bassist! We love playing up north! Living in southern Arizona we tend to forget how amazing it is up there.

We recently toured a few places in between California, Southern and Northern Arizona and I have to say that Arizona is gorgeous! But here are my top 8 places to hang:

1. Bisbee, Az- it’s an art town. Need I say more.

2. Flagstaff, Az- it’s got a really chill vibe, great rooms and the Monte Vista and just friendly folks. It’s a college town that has not quite given into commercialism, I like that.

3. Cowtown- ok so there is a historical piece of land in southern Arizona near Tucson that was built to combat the negative past.

Apparently black cowboys were shunned and the land was purchased to be its own city for people of color and natives due to the racism back in the day. It recently had a 3 day festival event that was epic. It just puts into prospective to sometimes omitted past of towns like tombstone that often glorify the old west but aren’t as welcoming to everyone else that was apart of the history.

4. Tucson- no matter where I go in this state Tucson is HOME. On the up side it has become quite a city of gastronomy despite being so far from Phoenix.

Over the years I’ve come to enjoy quite a few staycations up near St Phillips plaza and the live outdoor music is worth it if you love to dance.

5. Lake Havasu – it’s freaking gorgeous. Literally feels like you’re in a painting seeing all the amazing scenery.

6. Mt. Lemmon- the views, the quante shops and the amazing trees. I love sitting out there playing guitar and escaping the city life when I can.

7. Alpine. Route 666 , yeah- I was shocked that was the name too. But it’s amazing up there. Trees, lakes, camping and a little bit of heaven. Sometimes the band goes out there to escape and write music or recharge.

8. Bitter Creek- this is private ranch we sometimes escape to. Nothing says rest and relaxation like escaping to the middle of no man’s land off the grid near the Arizona – New Mexico boarder. It’s a slice of heaven.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

All of my life many people have inspired me along the way- some good some bad. But despite the creative failures and success they all played a role in shaping who and where I am.

I would have to say my family and close friends have been my rock. Especially my son, my best friend, my husband, dear friends, and my creative team from THOR Media Productions.

With the love and support of my soul tribe my band Method to the Madness has music out streaming all over the world.

Because of the amazing support of my photography and cinematography teams and dear friends- we have music videos, content, social media on the next level.

The alliances and creative community we support that support us in return are truly beautiful souls I am grateful for.

Especially I want to thank Jesus Cheno, Danielle Skinner and Kosem for believing in me, kicking off and jump starting my modeling career and getting me in print as a published model!

The team at Babel-On Studios has been a blessing in itself to distribute via THOR Records  and support my global podcast THOR Radio.

There are so many people that support my creative aspirations around the world and give so much love it’s a blessing I am humbled by everyday.

Above all the fans, each and every person that relates to my paintings, music and projects – I appreciate you. So many people in this business often forget that the stage is a stage.

We do what we do as entertainers to reach the public, and without them- you’re basically creatively on an ego trip. An artist is here to share its talent, not it’s ego. And for that, I thank every person that bought merch, paintings, supported our live music and continues to watch our teams aspirations evolve. Thank you for keeping local and global art and music alive.

Website: Check Out Method to the Madness on ReverbNation! – http://www.reverbnation.com/open_graph/artist/7252146

Instagram: @getalittleloco

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/estella-di-rossi-92ab63132

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/getalittleloco

Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCFyi3GkGWVCdZlfoxDmI75w

Other: Thor Media Productions Instagram: @thormediaproducrions Facebook: @thormediaproductions

Image Credits
THOR MEDIA PRODUCTIONS