Biography

Rietta IS music...she lives and breathes it...Truly a voice that needs to be heard. - Kirk Pengilly, INXS An impressive sounding debut record from a global pop diva in the making, CUT ME LOOSE finds Rietta delivering a classy opening shot...a vocalist with the star quality to elevate her way above the competition. - ukmusicsearch.com [Rietta's] vocals...stand on their own merit, and the way they move from the sub-operatic down to a beautiful whisper has to be heard to be believed. - musicomh.com Up there with the likes of Joss Stone and Anastacia. - liveformusic.co.uk Originally from New Zealand, now based in London, Rietta Austin has performed around the globe. Her eagerly awaited debut album, "Cut Me Loose", released on Halo Records UK (produced by Mark Stevens - Gabrielle, Sugababes), has already sparked a lot of interest from the British music scene. Rietta is also about to release a worldwide single for Hedkandi. With a four-octave range, Rietta's vocal versatility is outstanding. As one of Australasia's leading vocalists, she is versed in anything from Jazz, Soul and RnB, to Pop and Rock. As well as fronting various bands down under Rietta has been a regular featured artist at the Harrah's Casinos worldwide and has also been seen at Ronnie Scott's & Dover Street Wine Bar in London. Last year Rietta appeared on the same bill as Bryan Adams at a concert in England, and this year Rietta recorded backing vocals for Dame Shirley Bassey's new single and performed live with her at Glastonbury Festival. Rietta headlined the O2 Arena Community Event on June 20th 2007 and recently opened in Russia for Johnny Gill and was support act for Joe Cocker in July in Moscow. The voice of numerous Australasian television and radio commercials, and the new voice of Virgin Soft Radio, Rietta has recorded with some of the industry's top names, including a charity song for the Australian Tsunami Relief Aid Project with INXS & Diesel. Rietta has recently completed backing vocals for Oscar Nominee Elizabeth McGovern's debut album. Rietta has done session work for Kirk Pengilly (INXS) and live work as backing vocalist for Jerry Harrison (Talking Heads). Other live and session work includes The Stylistics; Jon Stevens (Noise Works); Deni Hines (Rock Melons); Virgil Donati (Southern Sons) John Rowles; The Sound of the Supremes; The Jordanairs, D.J. Fontana, Pete Brown (writer for Cream) and Rodger Fox's "A Tribute to Frank Sinatra" at Sky City Theatre, Auckland NZ. Hedkandi, one of UK's biggest dance labels, debuted Rietta's singer/song writing talents when they released her song "Love Is On My Mind" with Dogsax on their Disco Heaven Album (01.04). The album charted at 25 and this has taken her to recording with various producers in countries such as Italy, Belgium, Germany and Denmark. By demand of DJ's & clubbers world wide, Hedkandi are about to re-release the 2007 version of the track as this year's big single. She has had two singles on the dance chart through Greendog Records; "Kiss My Ass" which charted No. 2 on Passion FM and No. 10 on House FM UK and "Don't Give Up" - her latest hit for Fearless Funk & Soul which is No. 5 on Naked Soul and features on Sky Digital Radio. A featured artist performing her own material at both the 1999 Edinburgh Festival and the 2000 Southill Arts Park Festival, Rietta was selected to represent New Zealand and lead the world into the New Millennium as the headliner in an internationally televised performance, in front of an audience of 30,000 people, before Dame Kiri Te Kanawa took over the new dawn celebrations. Rietta has also headlined at events such as New Zealand's Annual International Jazz & Soul In The Park, Australian Jazz & Funk Festivals held in Sydney and the Waiheke Jazz & Blues Festival. More recently she was seen singing at a French Music Festival in the South of France and as guest vocalist in Belgium with the international jazz funk fusion group Jazziz. As a singer songwriter, Rietta has released two original songs on the compilation album for Indigenous Funk Company - a selection of the premier NZ vocalists under the NZ Polynesian Label Tangata Records distributed by BMG. Rietta has also guested on various NZ and Australian albums including sporting extravaganzas for Whitbread Round The World Yachting, America's Cup and The NZ National Rugby and Netball teams. Upon the request of English director Andrew Anderson, Rietta was chosen from NZ to vocal coach on the television programme "Get Your Act Together". Rarely is an artist talented in so many of the art forms - these talents being utilized to their full capacity on this TV series as dancer, choreographer, vocalist and actor - all of which helped budding performers develop their art form. Rietta also vocal coaches signed artists for Universal in London. Musical theatre credits include the Australasian tour of "Jesus Christ Superstar" (Mary Magdalene cover and Dance Captain) and the Australasian tour of "Cats" as lead understudy performing the role of Grizabella fortnightly, as well as performing the role of Opera Cat, Tap Cat and Swing (dancer) when required and has also appeared in a Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra, Sky City Theatre Show. As a dancer Rietta is a registered teacher for the Los Angeles Dance Academy and received the highest mark in New Zealand for the year she sat her Advanced Diploma. She has been the director and teacher for her own schools in Australasia and a guest teacher for the Auckland Performing Arts School. Rietta has taught American Jazz worldwide and Open Jazz for the British Ballet Organisation (BBO). A talented actor in her own right, television credits include "Xena", "Shortland Street", "60 Minutes", "Jack of All Trades", “The Alan Titchmarsh Show” and “The Big Breakfast” UK.