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WHO IS ZACARDI CORTEZ

One of the most talked about voices in gospel music today belongs to

25-year-old singer, Zacardi Cortez. Over the last half dozen years,

Cortez’ big voice and spine-tingling vocal gymnastics have distinguished

James Fortune & FIYA’s radio smashes “I Believe” and “The Blood,” and

made

him one of the most sought-after singers in the business today for concerts

and work in touring musical plays in this age of auto-tune stars. Now, he’s

stepping into the spotlight with his own Top Ten radio smash, “One More

Time,”

a rousing duet with his mentor, Pastor John P. Kee.

 

Born September 17, 1985 in Houston, TX, Cortez hails from a singing family

of faith. He began singing at the age of five in church and worked the Texas

gospel circuit with his family, The Cortez Singers. Later on, John P. Kee,

adopted him as a spiritual son and began mentoring him. For a while,

Cortez sang with Kee’s V.I.P. Mass Choir and sang a solo on the CD, Live

at the Fellowship, in 2001. He later made guest shots on recordings by

Kurt Carr, Bishop Paul S. Morton and Pastor Gregg Patrick & the Bridge

Project.

 

Then, circa 2006,Blacksmoke Media Worldwide CEO, Kerry Douglas,

discovered Cortez and recruited him to sing the lead single, The Blood,”

from James Fortune’s sophomore CD, The Transformation. The traditional

styled song was a showcase for Cortez’ vast vocal range and gave Fortune

his first Top 20 national radio hit. He has since recorded on all of Fortune’s

subsequent CDs. His volcanic vocals, alongside those of Shawn McLemore 

ushered Fortune’s track “I Believe” to #1 on Billboard’s Hot Gospel Songs

chart for 14 weeks and earned them coveted TV performances on BET’s

“Celebration of Gospel” and BET’s “Sunday Best” programs.

 

All of the buzz about Cortez’ old school vocal acrobatics have earned him

celebrity fans ranging from soul singer John Legend to Le’Andria Johnson.

On May 22, 2012, Blacksmoke Media Worldwide will debut Cortez’s CD

debut, Zacardi Cortez: The Introduction. The first single, “One More Time,”

is currently #5 on Billboard’s gospel chart. The set features both new and

old school gospel tracks with cameos by Donnie McClurkin, Lalah Hathaway

and Kierra Sheard “Zacardi is one of the best singers on this planet,” says

Douglas. “When people hear this album, they will understand why Zacardi

is gospel’s next big superstar.”