Raíces | Roots Solo Album coming here soon!
Argentine-born Stewart (née Rodriguez-Rozic) embraces her roots with the Porteño accent that permeates the seven-song record. The all-Spanish album, featuring award-winning original songs plus two covers—from Cuba and Argentina, respectively—is close to her heart. Recorded at Bias Studios and co-produced with singer-songwriter and lead guitarist Kevin Dudley.
Songwriting Awards:
It Isn’t You-No Eres Tu
2019 MASC Vocal Jazz / Blues
Silver ©Kathleen Huber, Valeria Stewart and Graciela Valdez, BMI
Eres Mi Amor
2019 MASC Vocal Jazz / Blues
Honorable Mention
2025 Unsigned Only Music Awards / Latin Music
Semi-Finalist
Por Que
2021 JLSC
Weekly Winner ©V.Stewart
2021 MASC Vocal Jazz-Blues
Finalist ©Valeria Stewart, BMI
El Dia Mas Oscuro
2023 MASC Vocal Jazz/Blues
Honorable Mention ©Valeria Stewart and Kevin Dudley, BMI
Ensueños
2024 ISC Latin
Semifinalist ©Valeria Stewart, BMI
Of the five original songs, three explore separation and loss, delving into how a relationship can end in absence while leaving the cause a mystery. Two are love songs: Eres Mi Amor, a dedication to her husband of over 30 years, and Ensueños, a poem she originally wrote in English. The latter offers a fun twist on a fantasy or reverie about someone, posing the question: Is it true? Is it you?
The two covers on the album contribute to the themes of love and loss. Argentine lyricist Félix Luna once set out to find the girl he had met and fallen in love with as a teenager by writing for her one of the most beautiful zambas in Argentine folklore: Zamba de Usted. Veinte Años is a classic Cuban bolero, originally written by María Teresa Vera and Guillermina Aramburu. It is a deeply emotional song that expresses sorrow and nostalgia, asking how someone could forget a love that once meant everything.
Raices = Roots
Grassroots = Música de raíz
In music, “grassroots” typically refers to movements, artists, or scenes that grow from the bottom up—often starting in local communities, independent venues, or underground scenes rather than through major commercial or industry channels.