In the spring of 1999, 4 young ladies from Vallejo, California decided to embark on a journey to further their innate musical abilities and talents. Beginning as freshman in high school, Rachel, Caren, Steph, and Paula became the group 4 Corners. Each contributing their own unique musical fortes and personality traits, the girls had an act that would set them apart from the rest; beauty, intelligence, soul, and passion.
The group got their name from an old friend who constantly begged them to sing for her. She jokingly threatened the girls saying that if they did not sing for her, she would put each of them on time-out and make them sit in each of the four corners in the room. The name suited these ladies perfectly since a four sided figure geometrically serves as one of the strongest bases for mostly anything built upon it. With the strong base of friendship and the girls love for music, anything was feasible and could be overcome no matter what may lie ahead for the group in the future.
These ladies not only performed for local venues and events, but they also enhanced their musicianship through singing in a variety of choral ensembles, each of which has played an integral role in the dynamic of the group and each individual member. Through singing in their high schools Women’s Choir, Choristers, and Jazz Choir, the girls have been given the opportunity to not only share their talent locally, but nationally and internationally in which they have competed in a variety of choral festivals in Los Angeles, Reno, Mexico, Canada, London, and Carnegie Hall in New York, earning many first place awards and Outstanding Soloist recognitions. The girls were also admitted into the California State Regional Choir in November of 2003 in which they were invited to sing with some of the best choral singers in California.
The year of 2005 and 2006 brought along plenty of changes to the group. In June of 2005, 4 Corners attained new member Trina. She brought a new aspect to the group that no other member had to offer; her ability to compose and arrange songs. However, soon after 4 Corners unfortunately lost members Paula and Rachel, due to the high demands of school. Performing for a year as a trio, it was apparent that the group was missing the personal and musical support of a fourth member. In June 2006, the girls auditioned Cynthia, an old friend from their high school choir. Cynthia was the perfect fit in filling the void of the group by providing a fresh sound to the harmonies as well as a strong presence to the stage.
4 Corners continues to stand strong and grace stages with their immense rhythm and passion for music. Their soulful style roots from many of the inspirational and influential R&B female artists of the time such as En Vogue, Xscape, Destinys Child, Tamia, Deborah Cox, Alicia Keys, Erykah Badu, and Whitney Houston, as well as fellow Fil-Am Artists, IF, One Vo1ce, and Pinay. With their wide vocal ranges, soulful technique, hard hitting instrumental accompaniment and beats, urban style, and fun-loving personalities. Their blend speaks volumes of the ladies's individual natural talent, their collective experience, and their shared love of music (and each other ), which shines through performance after performance. The ladies keep one thing in mind, to sing what is most enjoyable and fun for them, in hopes that this joy come across in their performance and be used as tools of inspiration to singers and non-singers alike to find their life's joys and share them as well
*Melissa Cancio is currently filling in for permanent 4 Corners member, Cynthia Antonio, as Cyn furthers her education on the East Coast.
