Piano, choir, dance, and finally rap. Freddie Ross was born in New Orleans and was introduced to music at an early age. While Big Freedia was already well known locally at the beginning of the millennium, helping to bring culture back to the hurricane-ravaged city in 2005, she came to the attention of the rest of the United States at the turn of 2009 and 2010. The real breakthrough, however, came half a decade later when her voice was featured in Beyoncé’s now cult music video Formation. The singer also used her unique voice for the intro to her world tour. The collaboration between these musical personalities culminated in the Grammy-winning single Break My Soul. Big Freedia also appears on the hits Nice For What by Drake and Raising Hell by Kesha.
Big Freedia will bring to Ostrava not only her iconic voice and talent, which has earned her the title Queen of Bounce, but also a powerful message based on gospel music. The musician turned to gospel on her latest album, Pressing Onward. The album was inspired by a sad event, when Freedia’s long-time friend Devon Hurst succumbed to diabetes in the spring. The infectious energy admired by fans around the world will also be premiered in Dolní Vítkovice this summer in a unique combination. Viva la Queen Diva!