RIA BELINDA - SINGER FROM ‘WOMAN E’

Ria and her band-mate Uwe (pronounced ooover) make up ‘Woman E’. Last week they released they’re 3rd single ‘Desire’.

Ria & I met at 16 when we attended The Arts Educational School in London. I was always the new girl growing up and hated school, but there was something different about “Arts Ed”. All the students were quite unique and seemed to accept each-other for all they’re idiosyncrasies. I’d never experienced that at the other schools I’d been to (by this time I’d already been to about 5). On my first day I saw Ria hanging outside the entrance with three girls and a guy. They we’re all completely individual and different to one another but they had all been friend’s for years (and still are to this day). They were always joking about and having fun around the school. I knew straight away whether they liked it or not I was gonna become friends with them. 

Ria was always confident and comfortable in her own skin and had a very unique style. She would come to school in a different pair of ‘Buffalo platforms’ everyday. Usually paired with some plaid trousers, a crazy neon top and some daring haircut. None of us would’ve been able to wear these clothes but Ria managed to pull off an original ensemble everyday.

Everyone thought Ria had one of the best voices in school. One day some people from the National Youth Music Theatre came in to Audition students for a musical production of ‘The Wizard of Oz’. Ria ended up landing the part of Dorothy. But this Dorothy wasn’t some girl with braids, a blue dress and perfectly placed freckles. Ria totally rocked a modern day version of the character wearing grey cargo pants, a plaid patterned t-shirt and even wore some custom made red and grey light up Buffalo’s for the part! She was definitely the most stylish Dorothy that’s ever been portrayed. Ria then dropped out of school because she landed a TV role in ‘The Last of the Blonde Bombshells’ with Dame Judi Dench.

Shortly after, Ria met Uwe (who is originally from Germany) and they started an Indie band together. 

When we we’re both done with our day Ria would come to my house, sit in my room and play me the tracks she’d just recorded and ask me my opinion on them. I was always very enthusiastic about her music. I STILL have those tracks in my iTunes library now. I went to every gig Ria and Uwe played in London where Ria would turn into a completely different person on stage. She would get lost in the music and the song and was so natural and comfortable. She literally didn’t give a fuck and it would amaze me that she had this ‘other person’ inside her. I would always get such a buzz watching her…this was the same girl who hung out in my room acting like a goofball, now she’s up there being totally cool.  

Once, Ria asked me to go with her for moral support to a meeting to discuss her first photo shoot for i-D MAGAZINE! We we’re two young teenagers sitting in Uwe’s apartment with this huge stylist and fashion director of i-D Magazine ‘EDWARD ENNINFUL’. He had styled people like Naomi Campbell & Kate Moss and now he was gonna style Ria. I remember we we’re just sitting there in silence while they we’re all discussing the photo-shoot thinking ‘What the fuck is going on…. these people are way older, cooler & fashionable than us’.

Anyway lots of years later Ria and Uwe are still together and ‘Woman E’s album will be out at the end of the year.

Click on link below to check ‘Woman E’s’ new single ‘Desire’: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNZ69_2TxKg&feature=related

TAO RUSPOLI - PHOTOGRAPHER, DIRECTOR