Bella Dose are a beautiful blend of Latinx cultures that are woven together seamlessly to deliver a melodic sound all their own. Melany Rivera, 23, Brianna Leah, 19, Jennifer (Jenni) Hernandez, 24, and Thais Rodriguez, 23, make up this dynamic bilingual Latin girl group, with roots in Puerto Rico, Colombia, Chile, Cuba, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic. The representation Bella Dose brings is intentional. These young women are on a mission to show the world that Latinx representation in music means honoring their cultural roots through the music and lyrics they bring to the world centerstage.
“I’d say this is the year for Latinas. Just all different cultures,” says Hernandez, who is Dominicana and from Perth Amboy, NJ. “It feels great to see the world accept all the Latin cultures and all the different types of music that come from being Latino, like bachata, merengue, dembow, and reggaeton. I feel like we have a lot to offer to the world, and it feels great to put out that music and put out our culture.”
Leah is also Dominicana but grew up in Los Angeles. Representing Florida, Rodriguez is Cuban Honduran and from Pembroke Pines, and Rivera is Puerto Rican, Colombian, and Chilean and from Hollywood.
While they hail from different parts of the United States, they share a love for music, dancing, and singing. Their journeys came full circle in 2017 when Bella Dose was formed and one by one the members of the group came together, which for Rodriguez and Rivera meant a reunion.
When They First Met
“It’s funny because Rodriguez and Rivera joined the group, and they were friends prior to the group. But they had no idea they were going to be in the group together,” Leah shares.
Rivera arrived first to meet Leah and Hernandez, but Rodriguez was still en route and was denied seeing a picture of the other members when she asked the group’s manager, Victor.
“So, Thais had no idea that Melany was going to be in the group, and Melany was like, ‘Oh, my God, we were best friends when we were 9,'” Leah says.
Rodriguez recalls how excited she was when she finally saw Rivera at the airport and shares how the stars aligned with the other members as well.
“We were all connected in some way, shape, or form,” she says. “My vocal coach was her sister’s vocal coach [points at Leah], we [Rivera] were friends when we were really little, me and Jenni in the dance world, and Jenni and Melany did a gig together.”
Leah felt their chemistry as well. “Automatically as we joined the group, we became very close friends and had this instant connection of friendship,” she says. “We all knew we were going to be best friends.”
The Magic of Sisterhood
Their sisterhood can be heard in the intoxicating harmonies they share on social media. These girls don’t play! Their beauty comes with raw talent, ambition, hard work, and dedication to their craft. Bella Dose is a girl group made up of real musicians, trained dancers, and killer vocalists.
“We want to bring music back,” Rodriguez says. “We want people to realize, OK, they’re talented, they do their own treatments, they write their own music in English and Spanish. We just want to be the whole package.”
Hernandez has a hidden talent that may be surprising: “I used to play the french horn in middle school, and I just picked it up again not that long ago. I know how to play french horn pretty well. Like, if you pass me a french horn, I can play a song for you.”
While Bella Dose have yet to tap into Hernandez’s french horn skills, it wouldn’t be surprising if that were in their future. But she’s not the only one who has talents unaware to many. Rivera was in Paris Vogue when she was just 11 years old, and to say she was at the right place at the right time would be an understatement.
“I’ve never really told the story about it,” she says. “I was in a very prestigious ballet dance studio, and I was dressed in this colorful outfit. Bruce Weber, one of the most known photographers, came in to buy ballet clothing for a Vogue segment he was taking pictures for.”
As she exited the bathroom, her colorful attire caught the eye of Weber, who said, “You look really cool. You want to be in my photo shoot?” Rivera recalls.
Her mother agreed to the photo shoot since Rivera was already missing a day of school, but neither of them really knew what they were getting themselves into.
“I was being dressed in Valentino and crazy brands, so it was really fun,” she says.
Bella Dose, Dreaming Big
It was just the start of an exciting journey she was set to embark on with three other young, talented Latinas, who would become her best friends. Now, Bella Dose are living the dream, making music, shooting videos, and leveling up their game in any way they can.
Their recent single “Mírame” follows the release of their 2021 debut EP. The post-breakup dance song is a mix of Latin rhythm and dembow, a Dominican musical genre. In fact, the group recorded the Wild West-themed music video in Higüey, Dominican Republic. With more than 500,000 YouTube views to date, the video has proven to be just as hot as the group delivering the empowering track. They’re being heard and absolutely being noticed. Bella Dose currently have three million TikTok followers.
But the pressure to be the best is real, so they have go-to routines that help bring them mental clarity and balance and prioritize their well-being.
“Writing music is my go-to thing,” Leah says. “That is my everything. Every day in my notes, I write a concept or something. Someone says a cool phrase, and I’m like, ‘That could be a song title.'”
Hernandez relies on prayer and dancing to shift her energy, and Rivera writes poetry when she needs a mental reset.
“It’s OK sometimes to feel overwhelmed, and just acknowledge those feelings that you have,” Rodriguez says. “I have to take a self-care hour or two sometimes where I’m like, OK, I’m going to sit in the shower and just reflect and be grateful and give gratitude and thanks to God.”
Being on top of their mental wellness helps keep them on top of their music game and where they’re heading next. As the journey continues to get bigger and bigger, and Bella Dose reach new heights, they remain grounded in gratitude while setting their sights higher and higher.
“Madison Square Garden!” Hernandez says. “When we perform there, I’m going to be crying!”
Leah clarifies that they’re dreaming big, meaning a Bella Dose headline show at MSG. And they can all agree that an Arianna Grande collab would be reaching a peak in their musical careers, as well as performing in a dream location like Japan.
Image Source: whoisfear