Arianne The Creole Cutie is a sultry and soulful singer with southern charm. She is destined to be a phenomenal force in the

R&B/Pop music industry. Born and raised in New Orleans, her strong cultural roots are at the center of Arianne’s sound.

Arianne first discovered her talent in her church choir. From there, she began entering several talent shows throughout the greater New Orleans area. Arianne also had a passion for musicals, and was a cast member of the New Orleans Recreational Department’s (NORD) Theater for much of her adolescence. One of Arianne’s most memorable moments came in 1998 when she won a karaoke contest on the nationally syndicated late night talk show, VIBE TV, with host Sinbad.

An educator, her mother encouraged Arianne to finish her academics before pursuing her dream of making it to the big stage. While in school, Arianne played volleyball, was a member of the flag team, and her high school’s choir. In 2002, that same choir was invited to sing at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York City. Her mother also taught her the importance of hard work and independence; she maintained 3 jobs throughout her college career. My motto is: Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle’ by Abraham Lincoln. I’ve never been the type to prosper by a hand out.

In 2004, still focused on both music and education, Arianne relocated to nearby Baton Rouge and earned a degree in Meteorology and Disaster Science Management from Louisiana State University. She currently is employed with the State of Louisiana Governor's Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness as an Exercise Officer. In the past seven years Arianne has become a household name among other prestigious local artists. She has performed alongside many , and is a regular featured artist with the phenomenal brass band, the Michael Foster Project.

2009 was a successful year for Arianne, as she teamed up with nationally known physician, promoter, and activist Dr. Rani "Tha Hip Hop Doc" Whitfield to form the band, U4ria. The cover band's fan base has grown very quickly, performing at night clubs, ballrooms, outdoor festivals, private functions, and now opening up for major acts like Chrisette Michele and Mint Condition in February and March 2010.

In addition to her time spent performing with U4ria in 2009, Arianne also focused on her debut album, and recorded her first major video for her single, Invincible.

2010 brought more shine to Arianne's already beaming light. She premiered her video for Invincible, and has been in the studio recording her debut album. U4ria has become one of the most sought after cover bands in Southeast Louisiana and has stretched as far east as Chattanooga, TN and as far west as Dallas, TX.

Arianne credits her sound to a variety of legendary artists, including Lena Horne, Etta James, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, and Alicia Keys.

Arianne is honored to be a part of the U4ria family, and is very optimistic about the future. They call me the leader, the boss’ cause I keep everything together, but really I’m just organized laughs Arianne when asked her role in the band. Yeah, I can sing and all, but it’s the band that makes me sound amazing. These past years have been such a blessing, these men have become my big brothers! I love them to death!

Cliff

When you have a passion for something, it shows in everything you do, it radiates from every pore of your skin, and there’s no better person to express that feeling than Clifford Ray Wilbert. This Baton Rouge native has been exposed to music through family and linked to various musical instruments starting at a young age. Ray began with the drums in the fifth grade and followed with the saxophone in the sixth grade. It was in learning the sax that Ray discovered his passion for music.

That passion followed him into highschool, where he started to dabble with the piano. While attending Capital High School in Baton Rouge Ray marched in the band. He enjoyed marching, but Ray’s true test came at his graduation. The choir director was in an accident and was unable to play, so Ray was asked to step to the piano and save the day. As nervous as he was, he gave a superb performance at his graduation. That day solidified his love for music, specifically the piano.

Ray went on to major in music at Southern University and continued his love affair with the piano. When asked about why he chose the piano, he said the piano is so expressive; the harmonies that can be made can make you laugh and cry at the same time, it’s like the soul of the band!

Today, Ray is employed by Exel Logistics as a rail coordinator, and he currently plays for two churches: Mount Calvary Baptist and New Prospect Missionary Baptist. Ray’s favorite quote is In failing to prepare you are preparing to fail, and with studying such greats as Gospel star Fred Hammond, Ray has truly taken his passion and prepared himself for a lifelong love of music.

Merrel

Most young boys dream of becoming a policeman or fireman when they grow up, but not Merrel Porche Jr. this born and raised Baton Rouge man has always been a fan of music, and dreamed of playing the drums. In fact, his passion for music was so intense that he taught himself the art of percussion at the age of 7. Young Merrel realized he had a talent, and chose to perfect his craft. He started performing locally at the age of 10, and has since continued performing with various bands.

As Merrel grew older he also gained a passion for Architecture. He attended Southern University where he earned a degree in Civil Engineering. He then continued his education and earned his Masters in Structural Engineering from the University of Texas. Today, Merrel is the founder and owner of the MAP Group, Inc; A Civil Engineering, Residential and Commercial Design Firm in Baton Rouge, La.

Running his own business is challenging enough, but Merrel’s passion for music fuels his drive to continue playing. He has developed his playing style over the years with mentor and teacher, Troy Davis, a professional jazz drummer. Merrel has also studied various drummers such as Stewart Copeland, Larry Blackman, Shelia E., John Blackwell, and Art Blakey. He has been honored to have had the opportunity to perform with many artists, including Roland Guerin.

Merrel’s style is one of cool Funk, Jazz, and Reggae, which fits in well with U4ria’s wide range of music. He is the laid back, go with the flow character of the family, who doesn’t mind not always being seen. In reality, he is the heartbeat of the band, which controls the rhythm and pace of U4ria’s soul.

Doc. Rani Whitfield is a passionate board certified Family Practice and Sports Medicine Physician who uses hip-hop mediums to deliver health messages to youth across the country.

He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians; has his Certificate of Added Certification in Sports Medicine; a member of Mayor Kip Holden's HIV/AIDS Task Force, and the Louisiana Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. He has been featured in Ebony, is a regular contributor to All Hip Hop, Ebony/Jet.com, EUR Web, and other online and print media.

Dr. Whitfield advocates increasing awareness of those health related issues that affect African Americans. He has toured with Tavis Smiley; represented the American Stroke Association with the late Yolanda King and BeBe Winans; has been a featured guest on I-Village with stroke survivor Mark McEwen; and appeared on The Michael Baisden Show and the Tom Joyner Morning Show. Dr. Whitfield further disseminates his messages in several books and other prints; including his series of comic books for children. He has been labeled the Hip Hop Doc© as he uses hip hop music as an avenue to educate teens and young adults on health issues. He collaborated with up and coming Hip-Hop artist, DEE-1 to produce a cd of inspirational songs for today’s youth, entitled State of Emergency.

Rani’s passion for music drove him to teach himself on bass, with some instruction from friends Eric Johnson, Harry Anderson, and fellow band member, Sean Griffin in the Baton Rouge area. Although he is a work in progress when it comes to bass, he loves the instrument and his role in the band. While most bass players are laid back and cool, Rani is not afraid to rap or sing if needed. Rani has been on the music scene for many years and has played with bands such as Code Blue, Full Circle, and Black Ice. The highlight of his musical career was his participation in the Gerald Veasley Bass Boot Camp where he was honored to meet Victor Wooten, Adam Nitti, Bakithi Kumalo and Gerald Veasley himself.

Rani’s bass influences include Jaco Pastorius, Victor Wooten, and James Jamerson to name a few. Musical Influences include: Prince, Bob Marley, Michael Jackson, Jay Z, TuPac, Billie Holiday, and Elton John ,again to name a few. Rani’s motto that he lives daily is There’s always a right time to do the right thing.

Sean Griffin is an incredibly talented guitarist that has had a love affair with music since he can remember. Sean was exposed to various types of music at a young age. His mother loved all genres of music, and always had something playing around the house. Music was all around him, and Sean took notice. His mother may not have realized it, but she was planting a seed that would grow taller than anything imaginable. Sean dove into music head first. He watched as his uncles, cousins, and his older brother dabbled in music styles with various instruments like the double bass, the piano, and the guitar. I wanted to do everything I saw them do more explains Sean; and that’s exactly what he did. Being independent, he taught himself how to play many instruments, including his beloved guitar.

Sean’s talents are vast and he definitely uses them! He writes and produces his own music; and also writes and performs poetry that is set to original music. Still branching out, Sean has also produced music for numerous plays and commercial spots. You may have sung his commercial jingles a time or two!

Although music is his first love, Sean is also a huge fan of photography, this eventually lead him to start his own business in that field. Photography has granted him several opportunities including leading him into the film industry where he has worked in front of and behind the camera. He has shot many nationally and locally known celebrities and continues to make yet another name for himself; in this case, an excellent photographer.

Currently, Sean is working in the petro-chemical industry, but no matter what he does or how far he may stray, his natural love of music always turns him back; U4ria is no different. As the guitarist of the band, Sean adds flavor to the band’s sound with his harmonic strings. He also helps arrange the music for U4ria. Sean is excited about the band and cannot wait for what is in store.

Sean’s musical inclination is influenced by mostly 70’s/80’s music, jazz, R&B, rock, and blues. He has worked with several local and national artists. His most monumental memorable moment came in 2002, when Sean was invited to play during a sound check with phenomenal guitarist and artist, Prince, at the Saenger Theater in New Orleans. That experience backs Sean’s love for music every day.

Sean’s favorite quote that he lives by daily is: Do what you wanna do as long as you don’t hurt anybody