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Elle Cordova

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Elle Cordova
Cordova performing in Minneapolis in 2018
Cordova performing in Minneapolis in 2018
Background information
Birth nameRachelle Cordova
Also known asReina del Cid
Born (1988-03-08) March 8, 1988 (age 36)
Fargo, North Dakota, U.S.
OriginMinneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • singer-songwriter
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • acoustic guitar
Years active2008–present
Websiteellecordova.com

Rachelle Cordova[1] (born March 8, 1988) known professionally as Elle Cordova and formerly as Reina del Cid,[2] is an American singer-songwriter and lead of the folk rock band Reina del Cid. She is also known for her online comedy sketches, rhyming spoken word poetry, and videos celebrating literature, space, technology and nerd culture.[3] She was formerly based in Minneapolis and is now based in Los Angeles.

Early life and education

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Cordova was born in Fargo, North Dakota, on March 8, 1988, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature from the University of Minnesota in 2010. After graduating from college, Cordova worked as an editorial assistant for University of Minnesota Press.

Career

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Cordova adopted the stage name "Reina del Cid" in 2007 for her YouTube channel as a reference to Spanish heroic literature: having nicknamed a guitar "El Cid" after the Castilian nobleman of the same name, she added the name "Reina" ("queen" in Spanish) to become "queen of my guitar."[4][5]

Reina del Cid in 2018

Alongside creative partner and lead guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Toni Lindgren, Cordova has released five full-length studio albums as Reina del Cid: blueprints, plans (credited to "Reina del Cid & the Cidizens") (2012); The Cooling (2015); Rerun City (2017); Morse Code (2019); and Candy Apple Red (2022). The Cooling and Rerun City were recorded at Pachyderm Studios.[6][7][8] Songs from The Cooling were featured on NPR[9] and Baeble Music.[10] Paste magazine featured her subsequent single release, "Death Cap", and its filmed-in-Iceland music video.[11]

She released Morse Code on October 4, 2019, with a concert at The Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis.[12]

Cordova and Lindgren moved to Los Angeles in early 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Their fifth studio album, Candy Apple Red, was released on April 28, 2022, with a concert at the Turf Club in St. Paul.[13]

In July 2023, Reina del Cid "reintroduced" herself as Elle Cordova to reflect new "songs and poems that feel more personal...than ever before."[14] As a self-professed "English major nerd with a penchant for sci-fi tv shows,"[15] the artist has released poems, skits, and songs on science, space, sci-fi, and literary themes, some set to hip-hop beats. She launched a YouTube channel under the new name. The Reina del Cid channel was renamed, first to "Sunday Mornings HQ" and then to "Elle & Toni", where Cordova and Lindgren continue to post weekly covers and originals. The band's new album will be an Elle Cordova release; previous material will retain the Reina del Cid moniker.[16][17]

In her April 2024 TED Talk, Cordova presented "Poetry and music that reaches across the digital void", performing her original song "Carl Sagan" and exploring social media and human connection.[18] TED presented her as a musician known for online comedy sketches, rhyming spoken word poetry, and videos celebrating literature, space, technology and nerd culture.[3]

As of October 2024, their YouTube channel had more than 450,000 subscribers; their 350-plus videos had a combined 131 million views.[19] They regularly release original and cover songs in their YouTube video series, Sunday Mornings, and frequently tour with singer-songwriters Joshua Lee Turner and Carson McKee.

Band members

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  • Elle Cordova – lead vocals and rhythm guitar
  • Toni Lindgren – lead guitar and backing vocals
  • Andrew Foreman – bass
  • Nate Babbs – drums
  • Zach Schmidt – drums (2014–2018)

Discography

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  • blueprints, plans – Released September 15, 2012 (Credited to Reina del Cid & the Cidizens)
  • The Cooling – Released June 16, 2015[20]
  • Rerun City – Released December 8, 2017[21]
  • Morse Code – Released October 4, 2019[22]
  • Candy Apple Red – Released April 28, 2022[23]

References

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  1. ^ Allow me to reintroduce myself, retrieved July 16, 2023
  2. ^ "Fargo native Reina del Cid, making an impact on Twin Cities music scene, comes home to play this weekend". inforum.com. February 5, 2013. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Elle Cordova / Writer, musician, comedian/ Personal profile". TED.com. April 2024. Archived from the original on December 26, 2024.
  4. ^ "It's her time to shine with popular band". Star Tribune. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
  5. ^ "Prairie Pulse 1306; Nelda Schrupp, Reina del Cid". Prairie Public. November 6, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2018 – via YouTube.
  6. ^ "From the Horse's Mouth: Reina del Cid on The Cooling". GhettoblasterMagazine.com. June 16, 2015. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
  7. ^ "How a Netflix 'X-Files' binge inspired Reina del Cid's new album". CityPages.com. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
  8. ^ "Reina del Cid Store". reinadelcid.bigcartel.com. Archived from the original on November 22, 2018.
  9. ^ Boilen, Bob (February 23, 2015). "10 Tiny Desk Contest Entries We Also Loved". NPR. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  10. ^ Bogart, Aviva (May 29, 2015). "'Sweet Annie' Is Everything Except Sweet". Baeblemusic.com. Archived from the original on September 30, 2016. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  11. ^ "Video Premiere: Reina del Cid – "Death Cap"". Paste. Archived from the original on October 2, 2019. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  12. ^ "Reina Del Cid Album Release Show with Carson McKee". www.thecedar.org. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  13. ^ "Reina del Cid Turf Club First Avenue". first-avenue.com. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  14. ^ "Hey all. Please allow me to reintroduce myself". instagram.com. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  15. ^ "Reina del Cid". Patron Hunt. March 4, 2023. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  16. ^ "Allow me to reintroduce myself". youtube.com. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  17. ^ Garro, Adrian (February 1, 2024). "Elle Cordova and Toni Lindgren: Q&A from The NAMM Show 2024". Rock Cellar Magazine. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  18. ^ Cordova, Elle (April 2024). "Poetry and music that reaches across the digital void". TED.com. Archived from the original on December 26, 2024.
  19. ^ "Reina del Cid". Retrieved July 15, 2023 – via YouTube.
  20. ^ The Cooling at AllMusic. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
  21. ^ Rerun City at AllMusic. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
  22. ^ Morse Code at AllMusic. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
  23. ^ Candy Apple Red at AllMusic. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Reina del Cid.


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