Razteria (also known as Renée Asteria Peñaloza) is a San Francisco Bay Area-based singer-songwriter and band whose eclectic, multilingual music moves freely between Latin grooves, reggae, rock, pop, alternative R&B, and global influences. Led by Asteria in close collaboration with guitarist-producer Dave Shul, the project combines expressive vocals, rhythmic depth, emotionally driven songwriting, and modern production with a distinctive throwback sensibility.
With multicultural roots in Bolivia, the Netherlands, and the United States, Asteria has developed a sound that resists easy categorization while embracing the connections between cultures and genres. Her music has been described through comparisons ranging from early No Doubt and Sade to Bomba Estéreo, H.E.R., Nathy Peluso, and Kali Uchis.
Razteria’s collaboration with Shul has shaped the project’s recent creative direction, including the alternative Latin album Tocar las Estrellas (2023) and the retro-rock album Prowess Blossoming (2024). Following a creative hibernation in 2025, Razteria returned in 2026 with an ambitious release schedule of two singles per month, which are set to lead into two full-length albums: the R&B-focused Reflections and a rock-leaning album. Recent releases include “Reflection of You,” a soulful and uplifting R&B ballad, and “Oscuro y Claro,” a dreamy, melancholic Latin pop-jazz track.
Razteria’s live incarnation expands the recorded project into a dynamic 6-piece band, with veteran musicians bringing its rhythmic and genre-spanning repertoire to the stage. The group has performed at venues and festivals including Ashkenaz, Brick & Mortar Music Hall, the Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival, Sonoma County Fair, Laurel StreetFair World Music Festival, Golden Gate Bandshell, Reggae on the River, Montreal Jazz Festival, WorldFest Los Angeles, and Northwest World Reggae Festival.
The project has also received recognition in songwriting and film, including the Grand Prize in the 2016 John Lennon Songwriting Contest for “Once Again,” an International Songwriting Competition semi-finalist placement for “Baila,” an ISC finalist placement for “Inspire Me,” and an official selection for the 2024 SF Film Festival’s Another Hole in the Head for the “Life Is Too Short” music video.