Venissa's artistry stems from the necessity to express the many influences that have nourished her spirit as a Cuban America. She was born in Ithaca, NY and hails from a long line of Cuban artists. But it was her grandfather, Jacobo Ros Capabanca, a Cuban composer in her a lifelong passion for music.
Over time she has performed with a variety of Latin, jazz and world music groups. It was from the support and encouragement of this community that inspired Venissa to embark on the first of four visits to Cuba, where she conducted research and studied Afro-Cuban music.