Rudy Calvo

Over the course of a career that has spanned over twenty-five years, Rudy Calvo has become one of the industries most sought after makeup artists. His prodigious talents have touched the faces of such notable celebrities as Halle Berry, Denzel Washington, Queen Latifah, Will Smith, Angela Basset, Garth Brooks, Natalie Cole, Chaka Khan and living legends Etta James, Eartha Kitt, Nancy Wilson and Gladys Knight among countless others.
“Make-up and art are based on similar principles. My canvas is the naked face on which I build color, creating shapes, shadows and illusions. For me, make-up and art are one and the same. It’s about creating a unique and very personal vision,” says Rudy Calvo, the Costa Rican-born make-up artist.
Calvo’s talent as a makeup wizard was first discovered by the “queen of rock and soul’, Patti LaBelle. Taking note of his unique abilities, Patti encouraged him to leave his exclusive position with Diane Von Furtstenberg Cosmetics to become her personal make-up artist. For several years, he toured the United States and Europe with her. The experience gave Calvo the knowledge and confidence to branch out on his own and devote his energies to building his career as a freelance make-up artist.
His work has appeared on numerous album and magazine covers such as Vogue, In Style, Vanity Fair, Allure, Elle, Italian Moda, People, Life, Us, Essence and Rolling Stone. Calvo has worked on a multitude of music videos and television shows. His work is featured in many periodicals including the popular Doubleday book “Beauty From The Inside Out.”
Calvo’s excellent reputation as the make-up artist to female vocalists is a natural outgrowth of his love for them. He is a passionate collector of vintage vinyl recordings, photographs, video clips, books and sheet music of such icons as Ethel Waters, Tina Turner and The Ikettes, Diana Ross and The Supremes, Josephine Baker and Patti LaBelle. LaBelle relied upon Calvo’s extensive knowledge of her career for her autobiography, “Don’t Block The Blessings.” As a result, Calvo helped provide a comprehensive discography and several rare photos that were incorporated into the book. Another discography that he was asked to help write was for the autobiography, “My Name Is Love," The Darlene Love Story. Currently he is working on his own book, “Songbirds”, in which he pays homage to the careers of many legendary female vocalists and will feature his unique makeup techniques.
What initially began as a hobby has mushroomed into a full-fledged archival service know as The Rudy Calvo Collection. He has been called upon to lend his collection to the A&E “Biography” series, Lifetime’s “Intimate Portrait” and BET’s “Journeys In Black with Patti LaBelle” on which he was also interviewed. Additionally he has worked on the British television special “Top Ten 60’s Soul” and has been seen on the BBC biography series “Black Legend” based on the life of Diana Ross, as well as appearing on another recent BBC special based on the legends of the dance world called “Queens of Disco” for which he also provided images from his vast collection.
His collection has become an invaluable resource for record labels such as MCA, Warner Bros., Hip-O, Ace, Brunswick, and Motown (A subject that he is considered an expert on); as well as writers, producers and recording artists researching material currently out of print. He has also been a US correspondent for the UK magazine “In The Basement” that is dedicated to real soul music. His collection has also been seen in books such as "Black Hollywood Tragedies" and “California Soul,” which was based on the music of African Americans in the west.
Today, Calvo views his career as a means of giving something back to those who are in need. For many years Calvo coordinated the hair and make-up staff for actress Sheryl Lee Ralph’s annual AIDS fundraiser, “Divas Simply Singing” and additionally for several years was the key head of the make-up and hair team for the annual star-studded APLA fundraiser “Commitment To Life”. As a result of his giving spirit and untiring service to people who are in need, he was the recipient of the 1999 James Tanioka Award by the Minority AIDS Project, as well as the 2005 Good Samaritan Award by MAP.
Calvo’s reputation and artistry has taken him to the far reaches of Europe, Latin America, Canada and Asia. The approach he takes to his work is a simple one. “Creation for me originates from within. There is a spiritual process involved whenever I apply make-up to a face. I listen to my inner voice and I am guided in the choice of colors. I not only want my clients to embrace the transformations which result from make-up artistry, but also to feel free enough to express their inner beauty to the world.”