The phrase that would sum up YOVANNI and his musical journey would be the one he used during his “Qool Music Awards” acceptance speech when winning in the Best R&B, Dance Music Artist nomination. “Never ever ever give up on your vision and blueprint God has designed for you”… said YOVANNI, as he claimed his golden mic award.
At the age of 6, YOVANNI moved to sunny Miami along with his mother Daisy and older brother Robert. As he grew up in the pop era of the 80’s and 90’s, and began his path as an aspiring young singer, a teacher at the prestigious New World School of the Arts heard him sing and agreed to give him free singing lessons during lunch breaks and YOVANNI, was soon accepted into the musical theatre program at NWSA where, he also graduated with top honors. During the humid summer of 1997, YOVANNI soon realized he wanted to tie his life to music. He started writing his own songs, recording demos with local musicians in his neighborhood and started singing in venues across Miami. YOVANNI wanted the world to hear his musical work, so the best place to start was the city of dreams, New York.
After finishing his studies at NWSA, the singer sold his car, kissed his mom goodbye and moved to the big city, with nothing more than a big musical dream in his pocket. He worked in various restaurants to make ends meet, while attending local open mics at night clubs in the East Village and making friends with established musicians who helped YOVANNI develop his musicianship and stage presence he has famously been known for worldwide.
“Every great artist has lived in NYC once in their life, and I knew at a young age that is where I needed to go in order to become a real musical artist.”.
Even after the singer was on the verge of being homeless after getting fired from a restaurant, he didn’t turn away from his dream and sang broadway and original songs in the NY subways to get enough money to go on more job interviews and auditions. The classic song “Lean On Me” by Bill Withers was one of the songs he sang for money in the tunnels of NY, that later won him a spot at the famous “Showtime at the Apollo” which was the classic American Idol talent show back in the day, and one of the toughest singing competition in Harlem.
By the fall of 1999, YOVANNI got gigs as a back up singer for heavy hitter Funk band TNP and also recorded backup vocals for other musicians before he fully concentrated on his own solo career.
YOVANNI started to release catchy, melodic pop, dance songs that got attention of DJ;s and dance music fans at dance clubs throughout the US and Europe. He has been named the “Modern Citizen” of the underground indie music scene. Dance club anthem remixes; “Hello”, “I Want You”, “Stay Away” and “Perfect Crime”, were massive underground hits with Dj’s from all over the world.
Today YOVANNI defines his genre of music as a stylish mix of R&B, Funk, Pop Rock with elements of electronica. The music scene has a wide mix of songs being released everyday but what makes the songs that YOVANNI writes and sings about is that they are truly a life story of a Man who trying to make it through another day in the jungle of life one song at a time.
