*“My debut was 10 years ago, it became pretty successful reaching the Top 40’s,” said Poland born Jazz vocalist Yola Nash about her debut album “Another Girl,” which garnered a Billboard #1 single “I Wanna Be Loved By You.” Currently Nash is promoting her sophomore album “Touched By Love” (YoStar).
Yola explained that the independent label she was on wanted to do too much changing, especially with her award winning musicians. She credits two people for this album, her musical director/pianist that gave her the idea for the album, and a poet who encouraged her through the label ordeal that had her on hold for three years. She also dedicated this album to her mother Danusia who encouraged and supported her since birth to follow her dreams to success.
“Touched By Love” was produced by Yola Nash in partnership with Grammy winning Jazz pianist Edsel Gomez (Dee Dee Bridgewater) – her music director.
“The project is not regular and it’s a miracle. I had so many obstacles that most people would have given up,” Yola pointed out.
Yola is a miracle. She relocated to New York from Poland, not speaking English. She earned a Bachelors degree in Nursing and in Fine Arts, and has a Masters in Psychology. For someone coming to a country not knowing the language, Yola not only learned the language, but mastered it. She went on to become a highly successful radio talk show host on “The Yola Nash Show” at WABC Radio. It’s a celebrity driven radio show where she has interviewed such icons as Billie Joel, William Shatner, Kevin Bacon, Christ Botti and Melissa Etheridge – to name a few.
“I was interviewing Chris Botti…He said, ‘Show what you got…and let it be’,” she said about launching her vocal recording career.
“I was 5 years old,” she said when I asked when her family knew she was musically inclined. “We are born with certain qualities or tastes. No one told me to love Jazz or R&B. I had a friend who had a mandolin. She would play and I would make a microphone from a rope. I would sing to the forest. My music teacher in elementary school encouraged me. In high school a teacher trained my voice for free. He had me in vocal contests and I was winning. This made me move forward.”
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Yola Nash’s sophomore album “Touched By Love” also features Grammy winning percussionist Luisito Quintero, pianist Dr. Octavio Vazquez, guitarist Graham Keir, bassist Dave Baron, and Grammy nominated accordionist Alex Meixner. Nash wrote all the songs on the album except one, “Dance With Me” which was penned by poet Fella Cederbaum. Her vocal career includes singing for Pope John Paul II, as the first Polish-American to perform with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra – overseen by musical director Wynton Marsalis, and at New York’s Fashion Week.
Speaking in perfect English, Yola said, “You know it’s like supper important to over come that challenge (learning English). I came to American after my Masters degree. I had no friends or connections. My mother she’s been my foundation. I knew a few words…I’m still learning English everyday!”
Yola Nash is also mentioned in the Guinness Book of World Records for a graphic designed she created for the “Anne Frank” play, as the biggest theatre poster in the world.
“It was a graphic design made on the computer,” she informed me. “I work for a company that makes original art work for plays and musicals. The Anne Frank Foundation had a competition…many competed. I was awarded (the job), it took 5 months. When I was designing it, they never told me they were going to print it so big!”
As you can see, Yola had many obstacles, but she over came all of them, making a success life here in America as a Jazz vocalist with Grammy winning musicians; a songwriter whose song debuted at #1 on a Billboard Chart; as a producer of her own album and radio show; as a radio show host, and as a graphic design artist. Her album “Touched By Love” combines, musically and vocally, Smooth Jazz with her Poland roots creating a fresh new Smooth Jazz sound and album. www.YolaNash.com
SYNDICATED COLUMN: Eunice Moseley, MS, MBA, MPhil has an estimated weekly readership of over ¼ million with The Pulse of Entertainment. She is also a Public Relations Strategist and Business Management Consultant at Freelance Associates, and is Promotions Director (at-large) for The Baltimore Times. www.ThePulseofEntertainment.com. EVENTS: “Uplifting Minds II” Entertainment Conference (ULMII), founded by Eunice in 1999, is into its 21st year. Next events are coming to Los Angeles Saturday, November 7, 2020 via Zoom Video Conferencing and to Baltimore Saturday April 17, 2021 at Security Square Mall. The ULMII event is a free conference offering an Entertainment Business Panel Q&A Session, a Talent Showcase and Talent Competition (vocal, songwriting, dance and acting) where aspiring artists have a chance to receive over $15,000 valued in prizes/product/services. Log onto www.UpliftingMinds2.com for more information or to RSVP for Zoom Access email [email protected].
www.GoFundMe.com/Uplifting-Minds-II-Entertainment-Conference
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