Yola Nash
Updated: Apr 5
An award-winning unique jazz singer, songwriter, producer, radio host, and visual artist. Yola's smooth jazz distinctive style is stamped with her signature seductive sound, and her exotic delivery is lushly flavored with Eastern European folk, Parisian avant-garde texture of accordion harmonics, and brilliantly anchored in the Latin grooves. For fans who have never heard your music, can you pick three words to describe it?! If three words just aren't enough, then tell us more! Jazzy, seductive, colorful, emotional, Gypsy twist to it, sensual, enthusiastic, exuberant, brimming with a zest for life. I make a cross-over between jazz, pop, Latin, and Eastern European flavors. In this way, I arrives at a personal style!
What is your favorite part about being an artist? Is it songwriting, performing, recording, or something else?) Tell us why: Have a few favorites. First is that I can express what's in the deepest layer of my heart by writing a song and by recording it becomes tangible. Then that tangible energy touches thousands of people's minds and hearts and can inspire beautiful emotions and actions. The second is performing It has a very special power of interacting and connecting with the audience that gives me the greatest happiness. Third is that through my music, lyrics, and my personal story I can inspire people to do good, to never give up on their dreams, to have hope, to enjoy life, and keep their spirits up especially timely now in this challenging time. I feel privileged to be an artist.
Can you tell us what being in the recording studio is like for you?: It's magical. It's fun and powerful. I feel like I'm on a different planet. When creativity fills up the studio atmosphere it's the most amazing special energy to me. I always feel sad when the recording sessions are done, coz I love the creative process so much. Love experimenting with sounds and ideas and it's especially exceptional in my case because of the brilliant musicians I work with. They take me and the project to a different dimension. When they beautifully tailor groovy, fan, different, and elegant instrumental soundscapes around my vocals I'm simply in heaven! But I also love that that process is teaching you discipline, determination, respect, keeping a good spirit, and no ego! Okay, this a fun question. When you are not doing music, what else do you enjoy doing?: I love hiking in the mountains with my dog Gaga. I love nature so much that sometimes I even try to talk to the birds, they sit on my hand believe it or not:) Maybe coz I feed them:) But I think it's all about the energy we project to the world. Doesn't matter humans, animals, or plants, they feel it and react to it. I'm also an artist so I paint, design, and do graphic designs as a matter of fact a while ago was even designing for plays on Broadway and Off-Broadway. But I also love physical work like in my garden, getting my hands dirty, and planting various plants. I like fixing things not even afraid to use a hammer :) And I cook pretty well too so I can't be bored love being active and creative. Who do you admire most in the music scene today and why?: I love discovering totally unknown artists from around the world, I listen to many different types of music. Don't have strictly one artist that I appreciate but I love Sade. I like her authenticity and the color of her voice as well as true emotions in it. She is for real this is what I love. Can you tell us what song you've written that is the most emotional and describe the meaning behind it? Great question but tough because I'm all about emotions. The critics often say my songs are very sensual, oozing emotions and mediation on love. Various songs have various emotional meanings to me. But maybe "Pray For Love" because it has a powerful message that LOVE is the essence of our existence. It's the only thing that matters! When I was writing it I was in a very challenging time in my life, first of all going through the pandemic and all the overwhelming negativity and fear projected on us and also I lost my brother. And all the uncertainty for life on top of it. So writing songs gave me a channel to express my heart. I was meditating and praying and that song came to me like a cathartic release to all of my emotions, pain, and questions. I felt this is what we all need and must do PRAY FOR LOVE coz the world needs it so desperately! This song is very special and meaningful to me.
Are you working on any new material right now or what's in the works for the upcoming year?: I'm writing new songs yes! But also focusing on promoting this album so it will go as far as possible. I'm going to Cannes France and Monaco to perform in May during the Cannes Film Festival. And planning to film a new video in Paris for my fun song Lovers In Paris. And live a positive, and fulfilling life with passion and never giving up spirit. That's me!:) Tell us where fans can access your music. Website Music on All Platforms: HearNow Facebook Instagram
About Yola Nash
An award-winning unique jazz singer, songwriter, producer, radio host, visual artist. Yola's smooth jazz distinctive style is stamped with her signature seductive sound, and her exotic delivery is lushly flavored with Eastern European folk, Parisian avant-garde texture of accordion harmonics and brilliantly anchored in the Latin grooves. Blending and blurring the lines between Jazz, Pop, Latin and Eastern European colors Yola Nash is expertly crafting a personal musical style that is irresistible! Her new album MANHATTAN WHISPERS is making a great buzz and was considered for a Grammy at 65th Grammy Awards. Recently Yola's album landed on the top list Best Jazz Albums of 2022, she won Global Music Award, and Akademia Music Grand Award and the Critic’s Pick - Best New Music by the prestigious All About Jazz. It’s the Polish-born recording artist’s third studio album, as a leader. She co-produced the project with Grammy-winning musicians and producers Edsel Gomez (Dee Dee Bridgewater) and Lonnie Park (Steward Copeland). At the core of the album of the versatile and multi-talented artist is Nash’s heart which consistently is filled with her optimistic spirit of hope despite the often-pained subject matters and her very challenging past in her native country. She has come a long way to NYC, faced and triumphed over adversity, and lived to sing about it and inspire others to flourish in life. While living in her native Poland, Yola Nash developed into a major singer, winning vocal contests and performing at many concerts and festivals. After moving to New York, she studied with Jazz professors Nancy Marano and Dee Jackson. Soon after, she recorded her debut album Another Girl which landed her name on the Top 40 AC charts, garnering a Billboard #1 single “I Wanna Be Loved By You.” It was followed by Touched By Love, an impressive outing that is comprised of the singer’s original songs, and was considered for a GRAMMY in 2020. Throughout that album and on her latest Manhattan Whispers, she expertly crafts a new kind of music that elegantly bridges and blends together Jazz, Pop and World Music, creating an intriguingly fresh new sound. In addition to her recordings, the multimedia artist’s career highlights are very compelling. She sang for Pope John Paul II, performed and recorded with Wynton Marsalis’ Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra, set a Guinness world record for creating the world’s largest theater poster (170 foot tall) for the renowned play Anne Frank, co-hosted the Cannes Film Awards at the Global Short Film Festival, performed multiple times at the world-famous New York Fashion Week, and has interviewed scores of A-list celebrities as the host of NY radio WABC’s The Yola Nash Show. She also saved another performer’s life while onstage by performing CPR in front of thousands of onlookers, receiving a special Commendation of Heroic Action from the Governor of New Jersey. Nash also has served as a national speaker on CPR, teaching audiences about the importance of learning life-saving measures in CPR. With the release of Manhattan Whispers, her finest recording to date, Yola Nash has taken a large step forward in her musical career. Indeed, she is an unstoppable force who thinks and acts