YOLA NASH, M.S.
Radio/TV Host, Producer, Singer
CPR Awareness.org – Founder
web sites:
www.yolanash.com
www.cprawareness.org
Yola Nash grew up in Poland. She started singing and performing publicly at age 13 in the school choir, and during high school played many concerts and festivals, winning several prestigious, nationwide vocal contests. During her studies at medical school, Yola joined a local music group where she was lead vocalist and played guitar. During that time she had also a chance to work with a few mega stars from Poland like Andrzej Zaucha, Grazyna Lobaszewska, Mietek Szczesniak and famous composer, conductor Zbigniew Gorny.
While continuing her studies in collage, Yola received great classical training by touring with one of the most prestigious choirs in Poland, Academic Choir KUL. With this ensemble Yola got her first experience recording for TV and radio.
She also had the chance to sing for the Pope John Paul II.
While a student she won a prestigious radio contest which led to her first position as a talk show radio host. Shortly after she was launched full force into a career in the radio field and became one of the most popular hosts in Lublin, Poland.
After graduating and receiving her master’s degree from the private, famed KUL University (Psychology) and graduating from the Maria Curie University in Lublin, Fine Arts (Paintings, Drawings), Yola Nash came to the United States. With a desire to further her education in music and to follow her passion to sing she settled in New York City and started training in R & B, studying privately with Dee Jackson, background singer with Patti LaBelle. Also studied jazz with one of the most respected jazz professors Nancy Marano.
Yola co-wrote with critically acclaimed Romuald Lipko (from the group Budka Suflera -- legendary rock band in Poland) a few songs that were recorded by singer Michael Hochman. One of these songs reached the number one position in reported airplay for many weeks in Canada. She also sang the title song for an independent Asian/American film"Destiny," directed by Louis Zalu. While continuing to sing with local bands in the New York area, performing at clubs, festivals, and charity events, Yola Nash found employment in TV and Radio.
RADIO / TV CAREER
Yola’s successful daily three hour, live radio show was heard in eight states across the USA, and throughout the world on Internet broadcasting.
Both Yola Nash’s voice and likeness are recognizable in Poland as well as in the USA due to her extensive media involvement. She has over 12 years of multileveled experience in TV and Radio.
Working for radio stations WRKL, WLIM New York, WNVR Chicago, and TV-WNYC New York, WNYE NYC, Studio 3 TV, Yola quickly became a successful and recognizable radio and TV personality well known to over 2 million listeners throughout the world.
In addition to being a NY radio station talk radio host/producer, as well as TV host and producer, she has served as a presenter and correspondent for major, national radio stations in Poland (RMF FM, Radio ZET, National Radio Program III) as well as BBC Radio (Polish section).
As a journalist she writes for Polish-English newspapers and magazines, with topics typically embracing art, entertainment, science, important medical issues and sports.
She produced and hosted numerous programs and documentaries. She has also provided her voice to narration, voice-overs, and many radio and TV commercials.
Yola Nash’s voice, experience, knowledge and production skills were used to produce dozens of commercials including for such well known companies as MCI, AT&T, Toyota, Mercedes Benz, Porsche, Lot Polish Airlines, satellite TV Polonia, Tramp Comm., Bank of America, Finnair Airlines, British Airlines, Citi Bank. Yola also provided her voice to many Public Announcements to raise public awareness of an important issues like: organ donations, blood donations, CPR, no drinking and driving, schools without drugs and dozens more. She also contributed her voice and her media talent and personality to support local political campaigns: NY Democratic Senatorial Campaign, NY State Assembly Campaign, and Presidential Democratic candidate senator Barack Obama.
Yola interviewed many world wide recognizable stars in film, music, art, and theater.
As well as well known politicians, sports figures and scientists.
Yola Nash's guests have included a Nobel Peace Prize winner, Polish
President Lech Walesa, who was solidarity movement founder and leader
responsible for the crash of the communistic system in Eastern Europe;
world acclaimed, nine-time Grammy winner, Pulitzer Prize recipient,
trumpeter Wynton Marsalis; world-renowned conductor Kurt Masur; activist
and writer Deborah Santana, wife of Carlos Santana; governor of NJ James E.
McGreevey; Christie Whitman; New York Governor George Pataki; NHL star
Mariusz Czerkawski; NASCAR driver Darius Grala; Miroslaw Hermaszewski, the first Eastern-European astronaut in space; members of the Explores Club,
who are Guinness record holders and the discoverers of Colca Canyon, the
world's deepest canyon; Yurek Majcherczyk and Marek Kaminski, the first and
only explorer to reach both Poles in a single year without external
assistance; and Andrew Golota, the controversial European heavy weight
champion in boxing, Jan A.P. Kaczmarek, Oscar winner for "Finding Nerverlands" the world famous film music composer, actress Dagmara Dominczyk, critically acclaimed celebrity best known for her lead roles in: "The Count of Monte Cristo", "The Five People You Meet in Heaven", "Tough Luck", and big Broadway productions of "Closer", "Enchanted April" and many more.
Yola’s positive energy, sense of humor, craziness, controversy, effectiveness, competence, content, variety of guests, and most of all her strong personality, drew thousands of viewers and listeners to her programs.
This strong media and performing experience sets her apart from most other performers.
CHARITY INVOLVEMENT
Based on her own hard life and impoverished childhood in a communistic regime, she is especially sympathetic about child’s issues.
Through the years working in media in Poland (started as a very young student) and in USA she has used her voice to promote and raise awareness of many important issues involving kids, like:
Child pornography, Childhood without Violence, Helping Child Victims of Crime, Safe Internet for Children.
She also helped organize events to raise money for various causes, like:
Help for flood victims in Poland, and help for kids with leukemia in the so called the “Death Zone” in South Poland. She supported the Gift of the Heart Foundation, I Have a Dream Foundation, the Christmas Charity Orchestra to save newborns with heart defects, and many more.
She was also involved with Amnesty International on subjects like violence and injustice towards woman all over the world, war crimes and torture victims. She supported the Nobody's Children Foundation that addresses their mission to help physically, psychologically, and sexually abused and neglected children by their own parents and guardians.
She also supported ”Mimo Wszystko” Foundation created by the most famous actress in Poland Anna Dymna, dedicated to help mentality disadvantaged young people.
Yola also volunteered for the fundraiser for New Orleans Hurricane Katrina victims by participating in the event “Higher Ground,” organized by Jazz at Lincoln Center that featured such mega-stars as Wynton Marsalis, Herbie Hancock, Dianne Reeves, Bill Cosby, Diane Krall, Elvis Costello, Meryl Streep, Robert De Niro, Robin Williams, Norah Jones, Cassandra Wilson and many others.
MUSIC ACHIEVEMENTS
Yola Nash successfully debuted with her album "Another Girl." This recording, which mixes pop, rock and jazz, was released on Top Shelf Records, and quickly climbed the radio charts all over the country charting Yola Nash's name next to such stars like Norah Jones, Lenny Kravitz, Sheryl Crow, Celine Dion, and many more. During it's first week out the single, beautiful ballad called “I wanna be loved by you” got to 1 place as "Most Added" to the radio playlists around the country stations. Shortly after it was also chosen as Best New Music by prestigious FMQB music magazine. Yola Nash got to the TOP 20 and TOP 40 on AC radio music stations in US, as well as Top 20 and top 40 on FMQB Magazine and New Music Weekly Magazine.
Yola’s live band performed in New Jersey as an opening act for he most famous rock band in Poland, Budka Suflera (called by critics the “Rolling Stones of Poland”).
Yola Nash’s career is now mainly focused on promoting her album "Another Girl" and her nonprofit organization CPR Awareness.org. She is gaining popularity and media attention, not only because of her music and charity involvement but also her incredible life story. Not long ago she taped an in depth interview for the TV show "NYC Profiles" with host Mickey Burns. Yola appeared between such great music guests as: Roberta Flack, Amber, Gloria Gaynor, and Chuck Mangione. Recently, Yola was invited to L.A. to be a part of the "Women in Rock" series, on the well known radio KRLA. This show also featured such great artists as Cindy Lauper and Joni Mitchell.
WRKL NY, WLIM Long Island and WNVR Chicago radio stations and Satelite XM Radio in NYC, WKCR Jazz NYC, WBGO National Jazz Station, WOR NYC Joey Reynolds Show, WPLJ Radio, Lite FM and NY1 TV, WNYE TV, WNYC TV, Studio 3 TV, also interviewed her.
Yola’s most recent musical experience was a project produced by the Jazz at Lincoln Center, called Jazz and Art with collaboration with MOMA.
She was invited to sing a beautiful ballad dedicated to Van Gogh, making history: she is the only Polish-American vocalist to have performed with legendary trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. The world premier took place at the spectacular Fredric P. Rose Hall in NYC in 2007, and the piece was recorded in September for future release.
CPR STORY
Not long ago Yola Nash made headlines by saving another performer's life, while she was hosting a summer festival in Somerville, New Jersey. She was on the stage when a performing magician suffered a massive heart attack during his show. His breathing and heart stopped. Acting quickly, Yola performed CPR in front of thousands of onlookers, saving his life.
In recognition for this action, Yola received a very special “Commendation of Heroic Action” from the Governor of the State of New Jersey, Richard J. Codey. She was also congratulated by such honorable organizations as the American Heart Association and President Bill Clinton’s Foundation, who was moved by Yola’s courage and determination. Her professional, quick action during this traumatic event drew attention from several media publications and also inspired her to create a special program for schools called Feel the Beat /CPR Awareness For Young People. The program was already tested in one of the “top public high schools” (New York Magazine), the Young Women’s Leadership School, and proved to be very successful. The event was featured as a “top story” by NY1 TV, and was attended by the Director of the American Heart Association, Mark Hurley.
The school project teaches students the life-saving technique CPR, incorporating CPR demonstrations and live music into a traveling assembly program. Yola also formed the nonprofit organization CPR Awareness.org, established (with mayor Bloomberg's office approval) a CPR Awareness Day of NYC and organized a unique concert “Feel the Beat” to celebrate and promote CPR - life saving measure. In support Yola and her nonprofit organization received a special proclamation from Mayor of NYC Michael Bloomberg.
To promote her charitable initiative Yola Nash was a guest on numbers of radio stations and shows: Satelite XM Radio in NYC, WKCR Jazz NYC , WBGO National Jazz Radio Station, WOR NYC Joey Reynolds Show, WRKL.
Her efforts were supported by WPLJ Radio, Lite FM and their popular host Valerie Smaldone and NY1 TV.
Yola Nash also produced a beautiful Feel the Beat/ CPR /Jazz concert in Tribeca Theater NYC enthusiastically supported by great world renowned artists: legendary trumpeter, multi-Grammy, Pulitzer Prize Winner Wynton Marsalis JALC, virtuoso violinist Grammy Winner Marc O’Connor, great pianist Frank Kimbrough (Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra) Wycliffe Gordon world acclaimed trombonist, Odeon, Clayton Fletcher actor, comedian, known for his great roles in the "Sex and the City" and "Buddy Holy Story", just to mention a few. The concert was featured on NY1 Television.
CURRENT PROJECTS
Yola Nash is currently producing: the next CPR/Jazz concert, that will promote CPR life-saving measure combined with a great jazz music with world-renowned musicians and “stand up” comedians. The event will also include special guests: Sophie Matisse -
a painter, great grand daughter of Henry Matisse, Mark Hurley - The American Heart Association Director, Andrzej Szpilman – the son of the famous composer Wladyslaw Szpilman; the main character from the Academy Awarded movie “The Pianist” by Roman Polanski. Yola Nash will also perform Szpilman’s music.
Another project she is involved with is a documentary film” Our Last American Summer” about the Coney Island amusement district boiling controversy, politics behind the curtains, giant over 2 billion dollars redevelopment plan. She is an Associate Producer. She is also preparing her next TV show.
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