Welcome to Yuzima's myspace page. Listen to his music. Read his full bio below and click the links below to purchase his music through Itunes and Cdbaby.
Yuzima is a native and started life in New York’s rough Gun Hill projects in the Bronx. At the age of nine he was mesmerizing his neighbors and local music talents with his unparalleled ability to tell his young story in verse and danced circles around the older rappers he so admired. At fourteen he was courted by several major labels looking to sign new talent. That same year found New York in the midst of a major inner city drug epidemic. Yuzima’s aunt had become a drug user and his mother was determined not to loose her only child to the violence and tough streets her son found so appealing. She bought a car, packed their belongings in the trunk and relocated to a small Vermont town. For the 14-year-old rural life was anything but idyllic. Being the only black family for miles around posed another challenge but he was soon bridging the prejudices of the locals with his innate ability to charm and entertain. Any venue with a stage found Yuzima front and center and he soon became a well-known local celebrity. As he approached his junior year in high school his mother felt the tug of Africa and left her son to fend for himself. Shuttling between newly found friends and a one-room apartment his musical ear began to expand. U2, Oasis, Bob Marley and Tracy Chapman became his new mentors and when he unexpectedly received a job offer that would bring him back to New York, he bought a bus ticket and began anew his New York story. He started making waves on the New York music scene shortly after his return. He started writing, performing and recording with “Catapult Revolt”.
Fast-forward a couple of years and Yuzima had left the group to work solo. His first single release, “Tidal Wave”, he sold hand to hand. “I remember taking them to Miami and passing them out on vacation”, says Yuzima. Shortly after this release he purchased a laptop, a recording program and began a nonstop flow of new original music - all written, performed, recorded and produced solo.
“The Cosmonaut”, Yuzima’s second ep release, received great reviews with tastemaker blog Treblezine describing is as a “sonic treat”, his voice is “spectral yet soulful” and his style is “vastly different from other singer-songwriters”. His music has also received shout out’s from celebrities like Lady Miss Kier and Fonzworth Bentley. “What you do is original and I like it”, said Mr. Bentley. Miss Kier crooned, “Keep it up – you sound great!”
Yuzima enjoys stretching the boundaries of what can happen in a song, favoring folksy guitar strumming, bright synths, electro drums and unique arrangements. As a singer he is equally unique. He uses unusual pitches and unconventional phrasing to make his point. Yuzima says, ”A great singer is a storyteller, that’s what matters. I had a vocal teacher when I moved back to New York who helped me learn the basics. I eventually threw out her rulebook and started telling my own story!”
“It’s Wonderful”, his debut solo album is his latest venture and will be released on February 16, 2010. Preceded by his two well-received EPs in 2008 and 2009 (“Yuzima the EP” and “The Cosmonaut”), “It’s Wonderful” was three years in the making. The EPs and the nine songs on the album were conceived and recorded in Yuzima’s tiny garret Greenwich Village apartment once home to Paul Simon’s road manager. He shares a piano with his wedding singer neighbor across the hallway and fills his evenings and weekends performing his music at local watering holes.
Yuzima’s unique understanding of the human experience brings a fresh and layered note to his music and his disparate music influences have resulted in a wholly unique style. Yuzima says his music “is a personal message from me to the listener. When I write a song I focus on the story I want to tell and the music follows naturally. I try to express a strong message rather than focus on a hook or something unnatural and over produced.” His powerful voice runs from boastful blasts of sound to the tender remembrances of pain and a light filled today. His song “She’s the Boss”, toys with an electro-folk sound while the sublime title track “It’s Wonderful”, features a spare guitar under a vocal arrangement unlike most. Yuzima’s sound is intricate, story based and grounded in authentic music. Yuzima will be supporting the release of his debut album with local performances and appearances sporting his trademark big hats and tight jeans. He is releasing from his own imprint Uzee Records and produces under the Flying Man Competition moniker.
BUZZ
"THE COSMONAUT" REVIEW QUOTE'S
“spectral yet soulful voice…sonic treat… vastly different from other singer-songwriters…high replay value” and “ show (‘s) a lot of promise” Treblezine (online music zine)
"Homegrown singer-songwriter…The Cosmonaut features a cohesive concept (Spacey sounds with spacier lyrics)" Short and Sweet NYC
CELEBRITIES
"What you do is original and I like it" Fonzworth Bentley
Yuzima! just now had the chance to really check your sounds! WOW Awesome stuff man! i dont give a f*** about genres etc. only 1 thing matters: be yourself & let it flow & show and you sure do MAN! Thanks for the moments inside your world! and pls keep me updated with whatever my friend!!! kimi
Hey Yuzima, thanks for putting on another great show for us last week at Uncle Mike's. I would love to book you for some more shows. Hope to hear from you soon. -Brian
