ALBUM SHOWCASES YANICK ETIENNE'S JAZZ, R&B SIDE

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BEAT MAGAZINE– Vol. 12, No.2., 1993

YANICK ETIENNE: CARIBBEAN SOUL

by Gage Averill

If you’re a Bryan Ferry fan, you may remember a backup singer who performed a great vocal solo on "Avalon." She’s Yanick Etienne, a Haïtian singer who can be compared perhaps to Chaka Khan. Technically, her voice can range from the highest to the lowest register with lots of power. Yanick’s album is not konpa- it’s a mix of soul music with a Caribbean sound. Dernst Emile, a well-known name in Haïtian music, produced and arranged the album. Dernst arranged some of the best Skah Shah albums, especially Message, as well as the GM Connection album (featuring Mario Mayala of Skah Shah and Djet-X saxophonist Gerard Daniel), one of the greatest konpa albums of all time. Emile has proven to be a very flexible and open arranger. The bass lines are simply grandiose. The Caribbean Soul sound is really a new sound.

DERNST EMILE PRESENTS: YANICK ETIENNE - THE ALBUM

Featuring the Hit Single: MISTE DAMOU

DAILY NEWS - Wednesday, November 23, 1994

By David Hinckley

Yanick Etienne, a deejay on "New York International," the overnight World Beat show on WNYE (91.5 FM), is a guest performer tonight on the Bryan Ferry show at the Beacon.

BRYAN FERRY WORLD TOUR - 1994

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HAITIAN TIMES - Nov. 3-9, 2004

By Ralph Delly

ALBUM SHOWCASES YANICK ETIENNE’S JAZZ, R&B SIDE

Introducing a new chapter in the ever-growing portfolio. Yanick Etienne has released her most illustrious album titled "Love Songs For You." This is an assemblage of love songs with a genuine font of originality. The tone and content of Yanick’s compositions ring with a passion that belies their simplicity and candor. The vocal lines ache with fervor. Lovely musings are wrapped in the most melodic guitar lines, bass and drums create mystic atmosphere. The CD rages with a nonstop shower of love tunes that showcase a graceful intelligence....

Etienne has been around for many years and she’s one of the top female singers in Haitian music. Her professional career started very early before she met and married musical arranger, composer, guitarist, Dernst Emile. In this album, she showcases her vocal ability and musical savvy. The songs range from soft, romantic ballads such as "Lanmou An Slow Motion" to more upbeat jazz and R&B delights such as "Feeling." She sings in Haitian Creole and English, her best platform for her sensuous voice. Some of the highlights of the album are the cuts "Mwen Renmen’w, a Creole rendition of Minnie Riperton’s "Lovin’ You" and "Maya" a homage to poet-novelist Maya Angelou. Etienne has evolved in her own right in the tropical R&B arena. Since the CD signing last weekend at Maxi Sound in Miami, she hit the airwaves of Haitian radio stations across South Florida. "Can’t Let Go" is a succulent track with arrangements by her 19 year old son, master Dernst Emile II (Dee). The music is a perfect blend of jazz and R&B forms with newer tendencies....... The style and delivery are Etienne’s own and possess that new flavor and charisma which makes the entire album ear-friendly and in synch with our life. It’s a must-have for your collection.

CHARTS WATCH

MAYA #16 SHOWBIZ TOP 20

TOP HAITIAN ALBUM SALES #8

"LOVE SONGS FOR YOU"

Yanick Etienne