Haitian Beatz

Yanick Etienne is no stranger to the music scene.  The attractive vocalist started singing professionally since 1979.  Her singing style combines jazz, soul and Caribbean flavors to make a completely unique sound: her own.

Yanick was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and came to the U.S. with her family in 1970.  She’s from a very artistic family.  Two of her brothers are musicians and her younger sister is a dancer.  She says that she gets her vocal abilities from her mother, who loved to sing as a young girl and was often complimented on her beautiful voice.

She’s paid her dues and acquired her experience as a vocalist by doing studio sessions.  She’s recorded with a wide-range of artists worldwide.  Some of her earlier credits include songs such as “TOI” recorded with Haitian singer, Jose Tavernier, “CARIBBEAN GIRLS” with Austin Tuitt from Trinidad, “MIRAGE” with Yvon Andre (Kapi) of Tabou Combo.  She’s done back-up vocals on singer Ti Manno’s very last album, lead and back-up vocals on ELITE ORCHESTRA, and DIFE/ELECTRIC COMPA (albums) in addition to vocal performances on several other musical projects.  In 1990, she recorded background vocal tracks for the Italian Rock & Roll group Rocking Chairs, on their album, “NO SAD GOODBYES”.

Her performance on (one of the UK’s best known Rock group), ROXY MUSIC’s album put Yanick’s name on the international charts with “AVALON”, Bryan Ferry’s 1982 hit single.  Since that time, she’s recorded more albums with Ferry including:  BOYS AND GIRLS, BETE NOIRE, MAMOUNA and 39 STEPS.  In the summer of 1988, Yanick joined Ferry on his world tour, which included concert stops in

the U.S., Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Australia and Europe.  Yanick’s performances were singled-out for rave reviews by the world’s most prominent newspapers and magazines such as: The New York Post, Rolling Stone, Los Angeles Times, The Hollywood Reporter, and Japan Times.  Her various renditions of  “AVALON” on the 1988-89 World Tour were described as “spine-tingling”, “riveting” “soulful”, “angelic”, “pure poetry”, “gospel-like”, “silky”, and so on.  In March 1989 after her return from the tour, she commenced preparations on her debut album.