Today we’d like to introduce you to Jovino Gutierrez.
Hi Jovino, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I am Songwriter, Singer and Percussionist, have been in the professional music business for over four decades. For eleven years was the singer and band leader for the local Latin band Orquesta Caribe, organized in Killeen, TX. With Orquesta Caribe we participated in many Music Festivals which includes, Temple Jazz Festival (The only Salsa band to ever play at the festival), Killeen Hot Summer Nights, Addison Music at the Park, Fort Hood Hispanic Heritage Month, Fort Hood Class VI Summer and Fall celebrations, Freedom and Single Soldier Festivals, Baylor College Fiesta Festival. Texas club’s presentations include cities as Killeen, Temple, Harker Heights, Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, McAllen and Shreveport. Other presentations include weddings, birthdays and presentations with the private organization LULAC.
Jovi Jiovanni has been part of many Salsa bands in Puerto Rico, Georgia, Berlin, Kentucky, Heidelberg, and Texas. Has participated in presentations with famous singers Hector Lavoe, Luigi Texidor, Lalo Rodriguez, Tito Allen & La Palabra as the background voice and percussionist, while a singer of Orquesta La Clave they opened the show for El Gran Combo in Austin, TX.
My music passion started at age 5 when I was hired by the local teenagers from my hometown to serenade to their girlfriends. At age thirteen I started singing in a Salsa Band in my hometown of Ponce, Puerto Rico, organized by famous percussionists Edwin Santiago (Mañaño), Walter, Wendell & Wally Rivera, brothers of Sonora Ponceña singer Yolanda Rivera.
As a singer songwriter I won the Fox 8th Latin Music Awards 2018 as Mejor Salsero for the song Parece Que Si, Parece Que No, and as a Duet with daughter Shadai on Fox 7th Latin Music Awards 2017 for the song Tu Voz.
Since 2017 as a songwriter and singer I has released 17 productions under my stage name Jovi Jiovanni as well has collaborated as lyricist with other singers that requesting my compositions for their productions.
Currently I have over 200 compositions completed with genre, styles and Ai music ideas available to present to singers or to create a custom song for a special occasion on request. ASCAP IPI 364824738
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, it has not
First having and managing a Latin band composed of at least ten musicians is not easy to manage or to keep employed due to the reduced number of available clubs or venues where a large band can perform to a reasonable price. Another factor is that because of the limited presentations, the musicians tend to become freelance musicians, and the availability to have a solid and unique band is limited. The major struggle is due to the establishment owner’s that tend to settle for less expenses and less quality of music when they prefer to employ a small group playing over a recorded track, that has brough down the demand for the quality of live music, especially for a Latin band.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
For the past ten years I have dedicated myself to be a more versatile songwriter, and to record my songs to expose my quality of writing to the world. Although I have been writing lyrics since I was a teen, when I reached a crossroad with my band, I decided to disband my band I dedicate myself to start producing my songs.
Because I was well known when I had my band Orquesta Caribe, I was lucky enough that while preparing for my recording music projects, other bands from Austin, San Antonio, Houston and Dallas reached out requesting my singing and percussionist services, and for a few years I was a regular on their formation.
I am very proud that as a teen I was part of my older brother Salsa & Ballads band, and because of it, on one of our presentations a moment sealed my passion for music much more when a young couple approached my brother and asked if I was his younger brother, my brother answer yes, he call me and it so happen that the guy was one of the neighborhood teenagers that paid to serenade his sweetheart, she hug me and she said, because you sang to me I fell in love with him, and now we are married, that occasion was priceless and it’s engraved in my soul.
I am also proud that during some of my presentations with Orquesta Caribe I have my kids performing with me on stage, my daughter has also recorded a few of my songs and we also won an award as a Duet.
What set me apart is that I am a bilingual singer, songwriter, and my style of writing can be considered as metaphor in poetry, even when the theme of the song is about been in love or making love, there are not derogatory or explicit words on them, everything is left to the imagination of the listener. I write about dancing and enjoying life, I have written about my town, my country, memories of past love that don’t fade away, I wrote about my mother love and the memories of her voice, I write about breakups, starting over with new love, betrayal and endurance and current social situations. I write about praising the women’s beauty, their bodies, their grace and their voice.
How do you think about happiness?
Been around my family is a priceless reward that fill me with joy.
I grew up in a large family surrounded by brothers and sisters and everyone in the neighborhood that considered my mother their mother too. My friend circle is not big, but we are very tied.
As a musician I am recognized, admired and praised by my family and friends, although music does not make me rich, it fills and enhance everything a human being can feel, when I write or when an idea comes to me it’s very refreshing and it transport me to the world of the song and when the final product is completed, that’s what feelings sounds like.
Pricing:
- For pricing inquiry based on the event and occasion, contact Jovi Jiovanni at 254-368-1242 or email to jovijiovanni@gmail.com
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jovijiovanni.com
- Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@jovijiovanni
- Other: Jovi Jiovanni Spotify spotify.link/XCyHEeyUXCb
