Yoann Fréget

Yoann Fréget is a French singer, and the winner of the season 2 of the French competition series The Voice: la plus belle voix as part of Team Garou.

He auditioned for the show singing Whitney Houston's "The Greatest Love of All" with all four judges (Florent Pagny, Jenifer, Louis Bertignac and Garou) turning their chairs. Fréget opted to be on Garou's team. His audition was aired on the third episode on 16 February 2013.

On 18 May 2013, he won the final of the competition, against Olympe (Team Jenifer), Nuno Resende (Team Florent Pagny), and Loïs Silvin (Team Louis Bertignac).

He is also the winner of the largest French soul music competition, "Sankofa Soul Contest", which he won on the June 24, 2011, at "Cabaret Sauvage" (Paris).

Biography

Yoann has been a dedicated full-time singer since his early childhood. His musical journey began at the tender age of 15 when he discovered African-American gospel music. His fascination and devotion to this uniquely American art form marked the most influential aspect of his musical path. Soon after he began his musical journey, he joined a professional French choir, Gospelize It Mass Choir, directed by Emmanuel Djob - renowned Cameroonian gospel pioneer who had relocated to France. It was he who introduced the young Yoann to the roots of African-American culture, and exposed him to the inherent fight for freedom of expression that came with it. These expressions often found themselves in song, and unearthed the soul of the singer or listener. Several months later, Yoann became the youngest soloist in Djob’s choir, touring with them for many concerts each year, and he also quickly became recognized as one of the most promising talents of the gospel scene in the south of France.

Early Promise

By the age of 18, Yoann began touring as lead singer for various popular gospel, soul, and rhythm & blues bands around France, such as BRBB (an Otis Redding tribute band), The Soul Travelers Gospel Quartet, Gospel Shakers and Gospel Jam. He also organized his own band at the time, and launched a fledgling career in music.

Later on, Yoann appeared as soloist in the most famous European gospel choir, Gospel Pour 100 Voix (French translation, choir of 100 singers). His talent was nurtured and enhanced through collaboration with excellent American gospel singers, such as Linda Lee Hopkins, Jean Carpenter, Francine Ealey Murphy, and Tori Robinson. While associated with Gospel Pour 100 Voix, he performed on some of the most prestigious stages in Europe, including all the Zéniths, Paris-Bercy Arena, and Brussel’s Cirque Royal in Belgium.

The Healing Power of Music

In 2008 and at the age of 21, Yoann graduated as a Music Therapist from the University of Montpellier. While there, he worked extensively with children suffering from autism, and teenagers with stuttered speech syndrome (SSS). In the latter case, Yoann was teaching from experience, as he himself has been affected by severe stuttering disorder from the age of 3 to 19 years old. He totally overcame SSS through the practice of music and meditation. Music has helped to make him victorious over every obstacle. Every note that he sings, and every melody that he renders, is a testimony that people can be triumphant over tragedy. Indeed, Yoann has been triumphant!

That same year 2008, Yoann also started to conduct his own gospel choir, Le Choeur Enchante, and to give singing workshops all over Europe (England, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Sweden, Austria, etc...).

Travels to India and North America

In 2010, after a life-changing, five-month journey to India to learn the roots of Indian classical music, Yoann was invited for a three-month tour of Canada and USA. He performed in 50 concerts in various cities, from New York to Los Angeles. He inaugurated a personal performance style which featured concerts entirely a cappella, showcasing just the beauty and tenderness of his singular voice. This enabled him to present shows entirely based on the beauty and dynamics of his singing - the presence, the phrasing, the synergy and the musical interaction with his audiences. His performances were very well received, especially within the African-American community, where he felt even more at home with them than in his own country.

Success starts to come

When he returned to France in 2011, Yoann won first place in France’s largest soul music competition, The Sankofa Soul Contest, while singing two songs by one of his musical heroes, Stevie Wonder. Yoann's contest prize was to travel back to the US and have the great opportunity to perform, with Erykah Badu's musicians backing him up. This concert was specially tailored for him in Dallas, Texas. Yoann also used that great tour experience to travel to New Orleans, where he was invited by his friend and New Orleans native, Craig Adams, a popular American gospel organist and singer. Craig invited Yoann to sing with him in many venues in New Orleans, where Yoann was also able to absorb the music, the culture, and the soul of gospel music.

Yoann has also had the honor to perform as a background singer for outstanding artists such as Stevie Wonder (along with 10 of his gospel singers during his concerts in Monaco), Liz McComb, Nicole Slack Jones, Helen Carter, and Marianne Aya Omac.

The Voice and more

In 2013, Yoann won the world-famous TV show “THE VOICE” in France, a five-month nationally televised vocal competition. With an incredible rendition of “The Greatest Love of All” (for which he received a standing ovation from the studio audience), Yoann was selected by all four judges to be part of their respective teams. The judges were astounded to discover such a singer in France.

With more than 7 million viewers each week - and 10 million during the final show - Yoann won over the hearts of millions of people. During his journey on “THE VOICE”, he covered some of the greatest standards of vocal music, from pop (“Calling You”/ Jevetta Steele) to soul (“Can You Feel It?”/Jackson Five)to gospel music (“Amazing Grace”). He did so with extraordinary vocal agility, and dexterity, and an humble spirit that endeared him to audiences throughout Europe.

On the 6th January 2014, his first album with Universal Records, “Quelques Heures Avec Moi”, was released. This record emphasized great melodies, deep and yet simple messages though great lyricists like François Welgryn (Celine Dion, Garou, etc...), or Jacques Veneruso (Celine Dion, Johny Hallyday, etc...), his vocal abilities, and the influences of pop and soul music on his presentations. One of the songs on the album was specially chosen as a soundtrack for the biggest movie of the year in France ($39 million euros budget) “Beauty and The Beast”, directed by Christophe Gans. This movie has garnered the number one movie spot in most countries where it has been aired.

On this same year, Yoann was invited by the international pop singer Lara Fabian (30 million records sold worldwide) to record a duet (“On Se Retrouvera”) on the album “Les Enfants du Top 50”, which reached number one in France.

He was also invited to sing songs from his first album and his cover of “Earth Song” by Michael Jackson for the opening act of WILL. I. AM 's concert in Paris-Bercy Arena.

Presently, Yoann is preparing a highly anticipated album. He is working hard to find the assistance of the best musicians, writers, and producers ever assembled for a project in the USA. All of his fans are eagerly awaiting for that new album, as he has announced it many times on French national TV channels. He's holding on achieving the ideal mix between his soul and pop influences.

Discography

Albums

Singles

Soundtrack

• 2004: "Sauras-tu m'aimer" - from La belle et la bête (2014)

References

External links

• Official website