About Me
Johanna Helena Castañeda Garzon was born in Bogotá, Colombia
from a modest home, but full of artistic tradition, Johanna started her career dancing at an early age by attending the Centro Cultural Llanero, a school of folkloric music in Bogotá that specialized in rhythms from the eastern Colombian plains (llanos orientales), where she was exposed to typical rhythms, typical songs, dances, and instruments of the region. Johanna sympathized then with the Cuatro (Four), instrument of 4 strings, whom she is bieng playing for many years now, and whom also makes her great loyal companion. She learned how to play and started singing.
At eight years of age she is enrolled in the music conservatory of Tunja, Boyaca, Colombia where she alternated her regular academic curriculum with harp, music theory and singing lessons.
The next shift in her life was at age 15 when she and her brother Edmar Castaneda also a great musician and Harpist, migrated to the U.S in 1994. This event brought Johanna plenty of excitement, new experiences and hard work.
Thanks to her own efforts and great charisma Johanna put herself through high school while holding a regular job as well as singing and performing in different venues.
Johanna graduated from college with a Bachelors degree in Music from the Five Towns College of New York with emphasis on Voice. New York put her in touch and gave her the opportunity to be part of different theater plays and perform and record with many artists. One of them is Mr. Jimmy Bosch with whom she has been singing for the last 4 years. As a singer of the Jimmy Bosch Band, Johanna has been able to travel all around the world and played at different venues such as the Ravinia Concert Hall in Chicago with the Chicago Symphonic Orquestra, also at the Kennedy center in Washington DC.
At the Inauguration of President GW Bush in Washington DC. She has collaborated with a number of local artists for different productions Ricky Gonzalez, Milton Cardona, Alfredo Valdez Jr., Montvale Rumba album, pacha among others. Also she had the pleasure of being on stage alternating with different bands such as Lebron Brothers, Jose Mangual Jr., Sonora Ponceña, Tony Vega, Grupo Niche and others. Johanna’s upcoming plans are to record her own album and show everyone that her love and passion for music are real.
