When a little boy spends much of his childhood entertaining his family and friends, it's no wonder the stage starts to feel like home. Since those auspicious beginnings in his parents' living room, the music of Jonny Cruz has grown into a melting pot of dance tunes, romantic ballads, edgy rock, and funk-driven tracks. Full of pop melody and R&B flavor, the feeling of a Jonny Cruz record is most aptly described as "a party hosted from the loose, comfy vibe of his living room."His new self-titled debut album is the result of a collaborative effort with such far ranging talents as Beauty & The Beast conductor Kathy Sommer, and Grammy-Award winning producer Steve Skinner who lists Bette Midler, Taylor Dayne and the RENT soundtrack among his production accomplishments. Most recently, Jonny has added two more producers to his team - Nayan D. Lassiter, who has worked with such legendary musical giants as Kanye West, Robbie Williams, Natalie Cole and the O'Jays, and Gabrielis Kaye who's also collaborated with some heavy hitters, among them David Bowie, Mariah Carey and Brandy.Diligence defines Jonny's creative process. With an uncanny ability to find inspiration everywhere, from life's most profound to the most mundane, he conceptualizes his emotions and begins to write immediately. "I just start scribbling things down, rhyming things, or maybe I'll just get a feeling of a groove - that's what I bring to the table. Everyone I work with throws something into the pot." Of the track "Mahal", Jonny admits the writing process was intense. Written in both Tagalog - his native Filipino tongue - and English, the song is both a tribute and love letter to his heritage. "It meant so much to me. It had to be tweaked just right. I'm not interested in writing anything trite or contrived - even "poppy"-sounding songs can be smart." Jonny hopes that his listeners will find in his music the simple message, the essence of his writing. "Hopefully my songs make them feel good about themselves and their life. If life is scary or tough or uncertain - if stuff is just plain hard - well that's what I'm here for. I wanna make if feel just a little better."Photos courtesy of KVON (www.kvonphotography.com), Goldie Gareza
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