Miss Yaya

( The "New" Female Salsa Ambassador. Take a listen)

Miss YaYa: A Vocal Latin Tour De Force

by Carmelo Perez

Possessor of a strong and resonant voice, intellect and beauty, Miss YaYa is a Dominican / Puerto Rican talent that is ripe and ready for FURTHER international exposure. Yahaira Antonia Vargas made her 2005 television debut on Univision’s competition segment, “Gigantes Del Manana,” on the famous Sabado Gigante show. She was one of 26 contestants who beat out thousands in the nationwide search for the next Latin solo artist. She competed in another nationwide search in P.Diddy’s “Making The Band 3”. Aside from her accomplishments in front of the audiences and stage lights, Miss YaYa holds a Bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from the City College of New York.

In 2007, Miss YaYa became the centerpiece of the revived DLG (Dark Latin Grove) Salsa band, under the guidance of masterful producer Sergio George, who has produced for stars such as Marc Anthony, India, Frankie Negron and Victor Manuelle among others. The new DLG, with Miss YaYa as lead singer accompanied by the lone holdover from the previous iteration of DLG, James Da Barba, was nominated for a 2009 Grammy in the "Best Tropical Album" category, and a 2009 Premio Lo Nuestro award for "Best Tropical Group".

Miss YaYa embarks her solo debut, putting forth an album appropriately titled "The Demo". While followers of her career might have previously heard some of the songs, perhaps some in different versions, this album sounds as if some of the songs have been remastered or had been held back in their pristine form until ready for commercial release.

Not one to be contained or content to be put in a box, Miss YaYa’s “The Demo” runs the sonic gamut, ranging from hard hitting Salsa with urban undertones, such as "Luces, Camara y Accion", (an admitted personal favorite) to Bachata in "Recuerdas" to a blistering Electronic / Mambo (urban merengue) hybrid in "Sueltate Ya". In each case Miss YaYa dominates the nuances of each particular genre well, navigating the songs from the first note, through the bridge and over hair raising crescendos with aplomb.

To conclude, I believe Latin Music fans will be delighted with this album. If you are a traditionalist, you might find the album to be too urban or modern in its trappings. However, art is subjective and that is a matter of personal preference. Overall I believe Miss YaYa in a unique space, particularly when it comes to the Salsa genre, which is in desperate need of more female representation. With a great song selection, a varied choice of latin genres and the excellent emotive vocal performance that emanates from Miss YaYa.

reviews

“YaYa didn’t make it into “the next international girl group sensation,” but she got something even better: a 2009 Grammy and Premio Lo Nuestro nomination for Best Tropical Album and Best Tropical Group as the voice of the Dark Latin Groove salsa crew.”

— Miami New Times