User:Ladytez/sandbox/YZ

Yoni Z (born Yoni Zigelboum on November 4, 1991, in Manhattan, New York) is not new to the music scene. He has been a working artist since he was 15 years-old. After a decade spent honing his skills by performing at weddings and other events, he then took it to the next level and began touring in 2012. Yoni’s versatility has since earned him the reputation among fans and critics as “the walking jukebox,” and his YouTube channel boasts over 2.1 million views.

Early life
Yoni still resides in the area where he grew up. Born and raised in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York, he spent his childhood playing with kids in his Orthodox Jewish neighborhood. As a child, when others would listen to music for the pleasure of it, Yoni was able to hear patterns and emotions that ran much deeper. It wasn't long before he was arranging songs in his head and working them out on paper.

Interestingly, Yoni never planned on becoming a music artist. His plans were to go to college and work in the field of psychology, but as he puts it, God had other plans for him. His parents, originally disheartened with his decision to pursue music instead of medicine, soon came on board after seeing how important it was to him and how well-received his performances became. His natural love and acceptance of people with different faiths brought him a wide range of friends all over the world as he made his way into the entertainment industry, but his true love remained in Jewish religious music.

Musical Influences
Parental influence was strong in Yoni's life. His dad is of Eastern European Jewish descent, known as Ashkenazi Jews. Yoni's mom's family was in the Middle Eastern or Mizrahi culture. Yoni never forgets that he has family members who survived the Holocaust and writes songs that blend eastern and western Jewish cultures together. His father as well as his maternal grandfather were cantors in the faith, which likely graced Yoni with lots of genetic musical talent. He combined that with his love of singing and songwriting to launch a career in the Jewish genre.

Album
On July 26, 2018, Yoni Z released his self-titled debut album, comprised of 14 original songs. He was involved in the songwriting and production of all album tracks. Diverse in style, it has been dubbed a revolutionary album for Jewish music. The album was very well received - after selling out during the pre-order, the album immediately went into its second production. Yoni also released music videos for four of the album’s songs, including Ma Naaseh.

Path
The goal is two-fold. Yoni wants to continue reaching the heart of listeners with his original music that is being released in several languages including, Yiddish, English, and Hebrew. He also wants Jewish music to take its proper place in the world. The goal is to have it as well-known and loved as current other religious music is received. Yoni sees an opportunity to expand the genre to Jewish music awards that are as sought after as other awards. It is not just the Jewish audience he wants to reach. If he has his way, people of all faiths will turn to Jewish music for entertainment and guidance. Yoni's belief that regardless of one's faith, everyone prays to the same God allows him to envision a worldwide acceptance of his work.