Carole Sylvan
Label: Kult Records
Artists Genre: Dance
Currently one of the most recognizable voices
in house music, singer/songwriter Carole
Sylvan remains an enigma. Her rich vocals have graced
tracks produced by such house music
staples as Danny Tenaglia and Mood II Swing and Byron
Stingly, for whom she performed back-up. Not
one to limit herself to a single
genre, she has also provided vocals with R&B artists
as diverse as Melba Moore, James Ingram and
Candi Staton. While she adds a richness
to the music created by these artists, she truly
shines when she steps to the fore and
commands a song in her own right. Earlier this year
she received major kudos for her Studio
32/Louis Radio-produced release “I Can’t
Stand The Night” and gave promise of more to
come. She has recorded numerous tracks for such
imprints as Nervous, King Street and
the legendary Tribal America. Her work on Kult Records
has garnered her much praise in the dance
music industry. At the label, she is
given free reign to let her vocals soar to the
greatest heights. Listening to such cuts as
“I Can’t Stand The Night” and “Closer,” it is
evident that Ms. Sylvan truly has a place in
the upper echelons of dance music’s soulful divas.
Carole Sylvan was born to sing. From the age
of eight, she was belting out stirring
gospel-tinged hymns before an appreciative
congregation at her church. While
still at school, she sung at elegant tea parties held
at the home of jazz icon, Count Basie. With
performing credentials that belied
her years, she knew what she was meant to do and set
about sealing her destiny. After a lengthy
stint singing as a soloist in her church
choir, Ms. Sylvan decided to study voice seriously.
She was sponsored by the Pied Piper
Foundation, which supported prodigious musical
talents. The association with the
philanthropic institution lead to her first
major performance before an enthusiastic crowd of
funk fans opening for the Godfather
of Soul himself, James Brown. Ms. Sylvan was barely 16
years old and already she knew how to command
an audience with her sublime vocal
stylings. In her quest to be an all-round entertainer,
she also took acting classes under the
tutelage of Lou Myers. Her hard work and dedication
paid off when she was the recipient of the
Ed Sullivan Talent of the Year Award, which further
fueled her dream to sing professionally. With
a versatile, four octave range, Ms. Sylvan
nursed ambitions of being an opera singer.
She attended the Brooklyn Conservatory of
Music, where she majored in voice and later
participated in the Julliard
Preparatory program. Though she never realized her
dream of being a professional opera singer,
she instead found herself in demand as a vocalist for
pop artists looking for
talented session vocalists. With her unsurpassable
skills and breath-taking range, she soon
built up a list of satisfied clients, who relied on
her talent, creative input and
professionalism in the studio. She sang on
tracks for the Pet Shop Boys and Danny Tenaglia on his
‘Heart & Soul’ release. On completion of the
project, Tenaglia acknowledged her talents
and noted that it was a pleasure working with the
amiable singer. As a solo artist, Ms.
Sylvan has worked with many key industry
players, including Kerri Chandler and Louis Vega.
While she has been featured artist
for production teams, she points out that she is
not merely a vessel for them to channel their
words and music through, this multi-talented
diva is also a prolific tunesmith. She has a
vast repertoire of songs that range from
garage to straight up pop. She has also contributed
lyrics to two Fatback Band albums,
“Gigolo” and “Money.” In addition to
fulfilling lead and background vocals on the single
“Everything You Do,” the New York-based
performer also wrote lyrics for this sonic
tour de force. However, her ultimate goal is to
eventually produce in her own right.
She has tried her hand at production in the past and
would like to further extend that aspect of
her talents. With her growing body of work,
immense talent and passion for her music,
Carol Sylvan will soon cease to be one of dance
music’s great enigmas, and take her rightful
place where she belongs — up front and center.
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