Frankie Yanga Bio
Frankie Yanga, was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1955 and raised in Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles. He was influenced early on by musicians such as Stanley Clark, Ray Brown, Ron Carter, Paul Jackson.
At the age of 7, he started to sing and eventually switch musical direction and started to be passionate about playing bass guitar.
He worked regularly as a bass player, performing with various bands in the Caribbean. Soon thereafter, he decided to enroll himself at the Rotterdam’s Music School in Holland. While living in Holland he also toured with popular acts such as Lee Towers. After living in Holland for over 10 Years, Frankie Yanga decided to return to the Caribbean and resided permanently in Aruba to raise his family.
In 1990 Frankie decided to enhance his education and enrolled into the Musicians Institute in Hollywood California, where he graduated with Honors. During his education at MI he has sat in with professionals such as, Scot Henderson and Joe Dioro and participated in several Big Bands at MI. In Hollywood he performed with a Brazilian group in the Palm Hotel on Franklin Street.
Upon completion of his eduction years in Hollywood, Frankie returned to Aruba where he became an bass instructor at the “Cas di Cultura Rufo Wever Music School” and provided bass techniques training and improvisations training for 8 years. He has continue to share his knowledge and skills as a bass instructor and directing ensemble bands at the “Fundashon Desaroyo Communitario Music school of Aruba”
Frankie continued performing and played with several musicians in Curacao, where he was the bass player of the group Jazz Expression. Frankie Yanga has performed at St Lucia Jazz Festival, Aruba Jazz Festival and Bonaire Jazz Festival.
As a freelance bassist he has played with almost all active musicians in Aruba, performing in the Hotels, Jazz Clubs and Concerts.
At the moment Frankie is working as a soloist and singer in restaurants and private functions, performing with the Eddy Samson Jazz Trio at the Divi Links Hotel and composing his own material which will start production late 2009. He will be working side by side with his own son which is a Producer and Recording Engineer in Ontario Canada