Curtis Santiago biography
Stylistically impeccable in his demeanour Curtis Santiago captures the essence of soul in the true artistry of musicianship. With levels of romantic insight, emotional turmoil and captivating confidence, he is a quintessential vocalist that pulls at the heart strings. He carefully crafts his lyrical wisdom from life experiences, winning at a perspective of illuminating common elements that resonant with his audience. With pronounced effect on an excellent stage presence, Curtis Santiago creates a musical space that transcends vocal stylizations into an artistic experience.
Not new to the game of the industry, Curtis Santiago has had his art-inspired mind involved in music for the last ten years. In the latter part of the 90s he was a founding member of the Canadian collective The Hi-Phoniqs, a soul-inspired group. In 2002, he took the first streps towards a solo career and moved to Vancouver with a fresh dose of inspiration. A few years after winning CBC Galaxie Rising Star Award, he released a solo EP with the help of Brian Howes and Roger Swan. Just after this release Santiago founded the short-lived group Vendetta Republic and met guitarist, Mikey Schlosser. This collaboration with Schlosser fostered in a fortress of musical potential which inspired a collective move back to the east coast city of Toronto.
The city of Toronto proved to provide the musical direction that was needed to accelerate Santiago’s career to the next step. In 2009 his most recent EP Have Mercy, supported by producers Skullkrushers and Mick Boogie, was released out into the world . This release is a heartfelt anthem of dance tracks and intense soul ballads. This particular album garnered a lot of exposure for Santiago as qualifying artist into the hearts of his listeners. Have Mercy has had thousands of electronic downloads which has allowed Santiago to extend his musical reach to the artistic playground of New York City. After winning the Nissan Cube contest in Canada, Santiago used his winnings, a 2009 Nissan Cube to take his electrifying showmanship on the road.
Currently splitting his time between Toronto and New York City, Curtis Santiago has woven his solo career into a stream of unending possibilities in 2010. Working relentlessly on new materials while exploring the landscape and soundscape of NYC, Santiago is relishing the evolution of his career into this new decade. Fostering new collaborations with Grammy award winning song writer Alex Tivey, musical tours into the new year and mindful discourse into the intersection of art and music, this year is a musician’s dream for craft development, particularly for Santiago. LIfe provides the back-bone of his music and allows him to explore the characters of his heart and emotions, so this new phase is extremely prophetic of musical times to come.
