While 2015 may be designated as the year of the sheep, Manhattan-based independent record label Young Pals Music is forging ahead like a lion. Celebrating nearly 10 years as a full-service music & publishing company, the label continues to expand its versatile musical palette with R&B, rock, pop, dance, musical theater & jazz projects.
Topping the list of upcoming releases is Turkish-born, NYC-based performer, actress & songwriter Melis Aker, whose debut EP launches this spring. Collaborating with Young Pals Music Founder & Producer Ayhan Sahin, the project comprises acoustically driven original songs, performed with guitars, piano and violin, with lyrical themes based on Aker’s observations of life in the big city. Contributing instrumentalists include Turkish guitarist i Yilmaz, Broadway pianist Tom Gallaher, legendary percussionist Mike Sorrentino (Rainbow, Deep Purple) and double-bassist Evan Gregor.
In addition, Sahin is ushering in the new year as co-producer of the live show “Groovist,” a monthly
residency at Manhattan’s East Village club Drom (as well as other New York City venues), featuring Young Pals Music artist, singer, songwriter & guitarist (and longtime mutual collaborator) Emre Yilmaz. He will deliver popular covers and original songs in a festive, party atmosphere. Sahin is assisting in track production, as well as assisting in Emre’s live ensemble.
Young Pals Music is also prepping the sophomore release from award-winning Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter & guitarist Michael Benedetto, due in early summer. With its pop, dance & electronic template, the album represents an evolution from his traditional alt-folk roots. What remains is the artist’s savvy for traditional lyrical storytelling.
Produced by Sahin, Benedetto’s CD follows 2012 debut“Burnt Hill Road,”which was dedicated to raising money for children’s charities, and profiled in the New York Daily News. He is a two-time winner of the West Coast Songwriters Association Awards (Best Song & Best Performance), and a regular performer throughout NYC’s illustrious downtown club scene.
Also coming in the first half of 2015: a revival of Sahin’s original stage musical “1453,”which documents the fall of Constantinople. With a new staging in his native Turkey, the production will be followed with a freshly conceived concept soundtrack. Originally titled “The Conqueror,”the show was staged and performed nearly a dozen times across Europe and the Middle East. Sahin & Onur Orkut originated the story.
Later this year, Ayhan Sahin will release his first-ever solo album, which brings together 12+ award-winning vocalists and musicians. The 10-track opus is tentatively titled “POP,” blending organic instrumentation with contemporary production. All songs are written with and co-produced by hit songwriter Bernadette O’Reilly, the founder of Breaking Records, who has also worked in artist relations, management and song placement.
ABOUT YOUNG PALS MUSIC
Independent record label Young Pals Music was founded in 2007 by producer & songwriter Ayhan Sahin, with a global focus on artist development, songwriting & collaboration, vocal & instrumental recording, mixing, merchandising & consultancy services.
With a Master’s degree from NYU’s prestigious Tisch School of the arts, Sahin has staged original theatrical works in his native Turkey, Europe, the Middle East and the U.S. Now based in New York City, his full-service company has worked with the likes of Olivia Newton-John, Melba Moore, Phoebe Snow, Sezen Aksu and Sandra Bernhard. Sahin has been profiled in more than two dozen newspapers, magazines and online publications, including the Los Angeles Times, Billboard, Fox News, MTV, VH1, Yahoo Music and Life magazine.
In 2014, Young Pals Music achieved its greatest success to date, with the May release of the debut solo album from Mexican star Bianca Marroquin. She is renowned for her leading role as Roxie Hart in Broadway’s “Chicago,”and as a judge on TV’s “Mira Quien Baila”(the Spanish-language version of “Dancing With the Stars”). Marroquin’s full-length “El Mundo Era Mio” was courted by the Latin and Broadway press, including a live performance on Univision.
Young Pals Music is proud to offer a Valentine’s Day Gift.
Jeri Bokeno’s dance single “My Love is Yours”
is now available for downloads at
FOR ONE DAY ONLY
Share this song for a special occasion with your special one.
Written by Bokeno, Susanne White and Ayhan Sahin, the dance song pledges never-ending love with poetic refrains sung and spoken in French and English. These three successful songwriters have joined forces to create another potential hit that universally speaks to lovers the world over.
Jerri Bokeno has collaborated and worked with superstars ranging from Phil Spector to Cher. She has served as lead vocalist for numerous dance groove groups, including El Coco, Downtown Girls and Coney Island Chorus Girls, as well as a featured vocalist for jazz aficionado David Benoit.
The way others perceive you inevitably influences the way you perceive yourself—so, when those around you don’t approve of where your life is headed, it can be easy for you to lose track. But even if this happens, there is still hope. You can rise above the obstacles, reclaim your direction, and find meaning and value in your life.
“The Resilience of Love” follows three gay men, each of whom has different levels of awareness and acceptance of their lifestyle. Carlo is openly gay and has his mother’s support along with his father’s condemnation. Martin is still “in the closet,” as far as his parents are concerned. And Howard’s repression of his gay disposition has provoked amnesia. He has lost all sight of who, and what, he is.
Each man has issues he must confront, and together, they are about to explore unchartered territory that could make or break them—and their relationships.
As traditional values and matters of orientation, personality, and relationships collide in this compelling literary novel, the things these men learn about themselves, one another, and their families is sure to amaze you and teach you valuable lessons about love, identity, and the integrity of the human spirit.
Stephen B. Anderson is an open-minded, openly gay man who has experienced firsthand the difficulties associated with “coming out” to others and coming to terms with his own sexual orientation. He grew up in Iowa in a setting that epitomized conventional American values and studied for the Christian ministry for several years before resigning due to his emerging sexuality.
Anderson subsequently entered into a gay partnership that has lasted more than forty years and recently culminated in marriage. His parents initially were traumatized by his lifestyle, though they eventually came to accept, appreciate, and cherish the love and togetherness of his relationship.
Professionally, Anderson worked in an innovative rehabilitation program for people with mental illness about which he has published two books. His writing is drawn from personal experience and reflects insights he has gleaned about the hardiness of the human spirit.
“The Resilience of Love” is also available on Barnes & Noble.
What a joy!! Last night at 54 Below, Bianca Marroquin put on a show! An autobiographical celebration of her 12+ years in the business with little sketches of almost everything she has done since today.
Talk about a career filled with passion, talent, love, heartbreak, faith, persistence, victory and inevitable success. From back alleys of Broadway theaters to dance floors, or from dressing rooms of syndicated TV shows to recording vocal booths, she has been everywhere with her own vision and integrity. And we were there at the legendary building of Studio 54 in New York City to witness her exciting, inspiring journey.
Her theatre achievements were showcased with her musical director Tom Gallaher on piano, who designed and architected this show together with Marroquin. From being a swing at “Rent” to being the star of a Disney “Marry Poppins..” Or from being a dance coach at “Phantom of the Opera” in Mexico CIty to being the “One and Only” Roxie Hart of “Chicago” on Broadway, she carried us through her way with laughter and heart beat.
And that was only the first portion of the full magic. Next, she showcased her versatility by transfering into her TV career where she talked and danced about her successful 4 year run of “Mira Quien Baila” (Latin franchise of “Dancing with the Stars”) and the anthem from her telenovela “Pequenos Gigantes.” The song ”Esperanza del Corazon” carried us into her latest adventure when the moment finally came and she whispered the words “And then I decided to do an album.”
That was her introduction to the next part of her show where she performed songs from her first album “El Mundo Era Mio.” She sang live 6 tracks “One Lie,” “Miss Out On You,” “Something More Than Sideways” as well as the title track with precise perfection of a recording. The full band accompanied her with Tom Gallaher on piano, Dennis DelGaudio on guitars, Steve Singer on drums, Vincent Fay on bass and Marshall Coid on violin.
At the end of the show, she announced her new upcoming album in September which is composed of Mexican traditional folk songs. She sang two numbers from her new project “Perfidio” and “Toda Una Vida” .
In overall, the audience was amazed and electrified with her energy, her versatility as well as her personality on stage. A Broadway star, a famous TV personality, a dancer and a recording artist.. What more is in the horizon? It is for us to witness while we enjoy the joyride. Congratulations Bianca, you are a true star!!
54 BELOW, Broadway’s Supper Club, presents Bianca Marroquin on July 9 at 9:30 PM.
Bianca Marroquin, the beloved singer, songwriter, dancer & actress will perform songs from her debut album ‘El Mundo Era Mio’ as well as Broadway standards and Mexican folk songs. Marroquin will be accompanied by 5 piece band on stage with Tom Gallaher on piano, Dennis DelGaudio on guitars, Steve Singer on drums, Malcolm Gold on bass and Marshall Coid on violins.
Wednesday, July 9, 9:30PM
54 Below – 254 W 54th St, Cellar – New York, NY 10019
Bianca’s first album “El Mundo Era Mio” was introduced to the press at a meet-n-greet and CD release party at La Pulperia in midtown Manhattan (371 West 46th Street). Young Pals Records International hosted the event at this elegant restaurant featuring rustic Latin cuisine from Chef/Owner Carlos Barroz and Victor Medina, La Pulperia offers Barroz’s simple yet refined cuisine from the countries of Latin America with European influences. The cocktail party was co-sponsored by Hiro Sake.
Bianca celebrated the release of her long-awaited debut album with guests that filled the room, including some of her colleagues from the entertainment industry like Latino heartthrob and recent “Mira Quien Baila” star Pedro Moreno, telenovela actress and “Bailando por un Sueño” judge Livia Brito, fashion designer and Velasco Couture founder Rogelio Velasco, singer and Aventura co-founder Henry Santos, and her co-stars from the Broadway hit Chicago, Brent Barrett, Amra-Faye Wright, Christopher Fitzgerald, Carol Woods …
This special day was only complete with some of her fans attending the party, where she gave away autographed CDs, while songs from her 11-track album co-written by Marroquin, Young Pals proprietors Ayhan Sahin & Dennis DelGaudio was echoing through the walls of the venue. Tom Gallaher, the album coordinator and Bianca’s long-time music director introduced her with a personal speech, followed by Bianca’s speech explaining the last 9 months when the album was conceived and the work put through during recording sessions.
Following the cocktail reception, media was invited to attend that evening’s performance of the acclaimed, Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Chicago at the Ambassador Theatre (219 West 49th Street), starring Bianca in her award-winning performance as merry murderess Roxie Hart.
‘El Mundo Era Mio’ launches Tuesday, May 13, on Young Pals Records International,
with 5 co-writes from the beloved singer, songwriter, dancer & actress
Award-winning Mexican TV & musical theater actress Bianca Marroquin will release her first-ever full-length solo album “El Mundo Era Mio,” on Tuesday, May 13, 2014. The flavor of the 11-track album—with five songs co-written by Marroquin—is contemporary pop with a healthy splash of Latin, comprising live studio musicians offering a mesh of electric & acoustic guitars, piano, chamber strings, percussion and bass.
The project is being released by New York City-based Young Pals Records International, helmed by co-composers/producers Ayhan Sahin and Dennis DelGaudio, with Album Coordinator Tom Gallaher. Famed photographer Jose Quintero lensed artwork for the album, with mastering by New York City’s esteemed Sterling Sound.
“This album is very significant to me, because I’m finally recording my own creation. There is a time and place for everything, and this is the perfect moment for me to release my music,” Marroquin says. “The process was a sacred experience: It’s you, the music and your mind going to a place where you interpret and express what each song is saying in the most intimate, honest way. I close my eyes and lose myself in the meaning of the lyrics… and my voice follows.”
Accompanying “El Mundo Era Mio,” Marroquin’s new website biancamarroquin.com will debut in early May, with an online “Launch Party” on the day of release, where fans can chat live with the ingénue and hear her perform acoustically, beginning at 4 p.m. (Eastern). She will also appear on Univision’s “Despierta America” on May 12, performing launch single “One Lie/No Mas,” with a live band.
The album’s title “El Mundo Era Mio” was Marroquin’s vision for the overall theme of her solo album, reflecting her missive of maintaining positivity: “The world was mine. Life is short. Stay forward. Accept, learn the lesson, let go and open to receive what’s next,” she says. “Never lose hope. Let your faith be greater than your fears.”
As a whole, the project is a wondrous showcase for her vocal versatility. One moment, Marroquin imparts a guttural growl akin to Alanis Morrissette and the next, soars as a definitive Celine Dion-worthy diva. First single “One Lie” is the consummate showcase for her gifts, a sweeping, full-bodied pop/rock tour de force with acoustic guitars & tinkling piano amid a theme of redemption; while album opener “Gone,” a giddy, jangly rock anthem, offers a fervent froth of foot-stomping beats and acoustic instrumentation.
Other highlights include joyous dance-club twirler “You Blow Me Away,” one of those windows down, pedal to the metal summer-ready refrains; hit-worthy lovesick ballad “Something More Than Sideways”; and haunting ballad “Marquee,” power packed with taut strings and cello, which delivers a universal missive about falling hard… and searching for the power within to restore confidence. She sings, “Been so long since I’ve wondered who I am, gottaput my name back in lights… Marquee.”
Among songs that Marroquin wrote is emotive Spanish-language ballad “Salvame” (“Save Me”). She says, “I wrote this about a person fighting for their life, as they implore their lover to stand by and pray for their soul. Their steadfast love is the only hope for salvation.” She also wrote the title track “El Mundo Era Mio” (“The World Was Mine”), which amps the tempo with lovely acoustic instrumentation and pounding percussion; and reinterpreted first single “One Lie” with a Spanish-language lyric.
Hispanic audiences are intimately acquainted with Bianca Marroquin. As a triple threat entertainer—singer, dancer and actress—she plays Roxie Hart on Broadway’s “Chicago” the musical, winning the Helen Hayes Award for Best Actress in a Musical at Washington’s Kennedy Center. She also won five awards from the Mexican Critics Association, including Best Actress. Theater roles at home include “Beauty and the Beast,” “Rent,” “Mary Poppins,” “The Vagina Monologues” and “The Phantom of the Opera.”
On Broadway, she is the first Mexican actress to ever headline a show—and in 2014, her role as Roxie Hart in “Chicago” was renewed for another full year. She has also performed on the Great White Way in “In the Heights” and “The Pajama Game.” And in March, Marroquin was named the first-ever National Ambassador for Viva Broadway, a partnership with the Hispanic community.
In addition, Marroquin served as one of three judges during all four seasons of Univision’s reality dance competition series “Mira Quien Baila,” the Spanish-language franchise of “Dancing With the Stars”; and she judged reality series “Pequeños Gigantes.” Televisa cast her as the main protagonist in telenovela “Esperanza del Corazón” (she also sang the show’s theme song). And she is a Judge on TeleVisa’s new reality talent show “Bailando Por Un Sueno,” which launched April 24 in Mexico City.
Now, with the release of “El Mundo Era Mio,” Marroquin is ready to check off yet another career achievement. She offers, “This album has so many different and contrasting messages. In the end, it’s about life’s journey and the different paths we take to gain knowledge. Our most valuable lessons turn us into feisty, fearless and proud individuals. You live and learn. And that is life worth living.”
Marroquin adds about the release of her first album: “I’ve dreamed of this moment all of my life. I can’t wait for my songs to catch light. I have learned to trust that there is a time and place for everything. No earlier, no later… but now.”
New York City-based full-service music label continues versatile musical palette with R&B, rock, pop, dance, musical theater & jazz projects over past year
Best year ever? It certainly sounds like it, judging the accomplishments that Young Pals Music/Young Pals Records International logged in 2013, its sixth year as a New York City-based full-service independent record label. Since its launch, the company—helmed by accomplished composer, producer and arranger Ayhan Sahin—has released more than two dozen albums and singles for its proprietary acts.
Leading the charge in 2013 was the August launch of Erica Jacob’s 10-track debut album “Extraordinary Woman,” with a standing room only live performance in Manhattan’s East Village. First single “Run,” shot by Christopher Holmes/Holmeswood Features on location in Long Island City’s famed 5 Pointz (the world’s premiere outdoor “graffiti Mecca”), fostered nearly 40,000 views on YouTube in its first month of release, while Jacob performed songs from the album at renowned venues in New York and Los Angeles.
In fact, Jacob’s “Extraordinary Woman” has become Young Pals Music’s bestselling project to date. With its abundance of pop, R&B and dance tracks, music journalist Chuck Taylor deemed the album “a joyous pageant of sing-along anthems, offering musical mastery akin to the 100-watt persona of Jennifer Hudson, and the vocal chops of Alicia Keys.” The disc also garnered praise from nearly a dozen media outlets in Sahin’s native Turkey, including the lofty phrase, “Ayhan Sahin is following in Arif Mardin’s steps.”
Young Pals Owner Sahin, who produced the album, notes, “This process felt so right from the first note. Erica is among the most talented, natural singers I’ve worked with. We spent three years recording dozens of songs before choosing the magic 10 to include on the album. Yes, I’m proud of the album’s success—but I also have so much pride in working with an artist I’m certain is going to be a name brand in the coming years.”
The label opened the year with a revised & refashioned double-CD soundtrack recording of “Swedish Style: The Musical,” a dramatized retelling of the break-up of Swedish super-group ABBA, originally written by Sahin and Selcen Pamuk in the 1990s. The new version comprises 14 songs from the show, mastered for licensed productions by theatrical groups and schools. It features a new NYC-based cast with a 13-piece live band & orchestra.
In July, Young Pals issued singer/songwriter Dacada Summer’s 10-song “Fourth And First,” chronicling the artist’s coming of age in the big city versus his Midwestern upbringing.
A month before, singer/songwriter Michael Gastaldi released five-song debut solo EP “I’ve Been Meaning To Tell You,” a true-to-life snapshot about love, faith, fate and life in the moment. The two acts frequently showcase their album tracks with live performances in various NYC venues, building up their fan base.
Another highlight of 2013—demonstrating Young Pals’ ongoing versatility—was the September release of “Casino Music” by The Swing Set with Alex Cook, featuring a nine-piece jazz big band, alongside the Rat Pack-inspired musings of its lead singer. Included with a regimen of standards are reimagings of modern pop songs, including Duran Duran’s synth-pop “Rio” as a bluesy piano-tinkling refrain befitting New York’s Rainbow Room, George Michael’s “Faith” originating from a 1920s speakeasy, and a Bacharach-inspired reworking of “More than Words” from rock band Extreme. The album has been doing very well on You Tube — over 200.000 hits since its release.
In the fall of 2013, Young Pals was notified that it was winner of a Best Of Manhattan Award in the Independent Label category for Music Licensing & Royalties. The annual contest is sponsored by the Manhattan Award Program, which showcases companies that have achieved exceptional marketing success in the local community, while enhancing the positive image of small businesses.
Another highlight of the year gone by is the signing of an exclusive deal for Young Pals to produce, record and release the debut solo album from award-winning Mexican musical theater and TV actress Bianca Marroquin. The beloved superstar is the first Mexican actress ever cast in a leading Broadway role, as Roxie Hart in “Chicago.” Marroquin also serves as a judge for the Univision reality dance competition series “Mira Quien Baila” (the Spanish-language franchise of “Dancing With the Stars”).
Marroquin’s debut album on Young Pals, set for release in 2Q 2014, will offer 10 Spanish- and English-language songs, including her own original compositions, as well as co-writes with Young Pals producers Ayhan Sahin and Dennis DelGaudio (DNA). A second version of the album will be released exclusively on iTunes, with reverse translations of all 10 songs. The project is being coordinated by Tom Gallaher.
And finally, in December 2013, Young Pals launched a new location for its 2C Recording Studios, relocating from Manhattan’s East Village to Tribeca.
As 2014 spreads it wings, the label will also helm the Musical Cast Album for “The Guardian,” which Sahin is producing and composing with collaborators Michael Merritt (playwright) and Jerri Bocchino (lyricist). In addition, the label is working with singer/songwriter Jade Zabric on her first full-length project., as well as dance artist Michael Anthony and R&B singer Dre Arc Amp.
Since its 2008 launch, Young Pals Music has released 100+ albums, singles and theatrical soundtracks, and four full-length original stage musicals. With its accompanying 2C Recording Studios in Manhattan, the label was born out of a theatrical troupe in Sahin’s native Turkey, evolving into a bona fide record label when Sahin relocated to New York at the dawn of the millennium.
Today, the full-service independent record label offers artist development, songwriting and collaboration, vocal and instrumental recording, mixing, graphic design, merchandising and consultancy services.
Over the past decade, Sahin has worked with Olivia Newton-John, Melba Moore, Phoebe Snow, Turkish superstars Sezen Aksu and Sertab Erener, Sandra Bernhard, Jill Gioia from “Rockstar Supernova,” and five “American Idol” finalists, including Vonzell Solomon, Norman Gentle, Jon Peter Lewis and Anthony Fedorov.
For information contact: Janet Castiel, Redwood Entertainment, Inc. — (212) 543-9998 — info@redwoodentertainment.com
AYHAN SAHIN 