Shay Leonia

Any great event should involve great food (if there is food) and great entertainment. My band and I are in charge of making sure we provide the latter! I am the lead vocalist of the band, and my band consists of two to three background vocalists, bass, guitar, drums, and sometimes keyboard with credits that range from Enrique Iglesias and Chrisette Michelle to Crystal Kay and more. We pride ourselves on quality and and performing material that suits any occasion and jogs up the best of anyone's nostalgia. R&B, pop, blues, funk and rock and roll are our favorites to perform, but we can absolutely learn any material requested should you have something particular in mind! My vocalists recently blew me away by learning and beautifully executing the Spanish translated version of a song I released, so yes, we are bilingual as well! I pride myself on always giving the best performance possible and truly providing an unforgettable experience for any audience!

For Shay Leonia, infatuation with music started long before she could carry a tune or write a lyric. Aside formal dance training as a child, growing up in a family of musicians made her awareness of melody and attraction to the beat as inborn and natural as breathing.
Coming of age in the Golden Age of Hip Hop, she realized her music could not only be catchy and relatable, but it could also incorporate poetic lyricism and make a deep connection with her audience.
It was also from the self-promotion side of hip hop culture that she learned how to create a buzz as an emerging artist. Her performances have run the gamut from singing in New York City subways to earn money for her next meal to prestigious venues like BB Kings, Santos Party House and Sullivan Hall. From freestyling cyphers at house parties and at shows in dive bars across NYC, to working alongside a beat boxer or putting her own R&B spin on an Alice In Chains classic, she’s made a name for herself on the underground hip hop circuit by doing what she loves to do: write and perform.
For Shay, each song comes from a personal experience, connecting to her core fan base with her honesty and soulful anthems about love and life. “I make music with the hopes that one person will hear a story in my songs and feel comforted in knowing they aren't alone,” she explains.
Inspired by an eclectic array of greats from Michael and Janet Jackson to Stevie Wonder, Led Zeppelin and even Barbra Streisand, she infuses classic R&B with the raw edginess of rap, rock, and funk, in a style that is truly unique. To date, she’s appeared on tracks with Lords Of The Underground and legends like Treach (Naughty By Nature), worked with Marley Marl, and has opened shows for Keith Murray (Def Squad) and Raekwon (Wu-Tang Clan).
“It’s Over,” the first single from her soon-to-be-completed debut album, The Perfection Of Faith, has just been released. The song is traditionally classic R&B but the production turns it into a heartfelt ballad wth a beat. The album, inspired by George Michael’s legendary Faith, expands beyond traditional R&B as well. “I've always been a huge George Michael fan,” Shay explains,“ and that album was my first real exposure to popular music. Once I really got into it, I loved how his hand was basically in every pot; in addition to writing, he played a lot of the instruments and had a big part in the production. It also solidified him as a true solo artist with real depth, whereas Wham! were sort of seen as a novelty pop act. When it was released, it broke a lot of color lines by going to the top of the urban and R&B charts and staying there. So it’s been a huge influence in so many ways.”

If you are holding your event at a traditional club venue, then I would just need to be informed as to whether or not they have a full backline. If not, I am in close contact with a company located in midtown Manhattan that does full gear rental and even full DIY stage set ups, which would need to be covered in our agreement along with cost of transporting the gear. Sound check is required two hours before the event begins so we can ensure the best execution possible.