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| Spotlight:
TGK
When
something’s good, it’s hard to keep
it a secret. That’s especially true with
good music. Most of us know the next big thing
when we hear it and see it and once we find it,
we can’t wait to tell everyone about it!
Gina, Ivette, David and James, the 2 girls and
2 boys of TGK, are the latest new music sensation
and the latest new talk of the town. Everyone
is talking about TGK. They’re talking about
two fierce young Latino sisters paired with a
blond pop vocalist and tall dark crooner, all
able to move effortlessly between pop ballads
and urban flavored rhythms.
Have
you seen them? Are they pop? Are they urban? Are
they soul?
The answer is (d). TGK are all of the above.
Good
looks are always a prerequisite for success in
today’s music market and TGK are the complete
package, with not only good looks, but real talent,
ability and originality. TGK, pride themselves
on their uniqueness. How many two girl-two guy
groups have you seen? But the sex of its members
is not the only thing that sets TGK apart from
other groups; it’s the magic in their voices
and the electricity of their performances. “It’s
not enough to have a good voice anymore,”
shares David. “You have to be able to move
the crowd and show them a good time.”
And
that’s exactly what TGK has done—in
the United States and abroad. Many headlining
groups have trouble selling out venues, but TGK
has done that in several markets. In Milwaukee,
TGK entertained 70,000 fans with their latest
single, “Fire,” a bouncy track with
a thumping hip-hop feel brought home with the
group’s booming vocals and the addition
of featured rap artist Quise.
At
first glance, TGK may look like just another pop
group, but when they open their mouths to sing,
it’s a different story. “I love it
when people think we’re going to sound like
NSYNC,” says James. “People say ‘we
see you on the cover of your CD and then when
we hear your tracks and you sound completely different
then we thought.’” In other words,
most people don’t expect two half-Cuban
sisters, a boy from Wisconsin and a boy Tampa/St.
Pete to sound so soulful. But when you grow up
listening to groups like Chicago and Earth, Wind
and Fire as James did or Aretha Franklin and Sade
as Gina did, it’s not hard to mix some soul
into your vocals. David is especially pleased
that their music is “not just pop.”
“It has a hip-hop/R&B-edge to it. It’s
not the same thing that’s out there, that
you hear all the time,” he explains.
Adding
to their unique sound are the wide and diverse
musical influences of all of the group members.
David is a big fan of the Beatles and Ivette loves
Seal. Gina is so moved by Sting that “when
I hear his music, tears come to my eyes,”
she shares. “I don’t know why he has
such an impact on me musically, but he moves me.”
In addition, Gina and Ivette credit their father’s
Cuban roots and his experience as a drummer as
a big part of their musical style. James also
comes from a musical family. Taught by his mother
he began vocal lessons at an early age and also
developed a passion for classical music listening
to his brother who trained professionally in the
genre.
Despite
their young ages David, James, Gina and Ivette’s
resumes are already very long. David, (21) who
was raised in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area of
Florida, was formerly in boy band signed to Sony
in Germany. And James, a 20 -year-old native of
Madison, Wisconsin, spent a lot of time in Los
Angeles working as an actor and has appeared in
several films including The Frightening. Orlando-
natives and sisters Gina and Ivette, have been
singing since they can remember and have both
been members of music group’s, but never
together.
When
it came to forming TGK, group mastermind Steve
Ruff proposed that Gina and Ivette join forces.
With Gina and Ivette in place, the other two members
had to be found. Since “the girls”
and David were already friends, that part was
easy. James’ addition to the group, however,
is a longer story.
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James,
the only member of the group with no Florida
roots, met David in LA on the set of a film
in which he had a supporting role. David, a
Sony artist, was contributing to the film’s
soundtrack. The two hit it off right away. “As
soon as I heard him sing with us,” recalls
David, “I was like ‘man, this group’s
got something.’ The first time we did
an a cappella it sounded almost perfect right
away. It just clicked.” “It’s
so hard to find a group that just fits and everyone
gets along. “says Ivette. “I’ve
been in previous groups and it’s one of
the hardest things to find.”
Another
thing that works well is the group’s wholesome
image and sound. Because their vocals are great,
and their music is well produced with songs
that are upbeat and danceable, you don’t
even realize that the risqué edge found
in most of today’s music is absent. David
notes proudly that “we have a good time
without feeling like we have to be R-rated.”
For Ivette, who is just 16, it’s simple:
“We’re all really good kids, so
it’s second nature to us.”
TGK
is all about good music, high energy performances
and stage shows. Whether they’re getting
hyped up with the upbeat first single, “Fire”
or slowing it down with the sentimental pop
ballad “Missing You,” TGK prides
itself on making music that makes you feel something
and gets you up and moving. Sometimes the songs
have extra meaning for the young singers, like
James’ lyrics on the ballad “Missing
You” - “It wasn’t too long
ago when you were here by my side/I try to let
you go but I miss you all the time.” The
words are special to him since being in Orlando
is a long way from his home and friends in Wisconsin
and even further from his second home in LA.
And
who hasn’t had a fantastic new love that
puts you on “cloud nine” like the
one Ivette sings of on the pop ballad “It’s
You.” TGK warn that sometimes you have
to “let it go,” on the bouncy soulful
track “Let It Go,” and praise the
beauty of love in “A Love,” where
TGK get deep and show their range with a soulful
and epic ballad. Meanwhile “Some Guys”
is a fun updated remake of the 80s hit song
by Rod Stewart, and at the other end of the
spectrum, the harder hitting “Wanna Be
Down” shows us the hip-hop/pop side of
TGK. “Shake It,” finds Ivette and
Gina singing in both English and Spanish showing
off their Latino roots, complete with Latino-inspired
strings and piano riffs.
TGK,
which stands for Talent, Guts and Khaos (with
a ‘K’to underscore “all of
the craziness about to happen”) works,
Gina (19) says because each of the members have
distinctly different personalities. Younger
sister Ivette, she says, is “the spicy
one who sings with power and lots of attitude,
and James is the fun, friendly and approachable
one. He’ll joke with you and do everything
he can to make you feel as comfortable as he
can.” And David, the eldest of the group,
“is the practical and sensible one.”
The
secret is out and one thing that grows more
evident each day is that TGK has got that special
something that will take them a long way in
the music world. With their unique blend of
soul, pop and R&B, Gina, Ivette, David and
James are on the right track and although they
are just starting out as a group, with their
collective experience, they are well prepared
for the long and exciting ride ahead.
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*All
songs on Artist Site. |
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Tracks
from "TGK" |
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TGK WebSite |
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TGK WebSite |
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Lets start by introducing TGK to the BandNation readers.
Gina,
Ivette, James and David