| Soul Sensation Linda Luztono |
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Nineteen year old singer/songwriter Linda Luztono, knew at a young age that singing was her passion. Born in Kiev, Ukraine, her mother is Ukrainian and her father is Cuban. Linda grew up singing Whitney Houston songs before she could even speak English. Not coming from a musical background, Linda's constant singing around the house at the tender age of 2 was when her family discovered that she had a real talent. Now that she is older she can't see herself doing anything else. This young dynamic talent is the former lead singer of the Jazz band, "The Green Jazzberries". She has also appeared in school talent shows, Black History Month shows for various colleges, Dundas square and Banquet for the Toronto Youth Cabinet as well as St. Christopher House's "The Suite Life" Production. She has performed in "Hair" the musical as well as a few other plays including: "Oliver," "Idle" and "Macbeth". Linda's a 2007 participant of The Honey Jam Showcase and graduate of The Remix Project, where she successfully completed her demo tracks with super producer Noah "40". Some of Linda's musical influences includes Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and her idol, the person she strives to be like, not just as a musician but as a person, Alicia Keys.
Location: Toronto, CanadaContact: Twitter | Myspace
My name’s Linda Luztono, I’m a singer/songwriter born in Kiev, Ukraine but I represent my favorite city, Tdot which is where I reside! Urban Steez: How long have you been doing music and what made you get into music? Linda: I’ve been singing since the age of four and I guess that’s when my parents realized that there was something there. When I would throw in a Whitney tape and sing along to it. I’ve been writing since I was twelve though; writing and just really scooping instrumentals from wherever I could. It didn’t matter if they were hip hop beats or soft R&B. Urban Steez: Nice. How would you describe your musical style and why? Linda: I would say my style is a mix of Hip Hop, Pop and R&B. That’s what I mostly grew up listening to so it became a part of me and I knew I wanted to do this. Not to say that I don’t appreciate other genres or wouldn’t experiment with other styles. It’s always nice to expand your horizons. Urban Steez: You definitely have a nice style, very skillful… If you had to pick which label to be signed to what would it be and why? Linda: Picking a label is a long and difficult process, but if I had to pick, I would say Sony BMG because they are one of the few labels that really allow their artists to be themselves and have a say in the image that they want to portray. Getting into the music industry is very crucial for me; I just want to be Linda Luztono. Urban Steez: Well Said! Who would you want to collaborate with in the music industry and why? Linda: Wow, there are so many talented artists. I would say Michael Jackson because he is the man! He’s just amazing. Whitney Houston because she made me fall in love with music, Alicia Keys, Amy Winehouse and Lyfe Jennings just to name a few. There are so many but I feel that these few have an unbelievable amount of talent so it would just be a blessing to record and perform on the same stage with them. Urban Steez: If you can get Whitney Houston back on stage, it would be a great scene. Lol, I want whitney to take the stage just one last time for fans like us. What have you experienced good and bad on your road to musical success? Linda: I’ve been fortunate enough to take part in some of Tdot’s biggest showcases such as Manifesto and Honey Jam and have met some amazing people through that. The Remix Project and the people there really helped me kick off my career in the music industry. Working with Noah “40” Shebib who is Drake’s engineer and producer, really gave me an insight of the ins and outs of what the industry is about and what it takes to be successful. As for bad experiences, luckily I haven’t had any yet! Urban Steez: That’s good, that means people believe in your talent and want to see you succeed.. Who and what are your influences? Linda: One of my biggest influences is Whitney Houston. I found such strength and purity in her voice at such a young age that I always imitated her and tried to do my best when singing her songs. Alicia Keys is also another raw talent, she's just simply amazing, no doubt about it. Everything from the way she carries herself to how the media treats her. She really knows how to have a personal life and realizes that not everything is everyone's business and that's one of the many things that I admire about her so much. Urban Steez: Where do you see yourself a year from now? Linda: A year from now, I see myself working in the studio with some well known producers maybe in the States, making great music, working on an album. You have to be realistic, but dream big. Urban Steez: Being that you write your own music, good music I might add what inspires you? Linda: My inspiration comes from all different angles. I write about my personal experiences of course, as well as experiences and challenges that friends and family have dealt with. One person can only go through so much so if you write often, it’s very hard to have each song as your very own personal experience; that’s why it’s so important to really open up and even write about things that simply derive from the imagination. Urban Steez: That’s Wassup! What are you working on now and when can fans expect to hear more from you? Linda: I am in the process of working with some very talented people. I have a great team who I’m very excited about and will have some new music very soon! Urban Steez: I’m looking forward to it, you have an amazing voice. What do you think of the hip hop/ music world right now? Linda: The music world is a bit different than it used to be. People don’t sell as many records as they used to, but I can’t say that the music world is bad. The internet has a definite impact on the amount of records sold but that’s why things are based on and looked at a bit differently—for example, an artist may now be titled as a most downloaded artist rather than back in the day when the internet didn’t exist. There has also just been a change in artists as in any generation and some talented artists out there are so underrated! Urban Steez: I agree.. What music do you have playing in your sound system right now? Linda: I am actually listening to Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s get it on” right now. A real classic! Urban Steez: Old school “ Lets get it on”.. That song right there probably produced the most babies lol. So I have to pop the question, who is your celebrity crush? Linda: Hahaha! T.I. He’s got swag and intelligence! That’s very important. I also have a thing for Shia Laboeuf. There’s just something about him and his sense of humour. He’s cute! Urban Steez: Shia is low key becoming a favorite among females these days… How can business heads and fans contact you in the future (myspace, email, number, etc.)? Linda: I can be reached on Facebook at Linda Luztono, Myspace at www.myspace.com/lindaluztono or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or contact my manager Bobby at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Urban Steez: Any shot outs? Shout out to my family, my mom and dad, my brother Michel and my sister Alina, thanks for always being there for me, love you guys. All my friends, and everyone who has and is continuing to support me, cannot thank you all enough, I love you all! My manager Roberto “Bobby” Allen, my business manager Nikki Clarke, engineer/producer Noah ‘40’ Shebib, engineer/producer Boi-1da, engineer/producer Kolden Simmonds, my vocal coach Kafur Farell, my dj Shane Weazy, my photographer Sean Getti and my big bro Tyrone 'T-Rexx,' and the rest of The Remix Project. Thank you all for everything you've all taught me. Linda Luztono aka "Young Mariah" performing "Hero"Linda Luztono Singing " If I were a boy" by BeyonceLinda Luztono singing Prelude to a Kiss
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