Eddy Meets Yannah

At the tender age of 8, Jana Valdevit aka Yannah starts off playing the piano and learning all about the theoretics of music. As she grows up surrounded with good music, especially due to her brother (who's been fascinated with jazz in all its meaning ever since his childhood and is one of a few free jazz musicians in Croatia today) and her parents whose musical taste knows no barriers (whether it be classical, world music, soundtracks, brazilian...), her love and open mind for music grows easily. When 18, Yannah starts studying musicology and at the same time begins to sing for a few newcomer bands. After her first real performance as singer at Zagreb's «Jazz New Hope» festival in 1999, she becomes an often-seen guest for many Croatian jazz projects also performing with National Televisions' Big Band and singing with a cover band which introduces her to lots of boogie, soul, funk classics. Then in 2000, Eddy & Dus invite Yannah for their first collaboration which was when she discovers new club sounds, such as broken beat or nu soul. Yannah collects her own band in 2001, starts to write songs and lyrics and within some time creating music becomes a priority to her. Which motivates her to acquire arranging, production and programming skills, so in next two years she becomes more attached to studio work and performes on special occasions only. And notably starts studying sacral music in order to expand her knowledge in more directions. Bang, in 2003 Yannah and Eddy join their ideas and let them melt into a project by the name of Eddy Meets Yannah.

Eddy Ramich was born in the Netherlands but is of semi-Slovak / semi-Croatian nationality and spent his childhood in the Netherlands,Slovakia, Libya and Germany which has had an enormous impact on his whole way of thinking. Besides being actively engaged in sports, Eddy also attends music school, playing the violin. During the years of breakdance fever he becomes interested in hip hop and starts djing at school parties. His affection towards black music develops more and more ever since he?s been to the UK back in 1988 and becomes familiar with acid jazz and soulful house. His first proper gigs take place in the summer of '89. Two years down the line Eddy starts studying at the Faculty of Business Economics in Zagreb, has his first residency at Aquarius and begins producing his own music. He's been hosting his own radio show Kontrapunkt on Radio 101 ever since 1994 and around that time gets another residency at Club 1 as well as producing several remixes for Croatian pop acts. 1995 is quite a significant year for Eddy for then he starts djing in Croatia and elsewhere nearby and meets Dus. They start working together and in '97 sign a contract under the name Eddy&Dus on the French label Penso Positivo – SSOH Records. After releasing the album "High life" which receives great critics in several prominent British magazines, Eddy&Dus release four singles on the same label and come up with more than 20 remixes of international and Croatian artists. Including a DJ mix compilation for the Austrian label Ecco Chamber. In summer '03 they decide to quit they collaboration and Eddy starts working with Yannah on the Eddy meets Yannah project. Quite notably: Ever since 1999 Eddy & Kontrapunkt collective host the regular Saturday club night Kontrapunkt at the Aquarius club with guest djs such as Gilles Peterson, 4Hero, Carl Craig, King Britt, Bugz in the Attic, Rainer Trüby and many more. Yearly they are organizing the Future Jazz Festival Kontrapunkt within their club night which has spotted quite well. Eddy is djing regularly in various clubs around Europe, to be found at Raw Fusion - Stockholm, Rootdown - Freiburg, Plastic People - London, Dampfzentrale - Bern or at festivals such as UK's Glastonbury Festival.