Interview: Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer
Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer is a Cuban-American singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist armed with a soulful, versatile voice, powerful stage presence, a unique lyrical perspective and raw, unfettered talent. Since her first violin lesson at age three, Nacer has been immersed in a musically diverse world that established her early on as the rare kind of singer/musician who is comfortable in any genre. Yvette writes and sings with a soulful integrity and has performed with some of the industry’s biggest names including Jason Mraz, Ne-Yo, Wyclef Jean, Gloria Estefan, Engelbert Humperdinck, All-4-One and Justin Bieber among others.
Yvette’s songs have been heard on a variety of films and TV shows, Sirius XM, and various feature films, including Dan Fogelman’s theatrical release “Life, Itself.” She won the prestigious John Lennon Songwriting Contest and has been signed to BMG Publishing (Topline) by the multiplatinum hit songwriter/executive-producer Billy Mann.
The multifaceted artist is also an award winning actress, having landed such coveted roles as Cha Cha in Fox’s star-studded cast of Grease: Live, Vanessa in the 1st Nat’l Broadway tour of In the Heights, and Kiki in the beloved Emmy Award Winning TV series The Fresh Beat Band, to name a few. She is currently playing the role of Fate in the hit Broadway musical Hadestown (Winner of 8 Tony Awards, including Best New Musical) at the Walter Kerr Theatre.
We had the pleasure of checking in with Yvette and she was kind enough to respond to a few interview questions.
Big welcome to Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer! We would love to hear more about your story - where you started and where you are now?
Thanks for having me! I grew up in Miami, FL and fell in love with music and acting at a pretty young age. I’ve basically been following that passion my whole life and it’s taken me to some pretty amazing places so far. I’ve toured the world, been on Broadway, had songs on the radio, worked on tv shows and movies and I’m always finding ways to keep evolving as an artist and expand my creativity.
Tell us how this year is kicking off for you? Any new projects?
This year has been going pretty well. I got to work on a new animated film by Lin-Manuel Miranda, I moved back West and am loving being back in Los Angeles. I’ve been working on some new music and developing a TV show. I also started a non-profit called Creative Minds Care a few years back and we have some exciting things in the works this year. Overall, I just feel really grateful.
If you could pick just one - what has been your favorite project you have worked on and why?
I played Kiki on Nickelodeon’s “The Fresh Beat Band” for quite a few years and aside from being surrounded by such amazing humans, I gained a wealth of knowledge working on that show.
What solid advice can you give to anyone in the industry that may be feeling down or that want to give up?
If you really love it, I think you just have to keep going. It’s normal to feel down from time to time, but don’t quit before the miracle. We’re often much closer than we think.
Tell us where to find you on social media and keep up with you?
My handle across platforms is @yvettenacer and I’m probably most active on Instagram. Come find me there and I look forward to going on this journey together!
Have a listen and connect with Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer on social media.
