Yannick Bovy

The Flemish Michael Bublé is what he is invariably called. And there are worse people to be compared to. But for Yannick Bovy (25) the comparison is hardly far-fetched: he has the looks and the voice. Which means that the chances of this young Belgian crooner soon becoming a national and international rising star are very strong. ‘I take it as a major compliment and in a way it’s logical, there aren’t that many young crooners around’, says Yannick. ‘The timbre of my voice resembles Michael’s, but it’s not a matter of conscious imitation. I just feel completely at home in this genre. There’s a good reason that my motto is It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing.’
An early start
The love for swing and Big Band music is no coincidence: ‘My grandparents loved to listen to adult and MOR-radio where they would constantly play the repertoire of Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and Lou Rawls’, explains Yannick. ‘That’s how it began to seep into my head. At school, music class was my favourite subject, and my father is a musician as well. Drums, guitar... at home I was exposed to a very wide musical range. Whenever my father rehearsed, I insisted on being there at his side. He also gave me the opportunity to sing with a Big Band. ‘My son can do that too’, he said and when I was offered the chance to perform with a real Big Band, I didn’t hesitate.’
Yannick acquired a lot of valuable performing experience, but at the age of 17, when he took part in the TV talent search X-factor, it seems that he wasn’t quite ready for a major breakthrough. ‘I was still a chubby teenager and I tried to sing a pop rock song. The first round went fine, but by the second round, after an entire day of waiting, I blew it. My nerves were frayed and it just didn’t work anymore.’
But talent always rises to the surface, and in 2007 Yannick was noticed by Regi Penxten, whose dance act Milk Inc has made him the king of dance music in Belgium. Yannick sings the song Better world without you on the gold-selling album REGIstrated.
But after this musical adventure, Yannick is determined not to stray from his musical course: focusing resolutely on Big Band and swing. He spent two years performing regularly throughout Flanders with the Metropole Big Band. ‘The requests for performances at weddings, receptions and in small clubs poured in. It was an excellent way to build my experience’, says Yannick. He is also still the singer of the The North Side Big Band.
The debut album
With his debut album released in February, Yannick Bovy is taking another major step forward in his career, after his singles She’s even more beautiful and She don’t know it received major airplay on national radio and were very positively received.
The album features a mix of timeless songs (including special remakes of All My Loving (by The Beatles), I wanna be around (Tony Bennett) and Under my skin (Sinatra) as well as brand- new single Theoretical Love and pop songs composed especially for Yannick by some of the best in the industry from the US and the UK. ‘One of my favourite songs is Better man. I can really relate to the lyrics. You’ve always got to keep doing your best, keep working, if you want to move forward. I feel that as a singer, I have grown tremendously.’
It’s certainly just a matter of time before Yannick Bovy becomes a household name in Belgium and the rest of Europe. ‘I hope that Flanders is ready for this genre’, adds Yannick. ‘Bringing this music to the people live, that’s something I’m truly looking forward to.’ And he’s not alone...