There are few people out there who can cover Adele’s music and do it justice. Yoli Mayor is one of them.
Dubbed the “Cuban Adele” thanks to her throwback vibe and spot-on covers of the British singer’s hits, the 20-year-old Miami-raised cubana is beginning to make a name for herself on the South Florida music scene.
As a teen, Mayor attended the Academy of Arts and Minds, where she honed her skills. She now performs at local festivals and music venues, drawing inspiration for her performances from some of her favorite artists, including Adele, Amy Winehouse, Selena and Marc Anthony. “My love for these artists stems from their passion, their fire! I can relate to that fire because I am by nature an intensely passionate woman,” she told The Huffington Post. “Watching Marc Anthony live as a young girl was one of the experiences that made me realize this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. The fact that he gave it all on stage spoke to me and greatly influenced my respect and commitment to my craft. All I could think was ‘I want to do that.'"
Mayor began uploading videos of herself singing covers of Adele's songs on YouTube four years ago, and has since begun creating her own music.
The singer is currently working on “Men Will Be Men,” an original song she says is inspired, in part, by her traditional Cuban upbringing. “I was always taught by the older generations in my family that a woman’s place is to have everything ready for the man and to be at his beck and call and basically mother him,” she explains. “‘Men Will Be Men” is a song about removing those ideals.”
“When people think of strength and power they automatically think of men. That men should be in charge and make the decisions while we women just go on to take care of ‘feminine things,’ like cleanliness and taking care of the children. When a woman tries to take that role of confidence and power she is viewed as unapproachable, intimidating, bossy. If we taught our girls that they don’t need the approval of men or of anyone other than themselves for that matter, we would have more strong and confident young women striving for the things that make them happy. This also goes for men. We don’t need all young men to be warriors. There is nothing wrong with being more of a lover than a fighter. I want people to strive to be happy for themselves,” she added.
And she’s definitely leading by example. “Although I feel incredibly honored to be compared to Adele, I hope to very soon be recognized for my own voice, my own message,” she says.
We hope so too.
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