RyanDan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| RyanDan | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Toronto, Ontario |
| Genre(s) | Pop-Opera |
| Years active | 2006–Present |
| Label(s) | UCJ |
| Associated acts | B4-4 |
| Website | ryandan.com |
| Members | |
| Ryan Kowarsky, Dan Kowarsky | |
RyanDan is a Canadian musical duo, comprising identical twins Ryan and Dan Kowarsky, whose music is a mix of pop, opera, and classical. Originally from Toronto, they are now based in London, England.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
Identical twins Ryan and Dan Kowarsky were born December 5, 1979. The youngest of five children in a Jewish family, they grew up in the Thornhill neighbourhood north of Toronto. Their father, Paul, a South African who attended King David Linksfield, a Jewish day school in Johannesburg, South Africa, is a talented operatic singer who frequently sang as a Cantor in synagogues both in South Africa and after immigrating to Canada. In high school, Ryan and Dan shared the lead role in their school's production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.[1]
At age 17, they presented themselves at the offices of Sony Music Canada, and attracted the attention of record company executives when they sang "Show Me the Way to Go Home" in the reception area.[2] They were signed to a record contract soon after forming a boy band called B4-4 along with their friend Ohad Einbinder. They received a Juno Award nomination in 2001 for Best New Group, but lost to Nickelback.
They eventually wanted to cultivate a more adult sound and fan base, and in 2006, they moved to London to pursue their career. They recorded their album RyanDan with producer Steve Anderson, who has worked with Kylie Minogue and Paul McCartney. Their manager is Richard Beck, who has managed Shania Twain, among others.
Their album gave them the distinction of being the first identical twin duo to have a top-ten album on the British charts.[3]
They cite opera singer Mario Lanza as a strong influence in their music.[2] Their song "Tears of an Angel" was inspired by the loss of their four-year-old niece, Tal, who passed away from a brain tumour during the recording of their album.[4]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- 2007: RyanDan – Number 7 in the UK album charts (Gold certification), 9 in Canada (Gold certification), 4 in Hong Kong (Gold certification)
- 2008: RyanDan – released in the US on Decca on 8 April
[edit] Guest albums
- 2008: A Celebration in Song – Olivia Newton-John & Friends (guest vocals on "The Water is Wide" and "Find a Little Faith")
[edit] Singles
- 2007: "Like the Sun"
- 2007: "The Face" – Canada only
- 2007: "O Holy Night/High"
[edit] References
- ^ Lester, Paul. "New band of the day: RyanDan", Guardian Unlimited, 2007-06-29. Retrieved on 2007-10-13.
- ^ a b Renzetti, Elizabeth. "Twins Peak", Globe and Mail, 2007-10-13. Retrieved on 2007-10-13.
- ^ "RyanDan: It's a dream come true", This Is Nottigham, 2007-10-01. Retrieved on 2007-10-13.
- ^ "RyanDan are certainly two of a kind", The Journal, 2007-07-24, p. 35.
[edit] External links
- RyanDan.com official site
- RyanDan at MySpace
