ABOUT
Photograph by Bobby Quillard
Parade Magazine once asked, “Is there anything Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer cannot do?”
Maybe that’s because Nacer, a Cuban-American actress, author, singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist, has established herself in the world of entertainment as the rare kind of artist who shines in any genre. It’s no wonder KPBS Radio San Diego called her “a beautiful, sexy, gifted quadruple threat who is a genuine ‘find’ and undoubtedly a rising star.” And to think it all started with a cardboard violin. “My earliest memory is when I was really little, my mom made me a cardboard violin and showed me how to hold it,” shares Nacer. “I started taking lessons at three years old, and officially fell in love with music.”
Armed with a soaring voice, powerful stage presence, and a unique lyrical perspective, Nacer has toured around the globe and performed at prestigious venues like Madison Square Garden and Carnegie Hall. “Music is everything,” says Nacer. “Writing, singing and performing make me feel most alive.” She has performed with a variety of artists, including Engelbert Humperdinck, Ne-Yo, Jason Mraz, Wyclef Jean, Gaby Moreno, Flor de Toloache, H.E.R., Gloria Estefan, Justin Bieber & All-4-One, among others. Nacer’s records like Havana and I Wish You Would have encapsulated her eclectic and soulful mix of musical genres. The Miami Herald described Nacer’s music as “at once ambitious and grounded, drawing from the modern R&B/funk sound of Christina Aguilera and Bruno Mars (the sassy single Classy) and classic Latin sway (the wistful Havana). But all of it has in common a powerful yet fully in control voice." Her songs have been heard on a variety of films and TV shows, including NCIS: Los Angeles, ESPN, the Nickelodeon series Make It Pop, the feature films Miss Arizona, La Patasola, Replica and Dan Fogelman’s Life, Itself, to name a few. 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.
Yvette most recently played the starring role of Satine on the 1st Broadway National tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical and is in the upcoming feature film Replica playing the role of Amanda opposite Academy Award nominee Mickey Rourke. She originated the role of Fate in the hit Broadway musical Hadestown (Grammy and Tony Award Winner - 8 Tony Awards, including Best New Musical). She released If The Fates Allow: A Hadestown Holiday Album (which she also co-produced, co-arranged and wrote on). As Kiki, the lead singer/violinist/guitarist of The Fresh Beat Band, she sold out Madison Square Garden 4x’s, performed in the 85th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, sold out a US Tour for 1MM fans, was on the cover of Pollstar Magazine, rang the Morning Bell at NYSE and had two #1 Albums on iTunes.
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 Lin-Manuel Miranda's In the Heights, guest star roles on Madam Secretary, 9-1-1 and Criminal Minds. Yvette played the leading role of Kiki in the beloved Emmy Award Winning TV series The Fresh Beat Band, where she received two Imagen Award nominations for Best Actress in a Television Series. She also voiced the role of Phyllis on Disney's Goldie & Bear, as well as the role of Kiki on Nick Jr's The Fresh Beat Band of Spies.
Having lost her grandmother to Alzheimer's disease, she founded Creative Minds Care, a 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to live in a world without neurodegenerative diseases through the promotion of brain health and advancement of research. Creative Minds Care is a collective of creative individuals that are on a mission to raise funds for research and solutions for various causes, tackling multiple issues through the vehicle of one social enterprise. Yet at the heart of it all, is eliminating Alzheimer's disease and other brain diseases like Lewy Body Dementia and Parkinson's, and reducing the risk of dementia. Learn more about the exciting work being done at Creative Minds Care here
