 JP Sunga is:
J.P. Sunga -- guitars/keyboards/lead vocals
Biography:
Hailing from the creatively-charged suburbian outskirts of Toronto CAN., jP Sunga passes his time crafting, performing and mastering his own twistedly pop-centric tunes.
Though primarily a songwriter, jP is also a unique singer and multi-instrumentalist. An early introduction to conservative musical training almost turned jP away from music entirely. Rebellious, impatient and bitter, jP abandoned piano school at grade 2 and never wanted to look back...ever.
Fast forward: one year later. Hate turned love, love turned passion, and next thing you know this piano school "drop-out" was writing his own tunes. Facinated by his sister's friend who wrote music, he was inspired to try it himself. Combining his young interest in poetry and music, he wrote his first song. And the rest -- as they say -- is history.
His songwriting catalogue is thick, spanning almost a decade long with a range of genres that would even make a radio dial blush. A number of his songs have already been performed by other artists. "There's something about watching or listening to others perform your work. I love seeing how any one particular artist chooses to mold your work into their own."
In March 2000, "DreamScapes Vol. 1" was released - a compilation of Canadian artists. jP contributed a track titled "Heavenly", which he wrote himself and co-produced with fellow music artist Rodney Ronquillo. "I went into the studio with a vague idea of how I wanted the song to shape. It was a great first experience watching an idea come into fruition like that. Rodney and Jim (Stoeber), executive producers of "Dreamscapes", couldn't have been more encouraging too. I'm so glad to have been part of that project."
Recent musical ventures also include touring with Toronto's soul rebel crew, 'The Rice Junkie Collective'. "The 'Rice Junkies' was an inevitable progression, I believe. They are all good friends of mine that I've known and 'jammed' with for years. On stage, it feels like we are in one of our living rooms just playing for fun. That's how comfortable I feel with them."
Currently, jP is defining his own version of the title 'singer/songwriter'. Whether strictly on vocals or accompanying himself on guitar or piano, his distinctive style and overall trademark sound is always apparent. When asked to describe his music, jP says, "Soul music is rooted from within. Whether it bears fruits of jazz, rock or rhythm and blues, it's still soul music. My music is soul music."
In a pool of aspiring artists where many are great versions of others, John Paul 'jP' Sunga sticks out like a sore thumb. An outstanding, reputable songwriter and an intimately intense performer make jP Sunga an artist to definitely keep your eye on.
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| | | |  | | jP at the Renaissance Cafe |
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| | | There are currently no gigs to display. Please check back soon. | |
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