E72: Halftime Chat R&B Podcast with Shawn Rivera (Founding Member of AZ Yet)

With a unique blend of African, Hispanic, and Taino Indian heritage, Shawn Kurt Rivera is a Philadelphia native of Puerto Rican ancestry. His parents would leave behind their beloved
Caribbean island in search of a better life in the States. On November 4th, 1974, Shawn became the second of five siblings to be the first generation born in the mainland US. An exceptional student and a lead singer in The Central High School Gospel Choir, Shawn earned a Jazz Voice scholarship to Philadelphia’s prestigious University of the Arts.

In 1994, Shawn landed a recording contract as vocalist and arranger for R&B quintet, Az Yet. With the group, he would score a Billboard #1 Single, “Last Night,” selling over a million copies in 1996.

The song was featured in Eddie Murphy’s “The Nutty Professor” film and multi-platinum selling soundtrack. Az Yet’s second single, “Hard To Say I’m Sorry,” was arranged and co-produced by Rivera, along with musical heavyweights BabyFace and David Foster. The song became the group’s biggest hit, selling two million copies and receiving a Grammy Nomination in 1998 for “Best R&B Vocal Performance, Group or Duo.”

Shawn has performed as an entertainer and public speaker in over 40 countries and has appeared on numerous national television programs and theater productions as an actor or musician.

Shawn continues to write, produce, arrange, and perform with various international artists. Most notably with Award-winning poet, author, and Civil Rights icon, Dr. Maya Angelou. In 2014, the two collaborated on what would become her final album, “Caged Bird Songs,” released in a strategic partnership with Oprah Winfrey’s OWN Network. Rivera’s remix of Maya Angelou’s “Human Family (2020)” is currently being used by Smooch Music Inc. to raise money for Black Lives Matter in Los Angeles.

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