As an actress and vocalist, Jazzy Olivo found herself in a very loud world, performing words and projecting opinions written by other people. After losing her own identity, she immersed herself in a personal silent treatment, found her own rhythm, and emerged with her first album. Listen as she performs original songs “Para Ti” and “El Circo.” Accompaniment by Courtney Isaiah Smith on keyboard, Alicia Wrigley on bass, and Parker Swenson on drums.

This presentation was filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic, with only a limited live audience of cast and crew members. While applause has been added to the beginning and end of the video, all other aspects have intentionally remained as filmed to honor the struggle and loss experienced globally during 2020. Jazmin “Jazzy” Olivo is a Dominican singer, songwriter, and actress who began her career at the age of 3. After winning numerous singing competitions in her native Dominican Republic, she moved to Utah at the age of 17 and trained with David Schmidt, current Head of Vocal Studies at the University of Utah.

In 2005, Jazmin was awarded 6th place in La Academia USA, a musical reality show with Hispanic contestants. She toured the country for a year and then moved to Mexico City where she debuted on Broadway—cast as Motor Mouth Mable in Hairspray the Musical.

Since returning to Utah, Jazmin has performed with the Utah Symphony and different local bands. In 2017, Jazmin co-founded a jazz fusion band, The Mix, with Pianist Courtney Smith.

Jazzy is now embarking on her solo career with her single “Para Ti, “ the first release from her bilingual (Spanish/English) debut EP, releasing in 2020. Other songs from the album include Broken Bloody Heart, Me Repongo, Kidibum, and El Circo. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx