HOW IT ALL BEGAN
The powerhouse vocalist, Destani Wolf forged her own path as an artist, with a genre-defying sound, impeccable vocal prowess, and authentic lyrics. From performing at the age of 15 at the iconic Great American Music Hall, to recording on over 40 albums, to traveling the world as the lead vocalist with Cirque du Soleil’s “BAZZAR,” Destani’s journey is one of verve and vision.
Raised in the artistic haven of Berkeley on her parents’ classic soul and Latin vinyl and the Bay’s rich musical community, Destani began cultivating her signature sound. She later spent time in Mexico, immersed in heart-rending ranchera classics, like those performed by her great uncle, known for his vocals of ranchera songs. Returning to the Bay Area’s underground hip-hop and blues scene, she further honed her singular voice and distinctive Cali-soul sound while recording and composing with world class artists.
She joined Afro-Latin hip-hop group O-maya as the lead singer and eclectic a capella group SoVosó, wowing crowds on San Francisco’s preeminent stages, including Yoshi’s, Bimbo’s, SFJazz Center, and Stern Grove Festival, as well as at venues across the country and internationally. In addition to her debut LP Again and Again, she was featured on recordings with local hip-hop favorites Crown City Rockers , World renowned latin percussionist John Santos ( recorded on SF. BAY GRAMMY nominated album) and alternative hip- hop group The Pharcyde.
For the next 12 years, Destani continued her journey in Los Angeles. Reveling in her Latin roots, jazz and hip-hop, Destani recorded with Matisyahu on his songs “Crossroads” and “Live Like a Warrior,” with producer KoOol KOjak (Nicki Minaj, Flo Rida, Ke$ha). She also recorded with the Velvet Underground’s John Cale and multi-instrumentalist and producer Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, and performed with British Soul singer Alice Russell on Jimmy Kimmel Live. During this time, she was a featured vocalist on Jose Rizo’s 2012 GRAMMY-nominated Latin Jazz LP MongoRama and her nu-soul throwback EP Peak Away won a 2015 Independent Music Award. Destani further developed her song-writing and studio talents, crafting compositions and singing for TV and films including Disney’s “The Descendants,” Kevin Hart’s “Laugh at my Pain,” HBO’s “Momentum Generation,” “So You Think You Can Dance,” and more.
Instilling her heart into every song, Destani inspires positive change and personal awakening through her music. Her latest single, “White Water Tumbling” is an extension of her belief in the power of music to encourage empathy for others’ human experience. The song’s folk-soul vibe and plaintive lyrics are punctuated by Destani’s powerful, yet vulnerable, vocals. Lyrics like “The journey’s so long it won’t get the best of me/Trying to rise from this fall I just want to be free” speak to our capacity for resilience and hope. Like much of Destani’s lyrical content, it’s a song of faith in the face of heartbreak, about finding one’s inner strength to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges and to empathize the plight of others.
At work on another collection of original songs, in between improvising as a member of Bobby McFerrin’s MOTION while collaborating and touring with Bandaloop Aerial Dance company and as the on-call singer Cirque Du Soleil, Destani is embarking in new directions. Drawing on global, fresh and unconventional influences, her latest music is inspired by the ever-evolving, bold, and innovative spirit that defines the Bay Area. No matter where her journey takes her next, Destani honors her past, while looking to the future.
Written by Monica Ware
