Up Close … with young and talented artist Yannick Savy |27 February 2018

 ‘God will never put in our path an obstacle that we can’t overcome’

Only twenty three years old, gifted artist and producer Yannick Savy has created a name for himself by being one of many young artists in Seychelles intent on making a statement that youths also can become great singers and promote great music worldwide.

Anyone who has ever taken on a big creative project knows that creativity is a fickle mistress; there are secrets to creativity, tricks that work for the best musicians going. Yannick is among the few Seychellois artists who incorporate French, English and Creole in his style of music. He has managed to incorporate creativity in his style of music.

For Yannick singing is his thirst, his first love and the secret to his energy.  Music to him is like finding his inner-self. It gives him great joy to see the audiences enjoying the sound of good music. He has given his heart to singing, and when he sings, he can connect to a wide audience.

In our Up Close column this week, Yannick Savy, who goes by his stage name Damasy, talks about music, personal life and family and how he has managed to overcome obstacles to become the brilliant singer that he is now.

Childhood and family

Born on August 19, 1995, Yannick is the oldest in a family of two children comprising one girl and one boy. He started his school days at Mont Fleuri primary school. Then he switched to the Ecole Française des Seychelles till post-secondary, and then went to France for a Degree in Business Law. Yannick’s parents, Miera Savy and Michel Savy, gave him the best education a child could ask, so he made it his goal to always make them proud.

“I feel blessed; my mum did her best to raise me in good condition. I was a cheerful kid in Roche Caïman, playing football in the backyard with the other kids of the compound. Everything was nice, the atmosphere was positive since then. Life was not that hard when mum and dad were here with everything. Even at school, I was far off being a model student but I enjoyed every single time. My childhood is a part of me,” Yannick says.

He really has a great bond with his family; he always tries to put his family first by also helping them like they helped him throughout his entire education.

“Family is something really important for me, because without family I wouldn’t be the person I am today. They are the ones who took care of me, made sure I was always okay. My parents sacrificed a lot for me and even if I wanted to I wouldn’t be able to give them half of what they gave me,” says Yannick.

Throughout his life, the young talented singer grew up between Seychelles and Madagascar. In Seychelles he lived at La Louise first and then Roche Caïman.

“Growing up at Roche Caïman is what I call a gift. The fact that all the houses are next to each other forced us to be a big family. So in my childhood I was not having only friends but brothers and sisters that life gave me. Everything was about love; that's what growing up was like,” he said.

Throughout his childhood and becoming the man he is today, Yannick has encountered so many challenges along the way, but with determination and perseverance he has managed to become a successful individual.

“I try to be a better person each day. Give the best of me in any activities that I do. One thing for sure I like to win, I hate the feeling of not winning. I'm just like that. Either you win or you learn from it. I would say that my only quality is being creative. I don't recall any other good qualities of mine. I'm just like anybody else, nothing more nothing less,” he says.

Music career

Yannick’s passion for music started to blossom at a very young age. It all started by doing some freestyles with friends, at school. And one day, when he was only 13 years old, Elijah contacted him for a track on one of his albums.

“It was an honour for me; I was just 13 years old. I just gave my best in the studio and that’s where it all started,” he says.

From that day Yannick has been working hard to make his voice heard in the music industry in Seychelles. He even was able to sing alongside top local artists in Seychelles such as Rez, Raspyek among others.

“Perseverance and strength is the key. God will never put an obstacle that we can't overcome on our road. Keep focusing on our goals and give whatever it takes to achieve them. Always remain positive, God is great. This year I will be celebrating 10 years in this industry,” he says.

Yannick has also been inspired by artists such as Nas, an international rapper that motivates him and gives him the inspiration to succeed. He is particularly inspired by the way Nas crafts his rhymes.

“Becoming a singer is very demanding, it’s not a game but it brings pleasure. My advice to any youth wishing to follow this path is to “live your dream and always be yourself. Life is too short to be complicated. Do what you want to do and fully enjoy it”.

Personal life

Surely Yannick is not all about studying and music, so I decided to find out more about his personal life.

“I always wanted to be a chef in a five-star restaurant. Don't know why but I have a lot of respect for them. Cooking is science that inspires me just like the art of music,” he says.

Coming back to Seychelles a few years ago, Yannick was able to find a job related to his passion, and that’s the love of music.

“I'm in my first job actually, I am running a record label since 2012 and we are now organising concerts, doing music and visual production. I just hope everything goes well for us and that we continue to take good decisions. It came along with my love for music. I knew that I couldn't work in any other field than in a creative sector. It's perfect for me,” he says.

By being part of the music industry, Yannick is trying to create a foundation in collaboration with another artist called Gunz. The objective is to eliminate drugs from our society with the power of art. I'm dedicating my time to it and I hope that everything will work out.

Advice

Yannick has the following piece of advice to all young adolescents who would like to follow music as a career in Seychelles.

“My family gave me everything. I have a lot of respect for them. I try my best to be the person that they would want me to be. I feel safe to know that I have people to count on in my life. Everybody have played a role in all my achievements. Friends, family I thank them all and I am ready to help them also if they need me,” he says.

“Never give up, that's my way to face challenges. It's important, challenges play a part in a person's evolution. Be and believe in yourself. Stay strong in every situation. It feels good to win. Nothing is for free in life. With hard work you'll manage to get what you want,” he says.

By U-Roy Jules