Yovan Nagwetch is a Canadian Metis-Wabanaki from Gaspesia, Québec.

During his early childhood, Yovan grew upamong artists like Gilles Vignault, 
Felix Leclerc, Pauline Julien who were close friends of his father.

In the beginning of the 70’s, the whole family moved to Europe, living in the
UK for a while, and then in France whereYovan got his first guitar.

At 14, Yovan starts to compose his first songs. In the beginning of the 80’s, we find him in Paris where he takes lessons of percussion with Henri Samba (drummer and dancer of the National Ballet of Congo), learns vocals with Klaus Blasquiz (ex-Magma) and starts his first musical project called GWAM: a live show about the culture of his people – the Wabanaki -, including slides, video, music and his own songs. With GWAM, Yovan toured France, Benelux, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Spain and Denmark.

In the same period, Yovan gets some airplay at France Inter where he is host, together with Pauline Julien, in one of Michel Gonzales cultural programs. There are talks about his first album with Barclay Music and some tapes are recorded with a line-up, including the band of the Republic Guards, a small classical music orchestra from the Opera of Paris, and pop musicians. Unfortunately, nothing will be published and the tapes from those sessions will disappeared.

After this experience, Yovan got jobs as sound technician and as music teacher. At night he is playing in small clubs of Quartier Latin. It is a very exciting time for music. Playing flutes and djembes in many small bands, he met a lot of artists from different fields: rock, blues, folk, jazz, Chanson francaise; and from many different cultures: Africa, Asia, South America, Eastern Europe. He became a close friend of Francis Lalanne, who is at one top of his carreer. Most of his French songs are composed during that period. Yovan has got the nickname of Indien des Villes (City Indian).

In the end of the 80’s, it’s time for Yovan to get back to his roots. In Quebec, he become cultural producer in Montreal. On his free time, he is visiting Gaspesia, where he meets his relatives and the elders on the reservations. His efforts are concentrated on deepening his knowledge of the cultural heritage of his Wabanaki ancestors.

In the 90’s, Yovan is invited to Northern Finland for a serie of gigs. There he gets interested by the native culture of the Saamì people, and decides to settle down for a while. Through a friend, he meets Esu Holopainen, a young musician and student in music production, with whom in 1999 he start a new band called Wabanag. They are playing Yovan’s Wabanaki songs with a rock mood. For three years, the band will work hard. They get gigs in Helsinki area and around the country, taking part in several festivals and cultural events, until becoming one of the most appreciated acts of World Music within the country. People love the shamanic pulse of the music combined with the energy of rock.

In Finland, Yovan has become part of the “Faces family” (www.faces.fi), one of the proheminent multicultural festival within the country, where he played several times with his band, started a cultural project called “the Roots Village” - giving people an opportunity to meet the roots traditions of ancient cultures – and directing the album Happy Faces (2003), a collection of songs from several artists performing regularly at the festival.

In 2003, Yovan is invited to take part with his brother, Riel Huaorani, nominee of the Roll of Honour for environmental iniziative (United Nations Environmental Programme), in the Solidarity Roadshow organised by a consortium of NGOs. They tour the Mediterranean – twenty cities including Genova, Catania, Barcelona, Valencia, Malaga, Tetouan, Athens. It’s an opportunity for Yovan to play his French songs to a large audience. A cd – Yovan, Live On Tour in the Mediterranean – is published by CRIC in Italy.

Back in Finland, there after his participation to the compilation “Cross Borders” produce by TARU, (www.taru.info ), Yovan is contacted by Universal Music ( www.universalmusic.fi ) : one song of his album “Indian Rock”, self-produce by his band Wabanag in 2000, will be added to the song-track cd of the large audience movie “Vieraalla Maalla”.

In 2004, BOX (www.boxco-operative), a small company specialised in world music, decided to produce the first album of Yovan with Wabanag. ULODI is inspired by the cultural heritage of the Wabanaki, and includes, together with a more classic rock instrumentation, including bass, guitars and drums, the use of many traditional instruments built by Yovan himself: flutes, rattles, musical bows, frame drums. The sound and the mood of the album is quite unique. Most of the songs are composed by Yovan and are in Wabanaki language. They talk about the natural elements, the traditional life in Wabanaki country. Many of them are thanks giving songs. Experts find some similarities with the New Saamì music of Marie Boine and Ulla Pirttijarvi.

ULODI received a positive critics within the media in Finland, and Yovan was interviewed for several TV and Radio programs (YLE1 national broadcasting company) where he shared his background and presented the culture of his Wabanaki ancestors.

In 2005, the album has been presented for the Canadian Aboriginal Music Award in the category “Best International Album” (www.canab.com), where Yovan is among the three finalists.

"Yovan's pure, wild passion reminds me of Robert Mirabal

on his "Music From a Painted Cave" album

which has been a best seller for us"

Tessalin Green, Silver Wave Music

In 2004, Yovan recorded his first album with Wabanag. The album, called ULODI, was produced by BOX (www.wabanag.com), a small company specialised in world music. The album received a warm critics within the media. As a result, a documentary of 45 minutes starring Yovan was broadcast on YLE national tv channel, and a long interview was broadcast on YLE Radio. Efforts were developed to get the album in Canada and the US through Canab, the Canadian Aboriginal Music Festival, where Yovan is invited to play in the end of Novembre 2005 and is among the 3 finalists for the Canadian Aboriginal Music Award in the Best International Album Category.