Unsigned Entertainment

 

Tovi Khali was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and began her entertainment career like so many others, as the class clown. One particular day in her 4th grade music class, she was doing her own interpretation of “Jail House Rock“ and her teacher walked in and caught her singing, but this time, no one was laughing. Then a little girl softly stated, "Your voice sounds like a record". Her teacher agreed and put her in the talent show, she won 1st place. Her teacher was amazed at how comfortable she looked on stage, and how she received a standing ovation her first time performing. Tovi knew that this was her purpose in life, to promote positive change through song. She has won 1st place in nearly every singing competition she's ever entered since that defining day. In high school, it was an English teacher who told her she was a good writer and that she should pursue a future in writing, so she began keeping a journal and secretly writing poems and songs.

In 1998, she began learning to record in a local studio after work, where she began to write and sing hooks for unknown local hip hop artist. In 2000, she relocated to Los Angeles to experience the industry in which she longed to be a part of. She work-shopped her material, hosted two open mic poetry sets, recorded a demo, formed a band, and performed with George Clinton and Parliament while working with Titus Fatso, an African dance instructor at The Debbie Allen Dance Academy, where she sang background vocals in several different African dialects. It was there, George Clinton gave her the permission to funk on. Also a telephone conversation with Chaka Khan after giving her a CD at a local shopping mall, confirmed that she was on the right track. In Los Angeles, Tovi gained knowledge of how to write and perform poetry, how to emcee, and how to be a versatile working performer. She has had artist development lessons with Stephanie Spruill, who helped Tovi find her voice and who expected excellence.

In 2004, for some reason Tovi was compelled to go back to New Orleans to get back to her roots with her new found knowledge of the music industry. Immediately she began to appear with The Batiste Brothers Band at Treasure Chest Casino, but then she began emceeing fulltime at a famous night club on Bourbon Street, The Old Opera House. She moved above the night club, and began to transform the way emcees did business on Bourbon Street. Her tips would be so plentiful, until the bands complained that she was "making all of the money" so the owner revoked her tip jar, Tovi quit, then went to work at Clear Channel Radio as a traffic reporter while emceeing The Music Business Conference and performing with Dwayne Dopsie and The Zydeco Hell Raisers for The French Quarter Festival and The Jazz and Heritage Festival '05. At the end of 2005, she was displaced in Chicago due to Hurricane Katrina.

In 2007, she has formed a new band, "Jen Na Sais Quoi" and performs regularly in the Chicago land area.

Recently, Tovi Khali and Jen Na Sais Quoi have converted crowds at The Key 2Chicago/Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Awareness Walk Party 2007 at The Streeter, Chicago, Joie de Vivre 2007, a meditation on Katrina, New Orleans, and the U.S., North Chicago, Women against Violence, April Artifacts 2008, The Daley Plaza, The Foundation for African American Women of Chicago, South Loop, Chicago, and her new 2008 production, “REBIRTH” at Ossia Fine Arts Space, The Fine Arts Building Downtown Chicago. She is often in rotation on WKKC 98.3 FM, Chicago City College Radio and is a member of ASCAP, where she has her own publishing company. Tovi feels it’s her duty to educate, communicate, and congratulate other artists and to keep the inspiration plentiful.

 

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