Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Yakou Nguessan. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Yakou, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

Yes, I have been living full-time from music, and I still do. It’s not easy though. I think the passion is the first drive that keeps you focused. Also, you have to be willing to give up on some materialistic things, but all of this will pay off in the long run.

Of course you need to have, knowledge of your craft and improve it all the time.

In my case, I’ve been living in different countries, different continents, and the field are not always the same. Cost of the living, language barriers and so and so…. The one thing in common is networking, meeting people, and letting them know what you do, and that leads you back to the improvement of your talent.
So networking is the key no matter where you are. Also, you have to be open minded. In my case, as a musician, im not only restricting myself to one genre of music, im opened to all of them even though I have my preference.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a musician who performs drumming and percussion. I am also a producer. I am from the Ivory Coast (west coast Africa ). I have my Master degree in Contemporary Jazz and Music production. I have been playing for over 20 years. I have recorded and produced for many top Artists from my country and other, also performed and toured with artists from all music genres.

I am now leaving Georgia, USA, where I have my own business and recording studio, named, ADN Music / NDAYart Prod. LLC. It is a music production company. We are focused on all media production ( music arrangement, mixing, mastering, podcast, voice-over, etc…) and artist development. I have international and domestic client’s from all fields of the entertainment industry.
I have a new album coming out soon, by late December 2022. A single from the album is currently out “No Man’s Land, By Yakou Nguessan feat. Roberta Setzu” on all media platforms.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

So I think in general, the minds work so differently. it’s hard for each side to truly understand one another. I think the key is really listening, understanding, and a balance between your personal and professional life. There is a great time commitment on the creative side due to things such as practicing, rehearsals, actual playing, etc… This can have an impact on holidays and weekend activities. That can put a strain on relationships with family and friends. There is also another component which is income. That can be difficult as it may fluctuate and/or be inconsistent with how and when you are paid. The key is making sure you are sharing your journey with those around you,having open and honest communication/ expectations and making sure that you have a healthy balance in all areas of your life.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

The goal is always to get better, learn more and more which allows me to empower others.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.yakoundrums.com (website under re-construction )
• Instagram: #yakoydaniel
• Facebook: yakoudaniel
• Linkedin: yakoudaniel
• Twitter: yakoudaniel
• Youtube: yakoudaniel

Image Credits
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