Who is this Jani anyhow? Where has she been hiding? Well, actually it is Jani (jay-nee) Jakovac (jack-o-vack) but who she is can be as tricky as the name. Because she is many things. She is a singer, songwriter, pianist, actor and an athlete to name a few. She's funny, she's intense, she's energetic, she's controlled, she's sweet, but don't ever get on her bad side...not so sweet. She is chic while she owns 6 pairs of slippers and wears flannels to bed. Clearly, she is a Gemini with issues.
          She studied drama and played varsity volleyball at the University of Guelph in Ontario. The day after graduating, she moved to Vancouver to pursue an acting career. This led her to few acting roles and many bartending jobs. She then moved to Europe to benefit from something else she had put many years into.... volleyball.  She played and coached professionally in Denmark for three years. 

          So, that was where she's been "hiding". If hiding was her intent, this would be about the only place this 6 foot blonde could have remained inconspicuous. But inconspicuous she definitely was not when she was hopping up on stages in Copenhagen and joining bands in impromptu performances.
          Growing up in a house that thrived on music, it was always a part of her, a necessary element of her being. She knew she could sing, but strangely enough, she did not think it was "a big deal". And since the only people that had ever heard her sing were friends and family, Jani assumed that they were merely being polite when they told her that she had talent. Belting out the blues or luring people into a trance with her sultry sounds was just her own act of passion. But the response to her music made it undeniably clear that people wanted to hear more. The music she writes is a soulful mix of the different styles she grew up listening to. The diverse music she appreciated were just a turn of the radio dial away from one another. The stations were numerous. The stations were from Detroit.
          She grew up in the small city of Chatham, Ontario, 45 minutes over the border from the Motown.  Her influences, ranging from classical to funk, are revealed in every song that she writes. Her often autobiographical lyrics leave audiences thankful for the living she has done. No, music has not been the only part of Jani's life, but it has been the strongest, most dynamic, most necessary, always with her, traveling to every place she has been. The ever positive, vibrant, energetic Jani, admits that her music is a therapeutic device that she has used for many years to keep the smile on her face.  Audiences are thrilled she has lived enough life to have stories to tell with her songs and young enough to make it interesting.

The Jani Review 2002, all rights reserved. All music content copyright of Jani Jakovac. Absolutely no use of this content permitted without written consent from Jani Jakovac.