Johnny Ramos

biography Johnny Ramos is a singer, composer, producer and sound technician of Cape Verdean origin, who stands out in the Portuguese-speaking Afro-pop music scene. He was born in Cape Verde, but immigrated to the Netherlands with his family when he was a child. He developed his passion for music from an early age, influenced by his idol Michael Jackson and by zouk, R&B, hip-hop and coladeira rhythms. Johnny Ramos began his musical career at the age of 15, when he imitated Michael Jackson on a Dutch television program called Sound Mix Show. He reached the final of the competition and won the admiration of the public and the judges. After that, he formed a dance group with his brother Pedro and his friend Clyde Boschveld, called The Right Track. He began writing lyrics for R&B songs and producing his own tracks. In 1996, Johnny Ramos participated as a vocalist on Milena's first album, with the song “Ilusão”, written in partnership with Sebastião dos Santos and Grace Évora. In 1997, he released the album “Mobass Presents”, with Sebastião dos Santos, which was a success in Portuguese-speaking countries, especially in Cape Verde. The album featured the song “Dam mas um chance”, which was considered the song of the year in Cape Verde and became a classic. The album also received the CaboMusic-Award in 2001 for best compilation album. In 1998, Johnny Ramos joined the group Splash, with Grace Évora, Dina Medina and Gil Semedo. The group toured the world several times and released the albums “Nha Terra K’tchuva” (1998), “Tem Fé” (2000) and “Nha Conclusion” (2002). Johnny Ramos also collaborated with other artists such as Suzanna Lubrano, Beto Dias, Don Kikas and Nelson Freitas. In 2003, Johnny Ramos signed a contract with Violent Music, a Dutch label that represented artists such as Vengaboys and Alice Deejay. He adopted the stage name Just Jay and formed a duo with Nelson Freitas. However, the contract did not materialize and Johnny Ramos was prevented from continuing his career as a singer on the Cabo-Music scene. In 2004, Johnny Ramos finally released his solo album, entitled “Só Jota”, on Miss Jane Records. The album featured hits such as “Largal” and “Hoje em Dia”. In 2007, he released his second solo album, entitled “Sozinho”, which included hits such as “Bo Amor Ta Completa” and “Nha Primeiro Amor”. In 2010, he released his third solo album, titled “My Life”, which included hits such as “Tu e Eu” and “Nha Princesa”. Johnny Ramos is one of the most talented and versatile artists of the new generation of Cape Verdean music. It mixes several musical styles, such as kizomba, zouk love, R&B and dancehall. He is a music producer and has his own recording studio in the Netherlands, called Ozone Studios, where he produces and supports new talents in Cape Verdean and African music.