Gabi Wilson

Gabriella "Gabi" Wilson is a promising young singer who is both a natural musician and a poet. Her parents have always encouraged her towards music and poetry. Her father Kenny is a professional musician whose backgrounds are in blues and jazz, while her mother Agnes has encouraged her in every form of expression. Growing up in a house where music plays all the time, Gabi felt that she could become good at it herself. She used to listen to Earth, Wind and Fire, Prince, Sly and the Family Stone, and Aretha Franklin even as a little kid.

Back in December 2006, she was discovered at Listen & Be Heard Poetry Café, sitting in with guitarist Alvon, where her rendition of Donny Hathaway's "A Song for You" on both piano and vocals left the audience in awe. By that time, she had already made some appearances around the Bay Area with her father's band The Urban Bushmen. Aside from the piano, she also plays bass, drums and guitar, and would like to learn the saxophone or trumpet as well.

Within a year, the 10-year-old already got offers from the Ellen de Generes Show and the Golden State Warriors, who wanted her to make appearances after seeing her on The Today Show. Following that, Martha Mims together with Gabi's parents organized a concert for her.

Gabi performed at:

* The world-famous Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York.
* The festivals and outdoor concerts around the Bay Area
* The Maury Povich show in September 2007

and has opened for acts like Tony Toni Tony, Keyshia Cole and The Ohio Players.

Gabi's talents lie not only in music, but also in poetry. She already has a self-published book of poetry "Anything On Earth Poems," and read some pieces from her book at the 5th Annual Listen & Be Heard Poetry Marathon held on April 28, 2007. This skill may work hand in hand with her music in the future, when she may someday write her own lyrics.

On a typical day, the young Fil-Am practices her instruments at home in the living room. She also sometimes listens to CDs so she can learn songs that she can play next time she performs. Of her instruments, her favorite is the piano, and in fact, she's already been called "Little Alicia Keys," which is apt because the musician is one of the girl's idols. Others she likes listening to are Etta James, Hannah Montana and the Cheetah Girls.