Rachel Marie, also known as Yona Marie, has been singing and writing almost all her life. She was born and raised in Maryland and parts of Washington DC. Rachel started out singing with her family often at a church by the name of First Rising Mount Zion Baptist Church, and in performing arts schools including Hyattsville Middle School, Suitland High School, and Jacksonville University, where she studied Music Business with a concentration in marketing.
In 2010, Rachel gained some mainstream popularity by releasing 'The Luv Exposure' featuring artists, producers, and singers from around the country (and beyond) that united to make great music. The lead single was featured on a Majormix release which included Chris Brown, Ace Hood, and Tyga. She was a finalist in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest for her gospel submission "Give It To You, Lord" in 2011.
In the summer of 2013, she released a smooth neo-soul track called "High" that went viral in the independent music world, garnering over 100,000 listeners and 20,000 downloads. The 90s-style instrumental is credited to the late J Dilla. Her debut album "Reminiscent" was released in 2014 and garnered thousands of new fans thanks to placement and promotion from Pandora Radio.
In 2014, Rachel collaborated with Diamond, Rah Digga, FM Supreme for a remix on Mark Morrison's "Ain't No Good" to take a stand against domestic violence. In the summer of 2016, Rachel teamed up with EDM producer Eli Way to create a gem of a track called "Just Wanna Love You" under the label Night Owl Collective which went viral on Spotify, Youtube, and Soundcloud gaining over a million streams.
In 2018, Rachel decided it was a good time to change her name to Yona Marie due to many artists in several different genres releasing songs under "Rachel Marie". She picked the name Yona after being inspired by the popular manga Yona of The Dawn, which features an epic storyline of a young, clueless, naive girl who slowly matures into a powerful woman who changes thousands of lives.
As a session singer, writer, and producer that has worked with over 200 clients to provide high-quality jingles, singles, features, nursery rhymes, and DJ drops, she currently spends her time engulfed in creating and marketing new music. She has developed a strong passion for creating helpful content for artists and musicians who share a similar plight of making their way through an ever-changing digital music world. Her most recent creative collaborations include work with PBS Sound Field, Tribe of Noise, and the National Black Chamber of Commerce.
Thanks for visiting my site! I'm Yona Marie, a musician, and marketer who has a passion for creating content. I love singing and writing music. I've been creating songs for over 15 years and have no intention of stopping any time soon. I sing anything that matches well with soul singing. That can include Hip Hop, Funk, R&B, House, Jazz, and much more.