Biography

Tania Shana Yegelwel has grown up on the stage. She entered her first talent show at the age of six years old, confident she could sing despite never having had a voice lesson or any previous performing credits. With innate stage presence, she stole the show.

At twelve years old, Tania wrote her very first full-length musical composition. At her parents’ urging, Tania entered the song into the local John Lennon Songwriting Contest for high school students though she was technically ineligible due to her young age. The judges were so impressed with her lyrical prose that they awarded Tania the prestigious songwriting award, encouraging her to continue her creative passion.

Already having performed in countless children’s and high school theatre productions, local talent shows, school choirs, and community events, Tania began working on her debut album, “From the Heart,” at age sixteen. The CD was released in 2007 and features six full-length original compositions, written and recorded by Tania as well as a cover of a 1969 Bobbie Gentry favorite, “Ode to Billie Joe.”

After graduating from high school, Tania went to the University of Florida where she earned the dean’s list every semester and continued to work on her creative crafts performing in numerous student films, dance performances, and theatrical productions.

Her most notable performance was in the original collaborative production of “Where Can We Run?: Use Your Words!” in which she performed her original music and acted in a series of dramatic pieces. Based on the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, this production was a dream come true for Tania who has always wanted to use her passion for songwriting as a way to positively influence and educate. With songs that both chronicled the acts of violence in Africa as well as brought the hope of peace to future generations, the production was deemed a great success. The collaborative theatre piece, which not only included an on-campus series of productions, was also presented to audiences at Shands Hospital in Gainesville, FL and at the Gainesville Juvenile Detention Center.

Post-production, the non-profit organization Taking Back Lives approached Tania after having heard the music in the Rwanda show. Impressed with Tania’s song “Blind,” which reflects the easiness of ignoring ugly societal issues, the organization asked for permission to have it appear in an unrelated documentary on Malawi, entitled “Making the Change.” The song is now featured in the short film.

An entertainer to the core, Tania has been singing, songwriting, acting, and dancing throughout her entire life. After recently graduating summa cum laude from the University of Florida in April of 2011 with a degree in theatre and minor in dance, Tania is enthusiastically pursuing her love of performing on stage, screen, and behind the scenes with pen and paper.