Warren Dean Flandez

With a sound as fresh as the present, and a voice reminiscent of the past, Warren Dean Flandez can ease your soul or break your heart with a single note.

A rare anomaly of the Canadian North, Warren was born in Yellowknife, just south of the arctic circle. Eventually calling Vancouver home, Warren spent much of his childhood years with family in Virginia Beach, which was known to be a hotbed for rising musicians.

Known for his darkly mature sounding voice and the ability to glide up to a creamy falsetto, it’s no surprise that Warren grew up singing in the church, steeped in the rich tapestry of gospel music – a sound that still resonates in his voice today.  While his peers were tuning into the latest trends stemming from the top 40 charts, Warren was immersed in the sweet sounds of soul legends like Hathaway, Mayfield and Green, a true testament of where his music would soon take him.

At the age of 15, Warren began singing under the mentorship of Checo Tohomaso, former back-up singer and keyboardist of Marvin Gaye, as a member and soloist of Checo’s soul gospel choir. While honing his vocal chops with the choir, Warren began to work on his solo material, soon cutting demos with a few local producers. Warren eventually teamed up with Canadian producer and longtime friend Mike Southworth. Together they created world class material. These efforts soon started to pay off after a few local shows started getting Warren noticed on the local scene.

As with many struggling artists, Warren’s demo made its rounds but eventually found its way into the hands of talent manager Mitchell Davis, son of music mogul Clive Davis.  Mitchell, much like his father, had a reputation of allowing artists to take their time to develop and mature. This old school methodology of artist development had become a thing of the past in modern day music, but always proved to be the key to success for so many artists.  Mitch began pairing Warren with various writers and producers to help hone Warren’s craft and sound.

Eventually recording a full-length praised by local industry and press as the ‘Rebirth of Motown’, Warren began receiving accolades for his ability to fuse the classic sounds of old school soul music with the edgy flavors of hip-hop and the romantic themes of traditional R&B. It was evident that Warren had mass appeal across generations, from young to old – Warren’s sound was undeniable and transcended time.

Warren’s album fittingly titled ‘Vintage Love’ is set for release spring 2011. It is a joint collaboration with local producer Mike Southworth and also boasts contributions from hit makers Dapo Toromiro (John Legend), Andrea Martin (Leona Lewis), Lauren Evans (Jordin Sparks) and Printz Board (Black Eyed Peas). The album features a duet with Canadian R&B Songstress Divine Brown, a guest appearance by the Prague Filmharmonic Orchestra, as well as a song penned by legendary Songwriter Hall of Famer Diane Warren.

“… one of the most amazing unsigned new voices i have heard in the last few years, with the writing and performance chops to back it up!” Shaw Saltzberg – Senior VP SL Feldman and Associates

“Warren is a singer who is aware of soul roots and aware of where he wants to take them. When he glides up to falsetto, the ghosts of great soul men go with him. When he drops down low, they push him on.” Tom Harrison (music writer) The Vancouver Province

“He has a unique, distinctive tone that reminds me of a combination of Sam Cooke and Curtis Mayfield. Warren has one of the most soulful voices in Canada and I am proud to see that he is keeping soul alive!” Checo Tohomaso -  Backup Singer and Keyboardist (Marvin Gaye, Lionel Ritchie and the Commodores)

Warren and his live band have had the honor of being selected to open for the likes of Joss Stone and the late James Brown, and were chosen as the Toronto Sun’s “must-see act” at Canada’s prestigious North by Northeast Music and Film Festival.

A humanitarian, Warren Dean is active in numerous charities including the Canadian Students for Darfur, and is a featured artist for Warchild Canada which helps children affected by war.

Paving the way for a new brand of urban soul, Warren Dean is on his way to becoming the stuff legends are made of. So grab your headphones and crank the volume – Warren Dean has arrived.