Jonathan Li was born in Calgary to Chinese parents and was raised in the quiet, southwest community of Strathcona. As a child, Jonathan loved to read, practice the martial arts of Judo and Kung Fu, play basketball and attend his local church. He was outgoing yet at the same time shy child who wanted to either be a businessman, lawyer or doctor when he grew up.
However, in high school, the budding musician developed a passion for the arts when he became involved with the music program and began singing in the high school ensemble. After graduation, Jonathan worked hard to develop his skills as a guitarist, studying with jazz performer Ralf Buschmeyer. He also started training with renowned vocal coach, Brian Farrell, who has worked with high-profile artists including country superstar Paul Brandt, producer Ashwin Sood, international sensation Raghav Mathur, Canadian Idol winner Kalan Porter and Calgary songstress Lindsay Ell.
He began writing his own music, inspired by the likes of U2, Death Cab for Cutie, the Jealous Sound, Collective Soul, Feist, John Mayer, Matthew Good, Bob Dylan, Jeff Buckley and Dave Matthews.
In 2006, Jonathan’s talent was recognized internationally when he was offered a position to tour with Cirque de Soleil as lead male vocal with the show “Delirium”. After much consideration, Jonathan turned down the position after deciding to use the next year to record and produce his debut solo album.
In the summer of 2007, he spent months in the recording studio working with several talented musicians and released his long-awaited LP, If You Thought You Knew, in June of 2008. Jonathan strives to reach out to people with his songs by creating music that genuinely connects with others and helps them cope with tough situations in their lives. His ultimate goal is to one day speak to a worldwide audience with his music and make a change for the better. After having already played a number of live shows in Calgary, Jonathan is now looking to expand his work and share his music with even bigger audiences still. He is looking forward to expanding his fan base and catching the attention of further music moguls in the industry.
Hey my name is Matt Schichter and I’m a radio host and the Music Director at FUEL 90.3 in Calgary. I’m on the air Monday, Tuesday and Friday nights from 8pm-1am as well as weekend afternoons from 2-8pm. I also hosts 16th Ave a local/Canadian indie rock show Sunday nights at 8pm, Live Rock Thursdays [...]
Here is the latest SPIN 20 courtesy of Spin Magazine from the February 2009 issue. For those who don’t know SPIN is an amazing music magazine that I have been supporting since 2001. If you love music, it’s definitely a magazine to look into. I highly recommend it and you should look [...]
It seems odd that one of the largest bands in the world like Coldplay decided to release an EP. Not so much that they released an EP but that they choose to release one this late into their careers. Most bands release a EP early in their careers to generate buzz or to garner some [...]
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