Johnnyswim - "Take the World"

In honor of Black History Month all the posts for this month will feature artists of color.

I’ve loved Johnnyswim for years now. Their intricate melodies and delicate harmonies are reminiscent of the Civil Wars or Joseph. It’s a rare romantic duo that can last the test of time while making incredible music.

Though this post is for Johnnyswim, I’d like to highlight Amanda Sudano. Amanda Grace Sudano-Ramirez (born August 11, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, and model. Her parents are singer Donna Summer and composer Bruce Sudano, and her voice is a direct gift from her parent’s musical prowess.

Sudano was born in Los Angeles, California, to Donna Summer and Bruce Sudano. Her two older sisters are Mimi Sommer Dohler, from her mother's first marriage to Helmut Sommer, and actress Brooklyn Sudano. Her maternal cousin is the music producer and rapper Omega Red, and her paternal uncle is Fr. Glenn Sudano, CFR, a Roman Catholic priest and founding member of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in New York City. Sudano spent the early part of her childhood in Thousand Oaks, California. In 1995, when she was 13, her family moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where she attended high school at Christ Presbyterian Academy and college at Vanderbilt University.

In her Modeling career Sudano is a model with the Bella Agency in New York. In 2010, Fabrizio Viti chose Sudano to model for Louis Vuitton's Spring/Summer 2010 shoe campaign. Sudano is the first black model to be featured solely in Louis Vuitton advertisements.

In 2005, Sudano met songwriter, guitarist and vocalist Abner Ramirez in Nashville. They struck up a friendship and formed the band Johnnyswim. The duo perform covers of eclectic songs like Edith Piaf's "La Vie En Rose" and Britney Spears's "Till The World Ends". Johnnyswim released their first self-titled EP in 2008. This was followed by Bonsoir and Good News in 2011, Home in 2012, Diamonds in 2014, Georgica Pond in 2016, and Moonlight in 2019.

So today, with romance and smoke I choose Johnnyswim’s “Take the World” as my, find the music in mundane moments, look for the light in their eyes, reflect the gifts you’ve been given, song for a, rise up, shed skin, soar, Wednesday.