IUMA: up2par

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IUMA: up2par

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The story of Up 2 Par begins about five years ago on the north side of Columbus, Ohio. Five guys put their vocal abilities together to perform at a local talent show. Little did they know that the work they put into practicing Boyz II Men's interpretation of "In the Still Of The Night" would gain them a standing ovation for their a cappella performance. Irving "Baby-boy" Johnson, Daniel "Woody" Ingram, Howard "Minquel" Ingram, Paul "Jovon" Bova, and Fred "Fredro" Poindexter would then embark on a mission to put their hometown on the map. This mission became filled with grueling hours of practice, countless talent show contests full of endless acts, and performing at gigs where their musical style wasn't fully appreciated. Then there was the scrapping up of money to get into a studio to record demo tapes to send out to record labels, in the hope that someone would hear them. These are just a few of the many dues the group has paid in their few short years together. After being chosen as semi-finalists in the 1996 Motown talent search, performing for and audience that included the former company president Andre Harrell, they decided to make Smoovly Dunn Entertainment, their company, a priority. These artists have full time jobs, family responsibilities, and financial obligations, but they still managed to record their own full length album, entitled For the Love. This album comes straight out of Studio 203 co-owned by producer James "Mr. Casual" Walker and Up2par. If you are interested in purchasing a full copy of the cd "For the love" please e-mail us at jwalker3@columbus.rr.com.