VODAFONE : BIG TOP 40 GIVES LOCAL IPSWICH SINGER-SONGWRITER BIG BREAK

Ipswich local Yoji is celebrating after being named the next Vodafone Future Breaker winner, giving the unsigned singer-songwriter a fantastic opportunity to launch her budding music career. The Vodafone Future Breakers initiative, launched as part of the Vodafone Big Top 40 partnership with Global, has given Yoji the money-can't-buy chance to record and produce her single 'Life Like Jazz' with industry professionals, as well as her live studio session broadcast online with the Big Top 40.

Yoji first found her passion for music in school plays and open mic nights. She later started her YouTube channel and filmed her own music videos with the support of her family. This culminated recently in local gigs and performances at the Jazz Café, before finally being recognised as a Vodafone Future Breaker.

Taking inspiration from the likes of Alicia Keys and Stevie Wonder, the 24 year old musician mainly creates acoustic jazz with a variety of instruments, bringing something fresh to the music scene. Yoji hopes this big break will be the stepping stone to something bigger, including writing, producing and releasing an EP very soon.

On her experience with Vodafone Future Breakers, Yoji commented: 'It's been so exciting to record my song live in the studio. One minute you are in your bedroom writing by yourself and the next minute you end up performing with Vodafone Future Breakers- it's been amazing! I can't wait to now use this platform to produce my EP and start gigging.'

Fronted by the Vodafone Big Top 40's very own Marvin Humes, Vodafone Future Breakers is continuing the search for the very best unsigned talent from across the UK to uncover the next big thing in music. Listeners, budding artists, DJs and band members can still get involved and enter their tracks or videos through the dedicated hub where they could win a recording studio session with a top industry producer!

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Notes to editors:

About The Big Top 40:
The Vodafone Big Top 40 is the UK's number 1 chart show with 2.4 million listeners every week. It is presented by Marvin Humes and Kat Shoob, and produced by Global, the media & entertainment group. The chart is the UK's first real time chart show with the top 10 taken live from iTunes during the show. Listeners across the UK can tune in on Sundays from 4pm across 130 radio stations, online at bigtop40.com and through the Big Top 40 app.

• Find out more about Vodafone Future Breakers and the Vodafone Big Top 40 here:
http://promo.bigtop40.com/breakers/home/
• Hi res images and logos available on request.
• Follow up interview with Yoji available on request.
• Yoji's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqeCpCMp_CvyxtFvkuGeKvg

About Vodafone UK

Vodafone is one of the world's largest telecommunications companies and provides a range of services including voice, messaging, data and fixed communications. Vodafone has mobile operations in 26 countries, partners with mobile networks in 52 more, and fixed broadband operations in 17 markets. As of 30 June 2016, Vodafone had 465 million mobile customers and 13.7 million fixed broadband customers. For more information, please visit: www.vodafone.com

Vodafone UK partners with businesses of all sizes - from start-ups and small businesses to the largest corporates and the public sector. The company has worked with UK businesses for over 30 years, starting out as a mobile provider and becoming one of the UK's leading total communications partners. It provides a range of voice and data services, secure communications infrastructure, fixed and call centre capability, unified communications and was the first mobile phone operator to offer a truly converged service for fixed and mobile.

Vodafone is currently spending around £1 billion on its network and services across the UK following a similar amount spent last year. This includes £200 million on its network in London, the introduction of its 4G service to more than 897 cities and towns, as well as thousands of smaller communities whilst also making network improvements across its UK 3G network. Meanwhile, The Vodafone Rural Open Sure Signal programme is also aiming to bring 3G coverage for the first time to 100 remote communities across the UK.

Vodafone UK

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