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Dan Andrei Merluse is a singer, writer, producer and engineer currently residing in Red Deer, Alberta. Born in 1991, he spent his childhood in Romania with this family. From a young age, Dan proved not only to be musically inclined, but also driven to perform. At age eight he began using a cassette to record comedy skits and musical covers, inspired by local Romanian entertainment. By age 10, he had auditioned and won his school’s talent show, performing the song Valahia – Banana. Dan recognized his talent early on, and never considered putting it to waste. In January 2005, Dan settled in Canada with his mother seeking a different life. As is the case with many immigrants, surviving in a new country did not come without challenges for Dan. Mastering the English language and helping his mother make ends meet was difficult, but he always benefitted from his ability to adapt. Soon after beginning high school in Oakville, Ontario, he became motivated to put his musical interests into action. Dan began recording his first tracks using a cheap microphone and primitive software under his artist name, Danitto Kruz. In school, Dan was known as the guy always striving to perfect his next rhyme. Before long, Danitto became the center of numerous freestyle battles during lunch and after school. He won some and lost some, but when he took a hit, he always channeled criticism as a means to improve. In his teen years, Dan often reflected on the movie, 8 mile, as a source of motivation. He felt that the message portrayed in the film, that someone could harness their potential for success despite socially and economically deprived circumstances was an inspiration. Dan has always been stubborn, but with such hard headedness comes a level of determination that is otherwise absent in most people. Following high school, Dan didn’t feel the drive to study music in a scholarly setting, but rather refine and develop his natural talent on his own. He invested his savings into developing a homemade studio in a 3-bedroom apartment. While holding down a job at a local computer store, Dan continued to make connections with like-minded artists and began doing what he enjoys most, recording and perfecting his music. The music written, recorded and produced by Danitto Kruz can fit any mood or scene, with content ranging from upbeat, to serious, both tragic and humorous. He has demonstrated a capacity to identify talent in others and work to collaborate on music, which expresses the daily experiences and relationships in life. While working with computers, Dan met fellow musician and guitarist, Santiago Cercavins. It didn’t take long for Dan and Santiago to gain a mutual appreciation for their styles, and begin a musical partnership that has lasted ever since. Danitto Kruz has been featured with various other talented individuals, having aired a remix with Kathy Phillips in January 2012 on Z103.5 from Mansion nightclub in Toronto. From 2011-2012, Danitto worked with Drew James and Kid Fareigna while affiliated with UMG – Ultimate Music Group. In March 2012, Dan performed the remix, “Now That We’ve Found Love” at Toronto’s LOCAL nightclub alongside Kathy Phillips (which is available on Itunes), and performed once again in April of that year at OHSO nightclub. Now based out of Alberta, Danitto is looking to expand his musical perspective to include a new era in his life. Most importantly, he sees an opportunity to forge new accomplishments with similarly motivated artists, creating music that can relate to people across different styles and genres. We should not expect Danitto Kruz to go away anytime soon, because if you ask him, he’s just getting started. We should all brace ourselves, because there is a lot more coming from Dan and his circle of talented young artists.