Lady Gaga at The Oscars

Although I will admit I was not able to watch this years Oscars because I had to perform, it was not long before I started to hear about Lady Gaga's performance of The Sound of Music medley.  In my second blog I described my childhood as being similar to that of the Von Trapp's, so naturally I was very excited to hear how this cross-over turned out.  The first sound clips I heard honestly blew my mind.  Who was this singing and what did they do with Lady Gaga!

Of course many people had their own opinion and I am shocked to see the negative press and tweets from celebrities who felt Idina Menzel should have been the one to perform this.  I highly doubt the Oscars Artistic Director had wanted a woman with the high-pitched nasal voice of a child to sing Julie Andrews music. Not to mention, Lady Gaga worked with a vocal coach from the Oscars for six months prior to the show in order to perfect her vocal techniques.


After listening to her complete performance on YouTube, I can say that her vibrato was very controlled, her pitch and tonality on the notes in the upper register were bang on, and her key changes in between songs were flawless.  Two of the pieces were originally sung by a man, so there is no way Idina Menzel could have pulled that off. Just not the right voice type at all for this material. 

This has been a great year for Lady Gaga in terms of love and career success.  Not only did she recently get engaged to actor Taylor Kinney, she also put out a Jazz album with Tony Bennett, proving to the world that she can really sing, and she can sing anything.  A true talent is diverse and can make anything sound good.  I think an Amercian Idol judge said that once!  She is also set to star in the upcoming season of American Horror Story, one of the only two TV series I actually make time to watch.

Since I love Lady Gaga so much, I had to do a cover of at least one of her songs.  Here is a version I perform by my girl Marcela Mangebeira a la bossa nova style.  Enjoy!

If you were not in the loop this week, I have posted the video here for you to judge.  Did Lady Gaga fail miserably?  Did she do a better job than Carrie Underwood's Live TV Performance?  Please share your thoughts on this, inquiring minds want to know!

Lady Gaga sings The Sound of The Music 

Bad Romance by Marcela Mangebeira (Lady Gaga Cover)

The show must go on

I woke up today with a sore throat, body aches and congestion.  This is when most of us start praying that it won't get worse the next day.  For singers, this is a especially stressful time since singing sick is one of the worst experiences.  Most people can take a day off or find someone to take their shift in order to get better, but the average singer in a band doesn't have a substitute.  In many cases if the singer is sick, then the show gets cancelled.  The pressure of knowing that everything falls on your shoulders can be difficult, however with experience singing sick just becomes part of the job.  It is rare for performers to stay healthy all year round.  Performance schedules, travel and constant contact with the public punishes the immune system.


Over the years, I have discovered some home treatments that work for me. No miracle cures, but things that help me get through my shows.  I have sung with Laryngitis, throat infections, strep throat, colds and the flu.  Not that it is smart to work instead of rest, but sometimes you have no choice.

Here are some tips on how to sing sick.

1. Don't talk

This may sound funny, but the simple act of talking can make you hoarse. Celine Dion answers questions by tapping on her phone on the day of a show.  Even whispering uses your vocal chords so avoid talking unnecessarily all day. Start to do some warm ups a few hours before your show.  This will help you gauge where your voice may crack so you can avoid songs in that key.

2.  Drink chamomile tea with honey and lemon (Ginger optional)
These three ingredients are natures best defense when fighting a cold. Chamomile has been used as a healing plant for 1000's of years. Honey (natural) soothes the throat, has anti-bacterial properties and boosts the immune system.  Lemons have more Vitamin C then an orange. This drink packs a punch and is relatively cheap. This website has some fun facts and a recipe I like that you can try.  www.instructables.com

3.  Take a hot steamy shower
This may sound gross, but clearing out the sinuses is essential.  You can also boil some water in a pot, add Vicks Vaporub, put a towel over your head and inhale slowly. I did this when I was sick with the flu and had to sing at the Niagara Food Festival. It was the only time I had to use this technique and it got me through two 45 minute sets.

4.  Take a pain-reliever and decongestant
Personally I avoid taking drugs because I hate swallowing pills. Medication can also give you dry mouth and upset stomach.  But this is the only time that I will cave and convince myself to take some. The reality is you have to dry up the sinuses in order to avoid coughing. Coughing is your worst enemy because it makes you hoarse. The pain-reliever is to take away the body pain and sore throat. Unfortunately, I have never found alcohol to be helpful.

5.  Suck it up Buttercup
This is the hardest step because not everyone has the ability to suffer with a smile.  But that's your job.  It takes sheer determination and inner strength to push through when performing sick, but every time you succeed it amounts to more experience singing under the worst conditions.  When i'm feeling discouraged I like to read this excerpt by David Ackert from the LA Times for inspiration.

Fun Health Facts about Lemon, Honey and Chamomile and Ginger

• Lemon is antiseptic, aids digestion, and is great source of calcium, magnesium, vitamin C, bioflavonoids.
• Honey is antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral.
• Chamomile helps to ease upset stomach, heartburn, nausea, and vomiting.
• Ginger is antiviral, anti-inflammatory, aids with digestion, and is effective against human respiratory syncytial virus

The Art of the Cover Song

We have all heard covers of songs that we love. Sometimes they fail our expectations, sometimes they can change how we feel about a song forever. Playing for tourists means less original music and more standards. But that doesn't mean one can't be creative!  Part of the challenge lies in finding a great song that people love, and putting your own unique twist on it.  Oddly enough, I have found over the years that a bossa nova beat can fit to almost any tune.  Not that it always works!  But sometimes you get lucky.  My goal is to be able to perform a song by any artist should someone request it, but done in a style that suits our venue.


One singer from Brazil continues to inspire me with her smooth vocals and intricate chord interpretations.  I perform a few of her covers, but this one particular takes the cake.  I am proud to say I can sing a Red Hot Chili Peppers song in a restaurant, but it's pretty much unrecognizable until the vocals come in.  

                              Check out this  Marcela Mangabeira cover of By The Way.

There are full cover albums of  popular music covered in a Bossa Nova style such as Bob Marley, The Rolling Stones and Guns n' Roses should you like to search for more songs in this genre.

Another amazing cover that we play at Brasa that you have to hear is a Nirvana song covered by the Buena Vista Social Club. This was featured on a compilation by Rhythms Del Mundo, with vocals by Shanade.  We made a few changes to suit our trio, but the mood is the same.  Less rock, more smooth. Something I never thought possible with a Nirvana song.

The last song I'd like to share with you this week is one we have played for over five years now. Coldplay released this salsa version of Clocks on a Rhythm Del Mundo compilation, and it's simply magic.  Hope you enjoy, and let me know what you think!

So you want to be a singer...

Audition Day! Look how happy we
were and didn't even have the job yet.

If you had asked me 10 years ago where I would see myself working in 2015, I never would have guessed I would find my dream job by pure chance.  The truth is I put an ad up on Kijiji with a hunch that if I went fishing I may get lucky. One day I received an email from The Hilton Hotel looking for weekend entertainment who could perform Latin and Brazilian music.  So we learned The Girl from Ipanema for the audition and got hired on the spot.  At that time The Rio Trio had been playing a fusion of pop, jazz, blues with a splash of world music flair.  We then turned our focus to developing a repertoire suitable for a venue where guests can choose to eat or dance.  Not an easy undertaking, but one that pushed our creative boundaries. Dream job, check.

To say that my parents trained me to be an entertainer is an understatement. I grew up submerged in a music culture similar to that of the Von Trapp's from The Sound of Music.  My little sister and I would perform shows for family and friends, in full wardrobe and makeup.  I had memorized the entire score to the musical Cats by the age of 12.   Both my parents sang as well.  We grew up singing together in church choir. Music was my childhood, and music is now my career.  

People always ask me "well it's not really like a job is it?”. I am always diplomatic with how I respond to that because I know most do not want to hear that my job could be even considered work. But when a woman vomits two feet from you while your in the middle of singing Guantanamera and shaking maracas, sometimes you ask yourself "why am I here?”.  

All sarcasm aside, five years singing in a band that specializes in the music that moves me the most is a gift from God.  While I never thought I would have to sing La Bamba or The Girl from Ipanema 1000 times a year, there are some songs I never tire of.  A certain note strikes my heart every time I sing it.  I also try to remind myself that the monotony of having to play some songs whether you feel like it or not is not all that bad.  Because that one night you decide to not play that old classic, is the night someone requests it for sure.  And then thanks you with a tear in their eye on their way out.  I am extremely fortunate to be able to say my life’s passion is my job. The special moments are just an added bonus.

On that note, here is our cover of 
Evil Ways by Carlos Santana