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Minha
Voz - Mi Voz: From Mexico to Brazil with Love
Minha
Voz, Mi Voz is the debut CD from singer Miguel de Leon, combining
his love of Brazil with the broad, traditional vocal style of
his Mexican/American heritage. These 11 tracks create a musical
mosaic - rich ballads, breezy Bossas and sambas that just won't
quit! Read on to learn more about this young artist and his unique
perspective on Brazilian jazz.
Its
the result of a story that crosses musical cultures and boarders.
Raised in a musical Mexican American family, Miguel de Leon remembers
connecting deeply to the sounds of music he heard around him while
growing up. As a child he responded strongly to the top hits on
the radio and to the music of famous Mexican artists in his parents'
record collection, and music always was young Miguel's favorite
part of school and religious services. His large extended family
often came together to celebrate every holiday and everyone's
birthdays, and as a special treat, mariachis were a part of some
of the festivities. Today, Miguel feels fortunate to have heard
the glorious sounds of live music at family parties. To this day,
the sound of mariachis playing traditional Mexican songs holds
a very special place in his heart.
Miguel's
strong affinity for Brazilian music began when he was a teenager.
After hearing recordings by Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66 and
really connecting with this music, he started buying all the Brasil
66 albums he could find. The Brazilian rhythms captivated Miguel.
Already bilingual, he discovered through these records how similar
Portuguese was to Spanish, and without any formal study, he easily
learned to pronounce it and understand many phrases and themes
of the songs.
In
the early 1980s, Miguel listened to some albums by popular Brazilian
artists of the time, and as soon as the needle settled into the
groove, he was hooked-the more he listened, the more he craved.
Since then, collecting Brazilian music has become a kind of quest
for him. In 1985, Miguel made his first trip to Brazil and was
absolutely enraptured. The people, the culture, the spectacular
vistas, and of course the music. (Right away he stopped at a record
shop; he bought so many albums in Brazil that he had to pay for
excess baggage on his return.)
A
very active performer in both church music and choral ensembles,
Miguel also has appeared in numerous operettas, zarzuelas, and
musical theater productions. In addition, he has developed a solo
show featuring many different styles of Latin American music.
His songs range from rhythmic salsa music and classic boleros
to the smooth sounds of samba and bossa nova. While performing
Miguel makes use of his talent for languages; for example, he
might sing one verse of "The Girl from Ipanema" or "Corcovado"
("Quiet Nights") in Portuguese, and then switch to Spanish
or English for the next verse. Songs such as these are easily
performed in two languages, since both English and Portuguese
versions are widely known. Miguel's self-produced CD, Minha Voz/Mi
Voz, features popular Latin American songs sung in Spanish, Portuguese,
and English.
Miguel
de Leon's goal is to use his gift of music as a means to bridge
the gap between different musical styles and languages. Continually
exploring and learning about the world of music, Miguel clearly
sees that despite the apparent differences across musical forms,
there are many thematic similarities. He believes the underlying
theme of music is love, that music is a force that can bring people
together.
e
Listen
to the radio spot for 'Minha Voz, Mi Voz' by clicking here.
Latest
News! :
Website:
Click here to view the
official launch of singer Miguel de Leon's new web site! News,
pictures, stories and much more. Make sure to sign
up for Miguel's fan club, too!
Recording:
Miguel is heading off to Rio on August 1st to record his next
CD with saxophonist Leo Gandelman! Watch for updates here.
Club
Dates: Catch Miguel every Saturday night in July from 6-10
pm at Serenata
- 6007 W. Cermak Road, Cicero, Il. (708) 656-1789. He plans to
return there in September.
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