Claudia Villela

Brazilian jazz vocalist Claudia Villela grew up surrounded by diverse musical influences, absorbing everything from baroque to jazz. The musical odyssey started at home in Rio de Janeiro, where she listened to the notes of her father's harmonica and her mother's singing. As she lay in bed each night, a Latin lullaby drifted through her window from a nearby samba school. When she turned one year old, her birthday gift from her dad was a pianola, which is similar to an accordion.

By the time she was a teenager, the vocalist participated in music festivals throughout the city. She progressed to work on movie soundtracks and singing backup for recording artists. Interestingly, with all of the music in her life, Villela at one time leaned toward a career in medicine. Medical school was her first choice, but she later wanted to work in the field of music therapy, using music to promote healing in people suffering from physical disabilities or neurological disturbances.

In 1984, Villela moved to California. By 1985, she joined the Stanford University Chorus. The following year she sang with the De Anza College Jazz Singers and was with the group when it triumphed at a jazz competition held by Downbeat. A scholarship to Manhattan School of Music followed, allowing her to become a student of Sheila Jordan. On the strength of her engaging ability to improvise be-bop, she attended Cabrillo College as a Jay Shore scholarship student. At Cabrillo she studied under Ray Brown.

Villela possesses a impressive five-octave range. That range, coupled with her intuitive improvisations and her delightful playfulness, have drawn fans at a number of prominent night spots and music festivals, among them the Monterey Jazz Festival and Jazz at Filoli. She produced her first release in 1994, Asa Verde, and Taina Music released the album of self-penned songs. Her children, Christina and Carla, appeared on one of the tracks. The following year, Taina Music issued First Light, an album that contains both Brazilian folk music and original works by Villela. Appearing on the album are Toninho Horta, Danny Gottlieb, and Michael Brecker.