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It was more than 25 years ago when Angela Librandi discovered she had a ‘voice’ made for singing and performing.
“I remember being in high school and singing along to Madonna and thinking… Hey I can sing like her,” Angela says.
Growing up in South Australia to Italian parents, Angela worked as a full time singer from the age of 21. During her time there, she toured the north of Australia in musicals, worked alongside veteran performer Venetta Fields and sang at the Adelaide Grand Prix’s. But with such a powerful voice and intoxicating personality, Adelaide just wasn’t big enough for this soulful singer.
Moving to Melbourne at the young age of 21 was the next step for Angela who has now forged a successful and long standing career in live music and teaching.
Angela says, “Moving to Melbourne was a natural step for me to take to my career to another level. I always loved performing and wanted to broaden my horizons and musical contacts, giving me the opportunity to work with other great artists and also travel, which may not have otherwise been granted if I stayed in my home town.”
Her first gig when she arrived was touring with one of Australia’s most famous exports, Tina Arena. Angela toured Australia and Asia as a backing vocalist and relished in the experience in working with Tina, an amazing vocalist.
From there she became a permanent member of the house band on Australian television show ‘Don’t Forget your Toothbrush’, ‘IN Melbourne Tonight’ and the iconic ‘Hey Hey It’s Saturday’. As her profile started to rise she secured guest performance appearances on ‘Good Morning Australia’ for ten years, Channel 9’s Midday show, Channel 7’s Good Friday appeal and The Panel.
Her passion for performing live earned her a spot on backing vocals with the talents of Vanessa Amorosi, Ross Wilson, Renee Gayer, Kate Ceberano, Marcia Hines, Thelma Houston, Jimmy Barnes, Brian Cadd, Eric Benet, Jess Mauboy and most recently Hugh Jackman. She also had the privilege of performing for Sir Richard Branson.
As well, she has worked extensively overseas as the lead for various corporate functions all around Australia, Italy, Fiji, Borneo, Hong Kong, Tai Pei, Shanghai, Hawaii, Bali and Kuala Lumpur. Performing live is a passion, but Angela also lends her vocal prowess to radio and television advertisements and albums.
But Angela can certainly stand on her own as an acclaimed singer. A fan of the iconic women of soul including Eryka Badu, Jill Scott, Lauryn Hill, Mary J Blige and male icons including Prince and Stevie Wonder, Angela has developed her own unique style of singing described as neo soul, RnB with an infusion of jazz.
This is by far her most passionate repertoire and Angela knows hows to get a crowd of music lovers up on their feet. For the past 12 years, Angela and her band Afrodescia have performed to an excitable crowd of fans, entertaining them with their strong soulful sounds. So much so that band members from James Brown and Alicia Keys bands have come down to jam with the group. To top this off, in January 2013, Afrodescia were asked to open for the legendary Chaka Khan at her one and only performance in Melbourne at The Plenary. Performing to a sell out crowd for over an hour, Angela said, “Performing as a support act for Chaka Khan was surreal. One of the biggest highlights of my career it cemented our band as one of the best in the business.”
With such a talented and powerful voice and vast industry connections, it’s only natural for Angela to want to help others. For the past 15 years she has been a teacher and vocal coach for a range of students from teenagers to adults. Many are already established singers who need Angela’s help with voice and technique. She says, “I’m really passionate about teaching and have recently taken a position at AIM University which allows me to share my experiences and knowledge to young singers who want to start in the industry.”
With such an impressive background in the live music industry, Angela has defied all odds and has one of the hardest and longest working careers in the music industry. Her commitment to performing, her art, her band and her family just keeps her going and wanting more. The next step is an original album currently in the making. “I’m so privileged to have worked with some of the most amazing musicians and have learnt so much that I’m inspired to create my own original music,” she says. “It’s time I expressed myself and my experiences through song and hope that I can put a smile on peoples faces when they listen to my music.”
