MELBOURNE
Goa-born singer Reuben De Melo has shot to global fame after having won the finals of the prestigious singing competition, ‘The Voice Australia 2024’.
De Melo (31), who hails from Maina-Curtorim and is presently based in Perth, Western Australia, won The Voice Australia 2024 after the public voted during the grand finale on Sunday. He has won a cash prize of Australian $100,000, and an all-inclusive recording package.
Following De Melo’s brilliant audition performance of Ed Sheeran’s ‘I See Fire’, The Voice coaches Guy Sebastian, Adam Lambert, LeAnn Rimes and Kate Miller-Heidke had all vied to mentor De Melo. But American singer-songwriter LeAnn Rimes succeeded in claiming De Melo for her team, and De Melo described her as an “incredible mentor.”
GOAN IDENTITY
While preparing De Melo for his final performance ‘House of the Rising Sun’ by The Animals, Rimes brought out a photo of a little De Melo on the guitar and his cousin on the keyboard, which took De Melo back to his childhood in Goa.
Rimes then sought to know where and when did music first start for De Melo.
Sharing his earliest memories of being in Goa, De Melo said, “In my village where I grew up, people would gather together and sing at festivals or birthdays and the whole village would come together. Music has been part of my culture for a long time.”
“Seeing that photo made me realise that I have loved music from a very young age.”
De Melo said his love for music continued when his family moved to Australia while he was 11 years.
“I would pick up the guitar from my dad and would play at Goan functions,” said De Melo, a mine worker by profession.
“My dad was more of a singer, but he gave that up because of work. I’m so grateful for everything that my dad has done for us.”
“I believe that my dreams can be a reality, and music is what I should be doing,” said De Melo, and had previously stated that winning The Voice would enable him to get out of the mines and would to be able to look after his family by doing what he loves to do.
By sheer coincidence, De Melo said his father had taught the song ‘House of the Rising Sun’, adding that it was the first song he had learnt on the guitar.
Incidentally, De Melo himself did not apply to participate in The Voice.
“My wife, Olivia, signed me up for the contest. Olivia has been my rock and support. I also appreciate all the support from friends and Goans in Melbourne, Western Australia, and all across the world,” acknowledged De Melo.
De Melo said his biggest musical icon has been Bob Marley and The Wailers.
“And, of course, as grew up, my grandma would listen to a lot of songs sung by Goa’s nightingale Lorna and old songs from the audio cassettes,” said De Melo.
News of De Melo winning The Voice Australia 2024 quickly spread among the Goan diaspora across the world, as Goans were jubilant that one of their very own had won the prestigious singing contest in Australia.
