Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ella Borges from Ella & The Bossa Beat. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Ella, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
Personally, I (Ella) believe I found my purpose when I saw the positive feedback of the audience each time I sang, and when in all of those times I felt happy and alive when I sang. Music gives me life.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Hi! I’m Ella Borges, and I have a band named Ella & The Bossa Beat with my father Magrus Borges. Below you can read more about what we do and who we are. But before you read it, I just want to say that music is life! It has the power to change and transform people’s lives in such a beautiful and spiritual way, and we intend to keep spreading that to the world as much as we can.
Ella & The Bossa Beat is an international father-daughter duo between the 23-year old ‘new rising star of the Bossa Nova generation’ singer/pianist Ella Borges, and Grammy-nominated drummer Magrus Borges, who played with Astrud Gilberto, Bebel Gilberto, Grace Jones & many other legends. They present a modern Bossa Nova/Brazilian Jazz style of music, combined with a soulful jazz influence.
In 2020, they released their first album together named “My Remedy”, capturing the attention of jazz and pop fans worldwide. Ella and Magrus have released their second album titled “In the Moment” in November 2022, which introduces a new soulful and classy style. It is increasingly becoming popular among jazz lovers, Brazilian jazz listeners, and soul/jazz followers, receiving ranking #8 on the national Top 30 latin charts, and #15 on the national Top 50 jazz album charts. Ella & The Bossa Beat has received recognition from the best jazz magazines such as JAZZIZ and local magazines such as Orlando Weekly. The duo has been praised for such high quality of artistry, talent, and sophistication on their latest original album “In the Moment”.
Magrus Borges is a drummer, percussionist, composer, and producer from the Amazon, Brazil. He has played and recorded with many international artists such as: Astrud Gilberto, Bebel Gilberto (Grammy-nominated for her album “Agora”), Shakira, Grace Jones, Tania Maria, Larry Coryell, Caetano Veloso, Luis Melodia, Johnny Alf (one of the fathers of Bossa Nova), among many others. He has recorded six original albums, produced for various artists and is a member of the Recording Academy.
Ella Borges, ‘the new rising star of the Bossa nova generation’ was born in Miami and raised in Brazil. Ella sings in Portuguese, Spanish, English and French. In addition to singing, she plays piano, guitar, writes lyrics, composes, arranges, and co-produces with her father Magrus Borges. At age twenty-three, she presents a very unique style, with her soulful voice, and a strong influence of ‘classic American jazz meets Brazil’ when she scatts. In 2020, Ella was awarded ‘The Focus Brazil’ award for Best Female Singer in Orlando. She is also a graduate from Stetson University with a degree in International Business and Music. Ella is a member of the Recording Academy, and is under the mentorship, taking private classes with NYC jazz pianist Garry Dial.
The up-and-coming duo have been performing a lot in the United States, releasing singles, and doing collaborations with other international artists such as Toco together with Italian record label Schema Records. They have been playing at many jazz venues, festivals, private events, and have a residency at Universal Studios in Orlando FL. After releasing their latest album ‘In the Moment’ they are planning to book shows and tour around Europe, Brazil and Asia for 2023, 2024.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Looking back, I think it’s important to be kind, determined and knowledgeable in whatever is your craft. This way, one can become a well-rounded individual that is able to act with a good heart, to do what it takes to achieve their highest potential, speak and act intelligently, and to keep learning when it comes to their craft. I believe these three qualities and skills can get someone anywhere they want to go.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
My parents have always believed in me when it comes to music. And I think that has been extremely impactful in a way that it has built my confidence, and given me the self-esteem I needed to begin with. Now, with my parents belief in what I can do, I know that I need to continuously be my own number one fan everyday. And that is so important to understand and differentiate. I will always be grateful for my parents’ constant support. But it is essential to know that from there, we need to make ourselves truly believe that we really are good enough in what we do, even if our parents did not believe in us. We need to be our constant supporter and believer.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ellaandthebossabeat.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellaandthebossabeat/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ellaandthebossabeat
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@ellaandthebossabeat
Image Credits
Kristina Powers and Rodrigo Teixeira.
