Photo credit: Shervin Lainez | www.shervinfoto.com
I first became aware of Carrie Manolakos after watching the “This Is Me” video from a rehearsal for ‘The Greatest Showman’ soundtrack. If you haven’t seen this video, watch it below. I must have watched this video well over a dozen times. There is such joy and pure talent overflowing in that room. It is infectious! Carrie was one of the choir members who really stood out in this video. The rehearsal room was filled with some of the best of the best of young, rising Broadway performers. Literally, a “who’s who” list of who to look out for on Broadway in NYC, including Hugh Jackman.
Ok, I realize that Carrie Manolakos has nothing to do with the 615 aka Nashville & surrounding areas. I need SOME kind of tie in to our city to talk about her on here since this site is all about anything related to Nashville. Well, I noticed in her Instagram that at some point in the past few years she DID perform at City Winery Nashville. If we get lucky, maybe she’ll pass through this way again, but there is the connection to Nashville that I was looking for. 😉 Update: According to Carrie she has visited Nashville a few years back working on her songwriting with some of our vast songwriting community.
Anyway, now that I have gotten THAT out of the way, let’s talk about why I think you should get to know Carrie and her music.
She is a standout among singers with such tremendous control of her powerful vocals. While some vocalists with her kind of power can have a tendency to oversing at times, Carrie starts out softly, harnessing her power. She emotes and seemingly feels every lyric as she continues to build until she reaches a dramatic peak where she unleashes the full power of her voice. Her voice is so strong, controlled, and pitch perfect that it simply gives you chills. Well, it does me anyway. Then, she brings it back down softly again. She will quite literally make you gasp from the power and emotion she exudes as she sings. That is the best way that I can describe it. Simply flawless vocals.
In this new, original song by her entitled, “Take Me Down”, you have a power ballad in the pop/alternative rock genre. It’s a mesmerizing and haunting song with lyrics like: “Every hurt that I’ve ever known. I need fear to leave me alone. Take me down to the water’s edge and make me whole.” She sings of pain she is feeling with vivid imagery and yearning to heal from it. It’s a song that everyone can relate to and she sings it so beautifully.
Get to know more about this incredibly-talented singer by checking out her website: www.carriemanolakos.com/
