New Jersey’s own Marla Lewis dazzles once again with her latest single, “Te Quiero a Ti.”
This enchanting track, available in both Spanish and English, melds Marla’s sublime bossa nova-inspired vocals with a lush and sophisticated arrangement of flute, piano, acoustic bass, electric guitar, drums, and backing vocals.
The result? Pure musical magic that captures the essence of romance and vulnerability.
The story behind “Te Quiero a Ti” is as captivating as the song itself. Marla initially composed a beautiful melody but was struggling with the lyrics. She turned to her friend and talented lyricist, Dave Kinnoin, whose poetic touch brought the song to life on her debut “Songbook” album.
Yet Marla always dreamed of a Spanish rendition. This dream materialized when she met Melissa Sanley through a Grammy organization Peer Networking program. Melissa is a superb singer, songwriter, and recording artist fluent in four languages, and she not only translated the song but also coached Marla on each line, designed the cover art, sang backup vocals, and created a stunning lyric video. Talk about a dream team!
Marla describes the experience as divine intervention, and the result is a song that exudes warmth, romance, and a touch of vulnerability:
“My life was touched by a real life angel — that’s the best way to describe it! I signed up for a Peer Networking program offered by the Grammy organization (I’m a voting member), and they paired me with Melissa Sanley. Talk about Divine intervention! A superb singer, songwriter, recording artist — she speaks four languages, and now she is my voice teacher! But I digress — I played her a song from my first Songbook album to see if she liked it enough to translate it into Spanish. It had some Spanish words in the lyrics that were written by Dave Kinnoin (I wrote the melody). She told me the title was not correct Spanish! OMG! She changed it to “Te Quiero a Ti,” translated the lyrics, coached me on every line, created the cover art, sang backup vocals, and made the lyric video!”
The accompanying music video is eclectic, romantic as well as enchanting and provides a wonderful backdrop to Marla’s vocals:
Marla’s music is a reflection of her influences, taking inspiration from some of the great legends like Ella Fitzgerald, big band, global folk music, The Beatles, Laura Nyro, Carole King, James Taylor, Michael Franks, and Phoebe Snow.
As well as her work in smooth jazz and bossa nova, Marla’s passion for music shines through her 25-year career as an elementary school teacher. This role ignited her love for writing educational and entertaining songs for children, leading to significant achievements. Her song “Leap of Faith,” co-written with Nancy Schimmel, was featured on the Grammy-winning children’s album “All About Bullies … Big and Small” in 2011.
Marla’s dedication to children’s music is also evident in her award-winning albums “I Love to Talk to Plants” (2009) and “We All Laugh in the Same Language” (2007). Produced by the renowned Bob Stander, both albums earned prestigious accolades such as the Parent’s Choice Gold and NAPPA Gold awards. Her songs have received First Prize and Finalist honors in various national and international competitions, cementing her reputation as a top children’s music artist.
Marla’s career took a bold new direction with her venture into smooth jazz and American standards and her first album in this genre, “Songbook,” was met with much critical acclaim. Produced by two-time Grammy award-winning producer/engineer Bob Stander, “Songbook” features 14 original tracks that critics have described as “pure bliss.”
Building on this success, Marla released “Songbook Volume 2 (SBV2),” further exploring smooth jazz, cabaret, and American standards. Also produced by Bob Stander, it comprises six original tracks showcasing Marla’s vocal brilliance alongside an accomplished ensemble: Mike Ricchuiti on piano, Teddy Kumpel on electric guitar, Rob Jost on acoustic bass, Matt Miller on drums, Erik Lawrence on sax, Daniel Sadownick on percussion, and Adam Minkoff and Gabby Scherba on backing vocals influenced by the Manhattan Transfer. The album’s first single, “Enchantée,” achieved remarkable success, reaching #1 on the World Indie Charts and #2 on the Euro Indie Charts.
Marla Lewis’s “Te Quiero a Ti” is a must-listen, blending rich musical influences with vibrant passion. The song is already reaching heights on the World Indie Music Charts and the English version is currently at #7 worldwide!
Connect with Marla Lewis:
Website // Facebook// Instagram // Twitter // Spotify //Soundcloud // YouTube Music
