"My story began at the end of 2019, while suffering from depression and anxiety. I had been tested for suspected cancer and thankfully, by the beginning of 2020, the tests had come back negative. I could now breathe a sigh of relief.”
"Little did I know that Covid was on the horizon and we would soon have a far bigger battle on our hands. This raging virus came at us with a vengeance. In April, I lost my dear friend Vivienne to Covid and in May, my sister-in-law Sam, tested positive followed by my brother Glen, who was badly affected and spent 6 weeks in ICU.”
"As you can guess, all of this badly affected the whole family. Glen was alone in his hospital bed and I was alone in my apartment in London. That was the worst of it all. My depression and anxiety had hit the roof. As an amateur writer, I always found that expressing my emotions in writing was of great comfort. One afternoon, I sat and wrote a poem for my brother. As far as I was concerned, that was the end of the story. Glen loved the poem and I had done what I had set out to do. It was so heart-warming to feel that I had done something really special for him.”
While browsing the internet, 74-year-old Frankie Carvalho saw an ad for a songwriting course entitled, Unlock Your Song run by James Hawkins. The ad asked; Do you have a story and would like to use it to unlock your song? Frankie was intrigued and quickly answered this alluring ad stating; "I have never written a song before but I do have a story. I signed up for the course and the result was my original poem being transformed into my song, Dancing and Free”.
Dancing and Free, began to get mad notoriety so, why not make a professional version? Frankie was beyond grateful to the staff at Castle Hill Hospital, and longed to release her charity single in an effort to donate the proceeds to the hospital that worked so hard to keep Frankie’s brother alive!
"I wanted to thank the hospital for saving his life and came up with the idea to release Dancing and Free, as a charity single to raise funds for Castle Hill Hospital. Here was I, a 74-year-old grandmother, releasing a song...a charity single! All of this was a world away from my normal everyday life. It was running away with me and the excitement was almost too good to be true. If I could compare it to a fairy story it was just like falling down the, Alice in Wonderland rabbit hole.”
Frankie soon connected with close friend and vocal coach to Boy George, Christopher David Mitchell. Christopher placed an ad on instagram for the perfect vocalist. After Simon Cowell’ing 300 applicants, Frankie and Christopher chose Amy Di Bartolomeo explaining; "I just loved the way she interpreted my words. It was a joy to hear her vocals”.
Frankie is doing everything in her power to make our world a better place while recognizing our first responders for the amazing and strenuous work they are doing, especially during the pandemic. Since the release of Dancing and Free, Frankie has created 3 more songs entitled, Broken Chords, Sandstorm, and The Right One, all featuring Amy Di Bartolomeo. These songs can be found on her first EP entitled Sandstorm, which also includes the charity single, Dancing & Free. Carvalho is currently working on releasing a new song AND a Christmas single. Visit any and all streaming platforms to enjoy more of Frankie Carvalho.
You are never too old, not talented enough, or not experienced enough to pursue your dreams. Look at 74 year old Frankie making her grand entrance! Get out there folks and stay inspired to tackle each dream you have. While you're making all of your dreams a reality, remember to support other artists in their journey. Let’s all help Frankie to raise funds for Castle Hills Hospital by streaming, Dancing and Free. :) Easy, peasy, beautiful! Until next time...Stay Golden Team!
Photography by Frankie Carvalho
Frankie’s Words of Wisdom:
"Believe in yourself. Don't listen to the knock backs, continue to learn and be encouraged whatever age you are.”
"People told me that I wouldn’t make money doing this. That really struck me, this isn't something I am doing for money. I am doing this for myself, to express myself, and to inspire others.”
Fun Facts with Frankie!
"When I am sitting or lying in bed and words come to my mind, I write them down or they will be gone tomorrow. Save every line, every word. They could become the lyrics of a new song.”
"I thought I had no musical ability. My whole family has the ability of music, I never thought that I did. I have proved myself wrong.”
"I took up professional photography in my 40’s and acquired 2 Kodak Awards! The images I use for my music are all photographs that I have taken. I love combining music and images together, they make a grand couple.”
"I want to write a book that includes all of my poetry, lyrics, and photos.”
"I like to sing and sometimes perform on open mic nights.”
"I love theatre, exhibitions, eating out, and spending time with my grandson.”
Connect With Frankie Carvalho Today!
https://www.facebook.com/Frankie-Carvalho-Songwriter-103796505096192/
https://twitter.com/frankiecarvalh1?lang=en
https://www.instagram.com/chords_by_carvalho/
Continue Streaming Frankie Carvalho!
http://www.pandora.com/?sc=miR4957885
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/frankie-carvalho/1552822141
https://www.iheart.com/artist/radio-Frankie+Carvalho-35759601?autoplay=true
https://www.deezer.com/artist/114190002/radio?autoplay=true
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