YouTube Sensations: Sayaka Alessandra

In the 50’s, things were more simple. The small city groups and singers could launch for stardom by getting a DJ to play their record, cut at a small local studio. Small agents could find talent at sock hops, at a neighborhood garage, or at the nearest street corner. You get the picture. Even so, there must have been a lot of talented vocal groups who never had a shot, or could have come very close to making it to the mainstream galaxy of Rock n’ Roll stars, but never made it. A bad agent, or the lack of, lyrics that just weren’t good enough, or never being at the right place, at the right time. There are so many reasons for not making it to the top, that many harmonious voices were bound to fade away into oblivion.

Fast forward to the 80’s, when things really got to a much more commercial level. It was probably harder for the wannabe star. I would imagine that getting a top music company executive to listen to a demo tape was something almost impossible in a lifetime.

Jump forward to 2012. As you get out of the DeLorean lent by Marty McFly, things start to get simpler again. Although it’s still difficult to be noticed just by walking through the lobby of a big recording company, there are now ways to reach notoriety even for those who never thought about being known all over the world. We are now living in the digital world, where things can spread from Rio de Janeiro to Hong Kong like wildfire, in a matter of minutes. In other words, your 15 minutes of fame can be stretched for years. 

Ever since YouTube opened the doors of revolutionary communication, video sharing was never the same. And although not everything you see online deserves your full attention, there are many who make the most of this chance. I’d say that the smart ones are learning more and more how to make the most of this social tool. 

Sayaka Alessandra is one of these people. This former Sky Italia TV presenter started uploading videos around 2008. Although you would never imagine a half Japanese half Sicilian girl, who lived in places such as Bangladesh and India, sing 50’s/60’s hits, that’s exactly how she surprises us. A great Elvis fan, she has a very cool singing flavor with her deep intonations in some of her covers. It’s a delight to listen and see her home performances. And as you can see by the videos, it’s not just about the singing. She looks like she’s really having fun, which makes you enjoy the videos even more.

As she made success through YouTube, she went on to live performances, and recorded more songs. Some of the new ones are on her Myspace page and YouTube, and sound like that they were recorded in a studio. But I have to say, my favorite songs will always be the homemade videos that made her famous. Maybe someday, after she accomplishes her accolades, she might go back to basics.