If only a select few people in this world have a voice, FIFO worker Reuben De Melo is using his to express the love and joy of those close to him who may have lost theirs.
The Perth father-of-three’s blind audition wowed judges Adam Lambert, Guy Sebastian, Leann Rimes and Kate Miller-Heidke on the opening night of The Voice on Monday, delivering a stirring rendition of Ed Sheeran’s hit I See Fire.
Labelled a “diamond in the rough” by star player Lambert, Miller-Heidke reckoned the 31-year-old “could win this competition”.
Singing from a place of deep emotion, the landline plant operator says his journey into music was “set in motion” by the loss of close friend and emerging footballer Josh Henderson in 2012.
“When he passed away, I sang at his wake and that kind of marked my musical journey and fueled my passion for music,” De Melo told PerthNow.
“Her spirit lived on through my music, so I felt I had to do her justice.”
Working as an assembler and often spending weeks away from his family, the father — whose wife Olivia gave birth to their third child, Delilah, in July — has always been the light his colleagues have struggled to find in their own lives.
Having lost several close comrades in the mine, De Melo is a welcome artist for those who, he says, “become machines” when forced into a vicious cycle of living to work.
He revealed the persistence of a close friend who challenged him to apply for The Voice; encouragement that fell on deaf ears.
“I used to be like, ‘Nah man, I’m just going to focus on family.’ And I can’t believe he’s not here to see that,” De Melo said.
Lucky to have a loving support system of his own, starting with Olivia, who is a teacher and artist in her own right, the father jokes that despite their mutual interests, they don’t always see eye to eye.
“We met through music, through a mutual friend who introduced us and we sang together for a while, we did a little duet. She put me in the friend zone three times,” he admitted.
Aware of her sacrifices in raising her three young children, De Melo hopes any success on the show will represent an opportunity for Olivia to share the spotlight.
“I really hope that this journey that I’m on can also push her forward and allow her to express herself and for her music to shine as well, because she’s an incredible songwriter,” he said.
With music naturally part of the household furnishings, De Melo credits the Western Indian and Portuguese influences of his youth for introducing him to a musical “melting pot.”
“You’re talking tribal music, reggae, Caribbean style and a lot of old traditional folk,” he said.
“Daddy taught me how to play the guitar. And he taught me the House of the Rising Sun.”
In response to everything life throws at him, De Melo revealed that he often writes to express himself as a form of therapy.
The “muse” just hopes his style holds up under the bright lights.
Enjoying residencies at Good Company and The Elford, De Melo is gearing up to grace a much bigger stage and hopes to impress viewers as well as the show’s world-renowned judges.
Although the father’s aspirations for his life and lifestyle are modest, he expects his days at the mine are numbered.
“I just love music, and if I can pay the bills doing that and at the same time spend more time with the kids, then I’m not a machine,” he said.
The Voice blind auditions continue on Tuesday, August 20, from 7:30 pm on channels 7 and 7plus.
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