Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Monique Abbadie. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Monique thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
I knew I wanted to pursue a career as a singer since I was 5 years old. That was the first moment I stepped foot on a stage at my school talent show to sing, My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion. After feeling the rush of hearing the applause and a standing ovation I knew then and there that I wanted to do this for the rest of my life!
Monique, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am Cuban American/ Lebanese from Miami, Florida. I started off at the age of 6 on a Spanish TV show called Sabado Gigante where I would sing, dance and act. I was on the show for 5 years. After that I continued performing, competing, taking classes. I was in art schools throughout elementary, middle and high school. When I was 20 years old after auditioning numerous times for American Idol & The Voice, I made it onto Season 4 of NBC’s The Voice and got a four chair turn on my Blind Audition where I covered the song Loca by Shakira. My coach was Shakira!! My version of the song charted on the iTunes Latin charts for more than 3 weeks, reaching number 4 and reaching number 6 on the Billboard Latin Digital Songs chart. After my time on the show I continued to perform and make music. I performed globally in numerous events but among my favorite performances are the stages at LA Pride, Hard Rock Stadium headlining the Miami Dolphins Halftime show, House of Blues LA, Planet Hollywood in Vegas, FTX Arena. I have had the opportunity to work closely and perform in events for March of Dimes, JDRF, Live Like Bella, Autism Speaks, La Liga Contra el Cancer, Palm Beach Heart Association and Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. I was also featured in Rolling Stones, Teen Vogue, Latina Magazine (where I was named one of the Top 50 Latina Stars on reality TV competitions) and one of Venue Magazines Rising Talents. In 2016 I received a Latin Grammy Nomination for my work as a background vocalist in artist Daniel Santacruz album “Toda la Vida” My YouTube channel currently has over 100 million views and over 148,000 subscribers. I currently have a residency at Faena in Miami Beach where I perform with my live band. I love covering songs and making them my own. I also am a content creator and am constantly collaborating with brands, restaurants, events, etc. posting them on my social platforms. also have been working on original music that will soon be birthed, FINALLY! I am so excited for what’s to come.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
My goal/ mission is to honor that 5 year old little girl’s dream to do music and sing for the rest of her life, I think about her every day and think about that feeling I had when I first stepped on a stage. It is easy to feel discouraged and lose motivation in this difficult industry. So many, “No’s” so many opinions, so many people bringing you down, so much inner insecurities, so many hard times and people telling you what you should be. But I find myself always focusing on my inner voice and my own belief in myself. It always boils down to do you think you’re good enough, do you believe in yourself. And I ask myself those questions and my answer is always YES! So that fuels me to keep fighting and to keep moving forward. I have worked soooo hard my entire life and this is my calling, this is what I was put on this earth to do, My mission is to share my voice with you all and share my story through my songs and my music.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I lost both my grandparents and was cheated on by my 8 year relationship all in the span of a year. That time in my life for me was devastating. But I had two options, either I drowned in my sorrows or I gather my emotions and poured that into my art. And that is exactly what I did. From that point on I skyrocketed. I started writing music again, performing literally EVERYWHERE, reconnecting myself in the industry. And just giving it my ALL. Pouring love into what I do, every time I’m on stage or in the studio. I am constantly learning and growing but that is the beauty of life! And if there is one thing I have learned is: You always have a choice, and the choice should always be YOU.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @moniquesongbird
- Facebook: @moniquesongbird
- Twitter: @moniquesongbird
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/moniqueabbadie
- Other: tik tok- @moniquesongbird
Image Credits
Susy Ramos, Fabian Socarras , Gilbert G