Courtesy of Perth Now
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 have may lost theirs.
The Perth father of three’s blind audition impressed judges
Adam Lambert, Guy Sebastian, Leann Rimes, and Kate Miller-Heidke in The Voice’s
opening night on Monday, performing a soulful rendition of Ed Sheeran’s hit I
See Fire.
Labelled a “diamond in the rough” by superstar Lambert,
Miller-Heidke imagined the 31-year-old “could win this competition”.
“His spirit lived through my music, so I believed I had to
do it justice.”
Working as a rigger with often weeks away from his family at
a time, the father — whose wife Olivia gave birth to their third child Delilah
in July — has often been the light colleagues have struggled to find in their
own lives.
Losing several close mates on the mine site, De Melo is a
welcome performer for those he says “become the machine” when forced into a
vicious cycle of living to work.
He revealed the persistence of a close friend who had challenged him to apply for the The Voice; an encouragement that fell on deaf ears.
“I used to just go, ‘Nah man, I’m just going to focus on
family’. And I can’t believe he isn’t here to see it,” De Melo said.
Fortunate to possess a loving support system of his own,
beginning with Olivia who’s a teacher and performer in her own right, the
father jokes despite mutual interests they didn’t always see eye to eye.
Reuben and Olivia De Melo. Credit: Reuben De Melo/Instagram
“We met through music, through a mutual friend who
introduced us and we sang along together for a while, did a little duo. She
friend-zoned me three times,” he admitted.
Acutely aware of her sacrifice in raising their three young
children, De Melo hopes any successes on the show present opportunities for
Olivia to share in the spotlight.
“I’m really hoping that this journey that I’m on can also
propel her and allow her to express herself and her music to shine as well
because she’s an incredible songwriter,” he said.
With music naturally a part of the furniture at home, De
Melo credits the Western Indian and Portuguese influences from his youth for
his introduction to a “melting pot” of music.
“You’re talking about tribal, reggae, Caribbean style music
and a lot of old traditional folk,” he said.
“Dad taught me the guitar. And he taught me the House of the
Rising Sun.”
In response to whatever life throws at him, De Melo revealed
he often writes to express himself as a form of therapy.
The “muso” is just hoping his style holds up under the
bright lights.
Enjoying residences at Good Company and The Elford, De Melo
is preparing to grace a much larger stage and hopes to strike a chord with
viewers as well the show’s world-renowned judges.
Busker Reuben De Melo plays in Oxford St Leederville in 2014. Credit: Sharon Smith/WA News
While the father’s aspirations for his life and lifestyle
are modest, he hopes his days on the mine site are numbered.
“I just love the music, and if I can pay the bills doing
that while spending more time with the kids then I won’t be a machine,” he
said.
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