“Pharrell Williams helps YouTube star Alyssa Bernal make her mark.”
When multiplatinum artist and producer Pharrell Williams is so anxious to get in touch with someone that he contacts her high school to try and track her down, you know that there is something special happening. When that happened to singer-songwriter and YouTube sensation Alyssa Bernal, the teenager was shocked. “They didn’t know who Pharrell was! They just thought it was some shady guy trying to get a hold of me,” said Alyssa.
Her mother finally spotted his MySpace message and 24 hours later, she and Alyssa were on a plane from their home in San Antonio, TX to meet Pharrell and Interscope Records Chairman Jimmy Iovine in Los Angeles. “Finding a new talent like Alyssa is so exciting to me,” Pharrell said. “There are a lot of young singers out there who can carry a tune, but Alyssa is the real deal. She is a true musician with an incredible voice.” Once signed to Star Trak, Alyssa met with her dream producer, Martin Terefe (Jason Mraz, Train).
Terefe’s schedule was fully booked for the next few months, but after an hour-long meeting with the young singer, he agreed to work with her – starting immediately.Alyssa and her mother moved to London for seven weeks to record her debut album, “In Love Again For The First Time.” Terefe helped develop Alyssa’s naturally sunny sound, enlivening her pop sensibility with notes of funk and soul. First single “Cali Cali Cali” is available on iTunes now, and is the perfect example of Alyssa’s sunny yet substantive style. Visit AlyssaBernal.com to watch her DIY video of the track and stay tuned to the site for updates on her debut.
Alyssa Bernal – In Love Again For The First Time (2010)
Producers & Guests: Martin Terefe
Confirmed Tracks:
– Hey Love
– Never Woulda
– Cali, Cali, Cali (Single)
– Just In Time
– I Found You
– All I Need
– Here You Are