“Her personality is warm like sunshine and her voice is soft and sultry”  - Fairfield County Music Reporter

“You were truly a godsend for this event. It was a huge success! Your band was phenomenal!” - Stamford Downtown Special Services District

ABOUT BARBARA ESPINOSA OCCHINO

 "When people smile and dance, when they hug me saying I uplifted them and brought back fond memories, these are the moments that inspire me," says Barbara.

Barbara is a vocalist who sings jazz/swing standards, Latin favorites, blues, and soft rock/oldies music (sample song list). She performs songs in English, Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese. Barbara manages an impressive roster of musicians for her Barbara's Serenade duos to full bands (venues list) performing at festivals, art galleries, yacht and country clubs, private parties, restaurants, schools, independent living and memory-loss residences. See events.

Barbara has performed with the The Orchestra Lumos Luminous Storytelling program, NY Metro area musicians, the Project Music youth program, and Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival 50th Anniversary "the public domain" choir. She has been booked for events including the Rutgers University Puerto Rican Conference, and in Stamford (CT) at The Palace Theatre, Harbor Point, the Mayor's Afternoon of Jazz, the ARTWALK, the Mill River Collaborative Holiday Stroll.

Barbara has served as a music and entertainment curator for the Stamford ARTWALK, Experience Greenwich Week, Sunday Afternoon Music in Latham Park, Friday Afternoon Music at Heritage Park, Make Music Day, Stamford Mayor's Afternoon of Jazz,  the Greenwich Annual Holiday Stroll, and corporate events.

Her commercial work includes co-hosting live auctions, acting in videos and commercials, public speaking, and appearing as on-camera TV spokesperson. She has been a session vocalist and bilingual voice-over talent in NY/CT recording studios. She studies jazz, tap, Flamenco, and ballroom dancing and has choreographed musical and choral performances. Barbara has performed leading roles in musicals and was a member of an improv musical comedy group. 

As an adjunct instructor at Norwalk Community College, she teaches entrepreneurship and marketing classes. She volunteers promoting music/arts in public schools and serves as a business/marketing coach and competition judge for the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) helping students to conceive and develop start-up businesses. 

​Barbara lives in Stamford, Connecticut, where she owns a full service advertising and marketing agency (VertexMarketing.com) with her husband, Ron. Her two daughters are Berklee College of Music alumni and music industry authors and entrepreneurs. Barbara earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and minor in Biology from Rutgers University. 

English and Spanish demos

Makin' Whoopee - 1928 jazz/blues song by Walter Donaldson, lyrics Gustav Gerson Kahn

Quizás, Quizás, Quizás / Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps -1947 bolero by Osvaldo Farrés, English lyrics by Joe Davis

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