After hearing a Brazilian music performance at the club “Cafe Wha?” in 1997, Débora shared with her future husband--the musician John Allen Watts--that her true dream was to be a singer. With John’s encouragement Débora started taking private singing lessons with the Brazilian MPB vocalist Barbara Mendes and with the rock singer Robyn Dawn.
Within a few short years, Débora was performing as a solo artist as well as with many Brazilian & Latin bands, performing samba with Pé-de Boi and Saveiro, Latin jazz with Oriente Lopez band, Bossa Nova with Mark Morganelli & The Jazz Forum All-Stars band, Brazilian jazz with Billy Newman’s Brooklyn Brazil Bop Band, to name but a few. Brazilian Breeze, a band that Débora started with her husband, John Watts, also received a lot of attention by performing throughout the NYC metro area, including numerous programs on behalf of community arts and cultural organizations at venues such as the Brooklyn Museum and Flushing Town Hall.
In 2004 Débora was introduced to the Armenian jazz vocalist Datevik Hovanesian and started taking private lesson in jazz improvisation. Their work together lead to the recording of Débora’s first album, released in December of 2010.The CD, simply called “Débora,” features Jazz legend, Benny Golson, and many other world class artists including Leo Traversa on bass (Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Eliane Elias, Milton Nascimento, Astrud Gilberto, Bebel Gilberto), Luiz Bonilla on Trombone (Tony Bennet, Dizzy Gillespie, Marc Anthony, Mary J. Blige), Adriano Santos on drums (Astrud Gilberto, Gal Costa, John Pizzarelli, Slide Hampton, Romero Lubambo, Paul Winter), Helio Schiavo on drums (Baden Powell, Leny Andrade, Beth Carvalho), Itaiguara Brandão on bass (Paquito D'Rivera, Elba Romalho, Dom Salvador, Paul Winter, Paulo Braga), Kaïssa Doumbè on backing vocals (David Byrne, Paul Simon, Diana Ross, Papa Wembe), Dominic Kanza on guitar (Paul Simon, Pharaoh Sanders, Michael Brecker, Papa Wembe), and Zé Mauricio on percussion (Wynton Marsalis, Cyro Baptista, Harry Belafonte, Nilson Matta, Yo-Yo Ma).
Débora’s eclectic CD, arranged and produced by John Allen Watts, includes many well-known Brazilian classics such as Inútil Paisagem and Água de Beber and was mixed and mastered by Grammy Award-winning engineer, David Darlington of Bass Hit Recording (Sting, etc.) More details about the recording can be found in Débora’s blog: www.deborawatts.blogspot.com
Débora’s album has been accepted by radio stations domestic and worldwide including Antena 2 in Portugal, Radio Art in Greece, MRS 90,5 FM in Sweden, RTC Cape Verde, as well as WRHU (Jazz Café) and KKUP in the US.
In recent years, Débora has taken a strong interest in the spiritual and folk music of the Caucuses and Middle East and, in particular, the music of the Armenian-Greek spiritual teacher, G.I. Gurdjieff. She has performed this music as part of the 7 World’s Ensemble at the famed Komitas Hall in Armenia, in the Republic of Georgia, and at the National Theater in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.
Débora, is a singer at heart with an entertainer’s mind. Having taken several workshops at the Stella Adler Acting Studio, she continues to improve her skills by taking workshops in theatre improvisation at the P.I.T. in New York City. Her vocal coach from the past 2 years has been Clint Carter, a musical theatre actor specializing in the Linklater vocal method.
Currently Débora is working on her 2nd CD album, one that she hopes will blend all her diverse musical passions.
In 2018 Débora resumed working as a pharmacist.
