Local Singer Performs at Cafe Kili

Patch reader Jamie Robe visited Café Kili recently and was so taken with a performance he saw there that he wrote this story and submitted it to Temple Terrace Patch. 

It was standing room only several weeks ago at our local unofficial Temple Terrace cultural center, . I am always amazed at the sense of community the owners, Patrick Gachau and Rose Waruinge, have managed to cultivate in that coffee shop in an obscure corner of our city. Sitting in the “living room” part of the café is like being adopted into one enormous extended family.

Every Thursday evening, Café Kili hosts an open mic night, which offers a stage for our resident musicians and poets. On this particular evening, by the size of the turn out, you could tell there was going to be a special performer.

Ellen Chandler is a Temple Terrace woman who has turned professional singer. She has a sweet, energetic, “girl next door” persona, but once she started singing, Chandler transformed the room with a surprisingly sexy, soulful voice.

Chandler specializes in singing jazz and blues ballads made famous decades ago by stars like Ella Fitzgerald, Diana Krall, Peggy Lee and Natalie Cole. If you could see in black and white, you would have sworn that the café audience was teleported back in time 70 years, which is all the more surprising given that Ellen is only 25 years old.

The effect on the audience that Thursday was electric.

“I was in awe of her stage presence and her vocal range,” said David Williams, a Café Kili regular and local music aficionado.

Chandler, who has called Temple Terrace home most of her life, cultivated her voice at a young age by singing at worship services and events at her church, Temple Terrace Presbyterian Church. I was able to interview her about her experiences, both in life and on stage, that have shaped her musically and professionally.

Jamie Robe: Do you ever get nervous when on stage? If so, how do you overcome that?

Ellen Chandler: When I first started singing, I got really bad butterflies in my stomach and my hands would shake. If I looked at someone in the audience while singing, I would stop and freeze up. Now, I don’t get as nervous because I’ve had lots of practice singing in front of audiences and I’ve learned to calm myself down by taking deep breaths. I also focus my eyes on a particular spot in the room so that I am not distracted during my performance.

Robe: Your music is very soulful. What type of emotion or energy are you trying to impart to the audience?

Chandler: I started singing jazz and blues because I felt I was able to connect with the messages about falling in and out of love. I myself have experienced the joy and deep passion of falling in love with someone and then have felt the pain and sorrow of losing them. I am now in a wonderful relationship and can relate to love songs in a different way. Because of these experiences, I feel my music is more expressive.

Robe: What would you recommend to other young people who have a dream to sing or perform in some way?

Chandler: Don’t ever loose sight of your dreams. Life has many obstacles and you may feel like you’ll never get to where you want to go, but you must believe in yourself. Let your voice be heard. You must use the supportive words from friends and family to push yourself and to help make your dream become a reality.

Robe: Where do you see your career taking you?

Chandler: Ever since I was a child, I have loved singing. I sang in the school and church choir, attended summer acting and singing camp and was a member of my high school’s vocal jazz ensemble. At the age of 21, I had the opportunity to record with Grammy-winning studio engineer Bruce Swedien. It was a summer I will never forget. I learned a lot about my voice and myself. After graduating from college with a degree in elementary education, I taught for a while and decided that it wasn’t for me. I met an obstacle and wondered what I was going to do with my life. I left teaching and worked for two years as an activities assistant at a retirement facility and loved it. Singing and interacting with the residents brought the smile back to my face. I felt the happiness that singing gives to me and saw the joy on the residents’ faces. A door had opened, and I was running towards it. This was my opportunity to take my music further, and so I started my own entertainment business doing what I love, entertaining people and bringing smiles to their faces.

You can hear some of Chandler’s vocal work online. She’ll be back at Café Kili Dec. 23 from 7 to 10 p.m.