Ashley is making her way at Canadian Idol

By Dan Hilborn
Published June 11, 2005


A young jazz singer from Burnaby is having the time of her life as she heads into the semifinal round of the Canadian Idol competition on TV this Tuesday night.

Ashley Leitao, an 18-year-old graduate of Alpha secondary, is among the top 32 contestants in the nationally televised show.

"This is a great experience, and I want everyone in Burnaby to know that I'm going to try my hardest and best to make them proud," Leitao said in a telephone interview from the Canadian Idol headquarters in Toronto Thursday.

"I'm extremely nervous, but I'm enjoying everything and enjoying the people and the critiques that everyone gives and I'm having fun every step of the way."

Leitao has spent about three weeks in Toronto since she first learned that she had made the cut as one of top 182 contestants in the country after winning a 'gold ticket' at the regional Canadian Idol competitions held at Canada Place in Vancouver in February.

But, since making it to the Top 32, her days are now filled with singing lessons with some of the top vocal coaches in the country and mock television interviews as she prepares for the next stage.

Like most precocious children, Leitao had her start in the music business when she began singing songs off the radio in the family living room. Her parents enrolled her in singing lessons, and now she's a regular performer at several upscale restaurants, including Bogart's on Broadway.

"Basically, what I sing is pop music with a bit of a Latin flavour and jazz," she said in February.

Leitao has already survived seven rounds of competition in Canadian Idol, including a second-place finish at the similar but unrelated Burnaby Idol competition held at Metropolis at Metrotown in February.

During the first round of the TV show, which was broadcast last week, Leitao impressed the judges with her version of the sultry standard Walking After Midnight.

Her first appearance on national TV was a real eye-opener. "They had so many people on stage that the judges didn't really comment, they basically just ran through the numbers. We all sang for about 30 seconds each, and then they called out numbers for us to step forward or behind the line."

Among the many different challenges that Leitao has faced in the competition was an impromptu group singing session with two other contestants. "My group sang One Fine Day, an upbeat song from the '60s," she said, noting that the judges wanted to see how well the contestants could work together. "They like to see if we can harmonize and blend and if we can communicate with each other and the audience."

And, as the competition gets tougher as she gets closer to the Top 10 round, Leitao said she is receiving fabulous support from back home.

"My mom has been with me since Day 1. She's my best supporter, she's my number 1 best friend and she's always been there for me."

Leitao was born in Winnipeg and lived briefly in Portugal before moving with her family to Burnaby at the age of six. She attended Kitchener elementary and credits her vocal coach, Holly Denney, who teaches at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, for giving her the discipline and skills she's needed to make it this far.

Her official Canadian Idol biography describes her as a "fun, easy-going Portuguese girl who lives and breathes music" and whose favourite Canadian singer is Celine Dion.

"Music and singing is all around in my family and is part of our everyday lives," she said in the official press release. "Singing to me is like breathing - it just comes naturally."

Leitao will be back on national TV at 8 p.m., Tuesday, June 14, and the first two finalists of the Top 10 will be announced at the same time Wednesday.