Love and covid brought Bello Duo together

As the world changed around them two young singers came together to create a special duo. Conor Taggart and Victoria McClements now form “Bello Duo” and have released their debut album, “Out of the Darkness.”  The album has since gone to No.1 in the Itunes vocal charts in South Africa and No.4 in the UK.

5 Questions with Bello Duo

Natasha Barbieri: Tell us about how this musical journey began?

Bello Duo: We have always had a passion for music and singing ever since we were little. We both started out in Musical Theatre and Conor also performed as a jazz singer and had his own wedding band called ‘The Phat Katz” but the main thing we do now is perform as singing waiters! We both started out as singing waiters together, going into weddings/corporate events and falling with a tray of cutlery and then bursting into song! It’s such an amazing atmosphere, getting the whole room involved with napkins in the air and conga lines, etc. It’s a great way to get the party started!

Natasha Barbieri: Covid really is what brought you both to create music together. You both started singing for your neighbors and key workers. How did the idea come about?

Bello Duo: Yes, Covid has been a really tough time for us, and everyone for that matter, but we have tried to use this time wisely which we have been given, and have spent the time focusing on our music. When covid hit, we decided to shield with Victoria’s grandparents and the neighbors knew we were both singers so they started asking us would we not do a song or two for them on a Thursday night before the clap for carers. We thought this was a really lovely idea and the perfect way to show our appreciation for all the amazing work our frontline workers have been doing. So we chose songs which would be uplifting and give people a glimpse of hope and positivity during this really difficult time. We started going Facebook Live and the response from people was amazing and that’s what inspired us to make this duo into something…and that’s how Bello Duo blossomed.

Natasha Barbieri: When did you both start working on the album?

Bello Duo: We started working on the album around the end of November time. We took the songs which we’d been singing on the doorstep and made them into an album called ‘Out of the Darkness’. We called it this because we wanted it to be an album which would inspire people and give them a glimpse of light during this really dark and uncertain time. It features songs such as The Prayer, Danny Boy, You Raise Me Up, Nessun Dorma, etc and we just couldn’t believe how quickly it all took off! Our single ‘Danny Boy’ actually hit No. 1 on the iTunes Vocal Charts in South Africa and No. 4 in the UK. We’ve had so many encouraging messages and album sales from around the world, the support from people has just been incredible and we are so appreciative of that.

Natasha Barbieri: What are some of the ways you hope to develop in the future?

Bello Duo: We are already working on our next album and some original music which we are really excited about. We’re hoping to do a small UK and Ireland theatre tour after lockdown when it is safe to do so. We love singing together and we’ve had some lovely messages from people all around the world in America, Canada, the Netherlands, South Africa etc. The big dream is to do a world tour someday so as we can meet all these lovely people and perform live for them but we’ve got a long way to go yet! The most amazing part of all this for us is the fact that as a couple, we get to experience this journey together and it’s something that we both work so hard for, so we can’t wait to see what the future holds for Bello Duo.

Natasha Barbieri: What are some of the fun things you both have been doing to stay occupied? 

Bello Duo: We’ve been trying to keep ourselves really busy during the lockdown. We’ve been learning how to jive which has given us both a good laugh as Conor has two left feet but it’s kept us active! Victoria has also been learning how to cook and bake lots of new things and she even started learning a little bit of sign language. We’ve got a little sausage dog called Charlie so we’ve been teaching him some tricks including how to do a ‘sausage roll’ so he has been keeping us on our toes as well. We love going for long walks to clear the head since there isn’t much else to do during a lockdown but we’re also really appreciative of this time together.

Connect with Bello Duo

Facebook – Bello Duo

Twitter –@BelloDuoVoices

Instagram – @belloduovoices

YouTube – Subscribe Now!

Website – www.belloduo.com (album can be purchased from shop on website)

Natasha Barbieri, Editor

Editor

Creator of Classical Crossover Magazine. For Natasha music has always been closely tied to her faith. At age 18, Natasha made her opera debut playing the part of the mother in Menotti’s ‘Amahl and the Night Visitors’ with the Eastern Festival Opera. At 20, she was a winner of the 2011 Young Artist Competition at Andrews University. Natasha graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor’s of Music. Natasha has released a series of Holiday singles “A Place Called Home” (2020), “One Little Boy,” and “The Perfect Year” (2021). In 2021, she was nominated for the ‘Future Classic Women Awards’ show on Men’s & Women’s Radio Station. Natasha is the creator and editor of ‘Classical Crossover Magazine’ a venture that has allowed her to interview many of the top stars in the genre including Sarah Brightman, Celtic Woman, Mirusia, Paul Potts, and more. During the covid-19 pandemic, she created an online concert series for the magazine that has seen her perform in the same line-up as Alex Sharpe, Lucy Kay, Barbara Padilla, Classical Reflection, and more on the virtual stage. In 2022, Natasha was included on the charity album “Stars of Classical Crossover: Christmas” in benefit of the Wallace & Gromit Children’s Charity.