Debra Mugnani sings in a style that is both sophisticated and emotionally direct. Her interpretations of the Great American Songbook and French Standards show a deep love and respect for the material while adding a delightful spark of personality. Debra’s influences are Diana Krall, Ella Fitzgerald, Carmen McCrae, Peggy Lee, Morgana King, Edith Piaf and Sarah Vaughan. A native of San Francisco, who, double majored in French and History at Cal where she was a member of the University Chorus. She participated in UC’s EAP spending her Junior Year in Grenoble, France.
Debra has been greatly influenced and inspired by vocalists and vocal instructors she studied with: Pablo Lago, Destani Wolf, Kitty Margolis, Ava Victoria, Francis Devlin, Peter Maleitzke, Faith Winthrop, Claudia Newberry, Jesse Foster, Madeline Eastman, and Dena De Rose. Debra is currently focused on a solo vocalist career. For over 18 years, Debra performed also in the San Francisco Bay Area with The Supper Club Six group. She has also held a year-long residency at San Francisco’s American Bites (later renamed the Persian Room), followed by residencies at Left Bank Brasserie’s Menlo Park and Larkspur locations alongside pianist Dave Austin, her current musical partner, bringing her signature blend of Great American Songbook and French standards to audiences across the Bay Area. Her repertoire has since grown into a broader International Repertoire, a growing focus of hers in recent years, spanning Brazilian, Italian, Spanish, and Argentine tango standards; as an avid Argentine tango dancer herself, she brings genuine feeling to those numbers. Debra is fluent in French, proficient in Italian and Spanish, and currently building her Portuguese, bringing authentic language and culture to every song she sings.
“There is a vitality, a life-force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open.” — Martha Graham
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Click here for a few words from Debra about the temporary and regular staffing agency serving the San Francisco Bay Area which she founded in 1986.
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