Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Marina Chello and Ricky Duran listen to judges’ comments following a battle round match in which they both advanced. (NBC Photo)

When she was in her 20s, Marina Chello signed a label deal and released a series of singles.

But when her career failed to take off, she wound up stepping away from music for a while to start a family.

She showed up on The Voice stage eager to give music a second chance. Now she’s looking forward to releasing her first new music in more than 10 years.

Marina, 37, of Plainview, N.Y., turned two chairs with her blind audition to land a spot on Team Blake Shelton and was so impressive in the battle round that Blake decided to save her.

She was eliminated in a knockout round match that aired this week, though she received nothing but praise for her performance of “I Who Have Nothing.”

Here’s what the native of Uzbekistan told Voice Views about her time on the show and her plans for new music.

Voice Views: What do you consider your biggest takeaway / lesson learned from The Voice experience?

Marina Chello: To never stop believing in myself, never stop going after my dreams, and to always stay true to myself — that way I never question my decisions and actions.

Voice Views: The battles and knockouts were filmed over the summer. What have you been doing musically since then and where are you hoping The Voice experience leads?

Marina Chello: I’ve been gigging a lot and writing songs. I’ve also been trying to figure out who I want to work with since there have been people reaching out to work with me. I’m going to have new music out soon and can’t wait to release it.

Voice Views: Can you tell me about that — the new music — what you’re planning, what fans can expert in terms of sound and the timetable for doing so?

Marina Chello: I believe with the show I’ve learned what my true sound is. I’ve always sung many different genres of music, but I believe the pop-rock/soul is where my voice sounds best so I’m writing a lot and have a ton of material from the past that I never had the chance to record. I’m excited to release new music as it’s been way too long

Voice Views: Is there anything else you’d like to add about The Voice experience?

Marina Chello: Just that I’m truly grateful to The Voice for giving me this platform. I’ve learned so much, I’ve met amazing people, and I’ve worked with and got mentored by superstars of today’s industry. I’d also like to thank everyone from all over the world that reached out. There’s been such an outpouring love and support for my “I Who Have Nothing” performance, and I’m truly humbled and honored I got to sing a Tom Jones song and have it be received the way it is. Thank you.

See also …
Meet Marina Chello
Marina Chello talks about The Voice and her blind audition