Known to students and parents in Inglewood as a dedicated second grade teacher, CSUDH alumnus Emmanuel Rey’s success on the hit NBC show The Voice has let the world in on a secret – he’s also a fantastically talented singer!
When Rey first auditioned for the reality competition show in 2018, his vocal skills impressed the judges, but he was told his stage presence needed some work. Seven years later, when he found himself at another audition, he had blossomed into a powerful performer whose spot on the show couldn’t be denied.
“I’ve become a lot more comfortable now,” says Rey. “During college, I really started to open up a lot more. I was in an a cappella group at UC Irvine (UCI), which helped me get more comfortable performing and really prepared me for this opportunity.”
So when he stepped on stage to perform his “blind audition” for the show’s celebrity judges (Michael Bublé, Reba McEntire, Niall Horan, and Snoop Dogg), Rey’s confidence as a performer – and incredible voice – turned heads.
His souful rendition of the Carín León hit “Primera Cita” had both Snoop and Bublé clamoring for Rey to be on their team during the competition. Rey ended up choosing the legendary rapper as his coach.
“Having grown up listening to Snoop, being from South Los Angeles – It was kind of a no brainer. I had to go with Snoop,” says Rey. Their connection proved to be everything that Rey had hoped for.
“Snoop is amazing,” Rey says. “He really is the same guy you think he is – so down to earth, so humble, and so honest. He expresses his thoughts without a care, in the best way possible. Meeting him and hearing everything that he had to say was definitely surreal.”
A graduate of the CSUDH teaching credential program, Rey currently works as a second grade teacher in Inglewood Unified School District. “It’s really cool,” he says. “I love inspiring the kids, motivating them, and finding ways to let them find themselves.
“It’s an age where they really start to explore their interests. It’s when they start to become themselves a little bit, you know? I love to see that and be a part of that.”
Rey traces his own love of music back to his middle-school days, when he started singing along with performers on American Idol.
“I started mimicking what I would hear,” he recalls. “My parents were like, ‘Hey, you can sing!’ I started singing to a couple friends here and there, and then in high school I had my first performance in front of a large crowd – that crowd being my high school!”
While an undergraduate student at UCI, Rey joined the school’s a cappella group, where he continued to hone his skills. “We learned a lot from each other and were able to pick up certain things from one another. Some of the singers were vocally trained or had professionals help them, and then they would come in and share those tips and advice with the rest of us.”
His appearance on The Voice isn’t Rey’s first brush with television success. While attending UCI, he competed on the Spanish-language reality-competition show Tengo Talento, Mucho Talento. The program features all kinds of performers, not just singers, and Rey got all the way to the semi-finals.
“That was my first experience being on TV and behind the scenes on a production,” says Rey. “It was a great experience. And it definitely prepared me for The Voice.”
Rey chose “Primera Cita” as his blind audition piece because it’s one of his favorite songs to perform. “When people think of Spanish-language music, I don’t think that this is one that often comes to mind, because it has so many genres blended into it,” he says.
“There’s a lot of soul in that song, which is kind of uncommon in Spanish music. I love to sing R&B, I love to sing soul. That song allows me to fuse some soul and R&B into it, while still singing in Spanish.”
To coincide with his appearance on The Voice, Rey recorded and released his first single, “Ilusionado.” He came across the song on YouTube and instantly connected with it. Rey bought the rights to the song and spent the next few weeks making tweaks here and there to make the lyrics truly his own.
Rey recorded the song at a friend’s production studio and has released it to Spotify, Apple Music, and all major streaming services. He plans to record and release more music in the near future.
“I definitely want to do a lot more R&B, more soul,” he says. “I really want to do some Spanglish, as well. That’s kind of where I’m at right now. I want to do either an English or a Spanglish song and show off a lot more of my diversity.”
Because the show is still airing, Rey can’t reveal how far he goes on The Voice, but his excitement at being on the program shines through.
“I loved it!” he says. “I got to meet so many people from all over the country. Only a few of us were from here in L.A. The rest are from Texas, New York, Florida, and Louisiana. It was just an insane and fun experience. It’s a beautiful part of my journey.”
Rey hopes that his appearance on The Voice allows him to continue that musical journey. “I want to be able to release music that reaches different audiences, tells stories, and inspires others to love, create, and be their most authentic selves,” he says. “I hope to share my voice with the world and show my passion for singing and music.”
“The Voice” airs on NBC on Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 pm. Episodes are available for streaming on Peacock.
