Thanks to the internet, the traditional methods that an aspiring singer would have to go through to make a career, has become a thing of the past. American singer and songwriter Carissa Alvarado, one half of the musical duo ‘Us the Duo’, is one person who is very grateful. She rose to fame and success through her YouTube channel before she could start a record deal. Read on to learn more about Alvarado and her journey to becoming a singer.
Biography of Carissa Alvarado
On January 10, 1991 in Los Angeles, California, Carissa Alvarado was welcomed into the world as Carissa Martin. Details about his parents, such as their identities and what they did for a living are not known, however, they are believed to be Filipino Americans. She was raised alongside her younger brother, Bam Martin.
As a young child, Alvarado aspired to become a singer. Her parents are said to have been supportive of her career path and helped guide her in the right direction. The 5-year-old girl soon joined her church choir and started singing. She continued to hone her craft throughout her formative years while also attending school. Although details of the schools she attended and what she studied are unavailable, she reportedly attended college while actively trying to break into the music business.
Following her failed attempt at a solo, Carissa teamed up with Michael Alvarado, another struggling musician she met through a mutual friend as part of a music video. They then form the music group “Us the Duo” and start composing songs together. At the time, Michael had a YouTube channel where both songs were uploaded.
In August 2011, Us the Duo produced the original Missin You Like Crazy, which garnered thousands of views on Youtube. The song was viewed over a million times within a few months, which motivated them to keep working on their music.
The following year, Michael and CarissaAlvarado began creating Vines, through which he made his music famous and directed people to their YouTube page. This, and the fact that they announced their relationship, brought in a few thousand more subscribers to their Youtube channel.
In June 2012, Us the Duo released their debut album on their Youtube channel. Although the album was well received by their fans, the couple were still unable to break into the music business. Everything changed when they released the song “No Matter Where You Are” in 2014, which caught the attention of the creators of the animated film, The Book of Life (2014). The song was then used in the film’s final scene, catapulting them into the limelight as their subscriber list and viewership grew immeasurably.
Thanks to the success of the song, Michael and Carissa Alvarado announced that her second album would be titled “No Matter Where You Are”. They chose to do so in order to tap into the hype created by the single. This strategy seemed to have worked for them as the album achieved relative success and enticed them to go on tour.
In 2017, the duo released their third album titled ‘Our Favorite Time of Year’, which also achieved relative success.
Singer’s family
As mentioned above, Carissa Alvarado has purified her dream of becoming a singer after joining Michael Alvarado. The two men not only put their talents together to create a brand, they also became a couple and exchanged their marital vows on April 26, 2012.
Besides her husband, another notable member of her family, who enjoys some celebrity status, is Alvarado’s younger brother, Bam Martin. Martin is a popular dancer and choreographer who started his career in high school. He has starred in many music videos, including one of Justin Bieber’s music videos.
Carissa Alvarado Celebrity Facts
1. From the moment Carissa Alvarado started singing in church, she became a huge fan of Michael Jackson, idolizing him throughout his formative years and beyond.
2. The very first song Us the Duo sang on their YouTube page was a cover of the Hannah Montana theme song. They also did covers of songs by popular musicians such as Linkin’ Park and Rihanna.
3. In 2016, following the success of their second album, Alvarado and her husband/collaborator accompanied Pentatonix on their 2016 World Tour, visiting major cities in the United States as well as countries such as Japan, Italy and the Czech Republic.
4. In October 2018, the Us duo entered the reality show America’s Got Talent, and were able to make it to the semi-finals of the competition before they were eliminated. After one of the performances, they revealed to the audience that they were expecting their first child.