Carla Hassett

Carla Hassett is an award winning songwriter, singer, producer, recording artist, and music educator. Born in São Paulo Brazil, Carla was raised in Chicago and schooled in the city’s great recording studios where she learned to be a studio rat and jingle singer. Carla has toured, recorded, and performed as a lead and backup singer with Billy Idol, REO Speedwagon, Sergio Mendes, Christopher Cross, Cristan Castro, actor/musician Gary Sinise, soul legend Solmon Burke, Natalie Cole, Nelly Furtado, Seu Jorge, Natalia Lafourcade, Caetano Veloso, Gino Vannelli, Enrique Bunbury, Paula Fernandes and sang alongside Brazilian artists Flora Purim and Airto Moreira, and Faith No More’s lead singer, Mike Patton.

Carla was the featured soloist in numerous projects, including the Sonorama project for Pacific Standard Time LA/LA, the LA Tribute to Luiz Melodia, the Burl Live summer virtual concert series at EastWest Studios, and the Composer’s Collective at Theatricum Botanicum. Carla’s voice appears on several feature films, including the Oscar nominated RIO, RIO 2, Mozart In the Jungle, and the Netflix original film, Like Father.

Carla’s critically acclaimed album, +Blue, explored tropicália, the meaning of “home,” and the complexities of growing up between two countries and cultures: her birthplace, Brazil, and her adopted country, the U.S. NPR featured +Blue and interviewed Carla on Weekend Edition. Following +Blue, Carla released three singles, deep-diving into bossa nova. The second single, Sempre Odara, took the grand prize in jazz in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. Carla’s hopeful and heartbreaking protest song, Change, won a video award from International Songwriter’s Day.

Carla graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Music Production from Berklee College of Music. She is currently a professor of commercial music at California State University, Los Angeles, and teaches music production at Berklee Online.