NETHERLANDS - An 11-year-old Filipino-Dutch boy passed the blind auditions of the TV talent search "The Voice Kids" in Holland.
A rising star of the Filipino community, Kim Regasa impressed the judges at the auditions of The Voice Kids Holland aired on Dutch channel RTL4 last Friday.
Regasa became popular in Holland and a star in the Pinoy community when he was dubbed by the Dutch media as the “mini Michael Jackson” in "Holland's Got Talent" in 2010.
He was only nine years old then and managed to finish in fourth place.
But that did not stop the very young boy from pursuing his dreams.
He took voice lessons and this year he’s back, trying his luck at The Voice Kids.
In the blind auditions, the judges are seated with their backs turned and they can only hear the voice of the contestant. Just one push of a button from a judge for the duration of the contestant’s song is enough to qualify the contestant to the next round.
If more than one judge pushed a button, the contestant will have the option to choose who he or she wants to be the coach.
In Regasa’s case, duo Nick and Simon immediately pushed their buttons and later followed by Angela Groothuizen.
The last judge Marco Borsato pushed his button a tad late.
Borsato explained he pushed his button at the last minute but it wasn't counted. To add to his disappointment, when Regasa was asked to choose his coach, he said he had always wanted Borsato to be his mentor.
Regasa ended choosing veteran songwriter and '80s singer Groothuizen with the hope that she will train him and properly hone his talent.
Regasa was among the 90 contestants picked from a total of 10,000 who registered for the The Voice Kids Holland.
Talpa, the production outfit of The Voice Kids, doesn't allow interviews while the contestants are still in competition.
Many youngsters who saw Regasa on the The Voice Kids are in awe of his voice.
Anne, a Dutch student who is on her last year of primary school, finds Regasa very good.
"Such beautiful tone," Anne said.
"He has a good style, he’s very good and he can sing," said Indy, another Dutch student.
After the blind auditions, only 45 contestants were left. They now form the three competing teams.
With his performance of “I Follow Rivers”, Regasa did not only captivate the judges but also now has amassed would-be voters.
“I invited my whole class and they said they're gonna watch and they thought sure I’m gonna watch and the next day, I mean the next Monday, they said he's very good. I think they like him,” eleven-year-old Pinay Lauren-Rome said.
Regasa is now preparing for the Battle Round on Friday, which will begin airing at 8:30 pm Holland time.
All that Regasa needs now is the full and solid support from the Filipinos in Holland, if ever he makes it to the live shows because all the text votes are going to ensure his survival in the competition up to the finals.
source: abs-cbnnews.com
