A young Filipino American girl from Southfield, Mich. has wowed the American Idol judges.
Thirteen-year-old Malaya Watson impressed the judges with her performance of Aretha Franklin’s “Ain’t No Way,” winning her the coveted “golden ticket” to Hollywood.
Watson credited her Lolo, which means ‘grandfather’ in Tagalog, as a musical influence.
“My musical inspiration comes from three people: my Dad, who was a guitar player. My grandfather who died when I was seven months, he’s a musical genius. And my other grandfather, who I called Lolo which means grandfather. He was also a guitar player. That’s where I came from,” she said.
See the videos below to watch Malaya’s audition tape for American Idol and post-audition interview. You can read more about Malaya’s Filipino roots at ABS-CBN News.
