When Hollister resident Joe Fata auditioned for Telemundo’s “La Voz Kids” this week, he didn’t turn heads. He turned chairs.
That’s the right thing to do on this television program because a judge swiveling around in a chair to face a singer is an invitation to continue on the singing show on that person’s team. The winner of the program will take home a recording contract and a $50,000 cash prize to support his or her education.
“When they do turn around, wow, it’s something really special,” Fata said. “After they turn around, you don’t remember much at all because it’s this cloud of happiness and adrenaline.”
Fata, 11, participated in the auditions Sunday evening in Florida and, in taking that stage, he took a step toward his dream of one day performing in Mexico. Two of the three judges invited him to continue on the show under their coaching and on their teams.
Fata sang entirely in Spanish, a language he first started learning after he enrolled at the Hollister Dual Language Academy. At the open house for the bilingual academy, Fata noticed his friend Samuel Gomez was performing in a mariachi band.
“He was singing and I was like, ‘Wow, I want to do that,’ ” Fata said. “And I tried it and I loved it and I couldn’t stop.”
Singing in Spanish was a special feat for Fata since his parents and younger siblings don’t speak much of the language. Learning Spanish was more his grandmother’s idea.
“My whole mom’s side is Mexican,” he said. “My grandma has told my mom she wanted me to get a Spanish education so I could learn Spanish.”
Since joining a mariachi group, Fata has picked up a few instruments including violin, trumpet, guitar, vihuela and piano.
He first learned about “La Voz Kids” through his grandmother who saw a youngster similar to Fata perform.
“She called him on the phone and she’s like, ‘Take a look at this kid. He’s speaking Spanish and singing mariachi music,’” remembers Fata’s mom, Ann.
Fata is now part of the Gilroy-based Mariachi Juvenil Alma de Mexico Academy of Music and Performing Arts,which holds regular practices at Mr. O’s Academy of the Arts in Hollister.
“That’s a very neat treasure that we have here in Hollister,” said his mother.
As for the performance day, she remembers feeling relief when the judges turned their chairs. Her son just remembers the nerves that disappeared after he started singing.
“When I performed I was a little nervous at the start but then you start getting into the song and the audience starts getting into your song and you feel a little bit more comfortable,” he said. “And then you go through the song and you get through and it’s a like a happy cloud.”
To vote for Fata, go here: telemundo.com/shows/2015/04/06/cual-fue-la-mejor-presentacion-en-la-4ta-noche-de-audiciones-ciegas-de-la-voz-kids/.
To watch Fata perform, go to Telemundo’s website: telemundo.com/shows/2015/04/04/joe-fata-es-la-primera-voz-de-la-cuarta-noche-y-se-va-con-team-pedro-en-la-voz-kids.
