Shaniah Rollo says she's been singing since she was a baby. And has loved singing for that long. Only 15, Shaniah has genes to complement the notes she navigates in her young yet already soulful voice. For a singer that age, whew, such heart! No wonder, she won the audience and the judges over, till the semifinals of her stint at Ireland's Got Talent. Shaniah Rollo was also a finalist in the Junior Eurovision song contest in Ireland in 2018.
Her Mom and Dad are musicians. Her Mom worked in Vietnam and then South Korea, and her Dad, used to duet with his wife. Which explains why Shaniah can sing in Korean. Her Ate also taught Shaniah how to sing. Ate, or her older sister, who is the eldest of three, is Mia Kyarra Rollo. She used to do covers and backup vocals for Universal Records. Shaniah herself gave up a shot at PBB Teens because she had to stay in Ireland. Her parents named Shaniah after country sweetheart Shania Twain. This amazing young girl also grew up listening to the music and watching the videos of Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey and Celine Dion. And just like girls her age, Shaniah adores Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish and Jimin of BTS K-Pop. Ms Rosabella Jao Arribas, top executive of RJA Productions, first heard about Shania from her composer-friend Nathaniel Cabañero. Ms Rosabella saw a lot of potential in this girl, and falling for her cute voice made her research about Shaniah on YouTube. This made RJA Productions decide to groom and polish a breathtaking yet pure, raw, fresh talent. In Ireland, she's still very Pinoy, because Mom cooks Pinoy food, like adobo and dinuguan. What she does miss from the Philippines are members of her family. Her Lolas, both on Mom's and Dad's side, are close to Shaniah. She misses her paternal grandmother, who she left behind in Sta. Cruz, Laguna, where Shaniah was born and raised. Her late maternal grandmother used to sing to Shaniah as a baby. Her sister Mia, who now has her own family, and brother Gian, were both past 18 when Dad petitioned for his wife and children to join him in Ireland. Thus, only Shaniah, then 12, could come along.
Shaniah is a third year student who's preparing to become a Business Accountant one day. For now, she sings videoke at home, after school, to hone her talent. She also rehearses and performs with the Brightlights, a group of talented singers from different schools, on weekends. Her father also taught her how to play the ukelele, guitar and piano. Not good, yet, she says. But learning. Listen to her sing "La Vie En Rose" and her pipes match her French, as she is taking up lessons for it. World-class talent, this baby is. A babe-in-training. And, proudly Filipina.
Shaniah Rollo is back home in the Philippines for the holidays ... and we can almost hear an angel sing, with her first single. Soon.
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