Katrina Casia won the hearts of the judges and the masses at the recently held “The One” – the UAE’s biggest singing reality show as she won the top spot of the ‘below 21′ category and took home the grand prize of Dh 12,500 in the contest held at the IMG World of Adventures.
Katrina was voted by 28.02% of the crowd during the finals, and scored second highest at the Judges’ verdict with 97%. Following her on second and third place was Josh Labing-Isa and Zahra Ross Shariff respectively.
Casia sang the hit song “Stand Up For Love” by Destiny’s Child with a soulful rendition that captured the feelings of the audience as she poured her heart out with each tune and lyric of the song.
She also shared that one of the challenges was keeping her singing voice in good condition with limited time on her hands. “Time was very short and I was not on my very best when I step on the stage. With the overwhelming support of my family and friends, I have to perform the best that I could. All my supporters expect so much from me. Being the winner of “The One” is a journey not only for me but also to my supporters. It is indeed the One of the singing reality competition that gives me a head start to compete in a bigger reality show in the future,” shares Casia.
Filipina singer and songwriting veteran Matilyn Bagunu who herself recently staged her own variety concert, was one of the mentors of Casia on as she went on her journey towards winning the championships of the ‘below 21’ category. “Katrina Casia is a frequent Finalist in many singing contests. She bagged the first place at Burjuman’s Rising Stars and the Star Ka Na Kids Edition Season 2,” shares Bagunu in a post on Facebook.
In a post on Facebook, Casia expressed her words of gratitude as she looks forward to a fruitful year for her singing career. “thank you God for the nonstop blessings! ??✨,” said Casia.
She shared that she’s planning to save her winnings for her future career in singing: “All my cash prizes go to a trust fund from which I am planning to use it in the future to boost my career in singing. Enrolling into a singing workshop and recording my own album,” said Casia.
Casia was also a grand finalist at the DFC Kidstar Z S4 2015, winner of Season 2 Kids Edition of Star Ka Na in the UAE in 2015, 3rd placer winner of Sing Pilipinas City Championship Dubai 2016. She also won in Wafi Superstar 2017 (Singing Category), Dubai Dubai Musikahan 3 2018 (DDM3) as a song interpreter, Battle of the Bands at Eskinita.
As she starts 2019 with a big win, Casia is optimistic that this will open new opportunities for her for the year ahead: “I was so lucky to be victorious on the first day of 2019. It is a very positive sign to look into. 2018 was a real blessing for me. I gained additional achievement for winning in the Burjuman Star Search 2018, a couple of engagement in many events during the 2018. Singing will be forever my passion and hopefully a profession in the future. I will continue to inspire and entertain people with my song.
“To my fellow young and upcoming singers, all I can say is to take singing as a medium of expression and enjoy as well the experiences. It doesn’t matter if you win or lose the competition. I learned that, if you are enjoying in what you are doing, you already won half of the battle. And of course don’t forget to make your parents proud. It is the real secret. Not only through your talent but most of all, through your studies. Making my parents proud and those who believed in me all throughout is a fulfillment. In my heart, it is victory,” said Casia as she shares her own personal secret to winning singing competitions.
‘The One’ also hailed Jovan Aquino as the winner of the contest’s ‘above 21’ category.
Congratulations Katrina! We love you! Proud tita here. Dream high! We are confident that you will be the winner! You deserved it! ???