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TALENTED teenager Byron Gindra has his fingers crossed that visa issues will allow him to compete in the next stage of American Idol, the resurrected TV talent show that has a huge following in Bahrain.
The South African expat who lives in Saar, who regularly performs at charitable events and is busy recording on the island, picked up a prized golden ticket, a singer’s passport to the next round, and possibly beyond.
Byron, 16, said: “I have been performing since I was around nine-years-old and I’ve played all over, from Africa to America to the Middle East.
“Over the past few years I entered and won a few talent shows and my most recent performances were in the US.”
In September he competed at the International ARTS Showcase in Orlando picking up a prestigious second place out of 600 performers from around the world.
“During that competition I was invited to enter American Idol so we stayed longer and went for the auditions at Disney Spring in Orlando,” he explained. “I was one of only 12 competitors chosen out of 5,000 contestants that day and received my golden ticket.
“Unfortunately it looks like I will not be able to continue with the competition as I can’t get the correct visa in time.”
Proud dad Executive Chef Paul, who is also director of food & beverage at the Royal Golf Club, stepped in and has investigated if anything can be done with help from the American Embassy in Manama. “There is still a possibility of him competing, we need to wait and see if the visa application will be approved,” Paul said.
After 15 seasons on US TV, broadcaster Fox cancelled American Idol, citing slipping ratings and high costs. The last broadcast of American Idol, with judges Harry Connick Jr., Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban, aired in 2016.
But before anybody had much of a chance to miss it, rival channel ABC picked the show up. Now it’s back, and producers are looking for singers to appear in a new season, scheduled to air next year.
Details of the relaunched show are still being worked out, though it has been announced that pop star Katy Perry will be a celebrity judge, signed to a reported $25 million deal. Ryan Seacrest is also set to return as host.
Melissa Elfar, an American Idol producer, said: “The show has a long-standing history of producing some amazing talent like Carrie Underwood, Fantasia and Jennifer Hudson so we’re ready for that next person to carry on the legacy of the show.”
Home-schooled Byron, who has an 11-year-old sister, Hannah, is not allowing the uncertainty of further auditions put him off his stride. He will be performing at the Fourth Hog Bahrain Rally on Friday at Al A’Ali Shopping Complex and at the Building Bridges Film Festival in Seef on Saturday.
“I have been singing for as long as I can remember,” he said. “My dad told me I used to sing along to Pearl Jam in my child car seat so I guess that’s where it all began,” he told GulfWeekly. “I have always participated in choirs and every opportunity I have had to perform I have stuck up my hand!
“People have told me that my voice is different and has a lot of soul. I enjoy performing all forms of music but at the moment I’m focusing on my guitar and vocals.
“I have nine of my own songs and I’m currently working on more. My life events and interactions are what inspire me when writing my songs.”
He is currently busy recording and shooting a video for a track entitled You Think You Know Me. “The song is about a girl and also about not worrying about judgmental people,” explained Byron. “I don’t want to give too much away but it will be released on Soundcloud within the next few weeks and a short time after that we will release the video.
“I’m also busy working together with a producer by the name of John Degracio from the US and we will be travelling to New York within the next six months to collaborate with him. My focus is to move to the US and record my music and perform there.”
He may be going earlier if his American Idol dream comes true.
Check out Byron Gindra live at Water Garden City, Seef, at 8.30pm on Saturday and his early recordings can be found on Instagram, Facebook and his YouTube channel.
