ROYSTON FOLLOWS HIS IDOL’S PATH
AUSTRALIAN Idol winner Royston Sagigi-Baira — also known as Royston Noell — has been getting used to his new-found fame while following in his idol Jessica Mauboy’s footsteps.
Mr Sagigi-Baira, 24, grew up Mapoon, in a small Indigenous community in Far North Queensland with little to no music exposure in the region.
As the only singer at his school, he looked up to former Australian Idol contestant and musical sensation Jessica Mauboy.
“She was my biggest inspiration growing up,” he said.
“I remember seeing her and thinking, she’s a blackfella just like me, doing things I dream of doing,” Mr Sagigi-Baira said.
“It put this fire in me and now there’s this full circle moment where I’m on Australian Idol where she started and I’m signed to Sony like she was for so many years.”
Mr Sagigi-Baira said seeing Ms Mauboy on the show inspired him to follow in her footsteps and he hoped one day, he could inspire more Indigenous kids to follow in his.
“Representation is so important, especially to see someone on TV who looks like you and went through the same experiences as you,” he said. “I hope kids from back home or from other
Indigenous communities
around Australia can connect with me and what I’ve been through. I want them to know they can do anything they set their minds to.”
Mr Sagigi-Baira said he hoped to go back to community to do workshops with school kids as he didn’t have much exposure to music growing up.
“We used to get a lot of sports people coming to school but not really any musicians,” he said.
“Now I’m living my dream and it’s everything for my younger self.”
Mr Sagigi-Baira’s song Invincible is available across all platforms.