YOUNG SENSATION
M’sian girl wins big at World Championship of Performing Arts.
PETALING JAYA: What started out as singing along to popular Disney Channel original movie Camp Rock when she was four, has come a long way for 12-year-old Charmaine Koh with two world championship awards under her belt.
She has done Malaysia proud by being the youngest Malaysian to clinch two world championship awards, three gold medals, one silver and a bronze at the World Championship of Performing Arts (WCOPA) 2016 in Long Beach, California, last month.
“It feels amazing to have all your hard work pay off,” said Charmaine who practises singing an hour every day.
“I auditioned for this competition without expectations. I just thought that I’d go for fun,” she said.
She beat 138 participants to emerge world champion in the jazz and Broadway category.
Her world championship songs were Feeling Good by Nina Simone and Don’t Rain On My Parade from the musical Funny Girl.
“I get nervous on stage. I shake, I shiver and my knees wobble. But I use positive vibes and words to overcome my fear,” said Charmaine.
“My favourite artiste is Adele, she has that bold voice and charisma, and she really means what she is singing about.”
The sixth grade Cempaka International School Damansara student is no stranger to the stage.
“I have been doing a lot of school events and joining local competitions for exposure and getting used to performing on stage,” she said.
Charmaine was recognised at the 13th Boh Cameronian Arts Awards this year for her 2015 performance in Annie, The Musical, where she walked away with the Best Principal Role award for musical theatre.
“As a singer, this was a very, very big opportunity to meet new people and talent scouts. It was such a big thing for me and definitely the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Charmaine, who was approached by two talent scouts from California.
But she intends to complete her schooling before taking her musical career to the next level.
For now, she is only performing song covers but said that she will start writing her own music someday.
Charmaine’s parents, James Koh and Shirley Lai, are very proud of her.
“I always tell her that if you can hold it in your heart, you can have it in your hand, and always believe that you can,” said Koh.
“She is very committed and will give it her all. She has achieved a great milestone and is chasing her dream, it’s so great to see,” Lai said.
WCOPA 2016 saw more than 1,000 participants from 64 countries perform at this “talent Olympics” that lasted from July 8 to 17.
Among the other talents from Malaysia was Nur Qhalysa Shazreena Junaidin, who won an industry award and three silver medals while participating in the senior vocals category (age 16 to 17).