Surrey’s Alyssa Gutierrez, a Grade 7 student at Walnut Road Elementary, is Ocean Park Idol for 2011.
Gutierrez, 13, took the title June 11 in the contest, held at Ocean Park Community Hall.
Showing the class and style as a performer that also won her first place in this year’s B.C. Junior Talent Search contest, she not only aced her vocal solo on the Norah Jones’ classic Don’t Know Why, but also charmed observers by casually chatting and joking with the audience when a technical glitch held up her backing track for several minutes.
The diminutive, but mature-voiced teen, who was congratulated on her trophy by one of the judges, and last year’s winner, Tommy Alto (Tom Vander Kam), was also Kids’ Champion in the 2011 Valley Voices contest, a finalist in last year’s Red Robinson Talent Showdown, and PNT (Metro Vancouver Canadian Filipino) Singing Idol 2009 winner in the Kids category.
Also competing in the contest were a number of well-known young local talents, including Shelby Noble, Chanel Stasiuk, Monica Taillefer, Brett McCrady, Rachael Goddyn, Jenny Kalicharioan, Amanda Grundle and the duo of Anusha Joshi and Sarah Loken.
Alto also performed songs from his new CD – Scream My Name! – at the event.
