Katini a singing success
ALTIYAN Childs had it. So did Reece Mastin. Will Sunshine Coast singer Katini Yamaoka be the next to prove she has the X-Factor?
The former Sunshine Coast Grammar student, now 21, has scored a place in season three of the talent show.
Katini - half-Japanese and half-Ghanaian, born in Tokyo and raised in the Coast hinterland - has made her mark on the Japanese music scene.
After finishing school in 2008, she recorded a demo of the jazz song Summertime and sent it to an American producer living in Japan. She was snapped up and signed to a contract with a major record label.
On the cusp of releasing her debut album when a devastating earthquake struck the country, she was forced to abandon her dream and return to Australia.
Her mother suggested she audition for the popular TV talent show.
This season Mel B, Guy Sebastian, Ronan Keating and Natalie Bassingthwaighte are again judges and mentors to the next crop of stars.
Sebastian told the Daily Katini was a beautiful talent. "She's a great little singer, really good," he said.
X-Factor continues today at 7.30pm on Channel Seven. For more about Katini, visit www.katini.com.au.
