Kiwi Voice star Evile - ‘I'M SO PROUD TO REPRESENT NZ!'

The Christchurch singer has wowed the judges of the Aussie talent show

- Florence Hartigan.

Second time was the charm for The Voice Australia contestant Evile Jireh Sisifo-Laloata. Despite being rejected from the hit singing show in 2019, the Christchurch-born vocalist was determined to give the competition another shot and wowed Kiwi viewers last week when his stunning R&B cover of Coldplay’s Fix You had all four celebrity coaches falling over themselves to add the crooner to their team.

But the humble performer insists his flawless performance was all thanks to his family. “I was so nervous, I was shaking!” Evile admits to Woman’s Day. “Having watched the show so many times, I knew sometimes the judges just don’t turn around – even for really good people. I went onstage with that doubt, but my family just knew that I was going through to the next round.”

Because of COVID-19 restrictions, Evile’s wha-nau had to watch his performance from back home in Canterbury and could only be there via a screen above the stage. “As soon as I saw them, I had to look away,” he recalls. “I knew I was going to start bawling my eyes out, but I saw how proud they were and I thought, ‘I’m gonna do this for them.’ I couldn’t do anything but sing my greatest.”