Background
She is a half Filipino American, half African-American, the daughter of Ronald Watson, a professional guitar player, and Marian Bandico Watson, who hails from Manila, Philippines and is a nurse
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Malaya Watson
Edit ProfileCareer
Malaya is a tuba player in Southfield High School marching band. She is an alumna of the Mosaic Youth Theater of Detroit, where she sang in Singsation and Hasting Street. She is also an alumna of the Michigan Opera Theatre Children"s Chorus., where she starred in Carmen, Tosca, Pied Piper of Hamlin, The Very Last Green Thing" and The Nut Cracker.
She described her style in singing from Sly Stone and Beyoncé.
2014: American Idol
At 15, Watson auditioned in Detroit with Aretha Franklin"s "Ain"t Number Way." She is the third youngest contestant in American Idol"s history to reach the live finals after Lauren Alaina and Daniel Seavey. With the Judges save gone Malaya was eliminated from the competition.
She sang "I Am Changing" as her farewell song. After her final performance Watson received a final standing ovation from all three judges.
= Performances on American Idol Post Idol
Watson took part in the American Idols Live! Tour 2014 from June 24 through August 24, 2014.
Throughout the duration of tour and to date, she worked on her debut European Parliament, My Diary, and her unnamed album. Watson sang the National Anthem at the Detroit Lions versus New Orleans Saints game at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan on October 19, 2014.
