Tune in American Idol show on US TV’s ABC to watch Amanda Mena, a top contender for the season 19. In February, Mena received the support of the jurors (Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan) leaving the judges practically speechless and sending her with a unanimous “yes” to the Hollywood Week that starts on 21 March.
Mena had made the semifinals of “America’s Got Talent” in 2018. Then judge Mel B punched the Golden Buzzer after she “You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman,” the classic Aretha Franklin song.
The 18-year-old resident of Lynn in Massachusetts has performed at the Boston Pops 4th of July celebration, Boston’s New Year’s festivities and Fenway Park.
She has appeared on Broadway with actress Melissa Benoist (“Supergirl”) in the Carole King musical “Beautiful,” and her single, “Cartagena,” was released in 2019.
Born in Salem, MA, to Dominican parents, Mena moved to the Dominican Republic as a baby. She lived there for four years as her parents gained enough financial stability before she returned to live with the family in Lynn, that is just north of Boston. In her performance on America’s Got Talent, she told the story of how she was bullied a lot because she didn’t know English, and because she looked different from everybody else. Music, and her mom, helped Amanda get through that period.
She also won the Telemundo La Voz Kids competition in 2014.
22 March 2021