Katriz Trinidad from Chula Vista advances on “The Voice”

In the tradition of American Idols Adam Lambert, from Rancho Penasquitos and Jessica Sanchez from Chula Vista and former Voice finalists Xenia Martinez from Chula Vista and Timyra-Joi Beatty from North Park comes Katriz Trinidad, a fifteen-year-old from Chula Vista. The Filipino-American teen beauty pageant winner has been singing competitively since she was only eight years old.

“The Voice” talent competition/reality singing variety show returned for its seventh season on September 30. Welcoming new judges Gwen Stefani, formerly of the new wave pop rock sensations No Doubt, and Pharrell Williams, of the many Grammy’s from his producing and singing (and his hats) were 6-year veterans Adam Levine and Blake Shelton. By the first episode’s conclusion the “blind auditions” had allowed the four judge/mentors to build their teams such that 40 contestants remained to move on to round two.

The youngest, our own Katriz Trinidad, began the show by belting out the well-known and oft-auditioned classic Etta James song, “At Last”. She received quick and simultaneous chair-spins from three of the choosers, Stefani, Williams and Shelton. The three of them were ebullient in their rousing approval of Trinidad’s performance, using words like “near-perfect” and “star power” in describing her. Pharrell stood up midway through her song, then dropped to his knees at its conclusion.

Williams begged the teenager to pick him as her coach, saying he had been dreaming of finding a performer like her even before becoming a judge on “The Voice”. He also tried to persuade her by writing the word “Please” on a notebook and showing it to her and the audience. His performance over her performance worked, and Katriz chose Pharrell.

Other contestants who ended up on teams were Ethan Butler, Chris Jamison, Rebekah Samarin and Jonathan Wyndham to Levine’s team; Tanner Linford (seven years old!),  Chris Wayne Boyd and Grant Ganzer picked by Shelton; Jean Kelley, (not a dancer),  Amanda Lee Peers and Gianna Salvato to Stefani’s group; and  Toia James for Williams.