Music
Press
Two Mississauga teens are one step closer to becoming The Next Star.
Cawthra Park Secondary School students Rayandra Hudson and Elisabeth Kellerman were among five contestants chosen last night by a panel of judges to move into the final 16 of the nationwide talent search television program, which airs on YTV and seeks out the country's top young singer.
Hudson, 13, appeared on last year's show, its inaugural season, finishing in the top 30. Mississauga's Maranda Thomas made the final six.
"Last year I was just myself, but at the same time I was a bit nervous," said Hudson, who's entering Grade 9. "This year, I thought I'd be myself and wait to see what's going to happen and it got me this far.
"I feel amazing, I feel excited and I just can't wait to see what's next for me."
The other 11 finalists will be selected on two upcoming episodes. From there, a final six will be chosen before viewers vote to determine The Next Star.
The Mississauga girls have already come a long way; some 3,000 hopefuls tried out when auditions visited communities across Canada earlier this year.
"I feel great. I'm really excited and I hope my performance goes through well," said Kellerman, 14, a first-time contestant who added it's fun to compete with a schoolmate. "We're just representing Mississauga. I got a chance to meet Rayandra at the auditions in front of the judges and I heard her sing and she is awesome."
The Next Star, open to contestants aged 15-under, is hosted byy Degrassi: The Next Generation star and Mississauga resident Adamo Ruggiero.
Mississauga singer/songwriter Suzie McNeil is one of the three judges. The other two are songwriter Christopher Ward and marketing executive Steve Cranwell.
For more information visit www.ytv.com.
- Mississauga News -July 18, 2009
A Mississauga teen will sing the national anthem at the 27th annual Metro Bowl, which kicks off this evening at Rogers Centre in Toronto.
Rayandra Hudson, 13, will have a chance to wow the crowd with her vocals just before the start of the game, which will determine the best high school football team this year in the GTA.
Rayandra, who attends Erin Centre Middle School in Churchill Meadows, will be the last anthem singer of the day. Four other football games will be played before the Metro Bowl's 8 p.m. start.
Rayandra was among the top 30 contestants on the national television program, The Next Star, and was first runner-up at the 2006 Maja Awards. She has performed across Canada and in the Caribbean, and has appeared on the Rogers Television show, Toronto's Talent.
She's currently recording her first album.
- Mississauga News - December 3, 2008
Rayandra Hudson was a top 6 finalist on YTV’s The Next Star last year and now she is on her way to becoming a star! Rayandra has just released the music video for her debut single “How Do I Tell You”, so check it out above!
To find out more about Rayandra, check out her official site at Rayandra.com!
Also, make sure to keep checking back to KGYT as our exclusive report on YTV’s The Next Star press party, where we had the chance to chat with Rayandra and the rest of the top 6 finalists, will be back up shortly!
- KatGotYourTongue.Net - April 13, 2010
Discography
ALBUMS:
I"m RayRay ( yNos Media Records - in production 2010)
SINGLES:
How Do I Tell You ( yNos Media Records, 2010)
What We Need Is Love ( Universal Records, 2009)
Photos
Bio
RAYANDRA
At just 15 years old, this gifted and talented vocalist has an extensive octave range and has been compared with some of music’s greats like Aretha Franklin and Jennifer Hudson.
Rayandra’s musical debut was at an impromptu concert at her local church when she was just 8 years old. Her jaw dropping rendition of the Winans’ Tomorrow, garnered her standing ovation from the congregation. After performing at many local concerts, weddings and other public events, people started hearing the name Rayandra more and more. But it was her audition for YTV’s national talent search, The Next Star that quickly made Rayandra a household name across Canada. Among the thousands of kids that audition, she was chosen as one of the top 6 finalists for TV show. As a contestant she was mentored for 12 weeks by industry professionals - veteran Songwriter Christopher Ward, Music Marketing Executive Steve Cranwell, musicians Suzy McNeil and Kate Voegele to name a few.
She has shared the stage with many well-known artists, including Justin Bieber, FeFe Dobson and Shiloh. Rayandra's first single, What We Need Is Love was recorded at Canada's premier recording studio Metalworks and was released under the Universal Records label. She has performed all over Canada and the Caribbean. Most recently, singing the national anthem at the Rogers Centre at a Toronto Blue Jays game and performed on the Rogers Television shows, Toronto Talent and Daytime.
The buzz about Rayandra has also spanned south of the border. She has been chosen as the only Canadian artist for the Kids Saving Kids compilation CD. This is an initiative under the U.S based organization, Stop Drunk Driving Now. Thousands of young musicians from every State in America submitted their music in hopes of being selected for one of the coveted spots on the Kids Saving Kids CD.
Although singing is her passion, Rayandra is active in all areas of the Arts - she sings, dance, acts, plays the drums and saxophone. Her love for singing is evident in her passionate and captivating performances. Her brand new single, I’m RayRay (The T-Dot Song) will be available on iTunes and other online music stores later this summer.
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