7-year-old singing national anthem at LA Galaxy game goes viral
'I was thinking that I cannot do anything wrong because it’s a really special song to America'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Dressed in a white LA Galaxy jersey and equipped with some serious pipes, seven-year-old Malea Emma Tjandrawawidjaja has become a viral sensation after belting out the US national anthem.
The 3-foot-9 singer left it all on the field on Sunday, leaving the crowd and players in awe. Video of the singing quickly spread online, bringing with it nearly 8,000 likes on the soprano’s Instagram page, and nearly 60,000 views for a video on Malea Emma’s Youtube channel (the original video posted on Major League Soccer has been watched over 320,000 times).
“I was thinking that I cannot do anything wrong because it’s a really special song to America,” she told ABC News after the performance.
And, she really could not do any wrong, it would seem: She belted out the anthem with a confidence of a seasoned performer, holding her left arm up as the crowd roared around her, fireworks played percussion, and the nearby football stars grinned at the spectacle.
The pitch of the Stub Hub Centre in Los Angeles was not the first time that Malea Emma has performed on a big stage, though.
Before winning The Galaxy’s first contest on social media to find a national anthem singer for the match, she also played Carnegie Hall as a winner of the American Protégé International Vocal Competition when she was 5-years-old. Before that, she performed at a talent show at a downtown Los Angeles entertainment complex, LA Live.
She found out on September 19 that she had won the contest for the LA Galaxy honour, according to ABC.
But her resume does not mean she does not get a little nervous, at least, even if she never shows it.
“Always before I sing, my heart will beat really, really fast,” she told CBS News.
But, while the seven-year-old was able to get a lot of recognition online after her performance, her family told USA Today that they know she is just a kid. She has a lot more to experience.
“We don’t know where this will end up going,” her father told that newspaper. “We are just trying to introduce her to a lot of opportunities”.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments