The blind audition rounds of singing competitions tend to be fraught. Those who fall short of the standard are rejected, the talented can be overcome by nerves, and sometimes gifted performers are overlooked. These issues are amplified when there is a competition for 6–15-year-olds, such as The Voice Kids France. It can be uncomfortable viewing.
In 2020, on the 7th season of The Voice Kids France, 12-year-old Naomi Ayé shone during her audition. Poised, seemingly free of debilitating nervousness, Naomi had the judge’s attention from the moment she opened her mouth. Within 10 seconds, two of the judges—Kendji Girac and Soprano—pressed their buzzers. Rapt and Girac stood for the duration.
Naomi Ayé’s rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody has 19 million views on YouTube—not bad for a blind audition! What makes it notable is the quality of her piano playing, the range of her powerful, controlled singing, and the way she mixes improvised passages with close copying of Freddie Mercury’s famous vocals. See It Live comments: “Nothing beats the original for sure, but Naomi isn’t even trying to imitate Freddie. She just performs the song in her own, unique way, and that’s what makes it so special.”.
In the battle round on The Voice Kids France, Naomi successfully sang a lovely version of Adele’s ‘Rolling in the Deep’. For the semi-final, she chose Lady Gaga’s I Will Never Love Again. On the final of the show, on October 10, 2020, Naomi sang a song by French artist Lara Fabian to become a runner-up to winner Rébecca Sayaqu. Nonetheless, thanks in particular to her blind-auditioned performance of Bohemian Rhapsody, Naomi Ayé continues to enthrall viewers. Here is an original song from 2022.
Turn My Back on Light, posted on February 23, 2022, is a great performance from a 14-year-old. The recording and video were sponsored by the Ministry of Culture of Luxembourg. Turn My Back on Light certainly builds interest for the new single and new music promised on Naomi’s website.
Born in Luxembourg on January 24th, 2008, Naomi Ayé Vajdovics Suarez is a pianist, singer, songwriter, and composer of Cuban-Hungarian ancestry. She started playing the piano when she was 5 years old. By the age of 7 (2015), she started classical piano courses at the Conservatoire Ville de Luxembourg. She later included choral singing and vocal training in her studies. A further influence was Naomi’s private teacher, Karina Ilijana, who introduced her to popular music and singing.
In Luxembourg, Naomi participates in the annual Prix Golden Keys (hosted by the Conservatoire Ville de Luxembourg) and the OnSteitsch Festival of Luxembourg. She has also appeared in the stage shows Réveille-toi and L’autre Avenue at PATE Théâtre d’Esch-sur-Alzette. Naomi Ayé speaks five languages.
Commenting on the blind-audition Bohemian Rhapsody interpretation that made Naomi Ayé a viral internet phenomenon, Maddly Odd comments: “Putting her own spin on the vocals and providing the piano playing herself, Naomi really proved that she has what it takes to be a pop superstar. She even ended the performance with a pitch-perfect falsetto, something that would make Freddie Mercury go green with envy.”