As we see in nearly all aspects of life, family is everything. They are the binding force that both supports and inspires and can keep us going through the darkest of times. Not only this, but they are here to celebrate our achievements and make those special memories even more memorable. While we can all certainly ‘make it’ on our own, families can give us that little extra boost to make sure we achieve our dreams.

That is certainly the case with the focus of today’s article. 16-year-old Donel Mangena was an aspiring singer and entertainer—that is, before he went on The Voice in 2018 and reached the competition’s final while also winning the nation’s hearts. Now, he is a singer, entertainer, and young star in the making, with an incredibly loving family that is right behind him every step of the way. Watch his incredible journey, from the audition to the final, in the video below:

One of the most memorable aspects of Donel Mangena’s performances is his grandmother’s reaction after he makes his way through the initial audition stage of the competition. Performing “Cold Water” by Major Lazer, Donel was setting the stage alight with his vibrant personality and his impressive voice, which was causing a roar both in the crowd and backstage. His family, and especially his grandmother, were dancing and singing along to the song with all the love and support they could muster.

We all thought that his grandmother’s appearance on the stage during Donel’s audition would have been a one-off moment, but we couldn’t be more wrong! During his grand finale performance, the judge’s area was full of his family, who were dancing along to the same song that he performed in his audition: “Cold Water.”. It’s a beautiful return to the young performer’s humble beginnings in the competition before he ultimately came in second. Watch the original version below:

Despite not winning The Voice in 2018, his runner-up status and loveable personality still made him a star in many aspects. Later in 2018, Donel was invited by Prince Harry to perform at the Queen of England’s birthday celebrations. This is an incredible honor that few musicians receive, and he shared the stage alongside the likes of Tom Jones, Shawn Mendes, Craig David, and Kylie Minogue. He also performed at the Heritage Zimbabwe Culture Show in Coventry, where he represented his roots and celebrated his culture.

Not only has Donel dabbled in royalty since his incredible performances on The Voice, but he has also taken to YouTube to spread his music and positive vibes to the masses. Alongside some original songs and content, he has released several covers of popular tracks, including “Call Me Everyday” by Chris Brown. He also uploads behind-the-scenes videos of his music career and demonstrates his choreography routines, some of which reach impressive view counts of up to 100K views.