She may still only be 13, but Luca Saunders is proving she knows how to own a stage.
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The singer from Wallabi Point was selected as a wildcard for the Made Deadly showcase during the Saltwater Freshwater Festival at Coffs Harbour on Australia Day and will go on to gain more tuition to help her reach her dreams.
“Luca stole the show,” said Chris Spencer, general manager of the Saltwater Freshwater Arts Alliance, which came up with the Made Deadly concept and is working in collaboration with Grow The Music (GTM) .
“It was the talk of the event. Her incredible singing and stage presence thrilled festival-goers.”
It also saw attending media wanting interviews as soon as she left the stage.
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She was the fifth person to perform that day, hitting the stage around 11am.
“I was really excited because I’d never done Saltwater Freshwater before and I guess because it was for indigenous people it made it more exciting because I’m doing something for myself and my people. I’m really, really proud,” said Luca.
“I love the feeling of being on stage and being on that stage on that day, there was a good feeling of being united and it gave a lot of people that day a belonging and a place to be.”
Luca sang Shallow from the movie A Star Is Born, and Ain’t Nobody by Chaka Khan.
“I picked Shallow because it’s about a girl starting out in the industry but mainly because I love Lady Gaga. She’s one of my favourites.
“I had a few groups down the front when I was performing who were giving me a lot of love.”
Another highlight for Luca was being invited on stage to sing with musical headline act Emily Wurramara and Aunty Joan McDonald (also from Taree) to perform Imagine by John Lennon.
Luca said she knew of Emily already and had heard her songs.
“She’s an amazing singer and I felt lucky to be in her presence on stage. She’s the nicest person. She was so beautiful to me and there was no ego.”
She enjoyed being on stage with Aunty Joan too, “I’ve never really sung with her before”.
I love the feeling of being on stage and being on that stage on that day, there was a good feeling of being united and it gave a lot of people that day a belonging and a place to be.
- Luca Saunders
Along with Luca and Joan, both Made Deadly wildcards, other Taree performers who were part of the musical line-up at the festival were Michael Saunders, a Made Deadly finalist, and Jay Davis, another wildcard.
“They are very, very talented. They come from the same community and family I do. There is a lot of talent coming from Taree,” said Luca.
As a Made Deadly finalist, Grow The Music will arrange for Michael to have an individual recording session to record his song in the studio and have a high-quality recording produced that he can use for further promotion.
Luca said she would love to perform at the Mid North Coast festival again.
Following this performance she has been invited to do music lessons with vocal coach Emily White, co-founder of Grow the Music (GTM).
“It is important when you find talent that they are nurtured in the way that will assist them on their way to where they want to be,” said Emily.
“If Luca can gain some music tuition to help her write songs on an instrument, I do definitely believe this could add so much to her journey as a gifted performer and developing artist.”
Her Australia Day performance caps off a big few months for Luca who was awarded the Cultural Award in the Myall Lakes Community Awards for singing, dancing and the performing arts, sang at and co-hosted, alongside her dad Andy, at the Taree Carols in the Park (she has been a performer there for three years), and performed a 30-minute set at last year’s Old Bar Beach Festival.
She has been singing since she was young but said it was her first experience singing on stage during Old Bar Idol, when she was seven, that made her realise she wanted to be a performer.
“At the moment I’ve also decided that I’d love to be a dancer.”
My mum and dad worked hard to be where they are today. They’re big role models for me and they’ve given me a lot of inspiration to do what I want to do.
- Luca Saunders
Her dream is to be in the music industry and said her biggest inspirations are Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson.
She appreciates how fortunate she is to have the opportunities she does.
“I’m indigenous and the stereotype placed on my people, sometimes they don’t get the opportunity to do what they want to do.
“There’s so much talent not being recognised and needs to be recognised. A lot of people are talented enough to be in the industry. Even non-indigenous people find it hard to be someone in Australia.
“I want to be the role model for people who started off like me… people who don’t have the advantage and opportunity to do the things they want to do.
“My mum and dad worked hard to be where they are today. They’re big role models for me and they’ve given me a lot of inspiration to do what I want to do.”
Luca acknowledges the support of her parents, Debbie and Andy, who drive her around to take on various opportunities. Just days before her performance in Coffs Harbour, they took Luca and her brother Tyler, a dancer, over to the Tamworth Country Music Festival, where they performed on the street.
“I’m really grateful for their presence and company. They give me a lot of support and always have. I’ll always be there for all my family.”
It was her dad who approached her to sing back up vocals for him for his song Deadly, which was released last year and went viral when it hit the internet.
“We didn’t expect for it to go off. Dad wrote it years ago about the Stolen Generation. He wrote it about a strong topic and that’s the message you get from the song.
“Dad asked me to do it and I didn’t want to. He said come on, it will be really fun, do some backing vocals. I was 12 years old when I recorded that and filmed it a few months later.
“I was very lucky and it also taught me to take all the opportunities you can.”
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