Ms SACILOTTO - 2006-08-22
Could you tell us about the outstanding success of a young Territory performer on Australian Idol last night?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I am delighted to. I got home in time last night to watch Darwin’s own Jessica Mauboy making it through to the next critical round of Australian Idol. I want to celebrate this in the House now because I think she has done something quite extraordinary. Jessica, who is only 16, took that important step in what is her dream to get through to the final 24 rounds of Australian Idol to, hopefully, become the Australian Idol. If you have watched Australian Idol, you would know that thousands of people from around Australia auditioned; some of them quite extraordinary. One hundred and twenty five went to Sydney, then it was down to 100, then to 48, and last night it came down to those last 24. She certainly beat some great talent.
If you have watched Australian Idol, you know how tough those judges are. Marcia Hines is the nicest one of them. I do not know how you toss up between Kyle Sandilands and Mark Holden, as they are both really tough and confronting judges. Mark took a crack at Jessica and said she was dressed badly, and why did she have thongs on. She looked a bit taken aback, poor possum. When she sang her solo, those three tough judges applauded her, which is fantastic. They asked her if she saw herself as the next Australian Idol and she said, ‘yes’, and the judges said, ‘so do we’.
Her mother, Theresa was there, and Jessica had to tell her not to cry in front of the cameras. Just a little about Jessica herself. She is a great young Territorian. Her mother is Aboriginal. Her father, Freddy, was brought up in Timor-Leste. She has music in her blood. Freddy sang in a church choir, Theresa’s family came from Mt Isa and are big country music followers. If you remember two years ago, Jessica won the Road to Tamworth Talent Search in Tamworth when she was just 14. She won over the judges and an audience of 2000. As part of her prize, she won the first recording contract with Sony Music Australia. She recorded Cyndy Lauper’s Girls Just Want to Have Fun, which involved a video clip as well.
She also won a junior scholarship to the Country Music Association’s College of Country Music. Anyone who listens to ABC will know John Nutting, the ABC’s country music expert. He describes her talent as ‘an amazing vocal range and very promising’. Everywhere you go, Jessica is getting praised for her talent, and to get where she got in Australian Idol, which is a tough competition. You see grown men – well, young men - crying. It is tough and she has made it to the final 24.
I pay tribute to someone who has been instrumental in Jessica’s success; Darwin’s Judy Weepers. She is well known. Judy is doing her 20-somethings Beat this year, where she takes on all the choirs around Darwin. She is the heart and soul of The Beat. She taught Jessica in primary school, but broke a lifelong rule that she never took anyone for private tuition. She changed that for Jessica, and she really does put a lot of effort, not just musical effort but support, into Jessica and her career.
I know everyone in this House will be wishing Jessica Mauboy all the best of luck, and can I ask that when voting time comes along, every Territorian, get out your mobile phone and put Jessica Mauboy No 1.
Members: Hear, hear!
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I am delighted to. I got home in time last night to watch Darwin’s own Jessica Mauboy making it through to the next critical round of Australian Idol. I want to celebrate this in the House now because I think she has done something quite extraordinary. Jessica, who is only 16, took that important step in what is her dream to get through to the final 24 rounds of Australian Idol to, hopefully, become the Australian Idol. If you have watched Australian Idol, you would know that thousands of people from around Australia auditioned; some of them quite extraordinary. One hundred and twenty five went to Sydney, then it was down to 100, then to 48, and last night it came down to those last 24. She certainly beat some great talent.
If you have watched Australian Idol, you know how tough those judges are. Marcia Hines is the nicest one of them. I do not know how you toss up between Kyle Sandilands and Mark Holden, as they are both really tough and confronting judges. Mark took a crack at Jessica and said she was dressed badly, and why did she have thongs on. She looked a bit taken aback, poor possum. When she sang her solo, those three tough judges applauded her, which is fantastic. They asked her if she saw herself as the next Australian Idol and she said, ‘yes’, and the judges said, ‘so do we’.
Her mother, Theresa was there, and Jessica had to tell her not to cry in front of the cameras. Just a little about Jessica herself. She is a great young Territorian. Her mother is Aboriginal. Her father, Freddy, was brought up in Timor-Leste. She has music in her blood. Freddy sang in a church choir, Theresa’s family came from Mt Isa and are big country music followers. If you remember two years ago, Jessica won the Road to Tamworth Talent Search in Tamworth when she was just 14. She won over the judges and an audience of 2000. As part of her prize, she won the first recording contract with Sony Music Australia. She recorded Cyndy Lauper’s Girls Just Want to Have Fun, which involved a video clip as well.
She also won a junior scholarship to the Country Music Association’s College of Country Music. Anyone who listens to ABC will know John Nutting, the ABC’s country music expert. He describes her talent as ‘an amazing vocal range and very promising’. Everywhere you go, Jessica is getting praised for her talent, and to get where she got in Australian Idol, which is a tough competition. You see grown men – well, young men - crying. It is tough and she has made it to the final 24.
I pay tribute to someone who has been instrumental in Jessica’s success; Darwin’s Judy Weepers. She is well known. Judy is doing her 20-somethings Beat this year, where she takes on all the choirs around Darwin. She is the heart and soul of The Beat. She taught Jessica in primary school, but broke a lifelong rule that she never took anyone for private tuition. She changed that for Jessica, and she really does put a lot of effort, not just musical effort but support, into Jessica and her career.
I know everyone in this House will be wishing Jessica Mauboy all the best of luck, and can I ask that when voting time comes along, every Territorian, get out your mobile phone and put Jessica Mauboy No 1.
Members: Hear, hear!
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016