Ellona Santiago
Ellona Santiago | |
---|---|
Birth name | Ellona Rano Santiago |
Born | Cavite City, Philippines | August 1, 1996
Origin | San Lorenzo, California, U.S. |
Genres | Pop, R&B, soul |
Occupations | Singer |
Instruments | Vocals, Piano |
Years active | 2011–present |
Website | http://ellona.net/ |
Ellona Rano Santiago (born August 1, 1996) is a Filipino-born American singer from San Lorenzo, California. She was a contestant on American television show
Early life
Ellona has been singing since the age of 3 and has joined dozens of talent shows. In 2011 Ellona won Ichiban Idol, where American Idol season 3 finalist Jasmine Trias was a guest judge. Ellona has had a successful YouTube channel with over 1,300,000 views in total.
Ellona started singing before she could speak. At the age of 3 she started singing and dancing for family gatherings. Her early training was taught by her mother, who used to sing to her even when she was still in her womb. Her older sisters and cousins also influenced her in honing her skills. As years go by, Ellona was enrolled by her parents to Barbizon Modeling School for professional training (2005–2006) in San Francisco, California. She performed at IPAAC Convention (International Performing Arts Academy) and placed Best in Talent in December 2006. At 10, she became the youngest cast member of the musical-comedy called “Amerikana” led by Fil-Am Singer-Actress-Comedienne Fe Delos Reyes who became her mentor. Ellona's professional vocal coach was Miriam Pantig who is also an International Singer-Actress.
Ellona is a member of Our Lady of Good Counsel Children's Church Choir in San Leandro, CA. Aside from sharing her voice; she is also the teen advocate for Project Resoled, a non-profit organization in which its core objective is to provide refurbished children's shoes to improve the mental, emotional, and physical health of impoverished children in developing countries such as Philippines. Since Ellona's involvement in 2012 with the organization, it has raised more awareness for different sectors and individuals to donate and participate in the program [1]
The X Factor
2011: InTENsity
In 2011, at age 14, she took part in the inaugural
In week 1, on October 25, 2011, InTENsity performed a mash-up of "The Clapping Song" and "Footloose" and were safe.
In week 2, on November 2, 2011, they performed a mash-up of "
Performances
–Contestant was in the bottom two and had to sing again in the final showdown
–Contestant was eliminated
Broadcast Date | Episode | Theme | Song Choice | Original Artist | Order | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
September 22 | Audition | Free choice | "When I Look at You" | Miley Cyrus | N/A | Through to Bootcamp |
October 5 | Bootcamp 1 | Free Choice | " Cry Me a River "
|
Michael Bublé | 10 | Advanced to Bootcamp 2 |
October 6 | Bootcamp 2 | Group Performance | "I Have Nothing" | Whitney Houston | 3 | Eliminated but put into judges made group "InTENsity" |
October 18 | Live Show 1 | Mentors Choice | "Footloose"/"The Clapping Song" | Kenny Loggins and Lincoln Chase | 7 | Safe |
November 3 | Live Show 2 | American Themes | " Kids in America"/"Party Rock Anthem "
|
Kim Wilde and LMFAO | 7 | Bottom 2 – Final Showdown |
November 4 | Final Showdown | Save Me | "My Life Would Suck Without You" | Kelly Clarkson | 2 | Eliminated |
2013
Ellona Santiago auditioned again for
Ellona Santiago was picked in the Final 40, one of ten acts in the "Girls" category mentored by
On the first live show, Ellona performed "Till the World Ends" by Britney Spears. Ellona received a standing ovation and high praise from the judges with judge Kelly Rowland announcing that Ellona was the one to watch out for in the competition. Once all of the acts in the girls category had performed their mentor Demi Lovato had to eliminate one of her four acts.. Demi chose to save Ellona first, sending her through to the top 13. Her performance in week 1 has received over 1.6 million views.
During the second live show on November 6, a technical glitch with the voting system occurred, causing the votes for the night to be thrown out. The top 13 performed again the following night, performing their save me songs instead of having a results show on November 7. Her song was "Titanium" and Ellona was safe.
On November 13, Ellona sang "
Ellona performed "Burn" by Ellie Goulding for the fourth live show on November 20. She received negative comments from the judges, with Simon Cowell telling Ellona that she had lost her originality and it was as if he was watching an actress.
For "Big Band Night" (November 27), Ellona sang "Mamma Knows Best" by Jessie J. Ellona dedicated her performance to her sister, Julie Rose, who was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Ellona received high praise and standing ovations from all 4 judges. Simon Cowell praised Ellona, stating that her performance was a game changer and that she may very well win the whole show. Her mentor Demi Lovato agreed with Simon, stating that she always believed that Ellona could win. At the end of the night, judges Kelly Rowland, Paulina Rubio, and Demi Lovato announced Ellona as their choice for the top 3 for this week, and Simon Cowell voiced his opinion that Ellona's performance was the best of the night. On November 28, Ellona was announced safe.
Santiago sang "Applause" and If I Were a Boy" on the sixth live show. Ellona received positive feedback for both of her performances. Simon Cowell told Ellona after her performance of "Applause" that she really is into win the competition. On December 5, Ellona was eliminated as the act with the lowest number of votes. Judges Kelly Rowland, Paulina Rubio, and Demi Lovato were all shocked by the elimination, with Ellona's mentor Demi stating that "there has been a couple of contestants that have been sent home when they shouldn't have... Ellona is definitely one of them... She could've won this show." After being announced as a front runner to win, Ellona's elimination was deemed as one of the most shocking eliminations in the show's history.
Performances
Episode | Theme | Song | Original Artist | Order # | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Audition | Free choice | "Wings" | Little Mix | N/A | Advanced |
Four-Chair Challenge | Free Choice | "Clarity" | Zedd ft. Foxes
|
10 | Advanced |
Top 16 | Acts and Mentors Choice | "Till the World Ends" | Britney Spears | 1 | Saved by Demi Lovato |
Top 13 | Motown | "Baby Love" | The Supremes | 5 | N/A |
Top 13 Redux | Save Me Songs | "Titanium" | David Guetta ft. Sia | 5 | Safe |
Top 12 | 80's Night | " I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) "
|
Whitney Houston | 9 | Safe |
Top 10 | British Invasion Night | "Burn" | Ellie Goulding | 9 | Safe |
Top 8 | Big Band Night | "Mamma Knows Best" | Jessie J | 8 | Safe |
Top 6 | Divas | "Applause" | Lady Gaga | 4 | Eliminated (6th) |
Unplugged songs | "If I Were a Boy" | Beyoncé | 10 |
- Ellona was supposed to sing "Who You Are"by Jessie J and "Halo" by Beyoncé for the seventh live show on December 11.
After The X Factor
After Ellona's time on The X Factor she has released 7 new covers on her YouTube channel.
- Emile Sande
- Unconditionally with Josh Levi by Katy Perry
- Pretty Hurts by Beyoncé
- Wherever You Will Go by The Calling
- Love Me Again by John Newman
- Sam Smith
- Chandelier by Sia
As well as her YouTube covers, she has also been featured on Ian Maxino's cover of Say Something by A Great Big World which can be found on his soundcloud account.
Subsequently, upon Ellona’s achievement in her successful stint on The X Factor, and her participation in providing footwear to impoverished children in developing countries, the Mayor of San Lorenzo, Stephen Cassidy, has proclaimed on January 13, 2014, as “Ellona Santiago Day” The City Council has commended her for being an inspirational representative for the youth in striving to achieve her dreams and in making a difference in the world.[1]
Ellona hosted her first full concert on March 22, 2014 in the Brava Theatre. Josh Levi who placed 7th on the third season of The X Factor USA was also a special guest.[3]
Concerts
- "Inspired" Ellona Santiago live in concert (March 22, 2014)[3]
References
- ^ a b "Bio". ellona.net. Archived from the original on 2014-03-06.
- ^ "Ellona Santiago's vocal group InTENsity enters Top 17 of The X Factor". Philippine Entertainment Portal. Archived from the original on 2013-09-23. Retrieved 2013-10-04.
- ^ a b "Brava Theater Center :: INSPIRED". Archived from the original on 2014-02-22. Retrieved 2014-02-17.