Paying It Forward

When Amira made it through the semi-finals of Holland's Got Talent and was approaching the finals, she was asked in an interview if she was aware of Jackie Evancho. Amira said she was aware of her, and that Jackie was an inspiration to her. Hearing this in America, Jackie Evancho posted a quick 'go girl' message to Amira on the internet. Here it is.



In the 2019 season of Holland's Got Talent, an 11 year old contestant named Ripley, who also sang opera, said that Amira was his inspiration. Hearing this, Amira posted an encouraging message to him, as Jackie had done for her. Here it is.



Unfortunately, Ripley, although a finalist, did not win.

Just a small note. Of all those who have ever won Holland's Got Talent, in ten seasons, Amira Willighagen is the only person who ever went on to have a successful career. Jackie Evancho, who came in second place in the 2010 season of America's Got Talent, had a somewhat successful career, until she changed genres and lost much of her fanbase. Susan Boyle, who came in second place in Britain's Got Talent in 2009, is one of the most financially successful 'Got Talent' contestants of all time, and is worth an estimated 40 million dollars. Paul Potts, who won first place in the original season of Britain's Got Talent is said to be worth about 10 million. Interestingly, success does not always require being in first place. Of all the famous contestants of reality talent shows, Amira, Paul Potts, and Angelina Jordan are the only ones that ever actually won 1st place in their respective contests.

I just want to say a bit about Amira's success. In some countries Amira is a household name, but not in English speaking countries. Her fans are spread all over the world. Here are some facts. It has been written that Amira's videos have received a total of a billion views on all platforms. On YouTube alone, she has 73 videos with over a million views. Her original audition has been viewed over 150 million times. On Amazon, Amira's last album, With All My Heart, frequently ranks #1 in sales in the traditional pop genre, and almost never below #30 (out of millions of records). The family lives modestly in South Africa. Amira is still in High School.

Amira's current aims can only be surmised by comments she has made over the last year or so, and some of her actions. It is my opinion she is planning to come to America and try and enter film. She has been studying acting and dance, recently recorded the American national anthem, and on her own volition visited a kids online interview site headquartered in Nashville. She has also mentioned a desire to attend Juliard in New York City. All these point to an interest in immigrating. However, she only just completed the 10th grade. We'll see.