Teen selected for YTV reality television show

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This article was published 29/07/2010 (5605 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Even before she could string a sentence together, Mimoza Duot could carry a tune.

Duot, 13, began singing before she could read lyrics and hasn’t looked back since.

The Garden City product is singing a winning tune these days. She was recently selected one of the top 16 contestants for the YTV reality series The Next Star, which is being filmed in Toronto.

The show, which is now in it’s third season and is hosted by Degrassi: The Next Generation star Adamo Ruggiero, showcases the talents of Canadian youth 15 and under from across the nation.

Duot had to travel to Saskatoon to audition for producers where she wowed them.

“I actually auditioned for the first season of the show in Winnipeg. When I saw it on television I decided that I should try again,” she says.

Duot was announced as one of the top 16 contestants during the July 26 episode of The Next Star. She expects the rest of her summer to be filled with rehearsals and filming for the show.

“Most of the summer will be spent filming the shows now,” she says.

Despite her hectic schedule, Duot still manages to find time for vocal lessons to keep up her technique.

Duot’s mother, Maria, isn’t surprised by her daughter’s recent success and says her vocal talents have been apparent for some time.

“When I gave birth to my daughter I knew that she was truly born to sing. When Mimoza cried as a baby she used to sustain notes. Surprisingly, she also had a bit of a vibrato going on,” Maria says.

Duot says one of the most interesting parts of being involved in the series is getting to see the amount of work that goes into producing it.

“There is a lot that goes into it. I thought we’d get up and perform for the judges and that would really be it,” she says.

“It has been quite an experience — it is very exciting and has been a very long but very fun process.”

Maria Duot said her daughter’s selection as one of the top 16 contestants was a proud moment for the entire family.

“I was jumping for joy, screaming, and crying like crazy,” she said. “No words could express how excited I was for Mimoza. I still remember telling her how proud I was to be her mother and letting her know how much we all believed in her.”

Six finalists will be chosen in the coming weeks of The Next Star and will be coached by musician Suzie McNeil, songwriter Christopher Ward and executive director of MusiCounts Steve Cranwell.

During the show’s live series finale in September, the finalist with the highest number of viewer votes will receive the grand prize and title of The Next Star.

For now, Duot is taking things one day at a time.

 “If youth think they have what it takes they should certainly take advantage and audition. It has been a fun experience for me and I totally recommend it,” she says.

For more information see www.YTV.ca

rob.brown@canstarnews.com