A star on her own
MANY can claim they have star potential, but only a few have real talent. For 13-year-old Amber Lily, talent is not a question. A pop and R&B singer and songwriter, who is also passionate about dancing and acting, this young lady has been chosen to be part of the third season of N.B.T. or Next Big Thing on Radio Disney and the Disney Channel.
N.B.T. is a daily multiplatform feature that launched the career of Hollywood Records recording artists Allstar Weekend and is now putting the spotlight on young recording artists like Amber and provides them with national broadcast and online exposure. In the course of 10 weeks, Radio Disney and Disney Channel audiences will be invited to look, listen and vote for their favorite artist. Throughout the 10-week period, fans will have a chance to vote for the N.B.T. featured artist each day followed by a week of open voting starting November 4. The winner will be announced on-air on December 3.
The showcase includes interviews and in-studio performances, featuring a new N.B.T. artist every two weeks. Amber will be featured until September 28. If she becomes the highest ranked artist, she will have the opportunity to have her single released by Disney Music Group and open for Allstar Weekend at a special holiday performance.
Although born in Los Angeles, Amber has lived most of her life with family and two dogs in the Bay Area. Her first performance was at age five where she impressed the audience at her elementary school talent in San Francisco. Since then, she has developed her love for singing and performing. Shortly after that, she began taking piano and voice lessons and started to pursue a singing career.
Amber worked on her first self-titled album when she was just 10 years old, which was released in 2008. It was from that experience that she came to love songwriting, using the lyrics to her songs to send positive and empowering messages. Her new songs 2 2 2 L8 and Next to You will be featured on Radio Disney and on the Disney Channel around the world.
However glamorous Amber’s road to stardom may sound, she remains grounded and very much a Filipino at heart. Her mother, Maria Elena "Malyn" Baduria, is a Filipino who was born and raised in Bicol. Just last May, Amber visited her mother’s hometown and had fun meeting her cousins, exploring Tagaytay and Nato Beach, shopping in Manila, and riding the padyak for the first time. In fact, her name "Lily" came from her grandmother, Lilia, who passed away before she was born.
Amber’s mother was the first in her family to travel abroad and came to the United States in 1986 and met Amber’s father, Eric, who is an American of Norwegian ancestry.
Still, Amber’s deep appreciation for her Filipino heritage may be credited to her lolo, Salvador Banduria, Sr., who came to the US in 1997 and helped raise her, teach her the alphabet and the Filipino culture. Sadly, Amber’s grandfather passed away last spring.
Support Amber by voting for her! Watch our for her interviews and in-studio performances this week until September 28. When voting opens, log on to RadioDisney.com or text NBT to DISNEY (347639).
( Published September 23, 2010 in Something Filipino Magazine p. 2 )
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