The Ballad Of Yulan: One Of The Youngest Finalists Of Malta’s Got Talent Has Been Stunning Audiences For Years
Thousands of people all around the island only got to know about Yulan Law, a tiny vocal powerhouse, a couple of weeks ago during her Malta’s Got Talent audition. But even at the young age of 10, she’s actually been stunning audiences for half a decade.
Yulan Law’s exotic-sounding name can be traced back to her Chinese grandfather… but she owes her nannu way more than just a unique stage name. “My grandfather owns a piano, and I always used to experiment on it,” the young girl had recounted during her first MGT audition earlier this year. “Then I just continued experimenting until I got here!”
In fact, while many might know her for her vocal chops, Yulan has also managed to develop a great love for the piano, and a skill on the instrument that’s only matched by her singing.
It didn’t take long for the young girl to start making an impact on the local scene with her impressive voice… even if she was only five years old.
By this time five years ago, Yulan was already taking home first-place trophies at singing shows, with Erseb’s Raise Your Voice competition being one of her very first victories. “The opportunities they gave me helped me grow,” the preteen would reflect half a decade later.
At aged seven, a tiny (er) Yulan featured on Sajf Ma’ Gaffiero 2017, singing a powerful version of Listen that saw her hit some glorious high notes.
Within the next couple of years, Yulan’s name would start cropping up in singing competitions across Malta… and beyond.
2020 might be the year most of Malta found out about Yulan, but if you want to find a really important 365-day stretch for the young singer, then you’re going to have to look at 2019.
That summer, a nine-year-old Yulan Law represented Malta at Russia’s New Wave Junior, a massive singing competition featuring 11 finalists from nine different countries.
Fans of the singing competition circuit will definitely recognise the name – winners of the New Wave Junior sometimes end up not only representing their nation at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, but even taking home the gold there! And this had recently happened to Malta, in fact, thanks to Gaia Cauchi.
While Yulan did not end up taking home the top spot at the New Wave Junior 2019, she stunned the Artek audience and judges alike with her powerful rendition of Almost There and made it to the finals.
For the final round – during which she ended up performing first – Yulan brought back equal parts sass and skill for a performance of Don’t You Worry About A Thing packed to the brim with attitude and blisteringly high notes.
“My biggest dream when I grow up is to open a music school where I can share my passion for music with other people,” Yulan had told the gathered audience before going on to deliver two impressive performances.
By the end of 2019, Yulan’s musical CV featured even more finals… some more universally recognisable.
By the time she turned 10 years old, Yulan had also become a finalist at the 2019 SanRemo Junior Malta and the 2019 Malta Junior Eurovision Song Contest.
But before she would entertain everyone on one of Malta’s most watched TV programmes, Yulan had one more accolade to add to her list, and it would also come in the second half of 2020.
Just last September, Yulan took part in the 2020 Malta Junior Eurovision Song Contest. But this time she wasn’t alone, taking to the stage with her childhood best friend Gianluca Cilia.
“You can make our dream come true,” Law told her fans and followers. “That of driving our parents crazy with our antics if this journey goes on!”
Even at such a young age, Yulan has already amassed quite the following on Facebook… and she makes sure to use that online presence to her advantage.
Last May, for example, Yulan had taken to Facebook to announce she’d be making and selling cotton-washable facemasks for just €3 and donating all the profits to Puttinu Cares.
And even though less people knew about her back then, she still managed to get a great response from many people, managing to raise a total of €600 after making and selling 200 masks!
Never losing sight of her love of music, Yulan also regularly shares random moments like a spot of “relaxation time” in her own style… at the piano.
Then, in October, it was time for Yulan to shine on a new stage and competition… Malta’s Got Talent.
The young girl enchanted and moved the judges in all of her performances, from Demi Lovato’s Anyone to Sia’s Chandelier.
In the third Semi Final which aired just last weekend, she was the judges’ choice to pass on to the finals… and it’s not hard to understand why when you rewatch her performance.
“Honestly, this was incredible,” Howard Keith told Yulan following her Semi Final performance. “I’m not very good at remembering names – or faces – but your audition was unforgettable. If I had another Golden Buzzer today, I would’ve given it to you.”
By the time she got to everyone’s TV sets thanks to Malta’s Got Talent, Yulan’s online presence shifted into overdrive… and it was mostly heartwarming posts and emotional videos thanking her followers.
“I have received an overwhelming number of messages and I would like to thank you all for your support,” Yulan posted earlier this October, thanking her amazing teachers at Vocal Booth Studios, “Nadia Vella and Glen Vella who have supported and guided me from Day One!”
Then, in one final video posted just this week, the young girl thanked all the people who had voted for her to get through to this Sunday’s Grand Finals.
“I promise that my performance will be 1,000% better next time,” Yulan said from her bed, beaming from ear to ear.
She might not be the youngest MGT finalist ever, but at 10 years old, Yulan is decades younger than most of her competitors this Sunday.
And yet, she brings years and years of experiences and skill to the table. She knows what it means to make it all the way to the Finals. She knows what it feels like to have to perform in front of thousands of people – and a couple of competitors. She’s been here before… but will she manage to make it all the way to the very end this time?
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