Meet Parijita Bastola – The First Nepali-American On ‘The Voice’
South Asians across the globe may become the who’s who of Fortune 500 companies or world leaders, but when 17-year-old Parijita Bastola from Severna Park, Maryland, sang on ‘The Voice’, everyone turned around to listen.
It was clear from the jump that Parijita Bastola’s blind audition was special. Performing Labrinth’s “Jealous,” the first-ever Nepali-American on the show earned an immediate turn from John Legend, followed shortly after by Gwen Stefani, and Camila Cabello. Blake Shelton was the last to turn, but you could tell even he was moved by the performance. Legend and Cabello stood up. Stefani was near tears (as was Cabello), and Shelton had a warm, reverent expression on his face the entire time. They all knew Bastola was unique and deserved the “four-chair turn.”
And they told her as much during their deliberations. “That was probably my favorite song that anybody has sung so far and the way you did it was masterful,” Cabello said. “I had goosebumps [throughout] my whole body.”
Stefani told Bastola, “You’re so in touch with your heart,” while Legend added, “The best artists are able to bring the music of their culture and of their roots into the wider global landscape of music. I think your voice is that kind of transcendent voice.”
Lastly, Shelton said, “I know good and well I’m in over my head here, but it doesn’t mean I’m also not as big of a fan of yours as everyone else here. There is nobody else like you on my team.”
The only four-chair turn of the night, Bastola let the judges fight it out for her and even gifted each with Rudraksha beads from Nepal, which she placed around each of the panelists’ necks.
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She has a band named “Bastola Band” and shared during the audition that ‘The Voice’ was her family’s favorite show and that they even closed their restaurant on Mondays to watch it.
Bastola chose Team Legend, and we can’t wait to see where the competition takes her.
