Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Her audition: Cathia, 19, of Bronx, N.Y., auditioned with “No Me Doy Por Vencido,” singing the entire audition in Spanish. Usher and Shakira turned around mid-song, soon followed by Blake Shelton, who couldn’t resist her big voice. Cathia joined Team Shakira.

Battle round: Lost to Mary Miranda singing “Antes de Las Seis, but was stolen by Team Usher.

Knockout Round: She sang “Mr. Know It All” and pulled out an upset, defeating Ryan Innes, who performed “I Don’t Wanna Be.”

Live Playoffs: Sang “I Who Have Nothing,” but failed to advance when Usher decided to use his save on Josiah Hawley instead.

Her background: We learned that Cathia’s mom moved to the U.S. from El Salvador at age 19 so her daughters could have a better life. Cathia is a student at Pace University, studying music business, and says she’s been fortunate to land an internship at a New York recording studio, meaning she can record music for free. Of her mother, she says: “She made her own dreams come true, and that’s a great example for me.”

On picking Shakira: “From the beginning, I always said Shakira was the person I would pick because I’m such a huge fan. It was so perfect. When she turned around and she was smiling, my heart just warmed up. I knew that I would pick her. But for a split second, I was like, ‘Usher, you’re very convincing.’ But Shakira is doing what I want to do in the industry, which is being able to cross over in the American market, but be loved in the Latin market.”

What the show didn’t show: Known as the “little girl with the big voice” according to her Facebook page, Cathia (Catherine Ochoa) is a graduate of the LaGuardia Performing Arts High School (the “Fame” School), and has performed at the Apollo Theatre and Carnegie Hall. In fact, just a year ago, she wound up in an amateur competition at the Apollo. She credits the fact that she’s performed so often with her ability to stay calm during her audition for The voice. She also plays piano and guitar. In a conference call interview, Cathia said she’ll probably sing her next song in English to show she can do it, but didn’t rule out returning to singing in Spanish at some point if the opportunity arises.

Quote: “I really want to be that performer — not just a singer — that they (fans) can’t take their eyes off of, which is exactly what Shakira has. When I watch her, I can’t stop looking at her. I know I have a really unique and big voice, but I want people to know me as a performer, not just a singer.”

On iTunes: Her audition song, No Me Doy por Vencido.

Keeping up with Cathia:
Twitter: @cathiasings
Facebook
YouTube Channel

“You and I” (Lady Gaga cover)

“Mr. Know It All” (Kelly Clarkson cover)