Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Kayla Banham from The Voice Season 23

The Voice returns to NBC on Monday, March 6.

Here’s more about Kala.

* She’s Mikala Banham from Windermere, Fla., a graduate of the Osceola County School for the Arts.

* She’s also a 2021 graduate of the University of Florida with a bachelor of science degree in public relations.

* While attending the university, she became an integral member of a performing a capella group called Gestalt.

* Gestalt took first place in the south quarterfinals of the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella in 2019, a competition that featured top groups from throughout the southeast. Kala was named outstanding soloist.

* Gestault also released a live album called “Body Memory” in 2019, as well as a single called “Blackout.”

* “Blackout” won a 2020 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award for best gospel song. Kala was named runner-up in a best collegiate solo category for her vocal on the song.

* Said Kala in a 2020 Facebook post: “Coming to UF in 2017, I didn’t think I would be interested in a cappella, but it has been undoubtedly been the most inspiring and rewarding experience of my college career.”

* Oh, she sings solo too. Just head to her TikTok, where she has nearly 2,500 followers for evidence of that. She also has snippets of a couple of originals there. Check out Kala’s lovely tone on the original below.

* She’s been singing for a while too. From 2014 to 2017, she was worship leader at the Kensington Church of Orlando and there’s a 2015 YouTube video of Kala covering “Try” by Colbie Calliat as a duet with her mother.

* Kala calls herself a “cat lady” on Instagram. And one of her TikToks features her serenading her cat Haru. He sits rather attentively by her shoulder through the entire performance.

* And in one of her most recent Instagram posts, Kala says she’s been trying to get on The Voice for years. “So to say I finally made it to that stage is an absolute dream come true.”

Kala on social media:
Instagram
TikTok
Twitter
Facebook
YouTube

@kalabanham used yesterday’s #wordle to write a song (I know “blues” isn’t a good starting word, I like a challenge ok??) #songwritingchallenge #singersoftiktok ♬ original sound – Kala Banham