Jona Marie Soquite (born April 13, 2003) is a Filipino singer who won the first season of The Voice Teens at the age of fourteen.
Life and career
Soquite was born on April 13, 2003, at Davao City, Philippines. In her youth, she competed in various singing contests held in her hometown.[1] Her father, Jonathan, who had trained her to sing since the age of seven, recalled that she had auditioned in past seasons of The Voice Kids.[2] Prior to her subsequent win on The Voice Teens, Soquite's family lived by the river, in a situation she described as "dangerous".[3]
In the finale, she was proclaimed as the winner of the season after receiving the most votes to win.[5][6] In an interview noted by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Soquite stated that she was aware of the negative comments targeted at her online, and she was happy that she "proven them wrong".[3] Soquite's semi-final performance of Whitney Houston's "The Greatest Love of All" earned her a nomination for the Awit Award for Performance by a New Female Artist.[7]
2017–present: Later activities
In 2021, Soquite performed in Viva Records' digital concert titled Arrival: The Next Chapter of OPM.[8] In 2022, Soquite performed at the inauguration of Vice President Sara Duterte, at Davao City.[9]
