Who is Maria Seiren? 'Japan's Got Talent' winner all set to show her gender-fluid vocal ranges in 'AGT: Fantasy League'
TOKYO, JAPAN: Maria Seiren is a well-known name in Japan. She is an Opera singer who bagged her fame by winning 'Japan's Got Talent' Season 1.
Maria is one of the 40 artists who will be appearing in 'America's Got Talent: Fantasy League.' Joining the 'Got Talent' franchise, Maria will be surprising the judges with her ability to sing both in male and female voices.
Maria has been doing Opera for over a decade now. The singer is often seen dressed up in fancy Japanese costumes and donning big and eye-catching head accessories for her stage performances.
'Japan's Got Talent' winner's name has the capacity of holding both good and evil in itself. The word Maria is derived from the Virgin Mary and her last name Seiren comes from a mythological Greek figure that originally meant winged demon who sings to deceive people.
Maria is also the director of Mondoparallelo Opera Company. In 2019, the singer released her debut album named 'The New Me' on Spotify.
After winning 'Japan's Got Talent,' Maria claimed, "This is the start, not the goal. I think I'm going to challenge the world by growing more without indulging in winning."
'AGT: Fantasy League': Opera singer Maria Seiren is inspired by her mother
Maria started growing her interest in singing when she was in high school. She often used to take part in her school choir.
When asked who was her inspiration to start taking an interest in singing, Mari said to Tokyo Weekender that it was her mother who inspired her when she was young.
She said, "My mother would often sing to me when I was younger, and she generally sang traditional Japanese songs. So, my love of singing came from that, but it wasn’t connected to opera."
Moreover, she always liked the Vienna Boys Choir. So, as a kid, she used to sing in a high soprano style. From there started her interest in Opera.
'AGT: Fantasy League': Maria Seiren wants her LGBTQIA+ audience to enjoy her performance as well
Since, Maria sings in both voices, in a way she also represents gender fluidity. When asked what her singing means to the LGBTQIA+ community, Maria said, "I know I do, and I hope my audiences can enjoy that sense of freedom in my work."
Claiming that she doesn't engage herself too closely with the community, the Opera singer said, "I don’t think anyone should put a border around themselves and say that they are either one personality type or another, one gender or one sexuality."
It is further to be seen whether Maria will be winning 'AGT: Fantasy League' as well.
'AGT: Fantasy League' is all set to premiere on January 1 at 8 pm ET on NBC.
