AT only eight, Quah Xin En, a Penangite, won the gold medal at the World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA) that recently took place in California, USA.
She won the grand prize under the ‘Rock’ category after singing the famous ‘Rolling in the Deep’ song by Adele.
Xin En’s victory was a testament to her remarkable vocal prowess as she overcame 50 participants from 17 countries in the said category.
During an exclusive interview by Buletin Mutiara at Xin En’s residence in Simpang Ampat yesterday (Aug 16), her father, Quah Ban Kheng, who prefers to be addressed as Dylan, said that his daughter had developed her passion for singing when she was four.
“She would randomly sing songs and we could see that she did it almost effortlessly all the time.
“So, we decided to enrol her into a singing class, and thereafter, she participated in several contests locally, which we thought was important for her exposure.
“Before WCOPA, she participated in the Malaysia Championships of Performing Arts (MCOPA) early this year.
“There, she sang ‘Bukan Cinta Biasa’, a popular Malay song originally sung by Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza Tarudin. Not only that, but she also went on to win the gold medal as well.
“It gave us faith that it was time we brought her to a bigger platform to expose her talent, and that’s how the idea to register her under WCOPA came about,” Dylan said during the interview.
The week-long championship, held from July 29 to Aug 5, took place at the Hyatt Regency Orange County Hotel.
Dylan travelled to California with his wife and youngest daughter to witness Xin En’s performance.
During the interview, he thanked Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow and the Penang Tourism and Creative Economy (Petace) office, which was previously helmed by the former state executive councillor, Yeoh Soon Hin, for their contributions to support him and his family’s travel and accommodation expenses.
Meanwhile, another Penangite and dancer, Goay Lian Lian, 36, won the gold medal under the ‘Hip Hop’ category during the WCOPA.
Goay said she has been dancing for 30 years and the wealth of experience garnered over the years has helped her to only grow and perform better.
“I would like to thank Dylan for helping me source funds to support my travel and accommodation expenses.
“This championship was a huge breakthrough for me, and I hope to perform better and continue to strive for even greater heights,” she said.
The triumphs of Xin En and Goay at WCOPA not only celebrate their individual talents but also stand as a shining example of the exceptional talents that Penang has to offer on the global stage.
Story by Kevin Vimal and Ammar Mikhail Aamer
Pix by Noor Siti Nabilah Noorazis