Malakai Bayoh

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Malakai Bayoh is a British singer. He is best known for his operatic performances and his 2023 Universal album Golden.

Contents

Education

Malakai now attends The Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School. [1] While the school is a state school, its location in London’s wealthy Holland Park area has led to the school being criticised as elitist. [2]

Career

Performances

Malakai Bayoh began his operatic career with a role in The Magic Flute by Mozart. [3] In 2022, he played the role of Oberto in the Handel opera Alcina at the Royal Opera House in London. [4]

Recordings

In December 2022, Classic FM released a recording of a Bayoh duet with former child prodigy singer Aled Jones, singing the Christmas song O Holy Night together. [5] In 2023, Bayoh's debut album Golden was released through Universal and reached the number one spot on the UK Classical Music Charts. [6] The album also reached number one on Billboard's Traditional Classical Albums chart. [7] He also sang on the soundtrack for the motion picture Maestro . [8]

Britain's Got Talent

In 2023, Malakai Bayoh managed to advance to the final of the sixteenth season of Britain's Got Talent , though he missed out on a spot in the final three. [6]

Malakai’s appearance on Britain's Got Talent led to some criticism. The show has been criticised for presenting already famous acts as if they were amateurs. [9] In Malakai’s case, he was presented as an unknown talent whose talent was discovered by his mother at home. It has since been revealed that Malakai was a well established chorister in the renowned choir of St. George’s Cathedral, Southwark in London. [1] The choir at St. George’s have performed the BBC’s flagship Christmas Eve midnight mass in the past. [10]

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References

  1. 1 2 "Who is Malakai Bayoh? Get to know classical music's new star treble". Classic FM. Retrieved 2025-02-03.
  2. Butt, Riazat; correspondent, religious affairs (2011-02-02). "Catholic archbishop steps into Cardinal Vaughan school row". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2025-02-03.{{cite news}}: |last2= has generic name (help)
  3. "BGT star Malakai Bayoh on the successful start to his career". Great British Life.
  4. Paul Glynn (November 9, 2022). "Royal Opera House bans audience member for heckling child actor". BBC.
  5. Noah A. McGee (December 28, 2022). "Young Black Opera Singer, Who Shocked the Internet With His High Note, Was Once Heckled - Malakai M. Bayoh had everyone on social media talking about his performance of "O'Holy Night."". The Root.
  6. 1 2 Emma Loffehagen (August 1, 2023). "Britain's Got Talent teen star Malakai Bayoh reaches number one with debut album". Evening Standard.
  7. Xander Zellner (August 3, 2023). "10 First-Timers on Billboard's Charts This Week: Cut Worms, Malakai, Parannoul, Bandmanrill & More". Billboard.
  8. Herbie Russell (July 10, 2023). "Kennington's fourteen-year-old opera sensation who reduced Britain's Got Talent judges to tears". Southwark News.
  9. "Britain's Got Talent: Acts judged 'on merit' after viewer backlash". BBC News. 2022-04-19. Retrieved 2025-02-03.
  10. "BBC One - Midnight Mass, 2015 - Midnight Mass from St George's Cathedral, Southwark". BBC. Retrieved 2025-02-03.