Mississauga girl makes it to CNE Rising Star semi-finals

A Mississauga girl with a passion for soulful singing made it to the semi-finals of the CNE Rising Star Talent Competition.

Kalia Stapleton who just turned eight years old today (Aug. 24), has a “huge and beautiful voice that elicits emotional connections with her audience,” says her mother Selena Stapleton.

Kalia’s passion for singing started when she was very young.

“She’s been singing, literally, since she was one year old,” says Selena.

She would pretend to perform on a stage, singing Disney songs and then later more grown-up music such as Sweet Child of Mine. 

“We just knew that she loved to sing,” says Selena.

Her father Patrick said she started memorizing song lyrics just as she was learning to read, and she taught herself the lyrics to Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah on her own. While they both like music and play it often at home, neither Selena nor Patrick are musicians.

When the pandemic hit, Selena and Patrick decided to find singing lessons for Kalia. Family friends were neighbours of singer Suzie McNeil who is also from Mississauga but is currently operating a music school with musician Andrew Mactaggart called Burlingtone Music Academy in Burlington.

Now Kalia’s favourite artists are Suzie McNeil, Olivia Rodrigo and Alicia Keys.

After taking lessons virtually during lockdowns and then in person, McNeil and Mactaggart supported Kalia to perform many times in public once places started to re-open.

“Since then, she has really blossomed, both of them work so well together,” says Selena.

She is small and sweet looking but her voice is powerful, Selena and Patrick say.

“I don’t know where it comes from,” Selena says.

Last year, she sang a solo performance (Shallow) in front of thousands at the Burlington Sound of Music festival. She has also performed with industry professionals at a Canada Day festival, a Christmas market, and she sings regularly at a Beatles brunch event.

Kalia also hosted her very own 10-song set concert (with Andrew Mactaggart as guitarist) at Shore Grill and Grotto in Port Credit in July this year. And she will perform at the Southside Shuffle in September.

Selena’s mother suggested entering the CNE Rising Star Talent Competition, as it was something Selena grew up watching. The competition is now in its 36th year.

They sent in a video of Kalia singing and hoped for the best — they were told there were a lot of submissions and not everyone could make it through. But they were invited to the first round on Aug. 20.

And then Kalia, singing Hallelujah, made it through to the semi-finals, which was a surprise.

“I didn’t know that was going to happen because there were a lot of other good singers,” Kalia says.

She will now head to the semi-finals for her age category (six to 12 years old), on Aug. 29. Winners will get cash prizes but Selena says they are just happy to have made it this far.

However, if she does win, Kalia says she would spend the winnings on professional music equipment such as a good microphone.

Kalia also has a little brother who sometimes likes to pretend to play the guitar, she says.

For now, Kalia is happy playing with her brother and getting up on stage to perform when she can. She also has started writing her own songs on the piano.

When asked why she likes singing, Kalia said: “Because it makes people happy and it makes me happy.”

@coversbykalia Kalia singing at her own show #hallelujah #leonardcohen #kidsinger #kidsinging #kidtalent #fypシ #foryou #foryoupage #singtok #singing #singingcovers ♬ original sound – Kalia