By Mike Renzella
The Haldimand Press
CALEDONIA—Brother-sister singing sensations and Caledonia residents Esther and Ezekiel Mutesasira have returned home following their whirlwind time as contestants on Canada’s Got Talent.
While the duo was knocked out of the competition in the semi-finals, they left the judges, and audiences around the country, wowed after an emotional performance of Calum Scott’s song ‘You Are The Reason’. All three judges on stage, Howie Mandel, Lilly Singh, and Jason Priestley, were visibly emotional throughout the song, which was dedicated to their mother, Julie.
From Uganda, the duo was first seen on ‘East Africa’s Got Talent’ in 2019, where they ultimately won the competition with a rendition of Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey’s single ‘When You Believe’. For the feat, they received a congratulatory message from Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.
After relocating to Canada and settling in Caledonia, the duo’s mother decided to sign them up for the Canadian version of the show.
Despite accomplishing so much in such a short amount of time, the pair remain grounded. Esther, 17, says, “I love music, I love cooking, and dancing,” while her brother Ezekiel, 14, loves “singing, playing soccer, I am a Christian, I love dancing, too.”
They are both fans of performers who sing for the rafters, with Esther listing Celine Dion and Beyoncé, while Ezekiel prefers Jennifer Hudson and Jason Derulo.
“Our mom saw the commercial and signed us in. The audition process was tense and we got nervous,” said the pair on appearing on Canada’s Got Talent. “The only option was to tough it out.”
They needn’t have worried, as their show-stopping performance of Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown’s ‘No Air’ more than secured a spot in the competition: “We felt excited and very happy that we were going to appear on national TV.”
“We met good talent backstage; we were overwhelmed by such incredible talents. Meeting Howie was our best moment,” said the pair, who had to stop on stage following their audition as Mandel requested a photo. “All the hosts were so good and it was a big, huge opportunity. We felt blessed.”
Videos of their performances on the stage have since gone viral, with their ‘You’re The Reason’ performance garnering around a million views on YouTube.
“We felt good being viewed by a million viewers,” said the siblings, but they said they are taking their newfound fame in stride. “Canada’s Got Talent was a big privilege for us; we thanked God for the opportunity.”
The duo, who were separated from their mother for nearly five years after she was forced to leave their country after coming out as a gay woman while she was married to a pastor, feel fortunate and lucky to be reunited today.
“We were far from her for a long time,” they explained, calling her “the reason” behind their performing ambitions and musical talent.
As for what’s next, Esther and Ezekial are looking forward to “bigger stages, opportunities, and collaborations with big artists.”
