The London schoolboy talks about how his life has changed after receiving Simon Cowell’s golden buzzer on Britain’s Got Talent.
“One of the best voices I’ve ever heard of someone your age” is high praise to receive from anyone, but to hear it from music mogul Simon Cowell following a Britain’s Got Talent audition is a special moment.
This was the among the compliments schoolboy Malakai Bayoh, aged 13, was flooded with after he took to the stage earlier this year to perform an angelic rendition of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Pie Jesu, which earned him a standing ovation and a coveted golden buzzer from Cowell himself.
After watching the audition from home, Lord Lloyd-Webber even shared his own admiration as he tweeted: “Dear Malakai, huge congratulations. I was incredibly moved by your stunning performance.”
Recalling back to the moment that changed his life, Malakai admits: “I couldn’t really believe it – it was just shocking.”
Were there nerves before he stepped out to perform in front of thousands? “I was just really happy and excited that I got through to the semi finals”, says the singer who is now 14 years old.
“And I just felt really relieved because before I actually auditioned there was a lot of filming and a lot of things that built up to it so I was relieved that it was finally over.”
As much as the chorister was elated with the positive reception, he reveals his motivation to get the golden buzzer was potentially more spurred on by his mother promising to give him the day off school so he could sleep and play video games if he achieved it.
He won over the hearts of the judges and viewers on the ITV talent show further with his renditions of Puccini’s O Mio Babbino Caro in the semi-final and a cover of Caruso in the grand finale.
Despite achieving such praise and becoming a recognisable face for many, Malakai has remained a laid-back teenager who is taking it all in his stride.
“Life has mostly been the same but more people notice me on the street and ask for pictures, but other than that it’s mostly the same as it was,” he reflects.
“It’s not as hard as I thought (it would be), it’s just a bit odd. Like when you go to school and people are like ‘Oh, I saw you on the news’.”
He is still very much living his everyday life as a schoolboy alongside his music commitments, so much so that our initial chat had to be rearranged as he was on a school trip.
Malakai assures me his family and friends have been supportive of him over the last few whirlwind months, as well as keeping him humble.
It was his mother who first pointed him in the direction of singing as she encouraged him to join the choir at their church, St George’s Cathedral in London, when he was seven years old as his elder sister was already a member.
He recalls that this was the first place where he starting recognising his talent as “after a few weeks into the cathedral choir a lot of people would tell me ‘Oh, you have a nice voice’.”
Malakai joined the state school Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School in west London and began singing with its acclaimed choir Schola Cantorum.
Through performing with Schola Cantorum, he developed his solo abilities and choral skills for concert performances.
The classical singer made his operatic debut at the age of 12 when he performed Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute, and last November he stunned audiences at the Royal Opera House with his performance as Oberto in Handel’s Alcina.
Malakai explains that he became hooked on pursuing music seriously after he took part in a few operas.
“It was just really fun to do,” he says with an endearing boyish simplicity as he reflects on why he loves performing.
“It’s nice to sing because it makes people really emotional.”
He has now signed a record deal with Universal Music, the home of legendary opera singer Pavarotti, and has released his debut album Golden.
It contains all of the songs which helped secure him praise on Britain’s Got Talent as well as other classical hits.
“Recording it was fun to do but some days it could be tiring,” Malakai admits as he recalls how he recorded the album around his busy school schedule.
Some of his music teachers assisted him when selecting the tracks but he explains he really just wanted songs which are “nice to listen to”.
Last month, the album soared up the ranks to claim the number one spot in the classical artist albums chart.
He has also won the attention of Hollywood and will sing on the soundtrack of the forthcoming movie Maestro, a biographical film about the life of Leonard Bernstein which is being directed by and starring Bradley Cooper.
His plan for the future is clear in his mind as he hopes to “do more operas and make more albums”, as long as he continues to focus on his exams at the request of his mother.
Before that, he will perform four dates across August and September at the Proms Spectacular alongside the 50-piece Orion Symphony Orchestra.
He will also be jetting off to Japan with some of his fellow school choir members during their summer holiday break to perform a number of shows across the country.
“I think it’ll be really exciting to do because I’m showing my music to the whole country”, he says with a youthful fearlessness you wish you could bottle.
Does he feel nervous ahead of the shows? “Not really nervous, I just feel really excited.”
Malakai Bayoh’s debut album Golden is out now.
