In 2019, Eva Jumatate entered the Swedish talent show Talang, which is the country’s edition of the Got Talent series. Astonishingly, she was just ten years old. Jumatate, who was Swedish-born to Romanian parents, showed no signs of nerves as she took to the stage. She performed a version of the pop ballad “Never Enough” from the 2017 film The Greatest Showman. The video of her performance has been viewed over ten million times on YouTube.
As soon as Jumatate sang her first line, the crowd whooped joyfully, realising they were witnessing something special. By the end of the song, all of the judges were on their feet applauding the astonishing talent and confidence of the child on the stage. The judge Alexander Bard was the first to give his verdict. “A ten-year-old shouldn’t be able to do this,” he said in amazement. He gave her an emphatic “yes” for her to go through to the next round.
What happened next was even more amazing. The judge, Bianca Ingrosso, could not contain her delight at what she had witnessed. She described the “butterflies” in her stomach and then said it “may have been the best performance [she had] ever seen”. In a great display of drama, she slammed her hand down on the Golden Buzzer, meaning Jumatate could go straight through to the final. On the side of the stage, Jumatate’s family leapt up and down with joy before running on to hug her.
Ingrosso then ran to the stage to give the 10-year-old her congratulations. The judges were all visibly moved by the success of the performance, hugging each other and struggling to regain their composure. As the confetti rained onto the stage, this was a life-changing moment for the young star. When interviewed afterwards, she looked stunned at having received the Golden Buzzer and booking her place in the final.
In the competition’s final, Jumatate performed a version of “Shallow” from the 2018 film A Star is Born, which starred Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. The judges were impressed with her song choice and performance, though she didn’t go on to win the final.
Reflecting on her run in the competition, Jumatate commented that the reaction she gained around the world was “truly overwhelming”. She continues to sing and is surely destined to be a star in the future. If you would like to see more from Eva Jumatate, you can visit her official website for more information.