Sister Cristina wins The Voice of Italy
Sicilian nun Sister Cristina blew away the three judges of The Voice Italy in a blind audition last March. Two months later and after gaining millions of Italian voters, the habit-wearing, crucifix-wielding nun bagged a record contract with Universal after her victorious win last night.
The 25-year-old rebel-turned-nun recited an ‘Our Father’ after she was announced winner of The Voice Italy: ‘I want Jesus to come in here. My presence here is not up to me, it’s thanks to the man upstairs!’
For her final song, the nun sang ‘Beautiful That Way’ from the Oscar hit ‘La Vita è Bella’ (Life is Beautiful)
Sister Cristina drew plenty of ears with her powerful voice and for her unlikely song choices like ‘Girls Just Want To Have Fun’ and ‘Time of My Life’ from the film ‘Dirty Dancing.’ It’s said that even the Vatican is watching her: culture head Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi once tweeted ‘If we commit injustice, God will leave us without music.’
The nun had also sung alongside music greats like Kylie Minogue, Ricky Martin and Alicia Keys, who called Sister Cristina’s performance ‘pure energy.’
But Sister Cristina remains humble despite her newfound success, describing herself as a ‘humble servant’ and that ‘I’m not here to start a career but because I want to impart a message.’ She said she is only following Pope Francis’ orders to bring the Church closer to ordinary people.
Sister Cristina revealed she used to rebel against religion until she auditioned for a musical about Saint Angela Merici, the founder of the Ursuline Order. She became a novice in 2009 and worked for 2 years with poor children in Brazil before she took her final vow.
Not everyone sympathises with the talented nun. Italian representative to Eurovision Emma Marrone called the nun’s performances ‘an insult to showbusiness.’ But critics may soon die down once Sister Cristina returned to ‘normal life,’ a plan she had already announced.
She hinted that she doesn’t want a career in music and prefers going back to her order in Milan, where she can sing ‘with young people in church and in schools.
‘I will continue to sing wherever the Lord wants.’