PETA STEWART
The first thing that strikes you about 17-year-old Paxton Fielies is her size. Then she talks and she’s a mature 25- year-old. Then she sings and you are struck dumb!
Paxton is headlining the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra’s Debut gala concert on 25 February 2018 with last year’s The Voice SA winner Craig Lucas, Heavenly Quartez and jazz pianist Kyle Shepherd.
For Paxton, 2017 was the year of the big risk.
“I knew it would be a year of sacrifice. I could concentrate on my education (I was in Grade 11), or I could break into the entertainment industry. I couldn’t do both. But I also knew that even if I struck gold I never only want to be just an Idols winner. I want to be much more.”
Paxton did strike gold. At 17, she was the youngest ever to win Idols in South Africa (maybe the world?), and it opened lots of doors for her. And she will go far, for she is a very determined, capable and talented young woman.
One door that closed for her was that of freedom, for winning has been a mixed blessing for this young woman from Bishop Lavis.
‘I never go anywhere without a bodyguard’
“While I love the fact that people love me and hug me, too many have come too close for comfort, hugging me, nearly choking me, that I never go anywhere without a bodyguard.”
It was her mom who encouraged her to enter Idols. “We have always had singing in the home, and at seven I was in the New Apostolic Church children’s choir. I sang in that until I was 13, when I was confirmed and had to leave. I decided to concentrate on school (Belhar High Music School) rather than join a choir for older people.”
“I have had so many opportunities and I will make good use of them all but one day I will also complete my education,” she says. She plans to study music, and used to play the violin until she was distracted by her schoolwork.
Amongst the opportunities is one to sing for the Queen of Sweden in April, and much as this is very exciting, what is just as exciting is that Paxton would like to present her with a copy of her first album, which will be made within the next two months.
The recording contract was part of her prize for winning Idols Season 13. Her head on the ground, she knows that her dream of international stardom cannot be realized until she has assembled a lot of material. She doesn’t write her own songs (she did before and she will again), but relies on people like her friend Craig Lucas to write for her.
They recorded Smother in 30 minutes and while that is something special, she cannot wait to sing it with Craig backed by a full symphony orchestra!
Who: CPO Debut Gala
What: Community brilliance with the CPO and Brandon Phillips, conductor; MC Nawaal Howa, Paxton Fielies, Craig Lucas, Kyle Shepherd, Heavenly Quartez, The Young Men, Emilio February, Talitha Luiters, Luke de Kock and Classic Men, dancers Anda Mthulu and Chelsea Hendricks, Janelle Visagie and Jarrad Ricketts, Zip Zap Circus, Four CPYO violinists
Where: Artscape Opera House, Foreshore, Cape Town
When: 25 February, 2018, 6pm
Info, book tickets: www.cpo.org.za/ Artscape Dial-a-Seat 021 421 7695,
http://bit.ly/DebutgalaFeb25
WS
