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From Humble Beginnings to $100 Million Prize: 11-Year-Old Singer Wins Argentine Talent Show
🇦🇷 Argentina /Culture & Society

From Humble Beginnings to $100 Million Prize: 11-Year-Old Singer Wins Argentine Talent Show

From La Nación · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Outcome reported
  • 11-year-old Margarita Ponce won the first season of "Es mi sueño," a talent show, taking home $100 million pesos.
  • Ponce, the youngest finalist, captivated judges and audiences with her emotional performances of folk classics.
  • She was compared to the legendary Mercedes Sosa for her pure and profound singing style.

At just 11 years old, Margarita Ponce has been crowned the winner of the inaugural "Es mi sueño" talent competition, securing a prize of $100 million pesos. The young singer from Salta, the youngest finalist in the show's history, captivated both the public and the judges with her renditions of folk music classics.

It is an honor to be compared to Mercedes Sosa.

— Margarita PonceThe young winner spoke to LA NACION after being crowned champion.

Ponce's performances were noted not only for her vocal talent and pitch but for her ability to evoke deep emotion, connecting with viewers and commanding the stage. Her win was announced by host Guido Kaczka at the Teatro Ópera. She secured 32.09 percent of the votes, celebrating with her family who had supported her journey from Salta to Buenos Aires.

Margarita Ponce is the winner of Es mi sueño.

— Guido KaczkaThe host announced the winner from the stage at the Teatro Ópera.

Judges praised her unique ability to imbue classic songs with a childlike purity while simultaneously delivering profound emotional depth. "It is an honor to be compared to Mercedes Sosa," Ponce stated in an interview with LA NACION. Judge Abel Pintos expressed his admiration, calling her "a tender and beautiful little girl" and vowing to be a lifelong fan.

You are a tender and beautiful little girl who, when you start singing, a world comes with you. It is incredible that songs that have so many years and say so many things, when you sing them, they seem like children's songs because of the purity, and at the same time you give them that depth... It is very beautiful and especially emotional to see you here.

— Abel PintosJudge Abel Pintos praised Ponce's performance after her final presentation.

Ponce's mother, Cecilia González, had prepared her daughter for potential disappointment, but ultimately, the public's choice was clear. The young singer's journey began after her cousin alerted her mother to a casting call in Salta. Despite a severe cough on the day of the audition, Ponce insisted on performing and delivered a flawless audition, ultimately leading her to the program's finale and victory.

It is a pleasure to listen to you. I will be your fan forever and I will go to all your shows when you grow up. I will not miss any, because I have no doubt that your talent will not stop growing.

— Natalie PérezJudge Natalie Pérez expressed her admiration for the young singer.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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