7 advance to VOTM grand finale this Saturday

The stage is set for the Voices of the Marianas Singing Competition grand finale and the final seven contestants are gearing up for the last show of this season on Saturday at the Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan in Garapan.

Advancing to the grand finale are Justin Tubera, Jason Lizama, Johanna Mogar, Alyana Rotap, Karlymae Lizama, Franko Deleon Guerrero, and Donnarose Santiago as all seven will be going head-to-head to win this year’s Voices of the Marianas.

VOTM and Save the Music Foundation-CNMI sergeant-at-arms Dwayne Castro applauded the contestants, sharing that they have truly left him speechless during the semifinals.

“I would hate to be in the judges’ shoes right now, because, honestly, it’s a pretty tight competition. You know, throughout the elimination round, I thought I had figured it out. But looking forward to the grand finale, I have no idea what to expect because the last round just kind of left me speechless. These guys came to compete and it shows with how they are strategizing this through. With each elimination round, they just keep getting better and better.”

Castro said this sets up a grand finale for the ages.

“They surprised me the last round and I feel like they got a lot more to show. I think they’ve been playing it safe the past two eliminations, until now. With the grand finale, I think they’re going to lay it all on the table for the judges. I don’t want to speak too much on every individual contestant right now, I would like the community to be able to see it for themselves.”

He shared that while he’s proud of all their contestants and the journey they have taken so far, VOTM was especially proud of their student contestants.

Castro said that they had several high school students who had auditioned for the competition, with Marianas High School’s Lizama, Rotap, and Tubera making it into the grand finale.

“We really have young contenders right now and they’re surprising everybody. So, for us at the Voices of the Marianas, seeing more of the youth coming out was one of our main goals for the Voices of the Marianas and Save the Music Foundation. We’re really happy that we see a lot of the younger generation coming out and competing. And they are doing really good! They went from the audition round to the elimination round, and now in the grand finale. And, yeah, they keep bringing new stuff to the table, just doing a great job, so yes, we are very proud of them”

He shared that the grand finale will begin at 1pm this Saturday at Crowne Plaza. “There will be no available refreshments inside the building this time, but the venue is going to be selling their own food outside the door.”

Castro said that tickets are currently on sale at $15 per person with 5 years old and under free. To buy a ticket he encouraged community members to contact any of the following numbers: (670) 783-1541, (670) 285-2507, (670) 287-5135, and (670) 287-5862 or check their Instagram and Facebook accounts @voicesofthemarianas.