AMAZING ISLA – A STAR IN THE MAKING
Local Women’s Maureen Coleman meets the little girl from north Belfast who is helping to raise greater awareness and acceptance of autism through her fabulous singing talent and ever-growing fan base.
She may be only 11 years old, but north Belfast singing sensation Isla McManus can already command a packed room and win over celebrities like former Boyzone member Shane Lynch and Ben Ofoedu of electronic act Phats and Small.
The pint-sized pop artist from the Shore Road – whose viral internet performances have earned her thousands of fans – recently entertained guests at the Local Women Business Awards, impressing the audience with an incredible rendition of the Mariah Carey classic All I Want for Christmas Is You.
And Isla, who has autism, couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw special guests Shane and Ben on their feet, cheering her on.
“It was amazing,” recalls the Integrated College Glengormley pupil.
“Mum told me who they were as I didn’t really know but they were both on their feet and clapping when I sang All I Want for Christmas Is You.
“They came over afterwards to say hello and told me they thought I did very well, which was nice.”
Shane and Ben are just the latest to add their names to Isla’s growing fan base. From a young age her family knew she had a special talent, but her star began to shine when she was eight and regularly busking in the Cornmarket shopping area of Belfast city centre. Passers-by, amazed at the big voice emanating from such a little girl, stopped in their tracks to hear her perform. This promoted mum Alana to set up a Facebook page called ‘Isla Loves to Sing’, which garnered up to 20,000 followers within its first few weeks.
Then a video of Isla performing Dance Monkey (Tones & I) at a Pride street party in Tiger’s Bay caught the attention of Cool FM’s Stuart Robinson, who helped boost her superstar status. The video clip went viral with fans posting comments from all over the world. To date it’s been viewed 1.8 million times with over 6,000 comments.
Mum Alana says: “Isla started singing at no age and we always thought she had a good voice but then I’m her mum, so I thought maybe I was biased!
“Then she was at a Pride street party at her aunt’s house and got up to sing Dance Monkey.
“I heard someone say that there was a wee girl who wanted to perform and I just knew it was her. Everyone thought she was brilliant.”
It was this performance which helped launch Isla into the public arena and she continues to post regularly on her Facebook page. Her musical taste is eclectic – she’s a huge fan of popstars Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo – and her repertoire includes songs by Elvis Presley, Teddy Swims, Amy Winehouse, Christina Perry, The Animals and Benson Boone. Some of the artists she has grown up hearing in her home while others are more contemporary. Isla herself prefers ‘rocky’ tunes as these suit her gravelly tones better.
Alana says: “She tries out different songs and she knows herself what work best for her.
“She is a little rockstar though. The rockier songs are the ones she really likes.”
The former Seaview Primary School pupil, who has a seven-year-old brother called Lincoln, was diagnosed with autism when she was four. Alana says her young daughter suffers from anxiety as a result, but that singing helps her.
“She can get very nervous before a performance but once she starts singing, she seems to forget those nerves,” she says.
Isla agrees.
“I always have a wee talk with myself. I’ll say ‘Isla, stay calm and breathe’.
“Once I’m on stage, I really enjoy it, though I’ll tell myself ‘Right Isla, you’re on stage now. Don’t make a fool of yourself’.
“I’m in my happy place when I sing, so even though I’m anxious beforehand, I’m fine once I start singing.”
To describe the last few years as a whirlwind would be an understatement for the youngster and her ‘mumager’.
Isla took part in Autism’s Got Talent, a UK showcase for talented children and adults with autism, getting a chance to perform in London. After that, she entered and won Lisburn’s Got Talent, walking away with a trophy and £200 of gift vouchers.
Then she was invited to take part in a local talent show in Co Meath, after her voice impressed the owner of a recording studio there, the Ivory Sessions. Isla won a keyboard, 500 Euro and a chance to record a track, but due to her many commitments, she hasn’t yet availed of that prize.
It was through this connection that Isla was then approached about auditioning for Junior Eurovision. Along with Alana, she travelled to Dublin to try out for the show, performing her version of Adele’s Easy on Me. Her performance was recorded for a special TV show for TG4 and Isla ended up coming in third place. Not to be deterred, she is now thinking of giving it another go.
“We have talked about it,” admits Alana.
“I’m thinking that maybe she just wasn’t ready. There was a lot of pressure on her as we recorded two shows over two days, the semi-final and final, and that was quite tiring.
“The Junior Eurovision team couldn’t have done any more for her. They were amazing. But maybe if we did it again, she could have her space as that would make her more comfortable.
“She did brilliantly though and me and her step-dad are so proud of her. And the girl who won is 14, so Isla still has time to go back and try it again, if she wants to.”
Isla is also working with musical theatre director, singer and principal of the Huish/Boe Academy James Huish, who offered to record her raw talent and help her shoot an accompanying music video free of charge. Alana says it was a fabulous experience for the budding young star who performed Benson Boone’s Beautiful Things and loved every moment of it. And for professional singer James, it was the ‘best time’ working with Isla, whom he had high praise for.
Taking to Instagram, James wrote: “What an incredible musician Isla is. Probably the most naturally gifted child I’ve ever worked on a musical project with.
“And what a gem of a human being too. I cannot wait to complete this project for the world to see.
“And one day, I will be able to say I worked with Isla McManus.”
The pinch-me moments don’t end there. Alana has also revealed that America’s Got Talent scouts reached out to her via Instagram after seeing some of Isla’s online performances.
“There’s been a lot of talk back and forth, but we haven’t been out to America or anything like that,” says Alana.
“We just have to wait and see.”
Isla, who will be back performing at the Local Women Sports awards this spring, is undoubtedly a star on the rise with a bright future ahead of her. But the little girl has also experienced the darker side of life in the public eye.
After uploading a performance of Everybody Loves an Outlaw’s I See Red, Isla faced a backlash over the adult theme of the song – an angry woman seeking revenge on her unfaithful lover. Outraged trolls said the lyrics were inappropriate for a child and let their feelings be known.
Alana, who protects her daughter from any negativity, says Isla chose the track herself because of its ‘rocky, edgy’ vibe and because she loves it.
“We don’t let Isla on social media and if we ever do find nasty or negative comments, we simply delete and block,” she says.
Isla’s younger brother Lincoln is autistic as well and Alana says she feels honoured that her daughter is using her platform to raise greater awareness.
“We are passionate about spreading awareness and acceptance,” she says.
“We are very open about it and truly believe that every child with autism has a special talent. Isla’s just happens to be singing.”
