Australian Idol contestant Wanwue, who was born in West Africa, credits her late Aunt Grace as the reason her family was able to build a life in Australia – and, ultimately, the reason she’s now chasing her dreams on stage.
“I moved to Australia when I was four,” the 21-year-old tells TV WEEK. “We moved in with my aunty, and she housed all of us. She was the bread-winner, helping everyone get started. Every ounce of success I have, I always make sure I praise her.”
Grace was the backbone of the family and when she died it “broke down and crumbled”, Wanwue recalls. “Family members didn’t really speak for a few years. Then, when my grandma passed away last year, our family came together again. We’ve had too many losses.”
Now a soulful singer and waitress who’s made a home in Melbourne, Wanwue grew up in government housing. When crime became a concern, her mum made the decision to send her teenagers to Ghana to reconnect with their roots.
“She told us we were going to Disneyland,” Wanwue says with a laugh. “Crime was really high within the African youth community here, and my mum didn’t want my brother to get caught up in that. She wanted to take us back overseas to see how we had lived – to be grateful for being here in Australia.
“It was challenging, fetching water from a well and showering in a bucket. But, when I came back to Australia, I really understood why I’m here and the goals I’m meant to achieve.”
Those goals? To become a musician and actor. With her powerful voice already making waves on Idol, Wanwue is closer than ever to honouring the woman who made it all possible.
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