Rose Fostanes, the Filipina caregiver whose voice has taken Israel by storm, has won the televised singing competition “X-Factor Israel.”
With her renditions of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way,” Alicia Keys’ “If I Ain’t Got You,” and Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams” she trumped three other finalists on Tuesday.
During a few weeks as a contestant on the reality show, the 47-year-old was propelled from anonymous caregiver for an ailing Tel Aviv woman to national stard, giving a face to the country’s many migrant workers.
“Before nobody recognized me, nobody knew me. But now everybody, I think everybody, in Israel knows my name. And it is very funny,” Fostanes said in an interview with the Associated Press last week.
It bodes well that she’s appreciating the spotlight, since Tuesday’s win will make sure that she’ll stay there for the foreseeable future.
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