Jamaican in finals of The Voice UK - Gevanni Hutton’s father is happy, nervous and ecstatic

After a seven-month hiatus, The Voice UK returned for its long-awaited semi-finals - originally slated for March 28 - last Saturday, where 18-year-old Jamaican Gevanni Hutton's performance earned him one of the final four spots.

He has had "many rivers to cross" to compete in Britain's biggest television singing competition, which is actually the title of the 1969 Jimmy Cliff classic that the rising star and his coach, seven-time Grammy Award winner Will.I.Am, selected for the recent eliminations.

Gevanni's father, Ian Hutton, told THE STAR that he is anxious for his son but at the same time proud of his growth.

"He is my winner," expressed Hutton, adding that whatever happens next, "I am sure he will do well."

For the semi-finals, each of the four coaches had two contestants with the exception of Will.I.Am, who had three: Gevanni, along with Lucy Calcines and the wild card, Doug Sure, making a total of nine contestants. At the end of the night, the teenager, who hails from Cypress Hall, Red Hills, St Andrew, was the one selected to move on to the next round.

The other three finalists are Johnny Brooks, from Ireland on Team Tom, Brooke Scullion also from Ireland on Team Meghan, and Blessing Chitapa who hails from Dudley in the UK on Team Olly.

Jamaican songstress Tessanne Chin won Season 5 of NBC's The Voice in the US as part of Adam Levine's team in 2013. Hutton knows that Gevanni could follow in her footsteps by winning The Voice UK which would see him earning a recording contract with Universal Music.

Happy, nervous, ecstatic

"I am happy, nervous, ecstatic ... all the feelings one can imagine a father would feel waiting to see how their child or children's dream become a reality. To be honest, I am not sure how the songs are selected other than that he and his coach get together and go over some options, but Many Rivers To Cross was more than fitting to Gevanni's journey," he said.

Gevanni, who was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at two years old, moved to London from Jamaica in 2018 to live with his father. Hutton had been living in London since 2002, a few months before his son was born. At present, Gevanni is not going to school because of his illness. Said Hutton, "it's too dangerous to have him travelling on the train for 45 minutes to an hour to and from school every day, now that they have returned into the classroom. We did initially do classes online but now, we have to see how we'll make it work."

The optimistic father said that is one way the pandemic has impacted them but it has also given the singer time to not only hone his talent but build up his confidence.

"His vocal flexibility and level at which he performs are better, the power of his voice is stronger, he is more confident which is obvious from the way he uses the stage ... he has transformed in more ways than one," he said. "A lot of persons are amazed by even the way he looks and acts, the maturity he is demonstrating."

He says it is easier to monitor Gevanni with the tasks related to competing in The Voice UK.

"We have worked out a routine to complete all that is asked of us, and what we want to work on as well (so) it doesn't feel as difficult as somebody without a plan. In rehearsals, it is a small group comprised of the contestants and their individual coaches, vocal trainers and the band, practising social distancing and all sanitisation protocols," Hutton said. "We would like to thank our Jamaican supporters at home and in the diaspora, who have been sending well wishes; they make us know they are right there with us throughout the competition, for that we are extremely grateful."