Rose Fostanes’ road to stardom

Photo: Facebook Page of Rose Fostanes

Rose Fostanes did it her way.

From being a caregiver, she is now the first grand winner of “X-Factor Israel.”

The way to stardom

At age 23, Fostanes was already working abroad. Apart from being a caregiver, she also worked at a bar in Tel Aviv during her free time.

According to the 47-year-old singer, it was her Israeli friend who encouraged her to pursue her passion for singing.

Though she admitted that she almost lost hope after experiencing a setback in the singing competition “Kokhav Nolad” (A Star Is Born) a few years back—she decided to go on—because of the people who supported her and believed in her talent.

Warm welcome

When she arrived in Manila last Feb.26, Wednesday, she received a warm welcome—fit for a star who brought awesome pride and inspiration to the country.

With all the attention she has been receiving now, Fostanes doesn’t consider herself a star. The Taguig-based singer believes that she’s still the same person who once struggled to find a working visa in Israel.

The grand performance

“If you will watch the video of my finale performance again (she sang Frank Sinatra’s “My Way”), you’d see me shaking my head because at the back of my mind I was very worried,” Fostanes said.

And no—she’s not really worried about her performance—but with her working visa which was about to expire. While on stage, she was telling herself that she would still want to report to her employer—win or lose.

But as she went to emerge as the grand champion of the inaugural season of “X-Factor Israel,” her employer chose to free her so she can sing professionally.

Her new life

With the help of Israel’s Interior Minister Gideon Saar, Fostanes has already acquired an entertainer’s visa, which now allows her to continue her singing career in Israel. At the moment, her schedule is filled with consecutive concerts.

When she’s asked what’s the difference between being a caregiver and a singer, she said, “It’s more tiring, what I do now, compared to when I was a caregiver. After you care for your employer, you can rest, but now, there are rehearsals to go to.”

Nonetheless, she is very grateful for all the blessings she has been receiving. Three years from now, she is hoping that she will have her own trademark as a professional singer.

This was her advice to Filipinos who want to follow her path: “Whatever talent we Filipinos may have, we should not be shy to share it. We have what it takes to compete with the world. Go ahead and do it, because you have nothing to lose by trying,” she ended.