Coulda, woulda, shoulda. It’s easy to second-guess yourself when a choice you’ve made didn’t turn out as intended. Hawaii-born Cheesa Laureta isn’t playing that game.
Laureta was eliminated from "The Voice" April 24 when her team leader, Cee Lo Green, reluctantly dismissed her after an instant elimination competition against another Team Cee Lo member.
"I don’t regret anything," Laureta, 21, said Tuesday in an interview at the Kapiolani Park Bandstand. It was Lei Day, and almost all eyes were on the festivities onstage, but several people recognized her. One asked for a picture and took it holding her cellphone at arm’s length to get a photo of the two of them. Another passer-by said she had yelled at the television when Cee Lo announced he was dismissing Laureta from the team.
Was "I Have Nothing," the Whitney Houston hit she sang the night before, a bad choice? Not at all, she said.
"It was very rewarding to do ‘I Have Nothing.’ Christina (Aguilera) and Cee Lo both gave (me) a standing (ovation). ‘I Have Nothing’ is a song that I’ve wanted to do for a long time, and to be able to get saved the week before and be able to do that song — I think I left on a great note for myself. It made me not even regret anything because I was able to do that."
Cee Lo evidently felt the same.
| CHEESA LAURETA
>> Where: Ala Moana Center, Centerstage
>> When: 7 tonight
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"He said (after the show), ‘This is not the end. Stop crying. … This is only the beginning.’ And he told me to contact him," she said.
Contacting Cee Lo is one of the things Laureta has on her to-do list for when she returns to Los Angeles this month. For the moment she’s enjoying a week catching up with friends and relatives here. She made a brief public appearance at the bandstand Tuesday and will sing at Ala Moana Center’s Centerstage tonight at 7.
"It’s been two years since I’ve been back home, but it feels the same. It’s a different vibe from L.A."
Laureta, her brother and singer-songwriter Troy Laureta, and their parents moved to Los Angeles in 2006 so the siblings could take a serious shot at success in the national entertainment industry. Although a few things happened for them in L.A., she admits she almost gave up last year and was weighing her options as a potential health care worker. Then she made it through the blind auditions for "The Voice," and Green selected her as a member of Team Cee Lo.
"I’ve learned a lot throughout this experience. It’s opened a lot of doors for me. I came (to the show) not knowing who I am as a person, what I can do and what are my options. Now I’m coming out with more confidence in myself. I know that I want to do this for the long run. Even when things get tough, as long as you are passionate about what you do and what you want to accomplish, then nothing’s stopping you, so work hard."
Laureta had made some recordings before she auditioned for "The Voice" but put everything else on hold while she was working on the show. With that commitment over, she is looking forward to recording again and possibly writing enough new songs for an album. She’s also looking at doing some live shows in the United States and possibly in the Philippines.
And if Cee Lo has some work for her, she’ll be there.
In the meantime, Laureta is enjoying her time home.
"When people approach me here it’s very heartwarming … and when I hear them say that I’ve done us proud, it makes me really, really happy. It makes me feel that everything I’ve done has not been done in vain and that people recognize that I’ve worked so hard. It feels really great.
"I’m also very grateful for the family support that I have received, and also throughout the competition the Hawaii support."
Looking beyond her goals in the entertainment industry, Laureta wants to add her voice to the growing campaign against bullying. Yes, she experienced bullying when she was a girl, and some of the nasty comments she saw on social media sites while she was on "The Voice" reminded her of those bad old days.
"(The comments) brought me back to the times when I was a kid and I got bullied, (but) it was another inspiration for me to stay focused on what I was there for," she said. "I want to tell kids that it’s OK to stick up for yourself. It’s OK to speak your mind. And, it’s OK to tell an adult if someone is bullying you."
