Singapore Idol's Leandra Lane to perform with son at Special Olympics Singapore National Games

New Paper

2 days ago

About two decades after she first made her name as a teen contestant on the first season of Singapore Idol in 2004, home-grown artiste Leandra Lane is still actively singing.
On May 30, the 38-year-old - who went by the name Leandra Veronica Rasiah and came in fifth in the hit local reality singing competition - will perform at the opening ceremony of the 10th Special Olympics Singapore National Games.
The ceremony, which is set to take place at Bishan Stadium, will feature VIP guest President Tharman Shanmugaratnam. The 2025 edition of Special Olympics Singapore will see 543 athletes with intellectual disabilities compete in various sports at venues within the National University of Singapore until June 2.
Lane and her 13-year-old son Alexander will perform their rendition of Reach, the 1996 hit by Cuban-American singer Gloria Estefan that was also one of the official songs of the 1996 Summer Olympics.
Lane also mentors and trains young singers, including children with special needs, and runs Motown Kids, a music programme for those up to the age of 14.
She says she got the upcoming gig via a friend who works with Special Olympics Singapore, and it will mark the first time mother and son perform together at a major public event.
She says: "It is an extreme honour. This is also one of the most meaningful performances as Alexander and I get to share the message of working hard and giving all you've got."
Alexander - her only child from a previous marriage to an Austrian engineer - started singing songs by veteran American singers Kenny Rogers and Bing Crosby since he was three. He has done several school performances and is currently a grade-eight student at Overseas Family School, an international school in Pasir Ris.
Music and show business run in the family. Lane's African-American father, Rick Lane, was a member of the 1950s American soul group The Drifters, while her Eurasian mother, Lucia Rasiah, was a Miss Singapore in the 1970s.
Like his mother, Alexander takes vocal lessons from Lane's sister and manager, Leynette.
Leandra Lane and her 13-year-old son will sing together at the opening ceremony of the 10th Special Olympics Singapore National Games. PHOTO: LEANDRA LANE
The former Singapore Idol alumnus - who joined when she was 18 - still keeps in touch with fellow contestants like singer and Kiss92 DJ Daphne Khoo.
"Being on the show taught me early on about the entertainment industry and how unique we all are. I was one of the youngest contestants going in and was naive about it all. Being able to sing is one thing, and identifying healthy competition is another. This was what I learnt from my time there."
After Singapore Idol, she took vocal lessons in a performing arts school in Sydney, Australia, and studied dance at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy in Los Angeles.
The singer ended up fifth place on Singapore Idol. PHOTO: MEDIACORP
She organises regular concerts at venues like the Esplanade and performs at events such as the St Patrick's Day Street Festival at Boat Quay in March.
She also spent several years based in Europe and the United States, and sang in Los Angeles music venues such as The Viper Room and Whisky A Go Go. She has been based permanently in Singapore since 2019.
While music takes up most of her time, she is also a property agent, having obtained her licence in October 2024. She is also writing and recording songs for an upcoming EP that is slated to be released in 2026.
In January, a close brush with death after a gig at an orphanage in India strengthened her resolve to dedicate her life to music. She was sleeping in an Airbnb apartment in Mumbai when the air-con unit caught fire. She and her friend woke up just in time to escape the apartment before the whole place went up in flames.
"It was such a scary experience that taught me the meaning of life and to live life to the fullest. I want to sing as much as I can, and love the people whom I love with all my heart and soul."