‘An experience like no other’: Kamila Kiehne shines on ‘The Voice’

“My whole life is music,” said Kamila Kiehne, a 17 year-old musician and Los Lunas resident who has become an overnight sensation in Valencia County and beyond for her recent performance on the popular singing competition “The Voice.”

“I’ve been watching ‘The Voice’ since I was a little girl, so it’s always been one of my dreams,” said Kamila of what inspired her to audition. “In the previous season, there were a lot of younger people trying out, so I thought I could do a really good job.”

Her intuition paid off big time, as Kamila caught the interest of three of the four celebrity judges within moments of her performance which aired on NBC on Sept. 23, ensuring her advancement in the competition to the battle rounds.

“It was very nerve-wracking and I felt a lot of adrenaline, but it was so much fun and was an experience like no other,” she said.

Kamila has been singing and writing songs since she was a little girl, and has honed much of her skills through Legacy Church, which she described as her “favorite place on earth.” Spanish and worship music are her favorite genres to work with, and her family, who are also entertainers, have been her biggest inspiration.

“My dad has been a huge influence musically,” said Kamila of her father Shawn Kiehne, who is a professional musician himself, going by the stage name El Gringo.

“I would see him perform on the stage when I was younger and I wanted to do that, and my mom, she has a very diverse taste in music, so she really inspired me to write different kinds of music, to touch different kinds of people,” said Kamila. “She’s also a dance instructor, so she taught me how to dance. They both played an insane part in my career, and I’m so thankful for both of them.”

She also enjoys working with her brothers, who produce music and beats for her to sing to and give her ideas for new music.

“There’s other artists that have influenced me too, but they’re not as important to me as my family,” she said.

The road to competing on “The Voice” was a long one, and began in January when Shawn received an email about online auditions for the show, which he alerted Kamila about.

“I posted a video to YouTube of my audition submission, and I really thought they would never come across it, but I got a call back a few weeks later, and they wanted me to continue down the line,” said Kamila.

Contestants on “The Voice” are selected through several blind auditions, where aspiring musicians from across the nation perform while the judges’ backs are turned to them. If a judge likes what they hear, they turn their seat around and make their pitches for the singer to join their team. The musicians then compete against each other until a sole winner is left standing.

Knowing this, song choice is a huge consideration, so Kamila had to choose carefully from a huge list of approved songs she was given to perform for her blind audition. Her dad had the idea to sing “Black Velvet.”

“At first, I didn’t know if I really liked it, but then I started listening to it a little more, and I started to come up with ideas of how I could tweak the song and make it my own,” she said. “A few weeks later, they told me that I was singing that song for my audition, and I was so excited.”

In July, she was flown out to her televised audition in Los Angeles, Calif., and, despite her nerves, her passionate performance of “Black Velvet” by Alannah Myles lit up the room and ushered in a new era of success for Kamila.

It only took the first word she sang for renowned rapper Snoog Dogg to hit his buzzer and flip his chair around for her. Canadian pop singer Michael Bublé and country singer and actress Reba McEntire followed suit shortly after.

“I was not expecting to get a chair that fast,” said Kamila. “So I was kind of freaking out a little bit, but I also felt very grateful and it gave me a sense of confidence because I knew I had made it through to the next round.”

While Snoop and Reba were both eager for Kamila to join their teams, she ultimately went with Bublé.

“I love entertaining and I can already tell you have this light pouring out of you and I would love to help you become the greatest you can be,” said Bublé to Kamila during the episode.

“In that moment, you truly don’t know who you’re going to pick, unless you had your heart set on someone, which I didn’t, but the whole time, I felt very gravitated towards Michael Bublé because he just seemed so interested in me and so enthusiastic about my performance,” said Kamila.

Later in the episode, Bublé recalled his experience hearing Kamila for the first time, saying “I heard maybe two notes, and I started to reach for that button as fast as I could … It really reminded me of when I first saw Kelly Clarkson the very first time. Wow, what a voice.”

Kamila’s family was able to watch her performance backstage — a memory they will forever treasure.

“I was thanking God constantly for the big door he opened for her and I was just so thrilled and had tears in my eyes; I was so excited for her,” said Shawn. “I hope she keeps following her musical dreams and keeps working on it and putting in the time and I know she’ll go far.”

Stay tuned for more as Kamilia’s next performance on “The Voice” will be during the battle rounds premiering in late October. In the meantime, Kamila said it’s been thrilling to represent New Mexico and her hometown on such a big stage and meet so many amazing people.

“I loved telling people about our culture and the sunsets here. It was so much fun, and on stage I felt so cool saying, ‘I’m from Los Lunas, New Mexico,’” Kamila said. “I thought I would go to LA, do my thing, and then come back but I made so many friends and met people that have changed me for the better and all this recognition, love and support has been the best part of this whole experience.”

Kamila said she would love to make a name for herself as a musician, striving to “give people chills and give them something that they can relate to.”

Since her performance, Kamila noted a lot has been happening all at once. When asked what keeps her grounded as an artist navigating such a dynamic industry, she emphasized her faith and humility.

“First and foremost, the most important thing for me is God. He keeps me sane and always keeps me humble,” she said. “But second, I remind myself that this is what I’m here to do. I’m here to sing. I’m here to make music.”