Surrey singer wins over judges at Vancouver Idol

Tom Zytaruk

Vancouver's Idol is a Surrey boy.

Will Canada's be?

Newton resident Abdul Mansour, 18, won the Vancouver Idol singing competition over the weekend, putting him one step closer to his goal of winning CTV's Canadian Idol competition in Toronto later this year.

"There's nothing better than singing. I love it, the music, the rhythm, everything," says Mansour, who won over the Vancouver judges with his a cappella rendition of Stevie Wonder's Ribbon in the Sky.

"The good thing about that song is that it shows low range, high range, medium _"

Mansour is graduating from North Surrey secondary this year. His dad, Mohamad, has been grooming him for fame since he was a young child. Since his debut at the family's former Sahara restaurant on King George Highway, Mansour has been involved in numerous singing competitions, television shows and telethons.

"He's a great singer," the elder Mansour said of his son. "Remember my words, he is the Canadian Idol."

Interestingly, his mom, Wafa, was visited by a fortune teller in Beirut when she was only 12 years old, and was told she would have a son named Abdul, and that he'd be famous in a foreign country.

"I knew that it would happen, my son would be famous," Wafa told the Now.

Canadian Idol, based on the popular American Idol television show, encourages young Canadians ages 16 to 26 to take a shot at stardom.

Mansour says his ultimate goal is "to be an idol."

Having conquered the Vancouver qualifier, he now has his sights set on Canada. Eventually, he wants a deal to record some original R&B songs.

"To be an idol is not just to have a voice, to be an idol is to have the personality, the respect, obviously the style," Mansour says. "When you're called an idol, you're not saying you have a good voice. When you're called an idol, you're saying that's something people look up to."

Mansour is looking for sponsors. Those interested can reach the family at 604-591-3671.

In related news, Princess Margaret secondary school is hosting the first Surrey Idol event on Thursday, April 29, from 5 to 6:15 p.m. The event will be followed by a short fashion show and school dance.