Mathai (singer)
{{short description|American singer-songwriter}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Mathai
| image =
| birth_name = Sharon Mathai
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1992|11|27}}
| birth_place = Queens, New York, U.S.
| origin = Dallas, Texas, U.S.
| occupation = Singer-songwriter
| instrument = Vocals
| years_active = 2012–present
| label =
}}
Sharon Mathai, known professionally as Mathai, is an American former singer. She was on the second season of NBC's The Voice and was one of the top 10 contestants.
Trained in jazz during her childhood, Mathai started developing her vocal style around the age of sixteen with a sound reminiscent of Billie Holiday, Norah Jones, Nelly Furtado, and Adele, although two of her biggest influences are Johnny Cash and Amy Winehouse.{{citation needed|date=May 2017}}
Early life
Sharon Mathai was born on November 27, 1992, in Queens, New York. Her parents, Samuel and Elsa, are from Kerala, India. She stated that she could understand Malayalam but could not speak very fluently.{{cite news |last=Dargan |first=Shruti |date=April 4, 2012|title=India is home to me: Sharon Mathai |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/tv/india-is-home-to-me-sharon-mathai/story-Alm5e1ggzLpYwuISLNvHAL.html |work=Hindustan Times |access-date=January 27, 2023}} She adopted the stage name Mathai, which is the name 'Matthew' in Malayalam, as derived from Hebrew. She had started singing at age 3, primarily in church events. When she was 10, her family moved to Dallas, Texas. Mathai attended Coppell High School and Texas Women's University.
Career
=Beginnings=
During the winter of 2010, Mathai had the opportunity to perform during the AMTC convention in Orlando, Florida where she was discovered by two entertainment executives, and soon took a break from school to move to Atlanta to pursue her music career.{{cite web|title=Success Stories: Mathai|url=http://www.amtcworld.com/the-results/top-100/mathai/|work=Actors, Models, and Talent for Christ|access-date=31 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130403171929/http://www.amtcworld.com/the-results/top-100/mathai|archive-date=3 April 2013|url-status=usurped}}
In late 2010 she auditioned for The Glee Project, a spin-off of the television series GLEE on FOX.{{cite news|title=US music show: Indian-American makes it to the top 24|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/nri/other-news/US-music-show-Indian-American-makes-it-to-the-top-24/articleshow/12472850.cms|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402131808/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-03-30/other-news/31260238_1_music-show-music-field-talent|url-status=live|archive-date=2 April 2012|access-date=31 March 2013|newspaper=The Times of India|date=30 March 2012}} After advancing to the final round, she did not make the cast, but she was convinced that singing was what she wanted to do.
In November 2011, on a dare from friends, Mathai auditioned for Season 2 of the talent competition series, The Voice on NBC.{{cite web|title=Extraordinary People: An Afternoon with Mathai ("The Voice")|url=http://www.vertigoshtick.com/2012/05/interview-with-mathai-voice-season-2.html|work=Vertigo Shtick|access-date=31 March 2013|archive-date=11 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911141012/http://www.vertigoshtick.com/2012/05/interview-with-mathai-voice-season-2.html|url-status=dead}} After making it through the blind auditions, her rendition of "Rumor Has It" by Adele's caused coaches (Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, and Cee-Lo Green) to turn around and woo her to join their team.{{cite magazine|last=Gallo|first=Phil|title='The Voice' Recap: Mathai Delivers Awe-Inspiring 'Rumour Has It'|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/reality-check/504507/the-voice-recap-mathai-delivers-awe-inspiring-rumour-has-it|magazine=Billboard|access-date=31 March 2013}}{{cite web|title='The Voice' Contestant Mathai Crushed Her Performance – AND She's From Georgia! She Calls The Bert Show To Spill What It Was Like On Stage|url=http://thebertshow.com/mathai-the-voice/|work=The Bert Show|access-date=31 March 2013|archive-date=16 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916133745/http://thebertshow.com/mathai-the-voice/|url-status=dead}} Mathai joined Team Adam and over the next several weeks continued to advance before being eliminated after making the top ten.{{cite web|last=Jaffer|first=Murtz|title=The Voice 2012: Exclusive Exit Interview With Mathai|url=http://insidepulse.com/2012/04/26/the-voice-2012-exclusive-exit-interview-with-mathai/|work=Inside Pulse|date=26 April 2012 |access-date=31 March 2013}}
=After ''The Voice''=
Mathai collaborated with Lecrae on the track "Free From it All" from Gravity, which was released September 4, 2012 and peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200.{{cite web|title=Lecrae 'Gravity' Tracklisting Revealed|url=http://www.rapzilla.com/rz/news/38-backstage/4797-lecrae-gravity-tracklisting-revealed|work=Rapzilla|access-date=July 24, 2012|format=Web|date=July 24, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120727143252/http://www.rapzilla.com/rz/news/38-backstage/4797-lecrae-gravity-tracklisting-revealed|archive-date=July 27, 2012|url-status=dead}}{{cite magazine|last=Caulfield|first=Keith|title=Matchbox Twenty Gets First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/475162/matchbox-twenty-gets-first-no-1-album-on-billboard-200-chart|magazine=Billboard|publisher=Nielsen Business Media|access-date=September 12, 2012|format=Web|date=September 12, 2012}} The album won the Grammy Award for Best Gospel Album.{{cite web|last=Nessif|first=Bruna|title=55th Annual Grammy Awards: Complete List of Nominees|url=http://www.eonline.com/news/368952/55th-annual-grammy-awards-complete-list-of-nominees|work=E!|publisher=NBCUniversal|access-date=December 9, 2012|format=Web|date=December 5, 2012}}
Mathai's EP, Girl Like Me, was released on July 4, 2013. Her debut single, "Once Again", was released on March 25, 2013. The EP was written and produced by Mathai and Grammy Award-winning producers Dru Castro and Pierre Medor.
Personal life
Mathai is currently working as a nurse.{{cite web|title=LinkedIn Page|url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharon-chacko-87a187176/|website=Linkedin.com|access-date=February 26, 2025}}
Since 2018, she has been married to Binoy Chacko. Upon marriage, she changed her last name, making her name "Sharon Chacko".{{Cite web |title=Stillscapes Photography Studio LCC on Facebook: Happy Anniversary to two of the most wonderful people ever!!! I have known Sharon since her days on "The Voice" when I was her photographer and our relationship over the years grew... |url=https://www.facebook.com/stillscapes/posts/happy-anniversary-to-two-of-the-most-wonderful-people-ever-i-have-known-sharon-s/10156825255607254/ |access-date=February 26, 2025 |website=Facebook |language=en}} The couple have two children.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{The Voice (U.S.) Season 2}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mathai}}
Category:21st-century American women singers
Category:American women pop singers
Category:American women singer-songwriters
Category:American women singers of Indian descent
Category:Musicians from Queens, New York
Category:Singer-songwriters from New York (state)
Category:The Voice (franchise) contestants
Category:21st-century American singer-songwriters