Twenty-seven-year-old Albert Kabo Lepcha from Kalimpong in West Bengal, who never took professional training for singing, bagged the coveted trophy of the singing reality show 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 2023'.
He credited his wife for being a guiding force throughout his journey.
After having impressed the audience and judges alike with some terrific performances and winning the OG singer of the week two times, Albert took home the coveted trophy, cash prize of Rs 10 lakh, and a car.
The top five finalists were Albert, Nishtha Sharma, Sneha Bhattacharya, Ranita Banerjee and Sonia Gazmer.Nishtha and Ranita were announced as the first and second runners-up, respectively.The episode was double the fun, as judges Himesh Reshammiya, Anu Malik, and Neeti Mohan were joined by the evergreen Govinda, his wife Sunita Ahuja, and veteran actress Aruna Irani.
It was co-hosted by Haarsh Limbachiyaa alongside Aditya Narayan. Elated over his win, Albert told IANS: "When Aditya Narayan (host) announced my name as the winner, I felt very happy because of the kind of dedication I was giving, the hard work I was doing, so the result of all that I have got, and I am extremely happy.
"I had 50-50 confidence in me, because other singers were also very talented. It was all in the public's hands, and I was not confused about what will happen eventually. I was nervous," he said. Speaking about his guiding force throughout his journey, Albert told IANS: "My wife has been a guiding force throughout my journey. And she is still there, always there for me. She has left her dreams, and is working with me on my dreams."
This season was all about the industry-first promise of giving its talent a chance to record original singles even before the season ends, every week one of the contestants got the golden chance to launch their OG song with Zee Music Company.
And with the show drawing the curtains, the grand finale was nothing short of an entertainment extravaganza packed with some breathtaking performances and soulful acts. During the episode, Govinda grooved to the song 'Oo Haseena Zulfowaali' along with the judge - Neeti Mohan.
He also set the stage on fire with his performance to the song 'Chadti Jawaani' with the beautiful guest Aruna Irani. Govinda also sang a beautiful song - 'Sathiya Nahi Jana Ke Jee Na Lage' for his wife Sunita, and while all the special moments as well as the performances kept everyone hooked, the final face off performance of the top 5 contestants left the audience glued to their television screens.
Before coming to 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa', Albert had created his own band 'Kabo N Company' and sometimes, he performs with his band as well as solo.Albert started singing in his school functions from Class 1, and even in childhood used to sing in churches in choir.
In the show, Albert was the first contestant who got his OG song - 'Mera Soneya' and just in three weeks, the song has amassed a staggering amount of 10 million-plus views on YouTube, accompanied by the creation of over 119,000 reels on Instagram using the infectious track.
Talking about Albert, Himesh said: "He has surprised us week after week and always strived for perfection." Neeti said: "Albert's win is very well deserved. I have loved and enjoyed his performances throughout the season, and I believe he is a really versatile singer with the potential to make his career in the industry."
Anu added: "From his first performance till today, I am glad that his hard work has finally paid off." The show airs on Zee TV.