Mentors

Lavina is a singer, songwriter and musical actress. She was the winner of NZ Best Pacific Entertainment Top Female Award at the prestigious 2017 Benny Awards. She started her musical journey in 2004 joining the world-renowned Musical ‘The Lion King’ in Australia, secured principal role the sassy and short-tempered hyena Shenzi in Germany and Singapore as well as understudying principal roles Queen Sarabi as well as being the first and only Pasifika Woman to cover the South African lead role, Rafiki. In 2006 Lavina entered Australian Idol, coming eighth place, later moving to Germany to write and produce music for contestants on Germany’s hit show ‘Pop Stars’ while on a mini tour in France playing Deena Jones in the ‘Dream Girls’ musical.

She secured the lead role of Motormouth Maybelle in Broadway’s hit musical ‘Hairspray’ NZ then went on as vocal coach for the Top 13 contestants of Season 2 Television show X Factor NZ 2015. She is a vocal/songwriting mentor for the NZ Music Commission travelling to various colleges around NZ. She became the music director of NZ’s first transgender musical ‘People Like Us’ in 2016 and in 2017 she was music director for a NZ owned and written musical ‘Dominion Road The Musical’.

She is the Goodwill Ambassador for St. John Ambulance PNG. In 2018 she became the creative director, residential judge and vocal coach of the biggest television show in the Pacific ‘Vocal Fusion’ Season 6, 7 PNG and is now Manager of PNG EMTV Vocal Fusion Franchise.

Lavina is the oldest of a super talented family; her brother is NZ chart-topper J.Williams, her sister Emily Williams is the second place winner of 2005 Australian Idol, and her youngest sister chart topping artist RAZÉ was the winner of PMA’s Best Female Artist and Best Soul and RnB artist in 2019.