Lurine Cato

Lurine Lilian Cato, is a British gospel singer, songwriter and session vocalist, won the MOBO Award for Best Gospel Act in 2013 and was nominated in the same category in 2017. She was a finalist on the 12th Season of Britain's Got Talent 2018 with the B Positive Choir. She has a 5-octave vocal range.

Early life
Cato began her musical career at the age of 3 at the COGIC UK National Convention. She sang in the Sunshine Band which taught her how to sing in harmony and develop her solo singing skills. She is the 9th of 11 siblings and considers her mother and sisters to be her first musical influences. Her eldest sister was instrumental in getting her to record her first jingle on radio. At the age of 8 she entered the Enfield Borough Talent Competition with a song by Denise Williams called "Let's Hear It For The Boy" which resulted in her gaining second place in the competition. Her sister encouraged her to enter the following year where she sang "Greatest Love of All" by George Benson. Her performance won her first place, and she was awarded the Aunty G cup. In her mid-twenties, she toured with the Lighthouse Family and the late Lynden David Hall. Later, she met Marie Carter and formed a group with two other female singers who called themselves Redeemed. There were multiple incarnations of the group until it finally became a duet with Cato and Carter. They went on to open concerts for Hezekiah Walker at Faith Chapel in Peckham and Kirk Franklin at the Royal Festival Hall in London and the Symphony Hall in Birmingham. Cato and Carter also sang with the Bibleway Mass Choir.

Career, notable performances and achievements
As a backing vocalist, she toured with Australian singer Kylie Minogue in 2001 on her On A Night Like This Tour, and again, the following year, for Minogue’s KylieFever2002 tour. Cato also recorded vocals for Adele's debut album 19 in 2008 on "Best For Last". She has also provided vocals for other noted artists such as Sigma, Union J on songs like “You Got It All”, Irish singer-songwriter Hozier on his Nina Cried Power EP, Rebecca Ferguson on “Freedom”, and Elton John's “Rocket Man”.

In December 2016, Cato participated in a holiday concert at the Old Royal Naval College Chapel in aid of the Demelza Hospice Care for Children. Earlier that year, she had also performed for the MVISA Awards alongside other artists such as Chyna Whyne, Zara Zykes and Wayne Marshall.

As well as her MOBO Awards and nomination, Cato has won other music awards including the Premier Gospel Award (Best Female Artist) in 2016 and 2017, GMA, Italy, (Best International Vocalist of the Year), BEFFTA Award 2013 (Best Gospel Act), Wise Woman Award 2012 (WWA Woman In Music Award), and an Honorary UK Entertainment Award 2017 (Outstanding Contribution to Gospel Music) Cato had the esteemed privilege to perform at the 2012 London Olympics for the Evening of Olympians celebration.

Lurine was a featured artist at the first annual European True Worship Summit a gospel conference at the Dominion Centre in Wood Green. The event culminated in a final concert where the B Positive Choir performed with Cato.

Cato was invited by Sadiq Khan Mayor of London to sing at his campaign dinner held at the Museum of London and appointed as the official Vocal Coach for ITV's Sing It To Win It Competition 2018. The competition presenters included Girls Aloud member Kimberley Walsh and UK-based Afropop and Dancehall duo Reggie 'n' Bollie Cato and the B Positive Choir appeared on The One Show on the BBC continuing their campaign to raise awareness of sickle cell and blood donation. Cato and the B Positive Choir are contestants on the Britain's Got Talent 2018 competition. After a successful audition on 14 April 2018 on ITV they received a 'yes' vote from all 4 judges. The judges combined with a public vote ultimately sent Calum Courtney through to the finals. A tough decision between Calum and the B Positive choir moved Simon Cowell to do his best to get B Positive a wild card. After a week of performances, the wild card recipient was reported in OK Magazine sending B Positive to the finals of Britain's Got Talent. Cato and the B Positive Choir reprised their audition song. Though making it through to the finals they did not make it to the top three, namely Lost Voice Guy, Robert White and Donchez Dacres; with Lost Voice Guy taking first place through a public vote.

Cato has been involved with the NHS 70th Celebrations performing at York Minster Cathedral. Lurine was the featured soloist with the B Positive choir at Westminster Abbey a service of celebration for Common Wealth Day. Other performers included the Dhol Foundation drummers, Clean Bandit, William Barton and Alfie Boe.

On 6 March 2020, she was awarded the International Women's Day Award by the Mayor of Enfield along with Her Excellency Justina Mutale and Team GB sprinter and Olympics medal winner Desiree Henry. On the 20 October 2019 Lurine performed at Rudolph Walker's OBE 80th birthday celebrations at the Hackney Empire. On 17 and 24 November 2019 BBC1 aired its semi-final and final rounds of Songs of Praise' Gospel Choir of the Year where Lurine made a special guest appearance She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2020 Birthday Honours for services to charity and music. The Gazette – Official Public Record On November 6, 2021 Lurine was the surprise guest of a star-studded guest line up to celebrate and honor unsung heroes within the community and business sector. Honorees for the Multicultural Business & Community Champion (MBCC) awards included Kanya King, Ashley Cain and Safiyya Vorajee, campaigner Stuart Lawrence, Claire Goodwin-Fee, Liz Pemberton and Casey Bailey. Other attendees include Jamelia and Lemar On 14 December 2021 Lurine attended her investiture at Windsor Castle to be presented with the MBE award for services to charity and music, the award was presented by Princess Anne

Charitable work
Cato is very active in charity work with The Children's Society, which aims to reduce world child poverty.

In 2016 she performed at the St. James Palace for the Diana Award as part of the INSPIRE series which awards young people for improving the lives of other people and their communities Her performance was well received, and she was invited to perform at a private function at Althorp House, the home of Earl Spencer (brother of Diana, Princess of Wales).

She made her debut MOBO Awards TV performance with the B Positive Choir live at the prestigious First Direct Arena in Leeds November 2017. Subsequently, in December 2017, the B-Positive choir released a charity single called Rise Up, which was originally sung by Andra Day, but with Cato as lead. Later that month Cato performed at the St. Pancras station with the B Positive choir singing a mixed repertoire of Christmas songs to a captive audience

On 11 June 2019, Lurine and the B Positive Choir performed at the Audi Sentebale Concert at Hampton Court Palace along with other guest artists such as Rita Ora, Morena Leraba and the Inala Zulu Ballet. Also, in attendance was Prince Harry in support of the Sentebale, the charity he founded which supports children affected by HIV in South Africa.

Community work
Cato sang at One Minute in May, a concert focusing on young victims of violent crime held outside Downing Street. Cato presented and performed at HM Prison Elmley for the Aspire Higher Violence Reduction Programme, which aims to focus on personal development, self-reflection, breaking bad habits, positive thinking, motivation and general inspiration for the prisoners and staff.

The Mighty Men Experience is a programme which Cato herself created to shine-a-light on positive male role models in our society today, and to bring men together in an uplifting way to fight knife and gun crime. She came up with the anthem “Keep Fighting”, which was used as the project's main theme.

In April 2020, Cato and a number of notable British artists came together to record the popular hymn “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”, on YouTube, to bring a sense of hope and inspiration to the people of Great Britain, and wider global community of viewers, who had been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cato collaborated with singers from the UK and abroad to record Amazing Grace by Dottie Rambo in aid of the Cavall Nurses' Trust. The effort, led by Cato, raised funds for National Health Service nurses who may be experiencing difficulties.