Sasha Allen, a 20-year old entertainer with Bermudian roots has become one of five finalists in an exhaustive search for the world's next female singing superstar.

The granddaughter of Bermuda-born classical and jazz pianist Trea Helen Henderson and a cousin of Aisha Henderson whose claim to fame is a role in the television soap As The World Turns, Ms Allen was featured all last week on the new VH1 show "Born to Diva" which has been following the thousands of contestants in the competition to find the world's number one up and coming diva.

Last weekend, she won against 3,000 to take the title in New York and will now take on winners from Miami, London, Philadelphia and Atlanta.

Judges for the competition have included former Sony Music CEO Tommy Mottola and Kelly Rowland of the female musical group Destiny's Child. The five finalists will be whittled down to three before the start of online voting on May 11 to pick the overall winner. Voting concludes on VH1's live "VH1 Diva Duets" on May 22.

The 20-year-old's great-grandmother Agatha Henderson will be well-known to generations of Bermudians as she taught hundreds how to play classical piano.

Her performance can be seen on Wednesday at 5 p.m. Bermuda time on VH1.