Philippine Idol: My Final Notes

All’s well that ends well. After the humps and bumps that plagued the initial run of Philippine Idol, Mau Marcelo’s winning the plum finally confirmed the Pinoy’s commitment to talent.

While I did root for Gian, I still agree that Mau was an excellent choice. I have always recognized her talent, long before PI. She actually was my bet in Star for A Night where she was bested by Sarah Geronimo. I knew her time will come.

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But just like her, I too had my doubts if she indeed was idol material. Everybody knew that the world she was trying to conquer had fascination with beauty first and talent second. That’s why I was convinced that Gian was a sure winner. He fits all the requisites – looks, talent, charm.

Fortunately, the PI format allowed the people to have a say in the outcome. At the same time, the two-hour voting period limited the impact of wholesale voting. If the judges controlled the proceedings, I am quite sure Mau would not have gotten the crown.

(I cannot say the same for Pinoy Dream Academy. It’s format allows maximum use for block votes. It will be no wonder then if Irish Fullerton will later win despite being the least talented in the final six. The mighty US dollar will surely trounce its rivals who hitch their dreams on the lowly peso. Look what happened to Yvan Lambatan.)

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Mau was not consistent on finals night, no thanks to the judges uninspired choice of song for her to interpret. “Balut …Penoy” was a novelty song, regardless of the fact that it was a challenging piece. It was good theater stuff but definitely not contest material. What were the judges thinking? Were they grooming Mau to be this generation’s Nanette Inventor?

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I loved Gian’s version of Impossible Dream. It made a classic tune sound more like pop. I hope he records the song in his debut CD. With a minus one I should add. I guess it will be major karaoke stuff from hereon.

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I feared I would miss the Philippine Idol finals night.

I was in Bacolod City early morning Friday and left Saturday afternoon. Our flight was delayed by the rains of Senyang and we all thought we’d be stranded. Fortunately, we were able to fly out of Negros. As we arrived, we tried traversing EDSA but it was complete chaos. We diverted to C-5 but it was worse. At 7 pm, we were still crawling out of Libis. I heaved a sigh of relief when traffic eased as we approach Katipunan. I was home some time 8:00. But after about 10 minutes, the lights went out.

The unannounced brown-out was not enough to let me pass on the chance to watch Philippine Idol. I started searching for possible places where I could grab a good view- a restaurant, a friend’s house, anywhere! Even if I was quite tired, I was stubbornly willing to go wherever it takes me just to watch the show.

Good thing I was spared the trouble. The lights came back just in time for the opening number. It was a wonderful ride from thereon.

A True Idol Show

Perfect.

That describes last night’s Philippine Idol show. It came out with so much class that it placed itself way above all other singing contests on TV. I am convinced that given the appropriate musical pieces, all four are now ready to conquer the professional music scene.

I enjoyed last night's show. Forgive the old soul in me, but last night’s big band theme did not just trigger melancholia, but nostalgia as well. It felt like listening to standards on Sunday AM radio during siesta time in the province.

The show’s final four gripped the audience from the opening number. Well, Michael Buble’ has already reintroduced standards back into the mainstream market so it was inevitable that “Fever” would be clearly familiar to the audience.

First to sing was JAN NIETO who did "Beyond The Sea" and "The Way You Look Tonight". Boy, he was cool! No more awkward movements. He seemed to have fully overpowered the regular goose bumps that he looked quite comfortable onstage this time.

MIGUEL MENDOZA sang "True" and "I’ve Got You Under My Skin". To the disappointment of Miguel-bashers (he he, kasama ba ko dun?), he did pretty well. His rendition proved he is indeed a singer on his right, but I maintain, not Philippine Idol quality yet. But he cried last night. Probably out of the fact that for the first time, his efforts (and talent?) were at last appreciated. It was a sincere show of emotion that it got me worried. Those tears may just deliver the votes. :-)

MAU MARCELO’s "My Funny Valentine" sounded pitchy to me. I guess the audience saw it the same way since the applause was quite tame. But she dropped the bomb with her version of "Waray Waray". It showcased the real, comic Mau, spiced with the touch of class she acquired via PI. I guess, she’s still on track to being the first Philippine Idol.

The night however, belonged to GIAN MAGDANGAL. His "They Can’t Take That Away From Me" and "The Very Thought Of You" convinced everyone that he’s a shoo-in to the title. He truly is someone who could competently represent the Philippines in the international arena. And since he too cried, I'd surmise that was enough to counter the impact of Miguel’s silent tears. I hope I am right not to get worried. :-)

Finally, let me just answer the quip as to why we take our singing contests seriously. First, it is culturally-imbedded in us Filipinos. No fiesta is ever complete without the battle of crooners. And no party is ever alive without impromptu karaoke wars. Naturally, the graduates of the backyard school for wailing would have to go some place; and where else but in singing contests? Second, many of us are frustrated singers (including this writer :-)). Because we may no longer live our dreams, we place our shoes in those who have already gotten beyond our threshold. With them we pursue our dream, and unfortunately, we can be truly unforgiving if our dreams gets dashed by those who we feel are lesser qualified. Now you get it. On with the voting! :-)

(Note: Miguel finally bid goodbye to Philippine Idol last night. In deference to his grieving supporters, I’m not saying anything further on the subject. I already got my wish. It’s now back to square one for the “big three” and it will be their individual performances on finals night that will spell the difference. For Idol-watchers, it’s time to just sit back, relax and enjoy the show.)

Saving Philippine Idol

Seeing Gian and Mau safe, I knew I was in for a good night. No arguments; that was the appropriate bottom three.

When Jan followed, I applauded. Finally, sanity ruled!

But pfffft!…. The bubble burst. Naknampatatas! Miguel’s still there? How on earth …?!!!

Well, all wishes just can’t come true. I’d have to be happy with small blessings.

I understand what happened. People were just too determined to save Gian and Mau, they forgot about Pow. This wasn’t free voting after all. People were forced to make wise use of their money.

Miguel’s kamag-anak votes remain constant. Notice he’s been sliding from the usual top spot as support for the other contestants swelled. It’s just too bad Pow’s total wasn’t enough to dislodge him.

Next week’s votes must set things right. Those who voted for Mau and Gian should continue the crusade. Pow’s supporters must now transfer support to either of the two. Jan’s fans must step up. Miguel’s blind minions seem hell-bent on sabotaging Philippine Idol that it’s expected they’d pour more money to generate votes. If Jan’s votes stay as is, he’d be next to get the boot.

In the end, it should be battle royale between Mau and Gian. My take? I’d go for Gian anytime. I am convinced that Mau is slightly ahead in the vocals category, but I concede PI is more than vocals. My apologies if that sounds discriminating, but that’s the reality in Philippine entertainment.

Remember Frenchie Dy? She was a vocal powerhouse, arguably the best even among the Star in A Million champions. But where is she now? She is not even included in the regular features on the competition’s harvest.

Mau is excellent. Fortunately, Gian is not far behind, talent-wise. As to the other requisites of pop musicville, he leads by miles. Therefore, if the Philippine Idol franchise were to survive, Gian must win. No arguments.