AI 10's lucky 13... lucky not

The American Idol top 13 took to stage tonight (at least in Philippine tvs) singing songs from their personal favorites and I was yelling Yes, No, Pwede Na and Win from the kitchen while I was cooking some tortang talong for dinner. But I think I only said Yes and Win a few times. It was mostly Nos all throughout. In fact I didn’t bother pausing my tortang talong for a minute and 40 seconds. I can tell most of them were tearing their voices beyond repair, doing mostly yelling than singing, just to make sure they’re still in contention next week. I’d rather flip the torta than watch their faces grimace in pain trying to hit that octave that is only friendly to those who were born with it.

I’ll let Simon Cowell possess me for a while as I critique this bunch they call the Lucky 13. In order of appearance, here’s my Simon Cowellish painful but BS-free comments:

Lauren Aliana sang Any Man of Mine by Shania Twain: Shania must have broken an expensive vase she threw towards her 52-inch tv. Lucky it didn’t hit Lauren’s face coz really, it wasn’t her face that’ll break. Rating: No!

Casey Abrams sang With A Little Help From My Friend by Joe Cocker. Joe Cocker is a fave of mine, as well as the song. Casey didn’t give me the favorite song I knew but he brought a new twist to it. It’s a bit odd but refreshing. Rating: Pwede Na!

Ashton Jones sang When You Tell Me That You Love Me by Diana Ross. Well if this girl survived last week’s cut by getting a wildcard, she’ll definitely go this time. Her performance this week must have made those eliminated earlier go ‘what a waste of spot’. Rating: No!

Paul McDonald sang Come Pick Me Up by Bryan Adams. I know Bryan Adams but I didn’t know this song. And I’ll never bother looking it up if it sounded as bad as this guy sang it. Rating: No!

Pia Toscano sang All By Myself by Celine Dion. She didn’t have the big voice her idol has. And I guess she’ll have to stop talking for at least a month for stretching that vocals beyond it’s limits. Did she hit the note? Just about. At least she was brave enough to take on such a huge piece. Rating: Pwede Na!

James Durbin sang Maybe I’m Amazed by Paul MacCartney. I don’t really like this guy. He’s pretending to be a rocker but all he does is yell and scream like a cat run over by a truck. This week isn’t any different. Come on dude, there’s only one Adam Lambert. Rating: No.

Haley Reinhart sang Blue by Lee Ann Rimes. Well she’s only in her 20’s and trying to do a song that could easily be her granny’s fave, what would you expect? Randy said it was sleepy. I’d say the yodeling was like a wolf howling to the moon. Not just sleepy but creepy! Rating: No.

Jacob Lusk sang I Believe I Can Fly by R. Kelly. Well this over-acting blabber mouth of a wanna-be singer should be put to some checks. He doesn’t have the voice nor the technique to distort one of my favorite songs beyond recognition. Rating: A big NO!

Thia Megia sang Smile by Michael Jackson. Thia, Thia, Thia. Only because Randy said last week that you sounded like MJ didn’t mean you’d have to pick that song! It was sooooooo boring. And even you jazzed it up a bit on the second half, the song is still way too old for you. You’re 15 for goodness! Choose your songs wisely otherwise you’ll end up in the bottom and possibly eliminated. And it’ll be a waste coz you clearly have the best voice among all of them! Not only because you’re a kabayan. But your voice is really awesome. Rating: Pwede Na.

Stefano Langone sang Lately by Stevie Wonder. A karaoke-bar singer or a cruise-ship entertainer, your choice. But his performance tonight certainly doesn’t deserve a record deal. No records can be produced if the singer goes here and there with the song. Rating: No.

Karen Rodriguez sang I Could Fall In Love by Selena. The one thing going for this lady is her beauty. She has that glamorous and sexy yet sweet Latina look, perfectly wrapped in black gown she put up herself. But the singing is also amiss. Selena won’t be proud of her half-nervous, half-pitchy singing. Rating: No.

Scotty McCreery sang The River by Garth Brooks. He’s the male version of Thia in this competition. His voice is the one to beat among the guys. It’s clear, honest and crisp. And he doesn’t resort to on-stage antics or props to rev up his performance. All he does is sing. And win your hearts with his voice. Why? He chose the song perfect for his voice. And sang it flawlessly. Rating: Win.

Naima Adedapo sang Umbrella by Rihanna. I liked the reggae and rap touch plus the fierce dance moves. Entertaining. But the singing was again lacking. The kind of singing that nearly cut her off last week had she not been given a wildcard by the judges. Rating: Pwede Na.

So who’s gonna be crying next week for being voted out? And who's gonna be crying also while hugging those who were eliminated, even if they should be jumping for joy coz they survived, just for the sake of crying on global tv?

If I had the power, it’s already top 5 next week. All 8 with my NO can go, no regrets. It's gonna be the first time American Idol will not last the usual number of weeks it airs.  There can always be a first time right?

And since I dissed the contestants, let me do the same to the judges. Steven was unbelievably schmuck in his comments. He doesn’t have the guts to be honest, sometimes even bordering on patronizing. Where's the bad-ass rocker i thought you were, Stevie??? JLo is no different from Paula. She wants to be sugar and spice and everything nice even to a horrible performance. And Randy is the only one who wants to keep it real at times but the two just shoots him down. Definitely the lamest set of judges in all AI seasons. Buti na lang my tortang talong turned out to be delishiouss!

coming back with a vengeance

i'll say it again:  when it comes to music, my taste is as varied as the genres offered by musicdom itself.  i love josh groban as much as i love bruce springsteen.  or nickelback and yanni.  the gregorian chants and james blunt.  so you shouldn't be surprised when i say i love eminem too. 

yup, eminem. the rough, full-of-hatred, foul-mouthed white rapper.  in fact in the rap genre, he's the only one i listen to.  loved his previous works like lose yourself, cleanin out the closet and stan.  maybe i can understand better whatever he's saying compared to the heavily accented black rappers.  or, maybe it's because he's the only one who raps about important, sensible subjects of life.  a stark contrast to the egomaniacal ones who talk of nothing else but cars, sex and women. ok, eminem's music is sometimes filthy and most of the time full of expletives. but i've no issue about it coz i think that's what make his lyrics more effective.  raw, unrefined, thug-like and so much in your face.  but it sure paints a real picture of life.

he was off the music scene for a while.  good thing he came back after a few years of hiatus.  and came back with a vengeance he did!  with 10 grammy nominations to his name for the feb awards, he sure has recaptured much of his writing talent.  i haven't heard most of his recent releases yet but the first one that hit my ears already got my thumbs up.  it's a collaboration with rihanna.  and although this song is something i'll never relate to (coz it talks of intense, masochistic kind of love), i still think it's one heck of a song.

just a warning:  the song contains strong language.  oh well, i guess you must be rolling your eyes.  it's eminem. duh!

note:  the vid is the only real vid i can find in you tube - all the others under the same title are crap.  and even if rihanna's not actually on stage, it's eminem i'm looking for anyway.  enjoy!

a glittering piece

this is old but you have to forgive me - keeping abreast with the entertainment scene is not really on my priority list.  but whenever i find something extraordinary, i'll share it anyway even if it's so yesterday.

i've heard this song a few times before on the radio and it caught my ear because of it's beautiful lyrics plus the cool piano in the background.  though i didn't have the chance to catch the title of the song nor who the artist was.  and it was a surprise to find out that it was pink, the funky dance diva whose get this party started and fun house are in my player.

departing from her usual dance style, it sure is one sparkling gem on her recording resume.  i guess every artist has to do something like this to prove his/her multi-faceted musical prowess. write some poetry, mix it with some cool instruments and sing it like there's no tomorrow.
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just don't let the cool video distract you from the beauty of the song.  she's just proving to one and all that she can sing well even if she's under the coriolis effect.  who else is talented, crazy and cool enough to do this?  only pink!

goin' country

i'm not really into country songs but right now i'm playin two of them on a repeat mode.  one is a haunting tune that talks about yearning for someone sung by the better lady in the music scene right now.  the other is a cover of another country/love song originally popularized by shania twain but given a breath of fresh air by the latest idol winner who sounds like past winner david cook but has a more likeable personality.  play 'em and enjoy 'em.  they can easily be in your faves list too.

presenting... MA the songwriter!!!

Remember MA (em-ey), one of my dear friends from my Magnus stint?  I mentioned in my march 16th posting (see One Lovely Reunion under label of friends and more) that this charming Coca-Cola Phils lady exec is also a talented songwriter who's just starting to explore her God-given talent.  

I had the honor of hearing her first composition (2nd vid below) in her car's cd player on our way to our small reunion in Greenbelt.  That song was her entry to the songwriting contest by Regine's Diva show in GMA 7.  Though it didn't win, it still won my heart coz it was one beautiful love song. 

It took a while before it happened but here she is, sharing that song with  friends plus another ballad which is equally heartfelt .  In turn, let me share them with you too so you can claim you've heard it first in DS before it exploded huge in the airwaves. Contemporary love songs that'll sure make it big anytime soon.  Nice work MA!  I'm mighty proud of you!

how the idols are doing

season 9 of American Idol has just ended with the shy paint salesman lee dewyze winning it over the cool chick single mom crystal bowersox. both are probably signing contracts by now, making the most out of the huge wave of popularity the contest has just given them.

Lee Dewyze

Winner, Season 9

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of course we'd expect that they'd soon be enjoying fame and fortune in the forms of sold-out concerts, best-selling records, commercial endorsements and other events where their mere appearance will command some large amount of money.

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however, according to Forbes, these winners of recent AI seasons are looking at reduced earning potential compared to what the earlier winnners enjoyed. that, according to Forbes, is because of the market already being inundated by AI products in all it's 9 seasons run.

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Forbes also released a list of last year's AI top 10 money makers and it's quite interesting. two of the top 5 earners did not even reach the finals of their respective season (Chris and Kellie). on the contrary, three grand winners did not even make the list (Fantasia, Taylor and Ruben).

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here's the list of AI graduates' earnings last year according to Forbes, in reverse order:

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no. 10

Kris Allen

Winner, Season 8

$ 1.7 million

his album reached no. 11 in billboard, he plays in vegas and has a national tour
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no. 9

Clay Aiken

2nd place, Season 2

$ 2 million

sold 4 million albums, acted in broadway's production of 'spamalot'
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no. 8

David Archuleta

2nd place, Season 7

$ 2.2 million

his self-titled album reached no. 2 in the billboard charts, has done about 100 concerts and live shows
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no. 7

David Cook

Winner, Season 7

$ 2.8 million
his self-titled album has turned platinum, earns some huge amount from his endorsement of sckechers shoes
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no. 6

Jennifer Hudson

7th place, Season 3
$ 3.5 million

aside from her oscar best supporting actress, her self-titled album already sold 750,000 copies
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no. 5

Jordin Sparks

Winner, Season 6
$ 3.7 million

the youngest winner of AI, her album debuted at no. 7 in the billboard charts
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no. 4

Kellie Pickler
6th place, Season 5
$ 7.6 million
this perky little tigress has already sold more than 1 million albums and is very busy with 100 concerts on her schedule
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no. 3

Chris Daughtry
4th place, Season 5
$ 10.2 million
this hairless rocker is still rocking hot with more than 5 million albums sold and a grammy nomination to his name
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no. 2

Kelly Clarkson
Winner, Season 1
$ 11.7 million
her 4 albums already sold more than 10 million copies and she's now working on her 5th
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and the biggest money maker of 'em all....

Carrie Underwood
Winner, Season 4
$ 13 million
she's sold more than 9 million albums, won 4 grammys, 5 american music awards and 14 billboard music awards

within my league

i'm a sucker for mean ballads with some fierce piano on the background. that's what stephen speaks' out of my league was all about. rich, poetic lyrics with an endearingly haunting melody, this song has undoubtedly captured all my senses. the song was released back in 2003, i've heard it a couple of times before but never really fell for it. only now that i got hold of a copy did i realize that it's one song worth going gaga for.

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it's the only song in my media player now, on an endless repeat mode, playing at least a thousand times throughout my working day. it's also the single song, again on repeat mode, in my ipod that lulls me to sleep every night. call me crazy but that's what i am when i fall for a song! emo? not really. hell, i'm not even in love! i just thought it was a very good song. very contemporary yet talks about love in a very old fashioned way.

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i'ts just a dud coz nothing is available in youtube for the original band video. there are many covers but i'd rather stick to this one coz it has the original song with the glorious piano playing as well as the inimitable voice of rockwell ripperger.

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so let me share the song with you my dear friends coz i know you've also got some hopeless romantic genes hidden somewhere. enjoy!

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eli mattson

mbc 4 is running last year's america's got talent and it's now on the top 20 where one performance caught my attention. it's eli mattson, a singing artist from wisconsin. he's one huge proof that in these days of countless talent shows, a spark of brilliance can still be lurking in some undiscovered corner.

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he may not have won the grand prize but i do hope he's waxing records soon. he'll surely be among my ipod faves. here's eli's evolution in america's got talent....

his audition piece


his top 40 performance


his number in the top 20


top 10 song

lambert losing

Even before the finale was shown in MBC4, I already knew Kris Allen won the 8th season of AI, thanks to on-line newspapers in the Philippines where they broadcast the show a day earlier. Kaya hindi ko na rin pinag-interesan na panoorin yong final showdown nila.

A couple of weeks back when Danny Gokey was eliminated, na-disappoint na ako. Coz I thought it’s Danny and Adam who deserve to battle it out in the finals. Between Gokey and Allen kasi, it’s Gokey who can put up a better fight against the very versatile and talented Adam. Hindi tulad ni Allen na parang hindi match. Cute lang kasi at pang-boy band ang dating pero kulang sa vocal prowess.

So I was wrong dahil na-eliminate nga si Gokey. And, as if to prove me wrong again and again, hindi pa rin si Adam ang nag-win. It was Allen na sinasabi kong less talented of a singer pero sya daw binoto ng American texters. I wonder why.

In one of the on-line forums, ang isang reason na nabasa ko kaya daw nanalo si Allen is that he got the young vote. Dahil bata pa at mas nakaka-relate ang mga teenager sa kanya, aside from the fact na gwaping nga, kaya sya ang binoto ng mga teenagers na karamihan ay mga babae pa. Adam daw kasi is a bit older na kaya hindi na type ng mga bagets. Eh ano ba naman ang percentage ng teenage vote sa 100 million votes na sinasabi ni Ryan Seacrest? Hindi kaya mas maraming pang-text ang mga may trabaho na, those in their 20’s and 30’s kesa sa mga teenager?

Tsaka, if that is the reason, balik tayo sa season 7 and ask why hindi rin nag-win si David Archuleta who is a bit younger compared to Allen? Kung teenage vote ang nagpapanalo, why did the cute and lovable Archie lost to the more mature and sometimes snobbish Cook? Coz it’s cook who can sing better between the two? Yon payag ako. But that contradicts Kris Allen’s win. Coz it’s Lambert who’s more talented between the two. Obvious naman masyado di ba?
So what’s it really? Ganon ba ka-unpredictable ang taste ng American voters pagdating sa kanilang idol?

Coz really, if it is the same voting public who chooses the winner season after season, there should be some pattern established by now. But do you see any?

Season 1 went to a white pop-rock girl in the person of Kelly Clarkson. Then Season 2 to rnb black dude Rubin Studdard. Season 3 to power-belter black girl Fantasia Barrino. Then Season 4 to the country blond girl Carrie Underwood. Season 5 to standards/soul guy Taylor Hicks. Season 6 to the pop teen-ager Jordin Sparks and finally Season 7 to the rocker hunk David Cook.
What do you see? May pattern ba?

What I can see is a broad spectrum of talents, age, gender, skin color and musical genre. Yan ba ang binoboto ng iisang fan base for 8 seasons? Think again.

Which leads me to thinking – hindi kaya ito ang mandate ng AI organizers themselves? Na dapat may variety sa winners, hindi pwedeng may pareho ang musical genre on the same gender/age? Why? To avoid direct competition pagdating sa album sales, what else! and that's the reason why lambert lost. otherwise, agaw sila sa market share ni david cook.

Which means, hindi totoo yang text voting na yan. The winner is eventually determined by the powers behind AI, not the text votes. Darn, was I that dumb it took 8 seasons for me to figure this out? Hahahaa!!!

eurovision 2009

the eurovision song contest is something i always watch whenever i can. it's one huge song competition among member countries of the european union every year. the 40 or so member countries send a representative, probably one of their best singers, armed with a new composition, and slug it out with the rest of the group. they go through at least two rounds of elimination before the big championship round is staged.

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this year, the final competition show was held in russia with the last 25 competitors taking advantage of the huge and ultra-high tech stage of the olimpiyskiy arena in moscow. it was one heck of a show last saturday night and i was kept glued to the tv, jotting down my own scores until the last performance. however, i couldn't wait for the voting to finish coz it's way past my bedtime already. i took to bed at around 1am with norway leading the votes.

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and yeah, the 23-year old alexander rybak who looks like a younger arnel ignacio won the contest for norway. i didn't agree with the vote. he was ranked 20th on my own scoring with a song that i think is so common and run-of-the-mill type of pop tune.

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the second-placer however, the beautiful yohanna of Iceland was also number 2 in my own ranking. got that one bull's-eye! is it true (her piece) was a beautiful song made even more beautiful by her crystal clear voice.

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third place went to azerbaijan which, in my own scoring, placed 24th among the 25 finalists. ah well, it looks like my taste is quite different from the europeans.

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and my ultimate winner? it's malena ernman of sweden who displayed some operatic prowess in her song la voix. too bad she ranked 21 in the european taste.

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here's the clip of the the top 2 songs i liked. give me a shout if you agree. don't bother if you dont! hehehe.

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yohanna - is it tue

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malena ernman - la voix

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more of susan boyle

apparently, the latest web sensation susan boyle has already waxed a recording back in 1999, a song called cry me a river. and it only proves that she is indeed an angel concealed in a 47-year old simple-looking lady.

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she still has to win britain's got talent. but hey, whatever happens from here on, she's already a winner. again, i ask: where the heck has she been hiding all along? (better yet, why?)

i dreamed of a mad world

i guess you know by now that i 'm a fan of singing competitions particularly american idol. so let me share a few recent acts that are now sending tongues a-wagging and youtube a-buzzing.

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adam lambert at ai8

the recent spate of bad weather took my mbc4 out and i wasn't able to watch the telecast last weekend. and darn, that's when this cover of my favorite tears for fears song was done by adam lambert! many predict that he's the one to beat in this season of ai. well if only for this glorious version of mad world, i'd definitely agree.

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susan boyle at britain's got talent

now look at that face and tell me - honestly - if you can see a singing star. if you said no, then you're just as prejudiced as the audience and the judges of britain's got talent. i was too. i was guilty as hell judging her solely for her looks. but boy, oh boy, when she sings, it's an entirely different story.

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this susan boyle was a complete surprise right from the first line of this beautiful song from les miserables. and from then on, it's wild admiration from the audience until the last bar of the song. the judges were completely surprised. the audience obviously delighted. heck, i was moved! what in the world was this lady doing for the last 47 years? she should've hit the spotlight a loooonggggg time ago!

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anyways, all i can come up with is the screenshot above and the link to her clip below. actually, i'm pissed coz all susan boyle's clips in youtube are embedding disabled! whoever posted them is soooo not cool. here's a link anyway... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow-1Xl5Ttu0

the one, the only

last december yata nag-concert yong mga 'diva' daw ng pinas. divas 4 divas yata ang title if i remember it right. natawa na lang ako nang mabasa ko kasi... ewan. siguro kinabit na lang ng mga fans nila yong title na diva don sa mga singer. siguro dahil idol na idol nila. o baka yong mga manager nila, promoter, publicist o kung sino man. but whoever did it, hindi nila na-realize that they're doing the singer more harm than good.

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of course the ladies can sing. they sold some records before, held sold-out concerts during their heydays and at one point of their singing careers eh talagang nag-feeling diva (ay parang lahat yata feeling diva pa rin! hehehe). eh sa atin pa naman pag sumikat, lalagyan na agad ng title na kung ano-ano. at pinaka-paboritong i-masaker yong diva kasi madaling sabihin at i-spell! hahaha!

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eh pano kung kinuhang guest sa ellen o kaya sa jay leno (kung lang naman) at inintroduce na the 'so and so' diva from the philippines.... tapos hindi makakanta kahit man lang in soubrette... hala! nakakahiya diva, este di ba!

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so what's a diva? eto... panoorin nyo. nessun dorma pero mani-mani lang. kung sino ang maka-abot kahit man lang nong B3 (wag na yong C6) ni lani dito, sige payag na ako!

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(sorry idol ngayon lang kita na-post dito! hahaha..... para namang bumibisita dine si lani!)

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i'm forever yours....

I’ve long been enamored by this song. There’s something about it that caresses my jaded heart and most importantly, gives the cynic in me some beating. Maybe it’s the melody, the lyrics or the piano. Or maybe it’s the whole package.

I’m not really into mushy love songs that promise forever (that’s the cynic part of me I mentioned) coz com’n, nothing really lasts forever, ok? But this one, heck, it’s one exception I’m glad I made. You can call me baduy, jologs or whatever for loving this one, I don’t give a hoot.

Let me share it with you, topped with some pride coz it’s our very own arnel pineda’s cover in the chile leg of journey’s worldwide conert tour last year. Feel free to close your eyes, feel the song and live through those magical moments you shared with your special someone.

And oh, by the way, consider this as my advanced valentine greeting! Love is in the air, dude. Enjoy.

ai8

Finally hindi na ako mapapag-iwanan when it comes to American Idol. Not like before na ang posting ko eh tungkol pa sa grand finals between the two Davids of season 7 samantalang pukpukan na sa audition ang mga contestants sa season 8.

This time, medyo updated na ako (and all of us in the middle east na AI fans), thanks to MBC who got the rights to show AI8 almost real-time. Late pa rin by almost a week but hey, that’s a whole lot better than a full season behind di ba.

I saw the pilot telecast last night and I was ecstatic that they (MBC4) even showed the full 2-hour episode. Not like before na luma na nga kinakatay-katay pa ng Dubai One to one-hour episodes lang per week.

Before it started, may mga nababasa na akong press release na porke marami raw changes sa program. One is the addition of another female judge, Kara DioGuardi. Unfortunately, tingin ko sa first episode, she didn’t bring anything new to the program except for that lovely face.

Sa akin lang, she’s just a younger Paula Abdul. Walang pinag-iba ang mga assessment at comments nya from Paula and most of the times even Randy. All three of them are so lame. Nako-kornihan ako sa mga comments nila, trying to be so polite kahit pa ang kaharap nilang contestant eh kasipa-sipa right on their hinnys.

Kaya gusto ko si Simon who, for me, is the only one who brings sanity to this sometimes crazy show. Lalo na pag umpisa pa lang ng audition at dumadagsa ang mga kulang sa talent pero sobra sa kapal ang mukha, mga KSP at naghahanap lang ng 1-minute-fame on worldwide tv. It was only Simon who kicks their butts and wake them up from their delusion of stardom. Sabihin nang ascerbic, contemptuous at masyadong in-your-face ang mga comments nya but at least he’s keeping it real.

Ang kaso, napansin ko sa first episode nila, mukhang lumambot na rin syang parang mamon! What happened? Parang nawala ang asim nya sa pagko-comment, he was even smiling most of the time and said yes to some singers who, if it were the first seven season auditions, eh siguradong nilait na nya. But now, yes na lang sya ng yes. Nawala na ang angas, parang bumaba pa ang taste. Agree lang ng agree sa dalawang babae. Is this one of those changes na sinasabi? Maybe.

Or maybe Paula Godspeed has got something to do with it. Paula who? She’s one of the hopefuls in the 2005 auditions who got rejected and later on committed suicide (reportedly) in November 2008 sa harap mismo ng bahay ni Paula Abdul. Talk about desperation huh. Some say na nakatikim daw ng panglalait during the audition kaya nagpakamatay. So she was in pain for 3 years? Saka lang nya dinamdam ng husto yong comments? What lengths people would go just to get famous.

Kaya ba nag-tone down si Simon? Because of some guilty conscience. Well, nakakapanibago. Sana wag ganito all throughout this season. Otherwise walang anghang, walang sipa at walang sundot kung puro nicey-nicey comments lang nina Paula, Kara at Randy lang maririnig ko. Boring.

the battle of the davids

Okay, before you say my article is soooo ancient, hear me out. Free channel lang po ang can afford ko and in this part of the world, sa Dubai One ko lang inaabangan ang American Idol. And I guess they (Dubai One) wouldn’t wanna pay what I could only imagine as an enormous broadcasting fee just to have it aired real time kaya, inumpisahan lang nilang i-air yong Season 7 a few weeks after it’s run ni Fox. Kaya ngayon ko pa lang napanood ang finale ng Season 7 which they aired last night.

But even if that episode’s tape was already museum-bound, at kahit alam kong si David Cook ang nanalo by some millions of votes, I still enjoyed watching it. Thoroughly.

To those who love AI and haven’t seen it, I’d say you’ve missed one hell of a finale. To me, this is the best finale ever. Pareho kasing magaling yong dalawang David. In fact, dapat hindi na pinatagal itong season 7 coz right from the start, outstanding talaga itong dalawang ito. They could’ve went straight to the finale kasi wala naman talagang competition from among the other 22 semi-finalists (aside from the Australian John Michaels na medyo nagustuhan ko rin ang singing style). And that includes Ramiel who is now trying her luck in the Philippine local entertainment scene.

But going back, since parehong dalawang guys ang contestants, ginawa nila itong parang boxing match kumpleto with a ring announcer with Cook in the red corner while Archuleta was in blue. They then sang 3 songs alternately.

In Round 1, nauna si Cook with his version of U2’s I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For. Archuleta’s first was Elton John’s Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me. I love both of these songs but I’d say mas favourite ko ang U2 kesa kay Elton. But song choice aside, who sang better? Archuleta for me. Simon Cowell agreed and gave Round 1 to the 17-year old.

Round 2 is where they sang two compositions from AI fans. Cook chose a rock pice which suited his voice and style perfectly. Archuleta chose another ballad that goes something like ‘you can’t take this moment away from me’. Hindi ko masyadong gusto yong song na parang One Moment in Time ni Whitney ang dating sa akin. May pagka-jologs ng konti. Masyado nga raw self-centered sabi ni Cowell. Pero kahit pa anong sabihin, it’s not about the song but about the singing. And I thought Archuleta sang better again. Simon thought so too and gave Round 2 to the innocent-looking boy again.

Round 3 and it’s their song choice now. I was delighted that Cook chose one of my super-fave from Collective Soul, The World I know. I was going 'yeahhhh'. Maning-mani talaga sa kanya. But Archuleta delivered the final blow with his angelic version of John Lennon’s Imagine. Simon gave Round 3 again to Archie and said he won by a knock-out. At kung hindi ko talaga alam na si Cook ang nanalo, I would totally agree with that knock-out verdict.

Iba ang clarity, pitch, volume at total quality ng boses ni little boy. But we all know by now that Cook is turning out songs that rock the Billboard charts. Both of them naman actually are doing great. Ang sa akin lang, kung hindi dinadaan sa popular vote ang winner, it would be very very difficult to separate these two. Parehong magaling. Parehong idol material. Sana ganito rin ang calibre ng season 8.
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(you can listen to the four songs from these two at the e-snips widget somewhere in the right panel of this blog. listen to them and, without prejudice, tell me whose singing you liked best.)

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what's playin

i've said it before - my taste in music is as so varied you can never really tell what i'm listening to whenever i've got my earphones on. i love the chamber music of the gregorian chants as much as i love bruce springsteen's pop rockin. or eminem's white rap (wonder where is he now) to the operatic charm of josh groban.

this time, i'm goin dancin and wigglin so let me share three songs with you - two upbeat tunes that i wiggle my booty on even while i'm in the office, and one with a delightfully reggae beat.

Paid My Dues by Anastacia

i luv the fullness of her voice and the song speaks of what you get when you've been bad. a bit baddy but with some lesson woven into the danceable tune. nice.

I'm Yours by Jason Mraz

he's a newbie in the music biz (started only in 2007 with his debut album The Beauty in Ugly) but he's already making waves. not a surprise coz this guy's definitely got the groove. and in this song, he successfully adopted the reggae beat into his genuinely american music. I'm Yours is one song that can lift your spirits on a cold, damp day.

Closer by Ne-yo

another hip and cool tune that never fails to make me do some funky moves. well, at least according to what i imagine. haha...

listen to these songs via the e-snips widgets below. hope you like them too....

the one, the only

i thought i already knew lani misalucha. sa tagal ko nang sinusundan ang career nya. sya lang ang pinag-tyagaan kong panoorin sa tv during her sop days. at sya lang ang pinag-aaksayahan ko ng panahon na panoorin sa concert, kahit parang hilong talilong akong maghanap ng concert ticket nya na lagi namang sold-out long before the date.

sanay na akong makita syang magpaka-soprano doing a nessun dorma or an italian version of my heart will go on. sanay na akong makita syang mag-impersonate ng mga american divas via her medley of barbra-celine-whitney medleys. it's no longer a surprise to see her comfotably singing the prayer with no intimidation beside josh groban. at mas lalong hindi na bago sa akin na humilata sya sa stage while belting out loving you and still hit the highest of highest notes! nobody in the philippine music scene can do all of this. sya lang.

but never did i know na sa dinami-dami na ng kayang gawin ng kanyang versatility, meron pa palang hindi ko nakikita. and that is, kayang-kaya din pala nyang magpaka-jologs doing a song na normally ay paborito ng mga tambay sa kanto. pati pala laklak minasaker na rin ng galing ng babaeng ito! (and by masaker i mean rakistang-rakista ang dating nya huh).

i found it in youtube and at first i couldn't believe the video titles i'm seeing. lani misalucha - laklak! whaatt? i was intrigued kung paanong ang isang napakagaling na singer, classy and with the elegance of a real diva can do justice to a song like that. pero iba talaga ang totoong talent. kahit saan mo dalhin, kahit anong ipakanta mo, lalabas at lalabas talaga ang galing.

this version of was taken during NU awards back in 95 pa pala. mas maganda sana yong mas bagong clip taken from her glorietta performance kasi may spiel pa sya at the end of the song that made me laugh. kaso disabled ang embedding kaya ito na lang. (search nyo na lang sa youtube at matatawa rin kayo. title: lani misalucha in glorietta - laklak).

turn up the volume and see why, among the many local talents, lani's got the only real claim to the title diva.

beating the giants

i've said it many times before - i love josh groban as well as the gregorians who popularized chamber music doing covers of familiar pop tunes. but they’re all unreachable stars in a far, far away galaxy and the only proximity i can afford is by listening to them on the radio or watch them in youtube.

pne however, is a lot more real. with one member a good friend and the group within reach, they are mortals instead of demi-gods. i can see their live performances and email them my unwanted comments (and never get reproached for doing so, hehehe). and best of all, they are world-class celebrities! well, maybe not in the league of josh or the gregorians yet but definitely on the way to being there.

xiamen, china? nancy, france? graz, austria? they’ve done it all with medals to prove their talent. winning the hearts and respect of discriminating music afficionados. earning standing ovations from international audience. hitting headlines on broadsheets and even the internet. proof that they have now gained international celebrity status - anybody who says otherwise must be turning green with envy!.

i’ve written a few posts about pne already. and by now you must’ve figured out i’m a supporter and a believer. but this one’s simply to congratulate them and welcome them back from their austrian trip. a very successful one where they won gold in the elimination round and final silver on male choir chamber category of the 5th choir games in graz.

beating delegations from mostly european countries where chamber music was born, you just can’t help but feel proud of this group whose brown skins, 5-ft frames are but humble disguise of huge, sparkling musical talent.

what’s more to be proud of is the fact that delegations from our very own philippines (3 groups including las pinas boys choir, kilyawan boys choir and the himig singers) were also successful in their respective campaigns bringing home a total of 6 medals (2 golds, 4 silvers). pinoy music power. it rocks and it rules.

but pne holds a special place in my heart coz even if they are flying the saudi colors, they represent the talent of ofws in ksa and the mid-east as a whole. an unquestionable proof and reminder that wherever you put pinoys, no matter how hard and harsh the condition, their talents simply won’t fade. on the contrary, it fluorishes.

to pne – a huge hug to all. and one proud congratulations for a job superbly done.

for full story of the graz competition, visit www.musica-mundi.com

simply divine

i should have done this a long time ago... naalala ko lang when i found a new posting in youtube of the song my immortal, one of my fave love songs of the recent past. what's cool about it is that it's a cover by my ultimate fave - the gregorian masters of chant!

for two days now it's been playin on and on and on sa pc ko - either at home or at work. sabi ko nga when my pne friends get back from their austrian competition, i'll ask them to include this one in their repertoire. gandang-ganda talaga ako sa song.

then i went back to youtube so i can share the music vid here with you guys. kaso madamot yong nag-upload nong vid, embedding was disabled. hmmmppfftt!

eh marami namang songs na magaganda ang gregorians so i simply wasn't fazed. una kong hinanap yong kyrie eleison and found it. kaya lang mahina yong audio. so i opted for this one na favorite ko rin - losing my religion, a hit by the group r.e.m. na humabol sa tail end ng new wave era noong 1991. new wave music done chamber-style? really cool guys.

So eto ang matagal ko nang dapat ginawa - share the subliminal music of the gregorians with you. enjoy!

i also linked two songs via the esnips widget at the right pane of this blog from another brilliant voice na product ng american idol - david archuleta and his very own version of two favorite (again) songs of mine - angels by robbie williams and the timeless imagine by john lennon.

advise ko lang, before you play these songs, let go of whatever you're busy with, sit down, relax and savor the moments these wonderful music bring!!!!