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UPDATE (June 30, 2008) : Due to the bad weather condition, Grand Finals of Filipino Idol will be rescheduled.
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Original Post : June 27, 2008

The Grand Finals of Filipino Idol is just two days away. Filipinos in Jersey City are eagerly waiting to watch the finalists perform. Who will be the next Filipino Idol? The Grand Finals is the highlight of the annual Philippine-American Friendship Day celebrated at Exchange Place, Jersey City. The event is preceded by a cultural, musical and variety show with two special guests: Mig Ayesa and Jessa Zaragosa.

The finalists and event organizers maintain contact with each other since the audition last June 14. And yesterday , Filipino Idol Chairperson Hector Magno gives the finalists useful last minute tips via email. In a nutshell he told the hopefuls to “just take it easy, relax and enjoy the moment.“. He also reminded them to treat the contest like the American Idol Grand Finals, where contestants vastly improved since their audition – talent-wise, and appearance-wise.

He said that it is important to follow these pointers to be comfortable during the Grand Finals:

• Display PROPER Stage Appearance – wear makeup if necessary. Contacts are suggested to replace eye-glasses. Aspirants should remember that there will be cameras and media covering this event.
• Practice – memorize songs, sing in front of a mirror if needed to improve stage presence.
• Compete – Contestants are expected to bring their SUPERB World-class performance, which brings us to the next point …
• Use Element of Surprise – If you feel you performed below expectation in the audition, then surprise everyone who had seen/heard your performance.
• Bring ENTROURAGE – Bring help. Lots of help. Let them do the small stuff for you (like organizing your CD, outfit, and other things) so you can focus on your performance.
• Remember PUNCTUALITY – Come early (around 2PM) so you can get a feel of the atmosphere. Also, the order of performance is based on “draw-lots” system, so if you are late, there’s a big chance that you’ll go up on stage first.
• Most importantly – PRAY

Online POLL

So far, Andy, Kristine May, Chelsea, and Riana are leading the POLL here with at least 50 votes each. They have worked hard to gather voters and their friends and family members showed their support by posting comments. Hopefully the number of votes translates to the actual event. The poll will close Sunday, June 28 12AM EST so tell your supporters to keep on voting!

GRAND FINALS PANEL of JUDGES

The panel of judges consists of a movie director, event/concert planner, a professional opera singer, and a record producer. The names of 4 judges are undisclosed yet. It is believed that they will adopt “open-judging” similar to American Idol. The finalists are advised to take constructive criticisms.

Good luck on Sunday, and may the best Finalist win!

Read the rest for the profile of each finalist …

THE FINALISTS

The group consists of young but already well-achieved participants. Read their self-submitted short bios to know them better:

Balahadia, Riana – Riana is 16 years old from Jersey City. She is a straight-A sophomore student at High Tech High School who has received several academic awards such as the National Honor Roll Society and the United States Achievement Award in Science and Japanese. She is also a member of the Japanese Honor Society and the New Jersey Science League. Aside from her academic excellence, she was the regional finalist for Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest in 2007. Riana is involved in many after school programs and clubs. She most especially devotes most of her time in HTH’s Musical Theater.

In 2006, Riana starred in a stage play entitled “It’s All In Your Mind” in Long Island University in Brooklyn , NY . She was a New Jersey Finalist in Pinoy Pop Superstar in March 2007.. At present she is a finalist in Maharajah Idol, a voice competition. Aside from singing, Riana also plays the piano and loves to dance. Contest Piece: “Don’t Rain On My Parade”

Bello, Fernando “Andy” – Andy lives independently and peacefully in Jersey City. He is employed and is the breadwinner of his family. He believes that “Destiny is not a matter of chance, it’s a matter of choice. You make your own destiny. All you need to do is pray for God’s blessing and do your part..”

Andy is active in religious organizations such as Singles for Christ and Morning Star New York (Christian Church). Although he can imitate various Filipino singers like Christian Bautista, Janno Gibbs, Jaya, and Piolo Pascual, he said his music influences are Martin Nieverra, Gary Valenciano, Jay-R, Baby Face, Bryan McKnight, and Boys II Men. Contest Piece: “Ikaw”

Bukiron, Elizabeth – Elizabeth is 16 years old from Elizabeth, NJ. She has 3 other siblings; She is currently a student in Benedictine Academy on a 4 year academic scholarship. She spends a lot of time being active in school activities using her talent in music. Elizabeth also likes singing, drawing, baking, and swimming — and she said that she wants to pursue a singing career in the future. Contest Piece: “You Know I’m No Good” by Amy Winehouse

Calalang, Michael Ray – Michael is a 21-years old college student from Old Bridge, NJ. He is the eldest of 4 boys. Although he is capable of singing in various languages such as Italian, German, Tagalog, English and Spanish, Michael said Kundiman is his favorite genre of music. He believes to “live life like it’s your last day and all will fall into place.” Contest piece: “Sapagkat Mahal Kita” by Larry Miranda

DeMiao, Cherry Joy – Cherry Joy is 26-years old from New Paltz, NY. She said that there are two things she likes doing: cooking and singing.

Cherry Joy started singing at age 8, and has been very passionate in music since then. As a matter of fact, she has joined a lot of singing competitions with mixed results. Her first love is to be a professional singer; but she said if that doesn’t fare well, she could always be a chef — a good one, she assures. Contest Piece: Neither One of Us by Gladys Knight

Eclar, Jon Michael – Jon Michael is a 22-year old recent graduate of Syracuse University majoring in Music Industry. He hails from Chantilly, VA. He studied classical voice, with emphasis in opera and classical art songs. Jon Michael has interred with performing arts organizations such as the Syracuse Synphony Orchestra, Central NY Jazz Arts Foundation and the Lincoln Center in NYC. Contest piece: “You Raised Me Up” by Josh Groban

Evangelista, Chelsea – Chelsea is 16 years old family-oriented resident of Howell, NJ.; She attends Howell High School as a senior. Her aspiration is to be a pediatrician. She said she loves hanging out with her friends and her family. She was once Little Miss Manila in 1999. Chelsea always loved performing and has a passion in singing ever since she was little. Contest piece: “Take a Bow” by Rhinna

Parcon, Kristine May – Kristine May is a 26-year old resident of Jamaica, NY. She is a graduate of BS Physical Therapy at Dela Salle University-Health Sciences Campus in the Philippines. Currently, she works as a Physical Therapist in Bronx, NY helping her patients recover and feel better. During her spare time, she loves to sing, and learning how to play the keyboard. Contest piece: “Sana’y Wala Nang Wakas”

Villena, Vanessa Angela – Vanessa Angela attends Middlesex County College majoring in Accounting and Finance. She has joined Pinoy Pop Superstar and made the top 40 when auditioning with famous Filipino musician Ryan Cayabyab. She was a 2nd runner-up in Diwa ng Kalayaan in 2006 and was named Hiyas ng Pilipinas for PIDCI. She said she is comfortable performing on stage. Contest piece: “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me”