The Philippines is
endowed with creativity and artistry particularly in the performing arts. This
is evident in the strong performances of four Filipino acts in the grand finale
of “Asia’s Got Talent” out of a total
of nine finalists from all over the region. As solo singers, Gwyneth Dorado
(pop) and Gerphil Flores (classical) impressed the judges with their striking
vocal chords; while group performers such as El Gamma Penumbra (shadow play act)
and Junior New System (hip hop dancers) wowed the audience with their dazzling
presentation and heart-thumping moves.
There is just so
much to be proud of for the Filipino artists who are carrying the Philippine
flag in the world stage, or at least in Asia. This talent competition is an
excellent platform to showcase a different image of Filipinos commonly seen as
domestic helpers, unskilled laborers, drug traffickers, or desperate migrants
looking for a better life. Thanks to the show, the world gets to witness the first-rate
talent and amazing creativity that the Philippines can offer.
While watching the
Pinoy contestants perform during the competition, I realize so many things
about us as Filipinos. I acknowledge that these are my own general observations
subject for debate, though I believe that they are still worth noting.
1. Filipino local talent show rejects are world-class talents
nonetheless.
Many of the
exceptional Filipino acts competing in Asia’s
Got Talent failed to win in the show’s local version. Some of them did not
even make it to the semi finals of Pilipinas
Got Talent. But fortunately, we now see them proudly representing the
Philippines in the international stage.
Nobody
personified a dramatic comeback better than Gerphil Flores. She was previously
eliminated in Pilipinas Got Talent
because, according to the judges, her operatic singing and classical tunes do
not resonate to the Filipino audience. She got her vindication when David
Foster praised her pitch perfect voice and elegant performance in Asia’s Got Talent. As one of the most
popular finalists in the regional competition, previous clips of her
elimination during her stint in the localized version of the show circulated
online. After the judges voted her out in Pilipinas
Got Talent, she defended her gift of singing Italian opera saying that “Filipinos
are smart and are capable of singing different languages much like how we can
sing in Korean or Japanese since it’s all about the melody.”
Watching how
Gerphil Flores wowed the international audience and the foreign judges in Asia’s Got Talent with her amazing voice
is truly a well-deserved redemption. Indeed, God’s major plans for her are
starting to unravel.
What this reveals about Filipino
judges
The
jurors in Pilipinas Got Talent may
now be ashamed to realize that they might have made a poor judgment call on,
not necessarily because they eliminated Gerphil Flores, but because they
assumed that Filipinos will not appreciate classical music. Sadly, their unsophisticated
and parochial views on musical talents prematurely ended opportunities for the
Filipino masses to learn and appreciate a different kind of music genre. I think
that the judges owe it to the Filipino audience to provide them with a variety
of talents to choose from, regardless of their “marketability.” I strongly
believe that they should leave it to the Filipinos to decide on that.
The good thing that came out of Gerphil’s
unfortunate experience was that she resurrected herself and became an even more
remarkable singer. Fortunately, the Philippines did not lose Gerphil Flores; in
fact she even did the country proud. I just think that, as ironic as this may
seem, she was celebrated and appreciated more outside the Philippines.
2. Filipino artistry is so diverse and wide ranging
Singing
is definitely what Filipinos are known for all over the world. It is both our
natural gift and favorite pastime. But the diversity of the Filipino
contenders’ performances in Asia’s Got
Talent proves that we have other talents aside from singing.
El Gamma
Penumbra’s shadow play acts proudly reveal how creative and imaginative
Filipinos are. Its display of artistic refinement and profound messages through
their performances showcase the wide variety and endless potential of the
Filipino talent that are on par with international artists. Its spectacular and
superlative acts have a very universal appeal, which the global audience can
appreciate not only for its entertainment value, but also for its meaningful
themes of peace, hope, and love.
What this reveals about the Filipino
talent
While
Filipinos have an innate flair for signing, this should not limit us to explore
other talents in the performing arts. The Filipinos’ overbearing preference for
singing is partly reinforced by our showbiz culture that admires singers who
tend to ape foreign acts, belt out high notes, and boast of vocal acrobatics. It
is no wonder then that the grand winners of the past four seasons of Pilipinas Got Talent are individual male
singers who sing pop music. I think it is high time that the Philippines
celebrates the wide- ranging and high-level Filipino artistry to include
instrumentalists, dancers, actors, and other artists of different genres such
as classical, folk, jazz, modern, among others.
3. Filipinos love to play the underdog
Since talent shows are
not complete without the background stories of talents, Filipino performers
tend to portray themselves as the downtrodden underdogs. They highlight their
personal stories of hardships and failures in reality competitions to appeal to
the audience as if talent is not enough to prove themselves worthy of
admiration. This is not only the trend in talent competitions in the country; it
has also become evident among Filipino acts in “Asia’s Got Talent.” Perhaps the purpose for the contestants is to
endear themselves to the people, and predictably the audience has come to embrace
them.
Junior
New System narrated how they discovered their flair for dancing as street kids when
they have nothing else to do in their lives. They promised that if they win in
the competition, they would use the cash prize to help out and lift their
families out of poverty. Not to trivialize anyone’s tragedy, but these are the
stories that have become common fare on Philippine television, almost tired and
worn out. I am not sure if the foreign audience of “Asia’s Got Talent” will find it endearing. My only concern is that
stories like this perpetuate the global image of poverty in the Philippines.
Fortunately, the background story of Junior New System has a triumphant note to
it--- rejecting to be the hopeless victims of destitution by creating a name
for themselves in the world stage through their talent. I think that Filipinos are
so much more than being “poor;” it is time that we focus on highlighting our
personal stories beyond that.
What it reveals about the Filipino
This
only proves that Filipinos are highly emotional beings who love triumphant
stories of people overcoming tragedies. Sometimes, the more tragic a talent’s
story is, the higher his/her chances of winning, especially when the audience
eventually decides the winner. For most Filipinos, it is not only about winning
(though it is the ultimate goal); what is more important is how a life will
dramatically change for the better during the competition. Though such heartbreaking dramas have become
clichés over time, the Filipino contestants love to court sympathy, while the
Filipino audience indulges in playing the compassionate and benevolent god
(through their voting power) to the poor underdogs.
International competitions
have always revealed so many things about the Philippines as a nation. Filipinos
may not be the frontrunners in sports, mostly falling short during Olympic
games. But definitely our abilities shine brightly in the arts, often dominating
international talent shows.
Asia’s Got Talent has definitely proven
that Filipinos got talent. Though we have always prided ourselves with this common
notion, there is still so much to be proud of watching the Filipino acts, along
with the rest of the region, showing their artistry and giving their best. I
consider it a very uplifting moment for all Filipinos and a grand occasion to
be unified as a nation, rooting for all of these finest talents who have
successfully displayed to the world what the Filipinos are capable of.
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