3 more PH acts vie for finals slot on ‘AGT’
Two Filipino acts are already in “Asia’s Got Talent Season 3” finals but, as the song goes, it’s never enough.
Two Filipino acts are already in “Asia’s Got Talent Season 3” finals but, as the song goes, it’s never enough.
The Philippines still has three strong contenders waiting in the semi-finals this week. They hope to impress the judges and receive enough votes online to get a shot at the $100,000 (more than P5 million) grand prize.
Pinoys making it all the way to the ‘AGT’ finals is no surprise. The first-ever grand champion of the competition was the Filipino shadow dance group El Gamma Penumbra, while opera singer Gerphil Flores landed on third place. Then the next season, PH bets DM-X Comvaleñoz and Neil Ray Garcia Llanes secured second and third place, respectively.
The last three Pinoy acts in the semifinals this week are Eleana Gabunada, Power Duo, and HK Sisters. They compete on March 28.
Any of them who makes it (hopefully all of them) will go up against Filipino hand shadow artist Philip Galit a.k.a Shadow Ace, dance group Junior Good Vibes, Maniac Family, a hip-hop dance group from Taiwan and Indonesian singer Sitti Saniyah in the final round on April 4.
Bulletin Entertainment landed an exclusive interview with Eleana, Power Duo and HK Sisters right before they slug it out this Thursday.
Go, sisters
HK Sisters, who happen to be real-life siblings, raised the flag for the Philippines and got a standing ovation after singing “Think Of Me” from “Phantom Of The Opera” during the auditions.
Some people think HK stands for Hong Kong, but no. It’s the initials of their names, Harrah Kaym and Hannah Korin.
Prior to joining “Asia’s Got Talent,” Hannah, 17, and Harrah, 16, won awards at the World Championship of Performing Arts as individuals and as duo.
Auditioning for “AGT” was spur of the moment for them.
“That’s because we’re really busy with school. But when our mom heard there will be an audition, she encouraged us to join,” Hannah said. “We didn’t expect anything, it’s, like, ‘Kung matanggap, okay, kung hindi, okay pa din.”’
They earned all three yeses from judges Anggun, David Foster and Jay Park.
Given their young age, many are surprised to hear HK Sisters taking on classical songs. Their fondness for the genre began while they were training under a Philippine Madrigal Singers member.
“She saw potential in us. She believed we can do operatic singing so she trained us. We embraced the transition from being pop singers to classical singers,” Harrah shared. “Pop and R&B are common for our generation. Classical is more challenging and new to the ears of the youth.”
Asked how they take care of their voices, the HK Sisters giggled. Apparently, they eat and drink anything – including ice creams and chocolates – contrary to other singers who avoid those like the plague.
“But, of course, everything in moderation,” they said.
Asked about their game plan on Thursday, the HK Sisters said they will simply do their best.
“We will not just tell stories through our songs, we will let the audience experience it.”
The youngest contender in the semifinals is 10-year-old singer Eleana Gabunada.
But her age is no hindrance to success as proved by the standing ovation she got recently, and the Golden Buzzer given by judge David Foster for her cover version of “Defying Gravity” during the auditions.
“There’s two parts of being a singer/ actor, one is the singing which you nailed. But the other is believing you. And when you sing that song, I believe you and that's really important,” David said. "If you hang on to that, you're going to be a Broadway star.”
Eleana started singing at two. Three years after that, she joined singing competitions in baranggay. She later tried her luck on “The Voice Kids” and “Tawag Ng Tanghalan.”
“I may not have won (in those competitions) but that didn’t stop me from pursuing my dream,” said she who is into Broadway songs. She trains under veteran composer Vehnee Saturno.
Recalling her first moments on “Asia’s Got Talent,” Eleana shared she was able to overcome her fears with help of her family, “my number one supporters.”
“They told me to just enjoy the competition. Just give what you can give. I’m very proud to have them,” she said. “I’m not going to let them down, I promise to give my best, to succeed.”
Couple goals
Dance partners-turned-real life couple, Anjanette and Gervin of Power Duo, impressed the “AGT” judges with their signature acrobatic contemporary dance.
“The acrobatic moves you were doing, the level of difficulty, was so high. But at the same time, the performance was so graceful, elegant, and beautiful,” Jay Park said then.
Talking about their humble beginnings, Anjanette and Gervin came from different dance groups that used to join baranggay competitions.
“After that, I decided to have a partner and tried contemporary dance,” she said. “But my partner eventually left so I had to find a replacement, and that’s when Gervin came in.”
They later joined TV competitions “Wowowin’s Willie Of Fortune.” Their break came when they were named grand champion on the fifth season of “Pilipinas Got Talent.”
“That changed our lives,” said they who became a couple a few weeks before “PGT” finals night.
As for preparations for the upcoming “Asia’s Got Talent” semi-finals, Power Duo has been undergoing extensive trainings since the couple is known for doing challenging and “buwis-buhay” stunts.
They also maintain their slim figures and strengthen their stamina to make sure there will be no accidents during performance.
“It’s a matter of discipline po talaga,” was how they put it.
As a couple, the two described their relationship as “aso’t-pusa.” Still, they make sure nothing affects their performances. “Love always finds a way,” they said. Is marriage on the horizon, we asked.
“For now, it can wait. We want to prioritize the competition as well as my studies because I’m a graduating student,” Gervin said.