What’s next for Hannah after raising PH flag in Indonesia
Singer Hannah Precillas is bent on flying higher by going out of her comfort zone in 2020.
Right before 2019 ended, the 21-year-old took her passion for music to greater heights by placing 2nd runner-up on “Dangdut Academy (D’Academy) Asia 5” in Indonesia.
Hannah wowed the judges and audiences with her rendition of Indonesian songs. Among the 35 contestants from all over Asia, she consistently received top scores, becoming lone Filipino and female contestant to compete in the grand finals.
In an interview, she admitted the experience taught her several lessons in singing.
“I learned so much about dynamics,” she said. “And ’wag dapat matakot mag-try ng ibang genre.”
Hannah continued: “Dito sa Pilipinas, I thought ang genres ko lang ay pop, ballad — ganu’n lang ’yung pinaglalaruan kong genres. Pero nu’ng nag-try ako ng ibang genre sa
Indonesia, napaisip ako na dapat nga iba naman madinig ng ibang tao sa akin. So, gusto ko i-apply ’yun dito sa
career ko. If ever mag-release ako ng bagong kanta, iba na from my previous songs.”
A product of singing competitions even in the Philippines — Hannah was declared winner of GMA’s talent competition “Bet Ng Bayan” in 2014
— she was asked how that contest in Indonesia differed from those she had joined locally.
“Unang-una, ang strict nila,” she said. “At ’yung pressure talaga. Kasi sa atin hindi pa natin kaya i-straight to the point na masasakit na comment, idadaan nila sa score kung ’di masyado nagustuhan. Du’n sa Indonesia, iba ’yung jury nagbibigay ng score, iba din ’yung commentators, ’yung nasa studio mismo. ’Pag ’di nila gusto they will say it, kahit na masaktan ka.”
Still, she took the blunt words constructively.
“I took it as a learning para matuto pa. ’Pag sinabi nilang ‘Kulang ganito mo, mali ’yung ginawa mo, pangit.’ ‘Oh, okay kailangan kong i-work out ’yung part na ’yun.’ “Ibang-iba ’yung pressure. Parang dito, pa-biritan lang, set up na mataas boses, magaling bumirit, kala mo palaban ka na, confident ka na. Pero du’n kasi ibangiba, hindi lang basta biritan, puso talaga makikita mo. ’Pag di mo alam meaning ng kanta, i-judge ka nila na ‘Mali emosyon mo, bakit ka ngumiti?’ I-point out nila bawat mali na ginagawa mo.”
Hannah divulged it wasn’t smooth-sailing for her in the contest. She said that usually, one week was not enough for her to learn the
Bahasa Indonesia lyrics; from the pronunciation to the context of the song that had to be translated first for her.
During rehearsals for the grand finals, she still didn’t know her piece.
“Umiiyak ako habang nagre-rehearse kasi hindi ko alam ’yung song,”
the singer said.
She almost gave up, telling the contest organizers she can’t do it.
“But they said ‘We know Filipinos are strong, don’t give up easily,’
so dinaan ko sa iyak muna ta’s tsaka ulit ako tumayo ng mas malakas na lalaban ulit.”
Hannah credited her mom for convincing her to try her luck internationally.
“Sabi niya ‘Subukan mo lang.’ She gave me hope na ‘Kayangkaya mo ’yang talunin, kayangkaya mo sila. Magaling ka.’ So pinush ko sarili ko kasi ang number one goal ko is to help my mom for her kidney transplant,” she explained. “So sabi ko, ‘Oo nga bakit hindi ko subukan manalo. Kahit ’di man lang
first or second, basta third okay na sa akin.’”
Her only prayer was to avoid mistakes while performing so as not to embarrass herself. Well, her efforts paid off: Hannah took home 50 million Indonesian Rupiahs (roughly R180,000) as the second runner up, and additional 50 million Indonesian Rupiahs given to all winners.
Will she pursue a career in Indonesia the way Filipino singers Christian Bautista and Maribeth did? Given the chance, why not, Hannah said.
As of writing, Hannah is back in Indonesia where she was invited to perform for the celebration of the 25th anniversary of a TV network.