A new star is born
Meet Shanne Gulle, Kumu’s Sing for first grand champion
You’d be hardpressed to find a better word to describe Shanne’s hard-won victory than the word “Deserved.” Hailing all the way from General Santos City, in the southern part of the Philippine archipelago, Shanne sang her way to the finish. Winning was no easy feat, but she had what it takes: talent, dedication, and the courage to take a leap of faith. And let’s not forget the final piece of the puzzle— the technology to reach the farthest corners of the globe, which is where Kumu comes in handy.
The trajectory to victory
If you want to reach the stars, you have to break the stratosphere, which is a need answered by having the best technology can offer. Kumu’s was the vehicle aspiring singers and musicians rode to see how high they could reach. Hundreds of aspirants joined the country’s first ever virtual singing contest and called upon their supporters to fuel the journey via the giving of virtual gifts. Much like an actual rocket launch with parts disengaging along the way, there were eliminations that narrowed down the contestant number from 100 down to 30, to 15, and finally, the top three.
No rocket launch is complete without people to guide its trajectory. The guest judges were Grammy Award-winning Michael Bublé, and Tony Award-winning Lea Salonga, along with other big names in the music industry, such as KZ Tandingan and Ben&Ben. It isn’t really the end for those who didn’t make it to the top—a diamond in the rough is still a diamond beneath the surface, and during
virtual press conference, Lea Salonga mentioned that aspiring musicians could still get discovered even if they did not win the singing competition they joined. Many can start their music journey, but only one can call herself grand champion. The title belongs to Shanne Gulle alone.
The new star under the telescope
Shanne Gulle was then a regular Kumunizen live streamer who started her Kumu journey in 2020 at 16. She had a burning desire to grow her confidence and self-esteem, saying “I wanted to be a live streamer because the Stars she bagged the grand prize—$10,000, a one-year contract with Warner Music Philippines, and her own Kumu concert, which happened on April 24. In it she sang huge pop hits such as Olivia Rodrigo’s “Happier” and “Driver’s License,” good choices to highlight her winning vocals. Last on the prize list was a one-on-one coaching session with Michael Bublé, a Zoom session Shanne mustered up more of her confidence to join.
Advice from Michael Bublé
“I got anxious, I was already overwhelmed because of the win, and then suddenly, it was time to get into the Zoom call with Michael Bublé. I was really worried about my English,” Shanne recalls. The call came and went without a hitch, and Shanne Shanne remembers her lesson in “Consistency” the most, saying “you need patience and determination to make it into the top 30, top 15, all the way to the top three. If you really want it, you need to strive for it.”
The Kumu-verse is a galaxy filled with various types of content that will cater to anybody’s tastes, may it be comedy, music, art, lifestyle, and many more. Get in on the live streams, or start your own content and see how great the Kumu-nity can be! Go to the Google Play Store or the App Store and search for Kumu. Download the app and create your account for free. Start following content creators in the genres you prefer, or start creating your own content for everyone to discover.