Mau Marcelo and Robert Sunga

On Pinoy Sunday, Ms. Mau Marcelo "Pinoy Idol winner" and Mr. Robert Sunga "Live the Dream, Singapore contestant" were the judges for the Amazing Stars top 12. You still have time to vote for your favorite contestant to get in the top 3. Like the previous sundays, we made it only after the mass. But we know most of the contestants and I'll say that all of them are really good.

Though, honestly, even if you don't want to play favorites there are one or two who will really capture your attention. At the end of the night after all the contestants had sung their pieces, Mau and Robert who were both really really good, wowed the audience with their God given talents. I'm trying my best now to upload most of the videos in youtube.

Mau Marcelo: I Shine For You lyrics

Wondering where you are now...
If you can see me smiling...
Through all the twists and turns...
Well, I was broken I was burned...
But I survived somehow...

You are the voice in my head...
Reminding me what I'm made of...
Take a chance, that's what you'd say...
The gift is yours to give away...
It's who I am...
It's who I am...

Because you saw what I could be...
I had a chance 'cuz you believed...
Now as I make my dreams come true...
I Shine for you...
You were the one who dried my tears...
Walked with me 'til my path was clear...
You are in everything I do...
I shine for you...
I shine for you...

Somehow you always were there...
Cheering me on, and showing you care...
And now I'm out here on my own...
But I know that I'm not alone...
I still have you...
I still have you...

Every now and then I stumble...
Sometimes I'm afraid...
But like a hand upon my shoulder...
You're there to guide my way...

Mau Marcelo- A Philippine Idol Cinderella Story

A fairy tale ending to a provincial lass who has struggled most of her life to enter the music industry and make a name for herself. Mau Marcelo, the First Philippine Idol beat city boys, Jan Nieto and Gian Magdangal. As soon as Ryan Agoncillo announced Mau’s name, the audience cheered and gave a standing ovation. Mau was beyond disbelief and her knees buckled over as she teared over the announcement.

The Idol concept has always been geared to the srtuggling and talented artist. Mau fits the concept of an Idol who gathered more than two hundred trophies later,but has not really made a career out of her talents. The Philippine Idol is the break she needs. Mau deserves to win this title. There must have been fans out there generous enough to pool resources to ensure she got votes. It was a close fight for all three. Imagine Mau won by a mere 1.42% . The more detailed info was that the winner had gotten 36.26 percent of the text-votes, the runner-up garnered 33.84 percent, and the third placer got a still respectable 30.90 percent.This also means that the other two finalists were deserving of the Philippine Idol title. That’s why I had no finalist in particular during the Results Night. Mau wins one million pesos plus a recording contract with BMG-Sony and management contract with FremantleMedia who developed the highly-successful American Idol reality singing competition. That’s quite a boost to her financial situation.

Mau winning the Philippine Idol competition could bring in mass appeal which might bring in high financial returns to any recording contract . It reminds me of Nora Aunor who had the talent but limited financial capability. This petite woman appealed to the masses. Mau will surely drive her own appeal with this big break. Let’s just hope Mau learns to have more self-esteem with this title.

A few hours before the show, my husband and I talked who might be the Philippine Idol. I said that if were were to follow the concept of the Idol reality TV show, the winner should be a nobody struggling to make it. I believed Mau was it but feared the votes were not enough. Not that Gian or Jan were undeserving struggling artists. Compared to Mau, Gian and jan led a better off economic existence. So yes, Mau is truly a Philippine Idol, one that the public can look up to, a role model for any struggling singer.

Results on Asian Idol Results

Hady Mirza's win came as a surprise, as at least three of the judges predicted that the winner would either be Mau Marcelo, Mike Mohede, or Jacklyn Victor.

There were claims that Hady may have gotten the crucial second vote outside of his home country, wherein it is claimed that votes for strong candidates were paired with weak ones like Hady and Sawant who were trailing in Asian Idol's online survey. This voting tactic was said to avoid viewers' home Idols be beaten by their closest rivals.

In Singapore, the victory stirred hopes of a revival of the country's golden age of music during the 1960's and 70's. Taufik Batisah, first season winner of Singapore Idol, said that the win is something their country should be proud of and hopefully this would "open the eyes and ears" of listeners. However, there were viewers in Singapore who still doubt Hady's singing ability, claiming that his performance in Asian Idol was not as strong as other competitors and it was a matter of "luck over talent". Singapore Idol judge Ken Lim reiterated that "looks and voice" had won the title for Hady.

Meanwhile, Hady shrugged off speculations that he won because he was a "non-threat", but considered himself an underdog and that he did "pretty well" in terms of sincerity and connecting with the audience.

Filipino TV and movie critic Nestor U. Torre mentioned that he was not surprised about Hady's win, even lauding him for his "impressively cool yet dynamic" performances. He also appreciated Victor and Phuong Vy's performances. While Torre was also equally impressed by Marcelo and Mohede's voices, he also said that their girth worked to their disadvantage. On Sawant, Torre noted that his "balladeer" projection was "less dynamic" with his country's large voting population failing him. Despite the surprises and disappointments in the competition, Torre regarded Asian Idol a success as it produced relatively new talents in the Asian and international music scene.

Mau on the move

MANILA, Philippines―Hectic is how singer Mau Marcelo describes the next three weeks of her life.

As the country’s representative to “Asian Idol,” which will be held in Indonesia next month, she’s enduring not a few sleepless nights.

“I’m always tense,” she admits. “Every time I have a quiet time alone, I always pray. I know that ‘Asian Idol’ is not just for me; it’s for the entire country.”

Rigorous training

ABC 5, record label Sony-BMG and manager Sandra Chavez have lined up a rigorous training schedule for Marcelo, who bested hundreds of hopefuls on “Philippine Idol” a year ago.

This week, she started a personality development course under stage director Freddie Santos and voice lessons under singer Zebedee Zuñiga.

“I’m also going on a diet,” she quips. “I have stopped eating rice.”

She says she’s required to bring five show outfits for the 10-day trip to Jakarta, where she’s set to compete with representatives from Malaysia, Singapore, India, Vietnam and Indonesia.

“The Lucena-based designers (Armand Remojo and Roland Roxas) who made my gowns for the ‘Philippine Idol’ finals have created three outfits for me. My manager also plans to ask other designers,” Mau relates.

She has submitted six songs for “Asian Idol” organizers to choose from: Dulce’s “Panata” and “Ako ang Nagwagi”; Lani Misalucha’s version of “Natutulog Ba ang Diyos”; Shirley Bassey’s “The Greatest Performance of My Life”; Gloria Estefan’s “Reach” and Whitney Houston’s “On My Own.”

At the time of the interview, she’s still uncertain which of the six would be her competition pieces. “I’m required to sing one English and one Filipino song during the performance night on Dec 15.”

The finals night on Dec. 16 will be aired by ABC 5.

Since the ‘Idol’ franchise moved from ABC 5 to GMA 7, Marcelo initially thought that the country’s participation in “Asian Idol” would be scrapped.

“It was supposed to be held this month. I didn’t expect it would still push through. In fact, I already stopped asking my manager about it,” she recalls.

Then Chavez informed her that “with or without a local channel,” she’d be joining the regional tilt.

Thankful

Mau recounts: “At first, I was worried because I heard the contest would not be aired locally. How can I get text votes if Filipinos can’t watch the show?”

That’s why she’s thankful that ABC 5 is airing the two-part competition next month―including a pre-contest special, “Road to Asian Idol,” on Dec. 8.

Her own “Idol” journey, which began when she auditioned in SM Lucena, is proof that “dreams do come true,” she insists.

When she lost out to Sarah Geronimo on the talent show “Star for a Night” in 2003, Marcelo got so disappointed that she stopped joining contests and worked as a lounge singer in Singapore for a year.

“I felt it wasn’t my time yet,” she says.

Four years after Singapore, she’s on her way to woo the rest of Asia.MANILA, Philippines―Hectic is how singer Mau Marcelo describes the next three weeks of her life.

As the country’s representative to “Asian Idol,” which will be held in Indonesia next month, she’s enduring not a few sleepless nights.

“I’m always tense,” she admits. “Every time I have a quiet time alone, I always pray. I know that ‘Asian Idol’ is not just for me; it’s for the entire country.”

Rigorous training

ABC 5, record label Sony-BMG and manager Sandra Chavez have lined up a rigorous training schedule for Marcelo, who bested hundreds of hopefuls on “Philippine Idol” a year ago.

This week, she started a personality development course under stage director Freddie Santos and voice lessons under singer Zebedee Zuñiga.

“I’m also going on a diet,” she quips. “I have stopped eating rice.”

She says she’s required to bring five show outfits for the 10-day trip to Jakarta, where she’s set to compete with representatives from Malaysia, Singapore, India, Vietnam and Indonesia.

“The Lucena-based designers (Armand Remojo and Roland Roxas) who made my gowns for the ‘Philippine Idol’ finals have created three outfits for me. My manager also plans to ask other designers,” Mau relates.

She has submitted six songs for “Asian Idol” organizers to choose from: Dulce’s “Panata” and “Ako ang Nagwagi”; Lani Misalucha’s version of “Natutulog Ba ang Diyos”; Shirley Bassey’s “The Greatest Performance of My Life”; Gloria Estefan’s “Reach” and Whitney Houston’s “On My Own.”

At the time of the interview, she’s still uncertain which of the six would be her competition pieces. “I’m required to sing one English and one Filipino song during the performance night on Dec 15.”

The finals night on Dec. 16 will be aired by ABC 5.

Since the ‘Idol’ franchise moved from ABC 5 to GMA 7, Marcelo initially thought that the country’s participation in “Asian Idol” would be scrapped.

“It was supposed to be held this month. I didn’t expect it would still push through. In fact, I already stopped asking my manager about it,” she recalls.

Then Chavez informed her that “with or without a local channel,” she’d be joining the regional tilt.

Thankful

Mau recounts: “At first, I was worried because I heard the contest would not be aired locally. How can I get text votes if Filipinos can’t watch the show?”

That’s why she’s thankful that ABC 5 is airing the two-part competition next month―including a pre-contest special, “Road to Asian Idol,” on Dec. 8.

Her own “Idol” journey, which began when she auditioned in SM Lucena, is proof that “dreams do come true,” she insists.

When she lost out to Sarah Geronimo on the talent show “Star for a Night” in 2003, Marcelo got so disappointed that she stopped joining contests and worked as a lounge singer in Singapore for a year.

“I felt it wasn’t my time yet,” she says.

Four years after Singapore, she’s on her way to woo the rest of Asia.

Mau on the move - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Mau gets a standing ovation

MANILA, Philippines - Mau Marcelo, the country’s representative in the first “Asian Idol” singing competition, got a standing ovation after her initial performance of “Ako ang Nagwagi” and “Reach.”

This was according to Lizza Nakpil, manager of the Filipino rock band Rivermaya, who’s guesting in the regional tilt ongoing in Jakarta, Indonesia, and which winds up tonight.

“She blew everyone away. They think she’s amazing,” Nakpil, who’s in Jakarta, told Inquirer Entertainment via SMS on Friday.

Leading the ovation was Indian judge, Anu Malik, a popular Bollywood musical director, said Sandra Chavez, Marcelo’s manager.

On the “Asian Idol” web site, Indonesian bet Mike Mohede said of Mau: “She’s extraordinary. She sings as if she’s … one of God’s masterpieces in heaven.”

The “Asian Idol” advertisements on Indonesian TV network RCTI dubbed Marcelo as the “Queen of Competitions,” alluding to the fact that she had previously topped countless amateur singing contests, “from Lucena to Batangas” when she was a teener.

Studious

Prior to her trip to Jakarta, Marcelo attended workshops under stage director Freddie Santos and voice teacher Zebedee Zuñiga for almost a month.

Santos recalled that Marcelo had been “studious.”

“She was totally committed to the [workshop program],” which combines the “best techniques for pop and stage singing,” Santos explained.

And although the program wasn’t meant as a weight-loss regimen, “Mau lost seven pounds in two weeks,” Santos quipped.

Zuñiga, who worked with Marcelo during the “Philippine Idol” run on ABC 5 last year, told the Inquirer that he had given the RP bet “basic skills” in classical and pop music.

“One is placement,” he said. “That would help her reach high notes effortlessly.”

Zuñiga described Marcelo “as painfully shy.”

‘A true mezzo-soprano’

Marcelo’s voice is her biggest asset, Santos and Zuñiga agreed.

Santos described Marcelo as “a true mezzo-soprano, with a wide range and powerful resonance. Very few singers have warm head tones—Mau doesn’t screech or wail.”

Santos said he gave Marcelo one tip: “Just sing for and not sing to the audience.”

The Rivermaya band, with its new vocalist Jayson Fernandez, is another Pinoy talent that’s raring to rock Jakarta on the “Asian Idol” finals tonight, to be aired via satellite on ABC 5, from 9 p.m. to 12 midnight.

Other guest performers include “American Idol” Taylor Hicks and “Australian Idol” Guy Sebastian.

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Mau gets a standing ovation - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Mau Marcelo

Maureen "Mau" Flores Marcelo is the winner of the first season of Philippine Idol in 2006. Born on May 13, 1980, for a time she went by the stage name of Samantha Brown. Her father is an American citizen of African and Spanish blood from Puerto Rico while her mother is Filipina. The father left when she was four months old, then her mother died when she was 14.

Hailing from Lucena City, Mau started singing at age 7. By her 20s, she was a veteran of singing competitions, including the Star for a Night singer-search, and has won in over 200 amateur singing competitions.

Prior to Philippine Idol, Mau had also recorded a self-titled album of ten songs composed by her stepsister's husband under the name Samantha Brown. Currently, Mau lives with her long-time partner Ritchie Bonilla and their 2 children.