March 29, 2024

I am not an avid fan of showbiz. I abhor the hypocrisy and the pretension that is inherent in the industry. The lifestyles of the actors and actresses who pervade the profession are far from ideal. They are overexposed and overpaid for their own good. Though their fashion sense is far from being realistic, they are emulated and copied by our youth. They influence the clothes and the shoes we wear; they express the manner of how we speak, and most of all, they flaunt the all-too-familiar character of how to become materialistic and egocentric. These factors, in a way, had me shun the movies and television.
Of late, however, I am hooked on entertainment news and on Facebook, setting aside my prejudice against showbiz. Why would I do that? I am enamored by the participation of Filipino singer Marcelito Pomoy in the popular contest America’s Got Talent.
For all intents and purposes, America’s Got Talent is the biggest talent competition in the world. Yes, it is so big that its viewership encompasses all countries. Not only that, the prize money is substantial that the winner is sure to be set-off for life.
The 2020 version of America’s Got Talent is on its final stage with Pomoy blowing away the minds of the audience and the judges. They cannot comprehend how he can blurt out multiple voices in a single performance. Whether it is a male voice or a female voice, a baritone or a tenor, a base or an alto, he is singing his tunes with ease. From the time he auditioned until he rendered his finals piece, he is overwhelming the other contestants. His performance is almost always a standing ovation.
The thing with Pomoy is his humility and simplicity. When he steps into the stage, he is unassuming and looks like a school boy who is about to give his first recitation. But boy, once he opens his mouth, it is like a chorus of singers. If his listeners close their eyes, they wouldn’t know that only one person is rendering the song.
For Pomoy’s audition song, he sang “The Prayer.” He sang it just the way the original song was sung, with two variant voices at that. Judges Howie Mandel and Alesha Dixon were speechless to see such a performance. They were awestruck with what they saw, much more with what they heard. Ah, Simon Cowell. He was agape that an Asian would blow away the competition right on his first appearance. Reports said Pomoy is a fan favorite. He is in the finals. He is indexed to win it all.
However, the other finalists are as worthy as he is. There are a couple of dancers, three singers, a band of cutie-group ala Spice Girls, an acrobat, and a magician. They are all good. Still, Pomoy stands out among them because of the unique way he renders his number. He sings with an ambidextrous style never before seen in the history of the program. The range of his voice is being compared to that of Andrea Bocelli, the Italian super singer, and at the same time to that of Celine Dion, the diva from Canada. There can be no better compliment than that.
Pomoy is not really new to the Filipino audience. He previously won the Pilipinas Got Talent. From there, he went on to conquer the music industry in the Philippines until people grew tired of him. For several months, he was out of the airwaves. Then, like a phoenix, he rose from the ashes to surprise the most critical audience in the world – the Americans. They love him, they adore him, and they can’t seem to have enough of him. He is a talent that comes once is a lifetime.
They are likening him to Adam Lambert, although it is obvious that Pomoy is besting Lambert in terms of talent and stage presence. Well, that is another matter altogether.
According to Pomoy, he was a poor boy who was abandoned by his mother at a young age. He sang songs in odd clubs and decrepit bars until his break came in the Pilipinas Got Talent.
His life reminds me of Manny Pacquiao who rose from rags to riches. That is what makes Pacquiao special. Now, we have Pomoy, a fellow Filipino who is putting the Philippines in the limelight for the right reasons.
If we treasure Pacquiao, we should do the same for Pomoy. The competition that he is participating in is the equivalent of a world title. It is the grandest of stage. Indeed, if he wins the grand prize in the America’s Got Talent, it is as if the whole country wins.
So, let’s all route for Pomoy. It will surely be a blessing to see a Filipino shine in the international stage, even if only for once.