Mau Marcelo gears up for ‘Asian Idol’

By Abigail Kwok
INQUIRER.net

WHATEVER happened to first-ever “Philippine Idol” winner Mau Marcelo?

After ABC 5 aired the pilot series of “Philippine Idol” last year, everyone thought that it would be just like “American Idol,” with winners becoming instant celebrities: instant access to elusive fame, so to speak.

So during the show’s finale, everyone held their breath and crossed their fingers as the 27-year-old Marcelo belted her way through three songs she was required to sing. It was her third song choice — Whitney Houston’s “Try It on My Own” — that won her the coveted crown, besting two male contenders, Gian Magdangal and Jan Nieto.

When Marcelo was declared champion, everyone watched as she cried ala Miss Universe and, in between tears, sang her winning piece. After that fateful night at the Araneta Coliseum, everyone had high hopes for her. But days, weeks, and months passed, nothing was heard from the “Soul Idol” or “Black Belter.”

It was just this year that Marcelo finally released her first album under Sony BMG titled “On My Own.” She recently released her first single, “I Shine for You.”

Sadly, since ABC 5 is not as popular as networks ABS-CBN and GMA 7, Marcelo wasn’t given full exposure. She appeared, though, in some shows from these top networks, so she gained a little bit of career boost. But other than that, Marcelo was lying low. This is a surprise since Idol runner-up Magdangal was able to land a regular stint in GMA 7’s SOP. Talk about a major ego slump, right?

But Marcelo finally got a chance to “shine for us” once again as she heads to Indonesia for the “Asian Idol” competition this month. Marcelo will compete against other “Idol” winners from Asia, including “Malaysian Idol,” “Indonesian Idol,” and “Singapore Idol,” among others. But since “Asian Idol” will be aired by ABC 5 here, the question of exposure then comes to mind. Because, the truth hurts; since ABC 5 is not as high-profile as the other networks, Marcelo might not get the fan support she badly needs. But the Philippines is the texting capital of the world, so it will be a cinch for Marcelo to win, right? Let’s cross our fingers again, shall we?

The 2nd season of “Philippine Idol” may be more promising, especially since GMA 7 will now be airing it. After beating ABC 5, GMA 7 will finally air the show, giving Idol that much-needed publicity boost.

Admittedly, though, the Philippine music scene is distinctly different from the American music scene. Great artists here are so rare. Most of the artists coming out offer nothing but played-out (or gasgas in Filipino) versions of old, popular songs. Remixes are what mostly define the Philippine music industry. That’s why I really look up to singers and bands like Yeng Constantino and Bamboo. Not only do they have great voices but they also have the songwriting or composing skills — something which is a rarity these days.

But my standards are utterly high, I know. It’s unfair to compare our local artists with international ones. Ours have a distinct sound quality that is also great. We are fans novelty songs like “Papaya,” “Itaktak Mo,” and “Boom Tarat.” We patronize dance albums “made” by John Pratts, Edu Manzano, and Mark Herras. Other people may laugh at us, but this just explains why Filipinos are the 2nd happiest people in Asia. We appreciate seemingly mundane things in order to forget our life problems. Meanwhile, in America, we hear loads of hard rock, heavy metal, emo songs that talk about love lost and life’s failures. Which is better? You be the judge.

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