[Voice PHL] Goodbye, everybody, they’ve got to go

MANILA, Philippines – Now it’s Allan “Apl.de.ap” Pineda’s turn to get flak from ardent viewers of “The Voice of the Philippines.”

This, following the elimination of Team Apl member and fan favorite Jessica Reynoso on the ABS-CBN program’s 4th live-show episode, held Sunday night, September 15, at the Newport Performing Arts Theater in Resorts World Manila.

The 16-year-old Reynoso was pitted against 38-year-old Team Apl co-member Janice Javier, herself a popular “Voice” contender, for a much-coveted slot into next Sunday’s semi-final round.

The elder vocalist was first up in her and Reynoso’s “solo showdown,” channelling Aretha Franklin (and maybe a bit of Mama Cass) in rendering the Queen of Soul’s “Chain of Fools.”

The younger singer followed suit with a softer tune, Martin Nievera’s “Ikaw,” which coach Bamboo Mañalac would later on remark as representing her “coming-out party” as a promising crooner.

Javier is admittedly a strong belter but “Chain of Fools” has been such a banged-up, cliché competition piece at this point in televised singing competition history and was insufficient in showcasing her massive range.

Reynoso, on the other hand, comparatively got to show off her vocal prowess a little more, resulting in the eventual audience vote of 60.02/100 over Javier’s 39.98/100.

Janice Javier rouses with ‘Chain of Fools’ while Jessica Reynoso soothes with ‘Ikaw‘:

But, when Apl announced his own score before the audience vote was made known, the Fil-Am member of the US quartet Black Eyed Peas scored his two contenders with a chasm of a difference: 65/100 for Janice, 35/100 for Jessica. Adding their total coach and voter scores, Janice earned 104.98% against Jessica’s 95.02%.

Thus, the “Voice” public bids goodbye to the Laguna-based PATTS College of Aeronautics student, who had shined in many singing competitions growing up, including the 1st Philippine Blues Competition in September 2012 as a member of the band Katha.

Not even Apl’s comments of Reynoso’s being “an inspiration to Amerasians” and his assurance that he will see to it her career does not end here could assuage comments online that, in this episode, it’s Jessica who got robbed.

Taken aback

Curiously, Pineda seemed lost afterwards when asked for his opinion about another contestant – prompting at least one commenter on the show’s Facebook page to, 1., note that coach Apl himself looked taken aback by his announced scoring and, 2., suspect that it all seemed to be beyond the songwriter-rapper’s control.

Fairer scoring verdicts were handed to the night’s 3 other pairs of contenders.

Over at Sarah Geronimo’s team, two other ladies were consecutively up on stage: Eva Delos Santos, who turns 52 on October 1, and Klarisse De Guzman, who turned 22 last week.

“Mommy Eva” gave an emotional reading of the oft-remade “Ikaw Lang ang Mamahalin,” to the point of nearly choking as she held back tears, while De Guzman gave a subdued yet powerful rendition of Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me.”

The younger chanteuse’s “breathtaking” performance, to paraphrase coach Sarah, made the grade: Klarisse ultimately earned a total score of 123.91% (55 from Sarah, 68.91 from the public), while Eva had a total score of 76.09% (45 from their coach, 31.09 from the voting viewers).

Eva Delos Santos and Klarisse De Guzman sing about love, love love:

Team Bamboo’s comely 24-year-old Isabella Fabregas and guitar-wielding 22-year-old Myk Perez were soon up for the least eventful showdown of the night.

Fabregas delivered Alicia Keys’ “No One” but, in an attempt at versatility, mashed it up with Black Eyed Peas’ “Where is the Love?” Perez, for his part, was his usual unassuming self in delivering Adele’s “Chasing Pavements.”

Perez ultimately won much more of his coach’s and the viewers’ love: he scored a total of 121.13% (55 from Mañalac, 66.13 from the viewers) over Fabregas’ 78.87% (45 from the ex-Rivermaya frontman, 33.87 from the public).

To boot, many wags online rejoiced that Isa, long viewed by many as an undeserved favorite of Bamboo’s, was out of the running.

Isa Fabregas roars about ‘No One’ then Myk Perez busies himself ‘Chasing Pavements’:

The one-at-a-time showdowns concluded with two viewer favorites in Lea Salonga’s team: neophyte Kimpoy Mainit, who turned 17, 6 days earlier, and 36-year-old music-biz veteran and Kulay alumna Radha Tinsay.

Kim, who, with his ever friendly, delicate stance and high-pitched voice, comes off as the Pinoy version of “Glee” star Chris Colfer, gave a clean-as-a-whistle (but at times flat, viewers have noted) reading of a near-forgotten radio staple, SWV’s “Weak” – arguably the night’s most refreshing listen.

Radha, for her part, took on a Cyndi Lauper-by-way-of Tuck & Patti serving of “Time After Time,” and her experience served her well as she went from mellow to belting to playful in the space of less than 3 minutes.

Though Apl opined that Mainit deserved to be renamed “Kim-Apoy” due to the teener’s considerable smolder, it was Tinsay whom Salonga and the spectators on site and at home deemed truly fiery: she scored a total of 125.50% (60 from Lea, 65.50 from the viewers), while Kim got a 74.50% total (40 from his coach, 34.50 from the audience).

Kimpoy Mainit does a smoldering take of ‘Weak,’ but then Radha Tinsay blows viewers away with ‘Time After Time’:

And so goes “The Voice of the Philippines’” 4th live show. The episode was also curious for the absence of main host Toni Gonzaga, supposedly indisposed due to “a previous commitment,” according to sister and co-host Alex Gonzaga. (Alex and Robi Domingo took on hosting duties for the two-hour episode.)

Likewise of note is the episode’s lone intermission number, a hushed vocal jam led by Bamboo and featuring Thor Dulay, Morissette Amon, Paolo Onesa, and Mitoy Yonting.

They did a fairly swell cover of Oasis’ “Wonderwall,” with a drumless but multi-instrumental band accompaniment that, the show’s nature aside, proved there is more to music than vocal chords.

At next Sunday’s semi-final round, which will come two days before an all-star “The Voice” charity concert for the benefit of the Payatas Kids Choir, it will be Janice versus Thor, Klarisse versus Morissette, Myk versus Paolo, and Radha versus Mitoy.

Who stays and who goes? God only – maybe not only? – knows. – Rappler.com

 

‘The Voice on the Philippines’ airs on ABS-CBN and The Filipino Channel. Its published PHL schedule is 9pm, Saturdays, and 8pm, Sundays.