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MANILA, Philippines – Filipino singer Roland Abante continues to impress judges and viewers during the qualifiers round of the reality talent competition America’s Got Talent (AGT).
The native from Cebu province belted out his own rendition of Whitney Houston’s hit “I Will Always Love You,” as seen in a video released on Wednesday, September 13.
The performance earned him another standing ovation from the judges and audience members. During his audition in June, Abante also received a standing ovation for his performance of Michael Bolton’s “When A Man Loves A Woman.”
As for his performance in the qualifiers round, judge Sofia Vergara told Abante that he “[deserves] to be on the AGT [stage].” “Look at everyone here, they are going crazy for you. And I know that the people have been watching you, your audition and people love you. It’s amazing,” she added.
Veteran judge and musician Simon Cowell echoed the sentiment, telling Abante that “America loves [him] and rightly so.”
Meanwhile, judge Howie Mandel praised Abante for a final-round worthy performance.
“The perfect song, the perfect voice. It was spectacular… This was memorable,” he said. “Only two can go through and they got to vote for you. I believe that this was the performance of a final.”
Judge Heidi Klum shared that Abante’s voice “has so much grit, so much texture.” “It was beautiful, to be honest. One of my favorites of tonight. And if there’s another golden buzzer that could push you right to the finale, I would push it for you right now,” she added.
However, Abante was eliminated during the qualifier round of the American talent show on Monday, September 13 (Tuesday, September 14 in Manila) after Japanese dance crew Chibi Unity and Filipina magician Anna Deguzman advanced to the finals.
When he auditioned for AGT, Abante, who works as a fisherman in the morning and a motorcycle ride-sharer and courier in the afternoon, told the judges that it was his big dream to perform on the AGT stage.
Abante was first discovered in 2014 after a video of him singing Michael Bolton’s rendition of “To Love Somebody” went viral on social media. He has since performed on the late-night talk show Gandang Gabi, Vice!, the Sunday variety show ASAP alongside Journey’s Arnel Pineda, and in the Wish 107.5 Bus for a live session.
He also previously competed in the “Tawag ng Tanghalan” segment of the noontime show, It’s Showtime in February 2017, and again in April 2018. – Rappler.com
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