December 13, 2006

The First Philippine Idol: Mau

Like how all great stories meet cinematic endings, "Philippine Idol" climaxed with an underdog triumphing in the name of talent. Mau Marcelo emerged as the first ever Philippine Idol.

Likened to a light at the end of long dark tunnel, Mau's victory late Sunday night at the Araneta Coliseum, thousands of supporters witnessed history unfold at the finals night of the first "Philippine Idol" produced by Fremantle Media and ABC-5.

"This was not just a triumph of an underdog performer, it's a triumph of my life, a life I lived as an underdog all these years," the 26–year old Mau Marcelo told the Manila Bulletin in an emotional interview after she was pronounced winner.

The first local "Idol," who will claim P1million cash, P1million contract with ABC 5 and a record deal with Sony-BMG Music Entertainment, Mau has had more than 200 trophies and medals earned in 18 years of amateur contest experience. She believes this is her time, her conquest after years of winning and losing since she was eight years old.

"Philippine Idol" judge Ryan Cayabyab affirmed the Idol's newly-bestowed position saying, "at the end of the day, Mau's talent prevailed against the odds. The public recognized this is still a singing competition and not about packaging. I'm truly happy for her."

Mau bowed to Sarah Geronimo in a previous reality TV singing championship search. The 'Soul Idol' tells the media that when she lost to Sarah, "it was not just my time back then. Now I know that this time is mine."

The victory of an underdog, who confesses to feelings of inferiority all her life because of her physical looks, emerged after six gruelling months besting the best of them all when she rendered the show-stopping Whitney Houston original "On My Own."

Mau, the 'Diamond Diva (as one of her best performance was Shirley Bassey's "Diamonds Are Forever" in the movie themes night) collared the Araneta crowd of thousands with her flawless performance of "On My Own" in the third and final round of the contest finale last Saturday night.

Mau, who was named by Lea Salonga no less as the best singer in the contest, went away to win the prestigious title despite being named the least favorite among more packaged 'La Sallian' Gian Magdangal and Atenean Jan Nieto.

"Quezon High School lang po ako eh. Pero sana mapasaya ko ang mga tao na sumuporta sa'kin sa panalo kong ito," Mau stated.

Judges Pilita Corrales and Francis Magalona both declared and maintained on Saturday, during the final minutes of the contest proper - that the winner, they felt would be either Gian or Jan. "I feel that the winner will be a male contestant," both judges agreed. But Mau, who admitted she had been financially outsourced since she miraculously made it through the wild card of "Philippine Idol's" top 12 in September, said she never thought this was a possible dream to attain. "I never expected this. Gusto ko talagang manalo pero hindi ko alam na talagang puwede palang ako yung manalo. Hindi ko pa alam kung ano ang gagawin ko ngayon. Ang alam ko lang, kung makuha ko yung prize money ko, bibili akong second hand na kotse," she said after she recalled moving about her Idol schedules in jeep and tricycle rides. "Pasensiya na po kayo kung wala akong mas malalim na sagot pero yun lang po muna ang naiisip ko ngayon. Siguro po bibili muna ako ng mumurahing kotse."

ABC-5's Perci Intalan disclosed to the Bulletin that the magnitude of Mau's victory has yet to dawn on her. "Mau has yet to fully grasp what has happened. After that emotional announcement and press interviews, I can tell she didn't know where to go next or what to do next that she asked me, 'Nasaan ang pamilya ko? Saan ako pupunta? May taping ba ko ng 'I Love Philippine Idol' bukas?' I told her, Mau, tapos na, then I led her to where her family was and up to this moment, I don't think she has fully realized what just went on," Intalan shared.

A CLOSE CALL

The numbers could not have been more telling than the game story itself: According to ABC-5 and Ryan Agoncillo, Mau won with a slim 1.42 percent gap from the second placer.

"The numbers were very close," revealed Intalan of the near three–way split decision. "In fact, one of our bosses, who got a blow by blow account of the tabulation, told me that we may even have to recount the votes because it's too tight, we really needed to be sure of the numbers."

The tabulations regulated by a separate counting body, Mobile2Win, which also tallied votes for Indian Idol and other Asian Fremantle Idol franchises, vouched it was a close call and Mau only won by a magical hairline courtesy of her powerful rendition of the Whitney Houston "On My Own."

"All night long I have been waiting for magic and this was that," Ryan Cayabyab described Mau's performance.

Meanwhile, runners-up Gian Magdangal and Jan Nieto both welcomed public verdict and believed they could not have asked for a better situation than to be "beaten" by someone of Mau's caliber. "I am glad with what I was able to accomplish in this competition. I could not have asked for anything better and I am very happy for Mau," hunky idol Jan Nieto told the media after midnight of Sunday.

Both Gian and Jan will be awarded P250,000 by ABC5's top boss Tony Boy Cojuangco as announced by host Ryan Agoncillo. "Our boss, Mr. Tony Boy Cojuangco was so happy with the way things turned out in Saturday night's performances that he will be giving the two other finalists P250,000."

For his part, Gian said it was the entire experience he will not trade for anything in this world. "This made me, and the rest of the finalists, better persons. I couldn't think of anything I would have wanted to do but didn't in this competition. It's the whole package. 'Philippine Idol' is different from American Idol because the winner will be an ambassador of Filipino music. That's how I've always viewed 'Philippine Idol' and with Mau, I don't see any reasons for her not to fulfill that."

When asked how he felt about the come–from–behind–victory Mau accomplished when in fact he and Jan had been the named favorites by critics and the media, Gian said it could have been just the Araneta crowd. "We never saw it in that perspective. Myself, Jan and Mau are just trying our best to enjoy it and it never came to us as a personal gain, it's always a show we have to do good for the public. It's all about wanting to have and stage a good show for everybody and never about, 'Sino kaya sa atin ang mananalo…' kasi bago ang lahat, it's all our first time to do this at Araneta. It's always about gusto naming kantahin ito para sa tao."

Summing up the experience, Gian said, "the journey has really made me better. The competition has thought us all to be better Christians. Being in a contest like this, where else could we get strength but from God? We all had this uplifting experience and hopefully, it will continue for the better part of our lives."

MR. C LOOKS FORWARD TO NEXT SEASON

"I will do this over and over and over and over," Ryan Cayabyab told the Bulletin early yesterday at the Araneta Coliseum.

He admitted rehearsing with the top 12 the past four days has made him see through the finalists better than he ever did. "I don't think magsasawa ako with this job. I tell you why: The past four days I've gotten to know them (finalists) better. I'm able to see and get to know them better. This is what I like about this job—it's discovering the intrinsic talent in all of them and the personality that matches that. This is something very close to my heart as a teacher. And this is something not many people are afforded the chance to experience and I love it! You just don't know that now I'm very close to Ken Dingle and the rest of them, like Pow Chavez, treat me like a father so it's really a family we have become that I don't mind doing it again."

Mr. C, who became one of the most passionate individuals for "Philippine Idol" looked at the last six months to be a very emotional ride. "I don't know if it's just because I'm a fan of 'American Idol' but it's even more fun being involved in this competition. You know this for a fact because you are involved in the competition week after week, ako, I am drawn into it. Sabi ko nga eh, I'm very passionate about it na ako lang pumupunta sa rehearsals every Friday; ako lang yung merong notebook na talagang sinusulat ko ang thoughts ko, sa run-through nila, nandun pa rin ako; sa final rehearsal, nandun pa rin ako because I want to know kung ganun pa rin ang gagawin nila. So by the time performance na, meron na akong sasabihin. Pero minsan natameme ako. Iba na ang turing ko sa kanila, hindi ko masabi sa kanila because we were told na you have to be detached at dapat wala kang emotional involvement. Now that I'm no longer a judge, it's easier for me to tell them na para tayong tropang circus eh. We're more than a team, we are a family."

"This is more than jus a competition. This is a family and we're here to help out each other. We all grow as persons and we become better persons by learning lessons as we go along. For this reason alone, I don't mind doing this job again and again," Mr. C concluded.

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