MANILA, Philippines – When Lea Salonga came down from her second-floor dressing room in a Quezon City studio, the staff and other talents literally stopped preparing for the shoot and looked at her with amazement. The West End and Broadway star, and multi-awarded singer and film actress was in the house.
Lea then approached Raffy Francisco, the director of the music video for Kanta Pilipinas’ theme song, who gave her instructions on what she was to do in front of the camera. Direk Raffy gave his cue and after a few minutes, Lea started to sing and dance for almost four minutes. When the song ended, the silence was broken with a thundering applause. In one take, it was as if she performed for everyone inside the studio and not for the camera. It only proved one thing. No matter what project Lea is in, she always makes sure to deliver with dedication and perfection—a character of hers that has inspired many young and aspiring Filipino talents to be like her.
Behind the scenes at Lea Salonga’s music video shoot for Kanta Pilipinas’ theme song. As always, the ultimate performer did most of her scenes in one take. Photo by Dino Testa for InterAksyon.com.
Though it is not yet certain whether she’ll be one of the mentors in the upcoming TV5 reality singing search called Kanta Pilipinas, the mere fact that Lea’s performing the theme song was more than enough to give the local show some international flair. Francisco “Kiko” Salazar, an Awit Awardee, composed the song.
“My husband (Robert Charles Chien) and I, una naming pinakinggan yung kanta and we both thought ‘hey this is catchy, this is a cool song’ so why not,” she said. Lea added that her decision-making was made easier by the fact that she does not have exclusive contracts with any TV network. “I don’t base my decisions on ‘will such and such be offended’ or whatever kasi I’m not in contract with any network.”
On whether she’ll be appearing regularly in the show, Lea replied: “My schedule limits my participation, which basically means kaunti lang talaga ang magagawa ko sa show,” she said. Given the chance, however, she would love to become one of the mentors in the said show. “It is something that I would like to do. So I’d like to give my two cents, kumbaga. And even if it’s just for one week and see if I’m able to help someone with their expression or interpretation of something on a path that will be helpful, we’ll see.”
Meanwhile, the certified global Pinoy performer shares this nugget of wisdom with participants of Kanta Pilipinas: “Magpakatatag kayo. You’ll be competing with a lot of other talented people. The person who will win out in the end will not just be talented but somebody with a very strong heart and a great belief in one’s self.
“It’s about having a strong constitution and having a strong belief in one’s self that you can win and that you have a chance at superstardom.”
In a sea of reality talent search shows, Jason Alvarez, Futuretainment’s Head of Advertising and Promotions, noted that Kanta Pilipinas will stand out because it aims to promote “musical tourism” as well. He said, “Unlike other reality singing competitions, Kanta Pilpinas encourages original work. The show will not just tour around the country to search for the next singing superstar but also to promote ‘musical tourism’ and give participants a sense of pride. The show will hold auditions in Baguio, Cebu, Batangas, Davao, and other key cities in the country.
“This [the show] is not a franchise.”
According to Alvarez, prior to the airing of the show, contestants will undergo a two-month workshop that will not just enhance their singing prowess but also their personalities and appearance as well.
Futuretainment Inc., the show’s producer, has brought some of the biggest international acts, like rap group Black Eyed Peas and singer Miley Cyrus, to the country. Kanta Pilipinas will be open to all Filipinos aged 14-30 years old. Applicants can do solo acts, be in a duo or perform as a group in any musical genre. Lea’s music video airs this month on TV5.
