Jessica Sanchez expected to survive this week’s ‘AI’
Jasmine Trias and Camille Velasco, 2004. Ramiele Malubay, 2008. Thia Megia, 2011. These Fil-Am girls made it to either the top 13 or top 12 on "American Idol." (Unfortunately, no Fil-Am guy has ever gone that far in the talent contest. Last year, Clint Jun Gamboa was in the top 24 but didn't make it to the top 13.) This year, another Fil-Am girl is in the finals. Her name is Jessica Sanchez and if the feedback she's been getting is any indication (she got the only standing ovation from the three judges—Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steve Tyler and bloggers on the Net have been raving about her), Jessica may yet equal if not surpass Jasmine's third-place finish. Could she be the next American Idol, the first Fil-Am singer to win the title? That's too early to tell.
I watched her last Thursday when the top 12 female contestants performed and I got worried when she said she couldn't rehearse enough because she had a sore throat and the doctor said her vocal chords were swollen. Well, she must have received superb medical treatment because there was no sign of hoarseness in her voice when she sang Jennifer Hudson's "Love You, I Do" from the movie "Dreamgirls." Randy was ecstatic when he said, "I don't know about no doctor but that girl can really sing." J Lo praised Jessica for her confidence and control. Steve joined the chorus of praise, "You've got exceptional timing. Your voice is perfect. Your pitch is perfect."
I agreed with the judges and so did the American viewers who voted her to the top 10. Three more names chosen by the judges were added as wild cards. Jessica moved like a seasoned performer and sang like she owned every inch of the stage. Not only did she have a powerful voice that could reach high notes, she really felt what she was singing. To think she's only 16 (she turns 17 in August). I realized that like ballet and playing a musical instrument, one has to start early to develop inborn talent.
Jessica started singing at five, trained at the Theater of Arts in Hollywood on a full scholarship and joined talent shows. She was 11 when she appeared on" America 's Got Talent" in 2006 but didn't make it to the finals. She even appeared and sang in a TV commercial for Cricket Wireless, a cell phone provider. (Thia also joined "AGT" in 2009 but was cut during the eliminations for the top 40.) Like Charice and Susan Boyle, Jessica first got noticed in YouTube. She and her fans have uploaded several of her music videos.
To get to know her better, I used the web to search for her name and found just the basic info. She was born and raised in Chula Vista, California , just seven miles from San Diego , where she auditioned for "AI." Janet Nepales, a Filipina journalist who interviewed her after last Thursday's show, wrote that Jessica's mom, Editha Sanchez, is from Bataan while her dad, Gilbert Sanchez, is from Mexico.
What a great combination in terms of potential voters! Pinoys and Mexicans form a huge bloc of the US population. However, that's no guarantee she will have an easy time competing with the 12 finalists. In my January 20 blog on "AI," I predicted Phillip Phillips would make it to the finals and true enough, he has. He will definitely be one of the stronger finalists.
I also discovered several naysayers on the Net who observed that Pinoys always jump on the achievements of Filipinos abroad even if they have already embraced foreign citizenships. Jessica is half Mexican, half Filipino and is a US citizen by birth. Camille is ¼ Irish, ¼ Spanish, ½ Filipino and is a native of Hawaii.
As for me, cheering for an "AI"contestant who is only half Pinoy on TV is better than watching the interminable proceedings at the impeachment trial in the Senate. "AI" is more entertaining and the decision of who should win or lose rests on the viewers.
This week, the guys will tackle Stevie Wonder songs while the ladies will interpret Whitney Houston's hits, which is good for Jessica because she is a big fan of the late singer. Chances are, she will not be sent home this week. She should start studying the different music genres the finalists will be asked to interpret in the coming weeks—country, jazz, rock, ballads, etc.
We're all cheering for you, Jessica.
Disclaimer: The views and observations of the author do not represent the position of Yahoo! Southeast Asia on the issue or topic being discussed.
