Community fun The officers of the organizer FAME pose with some of the contestants and friends after the competition. The Pop Icon singing competition attempts to bring entertainment to the Filipino community every year and helps talented Filipinos in cities across the Kingdom become overnight celebritiesMEMORIES flew back home on the wings of nostalgia as 14 young Filipinos aspiring for stardom sang their songs at the Jeddah segment of the Pop Icon 2011 at the grand ballroom of the Golden Tulip Hotel in Sarafiyah district in south Jeddah two Fridays ago. The Jeddah segment of the Pop Icon singing competition this year chose three among the 14 contestants to vie for the top plum in the finals to be held in Riyadh on April 14, which will also be contested by six representatives from the host city and four from Al-Khobar. The Jeddah winners were led by 14-year-old Gabriel Adora, a second-year high school student from the Al-Hekma International School, followed by Emmanuel Paras, Jun Ventura and Joseph Juanillo. Organizers said the annual singing competition, which is on its fourth season this year, seeks not only entertain the Filipino community In the Kingdom but also to train young overseas Filipino workers or children of OFWs to enhance their talents in the performing arts. “The organization recognizes that the stay of the Filipino expatriates in a foreign land is a necessary but temporary expediency so we try to help those who have the talent to enhance their skills and attain the excellence they need (to attain stardom),” said Frederick Garces, FAME's secretary general. “FAME is a non-profit cultural organization created for the purpose of giving entertainment to the Filipino community, promote awareness of the Filipino culture, develop raw Filipino talents and provide services to the Filipino community In the Philippines and overseas.” Founded under the name of SE Production in 2006, the cultural organization was renamed FAME two years later to give it an identity that can easily be associated with the showbiz industry. The current FAME officers are led by Jhun Abris as chairman and Jerry Lagrimas as vice chairman. The 14 contestants at the Jeddah segment of the contest on March 18 belted out Tagalog and English songs that easily brought memories of televised singing competitions in Manila and in small town festivals in other parts of the archipelago. The contest reflected the growing popularity of the showbiz industry back home as a new path to the proverbial pot of gold as the Philippines undergoes a severe economic crisis that has driven millions of Filipinos to leave their country for greener pastures in foreign lands. Manila's showbiz industry has produced at least three international singers – Lea Salonga, who has also won awards, including the Tony Award in the US for playing the lead role in international musical Miss Saigon; Charice Pempengco who has joined the cast of the US television sitcom “Glee” and Arnel Pineda, the lead singer of the international band “Journey”. Garces said FAME has produced one talent, Karla Mae Carreon, winner of the Jeddah Pop Icon 2009, to represent Saudi Arabia at the World Championship of Performing Arts to be held in Los Angeles, California, between July 15-24 this year. The show, hosted by Veejay Louis John Aragon and Raquel Consebido, evoked memories of Manila with the women in the full-room audience shedding off their abayas for casual attires and the show hosts, Veejay Louis John Aragon and Raquel Consebido, freely trading barbs and jokes onstage. “We, Filipinos, are really into this entertainment thing, “ Aragon declared at the start of the contest. “Singing is in our blood.” The program ended at 11 P.M. after the judges, led by Ahjid Sayas, gave their verdict. The catcalls and intermittent applause throughout the show as well as the chatter that followed as the audience prepared to leave gave the place an ambience of Manila – under the Jeddah skyline.
