Filipina singer Krissha Viage is looking forward to repeat Michael David Bodin’s feat after she recently bested 11 other finalists from Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines to advance to the final round of the unique talent search.
Last year, Bodin had won the popular singing competition show “I Can Sing in Japanese!”, which focuses on non-native Japanese speakers who have a passion for singing Japanese songs, reported InterAksyon.
A native of Pasig City and currently a Star Magic artist, Krissha is no stranger to singing competitions, having won first runner-up in the now defunct talent contest show “Little Big Star” in 2006, the report said.
From there, she went on to make her mark in television commercials, musical theater productions and as a solo artist with two albums under Universal Music Japan to her credit.
She was also a member of the group Oh My Girls with Ylona Garcia and Alexa Ilacad for the show “We Love OPM: The Celebrity Sing-Offs” and the GirlTrends of “It’s Showtime” also for ABS-CBN.
Krissha is a longtime fan of Japanese shows. In winning the invitational auditions held in Singapore, Krissha impressed judges at the audition with her soulful rendition of “Precious” by Yuna Ito, the theme song from the movie “Limit of Love Umizaru,” said the news portal.
Although the high caliber of the other finalists, including fellow Filipina Ana Marie Enriquez Alforte, made it a tough competition, Krissha stood out with her precise diction and expressive singing, by which judges said they were immensely moved.
“Singing in Japanese is not easy so we were surprised by the high quality of entries across South East Asia. The overwhelming response from aspiring singers reflects the popularity of Japanese pop culture in this region,” Virginia Lim, senior vice president and head of content, production and marketing for Sony Pictures Television Networks in Asia, reportedly said.
“We are very impressed by the immense talent we have seen in the entries from Asia. I believe that Krissha is the next big thing in the making and that the rest of the contestants are also ready to take on other global singing competitions,” added “I Can Sing in Japanese” creator and director Yuji Gobuichi.
For her part, Krissha was overwhelmed to be representing not only the Philippines but also the rest of Southeast Asia for the coming finals of the competition slated in Tokyo, Japan later this year, reported InterAksyon.
“I am so excited for this chance and I cannot thank the judges enough for selecting me as the winner. I am looking forward to doing my country proud at the ‘I Can Sing in Japanese!’ competition,” she reportedly said shortly after her victory.
Krissha added that she had high hopes of winning, she was also very much aware that her fellow contestants in the Singapore auditions were also very good. “But I think my strength lies in my passion for performing and I always sing from my heart,” she was quoted as saying.
