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By Johanna M. Sampan, Reporter
Will the next American Idol be a
Filipino-American?
The answer will not be known
until May this year when Season 8 of the hugely popular talent show
aired from the United States wraps up its search for the successor
to David Cook, the champion for Season 7. The seventh edition saw
Filipino-American Ramiel Malubay battling it out for the title until
the last stages but she did not make it.
Hosted by the usually unflappable
television personality Ryan Seacrest, Season 8 kicked off on Q-11 on
Wednesday with the first of its two-episode, four-hour premiere at 6
p.m.. The second episode will be aired today also at 6 p.m.
A new judge, Kara DioGuardi, will
join the original panel of three—pop singer and choreographer
Paula Abdul, record producer and music manager Randy Jackson and
music executive and music manager Simon Cowell.
DioGuardi is a renowned Grammy
singer, songwriter and producer. Having her in Season 8 is expected
to add more “girl power” to selecting the winner.
In a statement, American Idol
producers said that a fourth judge would create a dynamic that
benefits both contestants and viewers.
Auditions have been held in
Phoenix, Jacksonville, E. Rutherford, Kansas, Salt Lake City, San
Francisco, Louisville and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Discovering exceptional talents
is what the reality show is all about. In the previous seasons of
American Idol, seven Filipino-Americans, including Malubay,
impressed not just the judges but also viewers worldwide.
The other Filipino-Americans who
made the grade earlier were Jordan Segundo in Season 2, Jasmine
Trias and Camille Velasco in Season 3, Melinda Lira in Season 4,
Jose “Sway” Penala in Season 5 and A.J. Tabaldo in Season 6.
American Idol started on June 11,
2002. Now on its 8th season, it became one of the most popular and
commercially lucrative shows on American television.
The show’s main goal is to
discover the best singer in the United States through a series of
nationwide auditions. Outcomes of the later stages of the talent
contest are determined by public voting by phone. The format
features four judges who give critiques of the contestants’
performances.
The winner of Season 8 will be
awarded a $1-million recording contract, plus other fabulous prizes,
and will have the bragging rights to being the 8th American Idol.
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