Monday, October 16, 2006 Costanilla: Idol woes By Sam Costanilla Spotlight
IT WAS actually a tournament of powerful singing voices that a group of nursing students here hadorganized. The project was intended to encourage talented male and female students of Cebu’s nursing schools to shine onstage as performers. There were 15 of them whose singing prowess could very well qualify them as professional concert stars. The singing competition was aptly titled Nursing Idol 2006.
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YOURS truly witnessed the event and could only commend the organizers for putting up a show that spotlighted on the participants’ singing skill. All 15 contestants gave their level best and the entire presentation was truly a thrilling battle of lungpower. However, it was Christine Marie Sanchez of the University of Southern Philippines Foundation who easily bested all of her co-finalists. She performed all her pieces excellently, and the members of the audience readily and fully agreed with the verdict of the judges. I gathered that radio commentator and Busay barangay captain Yody Sanchez gave his talented daughter some last-minute tips on how to effortlessly defeat her 14 co-finalists.
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THE singing competition, however, had its share of lapses that the organizers should correct. Firstly, the show, as usual, didn’t start on time. Secondly, those annoying technical problems and gaps should have been prevented. Thirdly, the female emcee missed to acknowledge one of the judges who instantly walked out in the middle of the contest. The judge owns a review center that was one of the sponsors of the event. What a letdown.
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HOWEVER, the biggest blunder that the event organizers committed was their failure (was it intentional?) to give all the judges their tokens and certificates, a normal thing to do at competitions. You do not tell the judges to wait for tomorrow what they ought to receive today in exchange for their effort and help. Right after the event, the organizers were so busy smiling for the cameras, posing with the grand champion. Not one of them had the elementary courtesy of approaching the judges to tell them that their task was through and that it was supposed to be an offering or contribution on their part to the Nursing Idol project. The judges would have understood the insulting actuation of the event organizers.
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JUST as the judges were about to leave, some event organizers approached and told them that their tokens and certificates were to be delivered to their respective offices the following day. As of this writing, the promise is still unfulfilled. The organizers were even berated by the event coordinator whom they hired to help them out. The event coordinator had been reminding them days before thecontest to prepare the judges’ tokens and certificates. Apparently, some individuals didn’t mind the reminder. The event coordinator staged a walkout after learning that the judges didn’t receive anything after the competition.
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ON Wednesday, at 9 p.m., October 18, the Southwings band will perform at Kahayag Cafe in Mabolo this city. The band, known for its country-rock genre, has also started working on its second album titled Promiseland. Kahayag Cafe manager and keyboardist Gina Pestaño wants Southwings to play on Wednesdays during which the local literary group Bathalad holds its weekly meeting. Fellow Sun.Star Cebu columnists Myke Obeñieta and Januar Yap are its president and vice president, respectively.
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LET me remind you that Nursing Idol 2006 grand champion Christine Marie Sanchez and Talisay city’s serenade king Enrique Fernandez will appear as guest performers in my weekly television show Sam Enchanted Evening over INTV/CCTN channel 47 or Skycable 56 tomorrow, Tuesday, 8-9 p.m. Be sure to hear and watch them sing your favorite love hits.
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THIS former recording artist here continues to call other people to tell them about his passion for singing. However, his dependency on prohibited drugs has effectively ruined his singing career. He also claims to have invented a new alphabet. Ugh!
