Bamboo Mañalac, Lea Salonga, Sarah Geronimo, Apl.de.Ap in one show

Just a few days ago, when I read who the coaches of the “The Voice of the Philippines“ would be, I had a huge grin on my face and exclaimed “Wow!”, followed by “Holy Crap!” This is going to be something else–to bring these four artists together for a show was a little bit surreal for me. These are some of the most important–and let’s not forget the word “influential”–artists, currently. Not one coach here will feel like he or she lacks “personality” or does not deserve to be there.

I will do a bit of word play here and shoot off words and phrases that quickly come to my mind when I mention each coach:

Bamboo Mañalac – Charismatic, Enigmatic, Intensity, Bamboo, Rivermaya, Nathan Azarcon, “Noypi”,  ‘Trip’, “Hallelujah”, Stage Presence, One of My Childhood Heroes, 2004,“Awit Ng Kabataan”, Decent, Emulated, Cassete Tape, My Chance Encounters With Him, “Kisapmata”, Importance, Came Back, Nationalistic.

Lea Salonga – Miss Saigon, Les Miserables, Tony Award Winner, Aladdin, Theater, World Class, Writer, Inquirer, Trained, Positive Aura, Wise Beyond Her Years, Smart.

Apl.de.Ap – Black Eyed Peas, Producer, Composer, Talented, Survivor, Fergie, Hip-Hop, Pinoy, Cool, Cares for the Youth, Works Hard To Give Back To Community, Fashionable, Pounding Bass, ‘Elephunk’, Grounded, Finally Home.

Sarah Geronimo – Champion, “New Blood”, Disciplined, Complete Package, Victim of Crab Mentality, Talented, Filipina Lass, Gifted, Mabuting Anak, Real, Never Gave Up, Reinvigorated My Hopes For OPM, Followed Her Dreams, Misjudged By Some, Role Model, Tunay na Dalagang Filipina sa Panahon Ngayon.

When you think of it, you don’t only have four artists–all of them are “trailblazers” in the respective genres they represent and they are really leaders in their musical styles. When I think of their credentials and what each of them can bring to the table,  that leaves no question in my mind why they were chosen. But perhaps, the title “coach” is the only thing they have in common. Dipping into the wealth of their own professional experiences and personal barometers of what to them constitute “excellence” are what will come into play when they make their selections.  Expect to see also their individual personalities, prejudices, and biases to peek out once in a while which will make for a lively and dynamic exchange of thoughts and opinions. Healthy competition will always bring out an honest opinion from the coaches.

Definitely, a lot of viewers at home will be keeping an eye on how these coaches will be conducting themselves once the season officially starts and cameras start rolling. Each coach is truly his own person and viewers love to see what lies beneath the glossy veneer of show biz. We are talking about different outlooks in life here. Each coach broke through the record industry by different means. Each coach has his own way of spotting talent which will translate in the selection process. And, of course, the valuable professional experiences each of them can share with their teams are probably the most important factor that can’t be overlooked.

For instance, each artist has such a big name recall and recognition among music lovers all over the country. Why? There will only be one Bamboo Mañalac. When you hear his name, you really can’t compare him to anyone else. The same method of thinking applies to every other coach. Artistically, there is that individuality and uniqueness of persona about them that will make the show even more colorful and interesting. This is where the expertise, knowledge, and experience of each coach will come into play in the format of the “The Voice of the Philippines.”

Questions are many. For instance, how will these four coaches interact with each other? How will these four coaches leave their mark in the show? How will the show affect the professional careers of the four coaches? I guess, we just have to wait and see when the show premieres in June at ABS-CBN.