‘X Factor’ champ does it her way

Video by Nestor Corrales

Rose Fostanes’ childhood isn’t something she usually looks back on with fondness. “I wasn’t happy growing up,” said the 48-year-old Filipino caregiver, who made headlines last year for winning the reality talent search “X Factor Israel.”

Coming from a broken family, she was forced to work at a very early age to make ends meet. At 11, she sold fruits; at 23, she found herself on a plane bound for Egypt for her first overseas job.

Short and portly, Fostanes’ physical appearance made her an easy target for bullies. She was 6 when she first realized that she could hold a tune and began joining various local contests. She won some and lost some, but if there was one thing that was constant, she said, it was the heckling.

Sense of triumph

“People would start jeering and booing before I could sing a single note,” related the singer, who never hid the fact that she’s a lesbian and, for the past 31 years, has been in a long-distance relationship with her girlfriend, who’s based in the Philippines.

These days, Fostanes revisits such memories not with sadness, but with a sense of triumph and a dose of self-deprecating humor.

“I was determined to fulfill my goal of becoming a professional singer. I fought my way through all that bullying. And now, I’ve reached my goal,” Fostanes, standing on the Music Museum stage, told the audience at the recent “Thank You, Philippines Friendship Concert.” It was hosted by the Embassy of Israel.

Thus, it was only fitting that the recording artist performed songs that effectively related her struggles and how she overcame them: “This Is My Life,” “Beautiful” and “Born This Way.”

At a press gathering held the previous night at the residence of Effie Ben Matityau, ambassador of Israel to the Philippines, Fostanes said she still gets butterflies in her stomach whenever she performs in front of a big crowd.

ROSE Fostanes

If she was, indeed, nervous, it didn’t show at the special public concert.

Amusing anecdotes

Fostanes appeared comfortable onstage, working the crowd as she tackled each song in her ballad-heavy repertoire that also included more contemporary hits such as “You and I” and “If I Ain’t Got You.” Her voice is thick and powerful, with just enough rasp. When not showing off her pipes, Fostanes—chatty and quite the joker—poked fun at herself and told amusing anecdotes.

Known as “Osang” to friends, Fostanes gave a delightful rendition of “Endless Love” with special guest Arthur Manuntag, and tackled an Israeli song, “Shema Yisrael,” perhaps the most challenging for her since her command of Hebrew is basic at best.

“Israelis would tell me sometimes that I sang their song well and left them on the verge of crying. But other times, I would mispronounce a word, and end up saying something with a completely different meaning,” she related.

That’s why, she said, one of her new goals when she returns to Israel soon is to learn the language, in addition to taking up a musical instrument. Fostanes, who has a management contract with Aroma Music, as part of her prize in “X Factor Israel,” has so far recorded a single titled “Walk Away,” and is about to finish her first album there.

ARTHUR Manuntag

“While some Israelis like English songs, most of them usually prefer something in their own language. I’ll make sure to practice and improve my Hebrew so I could do just that,” said Fostanes, who has also released a self-titled debut album in the Philippines.

A lot of things have changed in her life since her victory, she said: 10-minute errands now take up at least 30 minutes because of people stopping her on the streets seeking photo ops; work days are now spent doing shows, recording music and traveling.

Staying behaved

“I could be quick-tempered, but now I have to always stay behaved,” she quipped, laughing. Fostanes, who procured an entertainer’s visa last year with the help of Gideon Sa’ar, Israel’s interior minister at that time, added that, interestingly, she still misses her old job from time to time.

“On my days off, I find myself asking friends if they know people who need their houses cleaned,” related Fostanes, who used to sing with a band composed of other overseas Filipino workers called Daddy’s Cool at Mommy’s Place, a karaoke bar in Tel Aviv. “But of course, I can’t do that anymore.”

Still at the concert, Matityau named Fostanes an ambassador of goodwill, and presented her with a certificate. The musical event was part of a series of programs intended to commemorate the friendship between Israel and the Philippines, which received about 1,300 Jewish refugees during the Holocaust.

“She has a special story—a caregiver, who, from a humble position, became a superstar. She’s a phenomenon,” Matityau said of Fostanes, adding that she “stands as a bridge between Israel and the Philippines.”

Fittingly, Fostanes ended the concert with a stunning performance of her winning piece on “X Factor Israel”—“My Way,” which aptly reflects and encapsulates her journey.

This time around, she received nothing less than a standing ovation.

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