Vindicated Gerphil bears no ill will

AGT FINALIST wants more young people to listen to classical music. photo by LEO M. SABANGAN II

With her third-place finish in the recently concluded AXN show “Asia’s Got Talent (AGT)” in Singapore, does Gerphil Flores feel vindicated over Kris Aquino’s criticisms five years ago?

Online critics dissed Kris, a judge on ABS-CBN’s “Pilipinas Got Talent (PGT),” because of her comments on Gerphil’s performance in the talent show in 2010.

In an interview with the Inquirer, Filipino-German classical singer Gerphil insisted that she bore no ill will against Kris. “I want her to know that I don’t hold a grudge against her,” she said in Filipino.

With regard to the online bashing that Kris had received, Gerphil clarified, “The bad comments didn’t come from me… I am aware that [the judges] have the right to express their opinions.”

Unique name

Gerphil, whose unique name is a contraction of the home countries of her parents (Germany for her dad and Philippines for her mom) gave credit to “PGT” for giving her the chance to sing before a nationwide audience.

“I learned a lot from that experience; it was truly unforgettable,” she said.

In “PGT,” Gerphil, then known as Fame (her stage name), only reached the semifinals because two judges, Kris and Ai-Ai de las Alas, voted her out.

The video of Kris criticizing Gerphil in the show resurfaced early this month, in the heat of the grand finals period.

In the show, Kris said, “Sing age-appropriate songs because you’re 19.”

Tearfully yet defiantly, Gerphil insisted that she would continue singing classical songs, saying that Filipinos have the talent to sing any kind of music.

In “AGT,” Gerphil, a student at the University of the Philippines College of Music, was considered the favorite of one of the judges: renowned Canadian music producer David Foster, who gave her the coveted “Golden Buzzer,” securing her a spot in the semifinals.

On the May 14 finals of “AGT,” Filipino shadow-play group El Gamma Penumbra eventually won the grand prize. The two other Filipino acts that made it to the final round were hip-hop dance crew Junior New System and 10-year-old singer Gwyneth Dorado.

Foster’s message

Social media went on overdrive with rumors after Foster went up the stage, ostensibly to console Gerphil after it was announced that she was not one of the Top 2 finalists.

Did Foster offer her a recording contract onstage?

Gerphil said no, insisting that the music producer only gave her some words of encouragement.

Foster is instrumental in the careers of music legends Celine Dion and Barbra Streisand and Filipino star Charice.

During the homecoming press conference, Gerphil explained that her taste in music was largely influenced by her grandfather, a guitarist who played classical music. He never had any formal training and only learned to read sheet music instinctively, she recalled.

Growing up, Gerphil said she admired the music of international classical singers Charlotte Church, Josh Groban and Andrea Bocelli.

“They inspired me to sing crossover, classical music,” she said, adding that her other musical idols include Filipino entertainers Lea Salonga, Jed Madela and Regine Velasquez.

One sem to go

Forced to drop some subjects due to her commitments to “AGT,” Gerphil plans to finish the one remaining semester she needs to graduate.

Gerphil also hopes to release an album someday. “I hope to get invitations to perform abroad so I can represent the Philippines,” she said.

She said that one of her goals is “to explore crossover or classical music and make it more youthful so it would be appreciated by young people.”

Gerphil said that she is grateful to the fans who have been supporting her all these years.

“I thank them for their support and prayers, from the start, from my ‘PGT’ days … and during my journey on ‘AGT.’ Even now that the competition is over, they still support me in social media,” she said. “They give me the strength to continue what I am doing. Good and bad comments … keep me motivated!”