16-year-old Cebuana wins ‘The Clash’ tilt

Golden Cañedo

Golden Cañedo entered the reality talent search, “The Clash,” thinking that she would get the early boot.

She ended up winning the whole thing, instead.

“I’m admittedly a pessimistic girl—I was actually expecting to lose. I often found myself thinking, ‘Do I have something special to show to people? Do I have enough?’ But I did what I had to do and gave what I could. And much to my surprise, I made it week after week,” she told the Inquirer in a recent interview.

The 16-year-old aspiring singer, who hails from Cebu, delivered an earnest rendition of Basil Valdez’s “Ngayon,” and bested fellow contestant Jong Madaliday in the contest’s “Ultimate Final Clash” last weekend.

“It still hasn’t sunk in—I can’t believe it!” she said. “I have this weird feeling that the contest is still ongoing, and that I have to compete again soon.”

Golden was unsure what exactly about her performance convinced the judges—Christian Bautista, Ai-Ai delas Alas and Lani Misalucha—to give her the win.

But looking back at the video of her last outing onstage, she felt that something has, indeed, changed in her.

“I usually watch my past performances so I could spot my mistakes and correct them; so I could improve,” she related. “But when I watched the video of the finals, I thought, ‘Parang hindi ako.’ And I think that’s the result of pushing myself to work harder.”

She took home prizes worth P4 million: P1 million cash, a house and lot from Bria Homes, a new car and an exclusive management contract with GMA 7.

“I want to fulfill my parents’ dreams. I want to  help them. They’re not getting any younger, so I want to start supporting them,” said the young power belter, who’s currently a Grade 10 student.

Aside from her winnings from “The Clash,” Golden will also be part of GMA 7’s upcoming, weekly musical variety show “Studio 7,” which starts airing on Oct. 14. And it’s incredible, she said, that she now has the chance to work with artists she used to see only on television.

“I idolize Julie Anne San Jose. She’s the one who made me want to learn how to play the guitar. I used to save photos of Kyline Alcantara on my phone. Now, I’m with them regularly,” she related. “It’s a dream.”

While Golden leans toward ballads that showcase her vocal range, she said she would love to experiment with different genres, as she moves forward with her career. “I want to experience and try new things,” she said. “But for now, I will enjoy the moment and go with the flow.”