Image: Instagram/@jedmadelaofficial
Jed Madela just showed how ridiculously incredible his vocal range really is when he impersonated not just one but four Filipino singers whose caliber has arguably cemented them as some of the best Filipino singers the country has ever seen.
It was in Madela’s “Higher than High” solo concert at the Araneta Coliseum last Nov. 16, which marked his 15th anniversary in the industry, that saw him impersonate Tony Award-winning singer Lea Salonga, Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez, Asia’s Nightingale Lani Misalucha and Queen of Soul Jaya in effortless fashion.
In a YouTube video by Pinoy Screen and Stage via a certain netizen named Armson on Facebook last Nov. 18, Madela shared to the audience that he wanted to invite three special people as guests to his 10th anniversary concert back in 2013, specifically Velasquez, Salonga and Misalucha. The three, however, were not available as they were in Sarah Geronimo’s concert on the same night as Madela’s concert.
As per Madela, he made do with what he had—himself—and shared that he instead impersonated the three singers in their absence.
“Gagawin ko lahat,” he told the audience as Salonga laughed in the background. “Ang ending nakatipid ako, wala akong guest sa PICC ko na concert. Ako lahat gumawa. Gusto niyo ng sample?”
With much fervor from his fans, Madela sat on the stage and first had a go at impersonating Velasquez. He asked his fans to close their eyes as he sang Velasquez’s “Dadalhin Kita sa Aking Palasyo” in a higher pitch, copying Velasquez’s voice down to a tee.
His audience screamed for more, prompting Madela to impersonate Misalucha next by singing “Tila” impeccably.
Madela thought it a challenge, however, when it was Salonga’s turn to be impersonated.
“Ang hirap nito ah. Imagine-in ko nalang na wala siya dito,” he quipped, before breaking out into Aladdin’s “A Whole New World.”
Madela also went on to impersonate Jaya, singing “Dahil Tanging Ikaw” in comedic fashion as he mimicked the soul singer’s lilt and inflection with twitchy body movements.
As per Salonga in a Philippine Daily Inquirer column last Nov. 22—and many would perhaps agree—Madela’s concert was nothing short of otherworldly. She also wrote that Madela’s career was not one that “blasted off bright and fast.”
“His rise is a slower one without the white-hot burn, but rather the soft, steady glow of embers…” Salonga wrote. “I’m sure we haven’t heard the last of Jed Madela, and I’d like to think he’s only just getting started, because he truly, unquestionably deserves so much more.” /ra
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