‘Real fight’ begins for contestants of ‘The Clash’s’ 2nd season

Most of the 12 aspirants in the second season of the GMA 7 talent search, “The Clash,” say they consider fellow contender Jeremiah Tiangco as “the threat.”

“It’s because there’s this unique quality in his voice that makes me gasp and say, ‘Wow.’ I’ve already noticed this while we were attending our workshop,” says fellow “Clasher” Aljon Gutierrez of Oriental Mindoro.

Al Fritz agrees: “Sobrang husay, and to think he is still very young. I consider him a threat because we both come from Cavite.

“Also, we have different skill sets, so if we get pitted against each other, I might have a hard time matching his performance.”

Jeniffer Maravilla

Antonette Tismo

Janina Gonzales

Even a female contestant like Janina Gonzales confesses to feeling threatened by Jeremiah. “It’s rare for a singer to feel impressed by another performer’s performance. That’s what happened when I first heard Jeremiah sing,” she admits.

The finalists have been battling it out for weeks. Also wanting to prove that they’re worthy of the slot are Antonette Tismo (Parañaque), Clark Serafin (Cebu), Jennifer Maravilla (Malabon), Lorraine Galvez (La Union), Nef Medina (Cavite), Sassa Dagdag (Pampanga), Thea Astley (Qatar) and Tombi Romulo (Cavite).

For Jeremiah, hearing the comments of his colleagues only makes him feel more pressured to do well.

“I was really surprised by their answers,” says Jeremiah when the contestants were presented to the media on Monday night.

“I’m simply showing my best in all my performances. To outshine anyone in this contest was never my intention. I’m happy to hear their reactions, but for me, we all deserve a seat in ‘The Clash.’ We’re all talented. We’re all good performers.”

Joining singing competitions is no longer new to Jeremiah.

“If I don’t win here, I will still keep on joining contests until I achieve my goal of becoming a recognized singer or artist. And since I already made it this far in GMA 7, I will keep doing my best. I will use my idols as inspiration,” he says, adding that he looks up to Gary Valenciano and Lani Misalucha—who also happens to be a member of “The Clash” panel.

Lani, as well as jury members Christian Bautista and Ai-Ai delas Alas, say they are looking forward to seeing more mind-blowing face-offs as the competition progresses.

“It’s actually very exciting because now that the competition is becoming more intense, even viewers are having a hard time choosing from among the Clashers,” says Lani. “All of them are determined to win. And they have what it takes, we can see that.”

Jeremiah Tiangco

Aljon Gutierrez

Christian is convinced that they picked a good set of finalists. “We’ve seen them give outstanding performances, but in the end, this is a competition, so they have to show us more to make it all the way to the end,” says Christian.

For Ai-Ai, this is the beginning of their “real fight.” She points out: “The show is more exciting now that the competition has become tougher. As their number decreases, they should all be giving their best. Everyone, not just the contestants, should expect more twists in the competition.”

Rayver Cruz and Julie Ann San Jose, also called the “Clash Masters,” share hosting chores along with Rita Daniela and Ken Chan.

Directed by Louie Ignacio, “The Clash” airs every Saturday after “Daddy’s Gurl,” and every Sunday after “Daig Kayo ng Lola Ko” on Kapuso network. Viewers from across the globe can also catch the performances of their favorite contestants via GMA’s international channels and on www.gmapinoytv.com.