Precillas (second from left)
After her recent stint in a popular Indonesian singing competition, Hannah Precillas is keeping her fingers crossed that the exposure she received there would eventually lead to more career opportunities.
“Of course, that’s a big dream of mine. I’m always looking forward to new possibilities. I’m open to doing more gigs and guest appearances in Indonesia,” Hannah, who finished third in Indosiar channel’s “Dangdut Academy Asia 5,” told the Inquirer in a recent interview.
The GMA 7 artist was invited by the said network to perform for its upcoming 25th anniversary celebrations. “I hope we get a chance to have discussions with the people there … explore what I can do,” Hannah related.
“I would love to land more work there. But I would have to learn Bahasa Indonesia first,” she added. “Let’s see.”
In the contest, Hannah competed against hopefuls from other Southeast Asian countries, including Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Timor-Leste, Malaysia and host country Indonesia.
Precillas
“Performing on a world stage is one of my goals. And to stand there, as a Filipino, makes me incredibly proud,” added Hannah, who won the Kapuso talent search “Bet ng Bayan” in 2014. “It was also the first time the Philippines participated in the competition.”
Although she didn’t emerge on top (she was bested by two Indonesian contestants), she still felt like a winner, considering that she was initially unsure about joining in the first place.
“I went to the auditions just for the experience; I had no expectations. Somehow, I got in. However, I have never been away from my family for an extended period of time. I had second thoughts. So, I asked my mother for advice. But she just told me to go for it. She encouraged me and has always believed in my talent,” she said.
During the competition, all Hannah ever wished for were clean performances. “I just wanted to do my best and make sure that I don’t embarrass myself abroad. Basta hindi ako pumiyok o magkamali, OK na sa ‘kin ‘yun!” she said. “All I wanted was a little appreciation from the audience.”
The biggest challenge she faced, Hannah said, was learning to sing “Dangdut”—a popular folk-inspired genre that’s popular in Indonesia and Malaysia.
Hannah Precillas
“It was tough for me because I wasn’t familiar with that type of music; it was new to my ears. It was a beautiful genre, but can be tricky to learn. We had to learn a specific way of doing runs called the “cengkok,” which is different from the kind we do with R&B songs. The judges were strict about that,” she said.
Despite the setback, Hannah made it to the Top 3—a feat deemed impressive by Indonesian viewers. “They really admire our singers’ talents. Not all countries make it that far on their first try, I was told,” said Hannah, who was also grateful for the warm welcome of the Indonesian fans.
“Even before the show began, they were already messaging me, giving me tips and pointers. They gave me recommendations on what to watch, which artists to follow,” she added.
Here in the Philippines, Hannah plans to apply what she has learned from her experience in Indonesia.
“I usually do ballads, pop and ‘birit’ songs. What I realized in ‘Dangdut’ is that I have to get out of my comfort zone. And that’s what I hope to do for my next singles. I want to experiment with other genres,” she related.