KZ Tandingan tries impersonating other performers

KZ TANDINGAN auditioned for the tilt.

“I’m fond of imitating other artists, but never did I imagine myself joining a reality show that’s all about impersonating singers,” said KZ Tandingan, who is one of the eight contestants of the second season of “Your Face Sounds Familiar.”

The ongoing tilt also features contestants Denise Laurel, Sam Concepcion, Kakai Bautista, Michael Pangilinan, Myrtle Sarrosa, Eric Nicolas and Kean Cipriano.

The show challenges contestants to perform as different artists each week. Celebrity judges Sharon Cuneta, Jed Madela and Gary Valenciano give feedback on each of their performances.

The first season’s winner is comedienne Melai Cantiveros, who is a nonsinger. She brought home P2 million, half of which was given to her chosen charitable institution.

The challenge for KZ, she said, was not only to effectively portray the artist assigned to her but at the same time shine as her own star. “It’s scary at the beginning. I’ve always preferred singing original songs over cover tunes, but this time I have no choice. I also like to change a song’s melody sometimes—to make it my own. I do this unconsciously, but I can’t just do that in the show. That’s why I really have to practice.”

Fan base

KZ said she knew of the importance of having a huge fan base prior to joining the contest. The winner will be determined via text votes. “I’d feel bad if I hear people say I won not because I deserved it but only because I got the highest number of text votes,” she pointed out. “It’s also important for me that my audience likes my performance. I want everyone to see that, although I was not able to imitate the artist 100 percent, I gave my best, that I really pushed myself to the limit. I also hope for the judges to see how much I’ve grown as an artist through the show.”

She added: “Being a contestant in ‘Your Face’ is similar to joining a training camp. You will really learn a lot. I was so used to singing without restrictions. I needed to learn how to do that.”

The 2012 winner of “The X Factor Philippines” said she expected the show to help boost her career. “I would be seen on television every week,” she said. “The audience will get to see the different sides of each of the contestants. Most of the time, they watch us perform as ourselves. They will be surprised to discover that we still have so much to give than the usual fare.”

Picky producers

KZ auditioned for the show, but said she didn’t expect to get selected: “This was because I saw how good the other talents who auditioned were. I also witnessed how picky the producers were. They really wanted this season to match—if not surpass—the success of the previous one.”

At the press conference for the new season, other finalists had nothing but praise for KZ—a reaction that surprised her. “I’m grateful that they appreciate what I do in the show. I just hope that I will be able to accomplish the tasks that are expected of me. This actually puts pressure on me because of people’s high expectations. I hope I will not disappoint them.”