Niel Murillo is first 'Pinoy Boyband Superstar' winner

MANILA — Niel Murillo, a 17-year-old boy from Cebu, is the first winner of "Pinoy Boyband Superstar," the talent show announced Saturday night.

Murillo received the highest combined scores culled from the judges' ratings and the number of text votes, beating out six other finalists of the talent show.

He will take home the P1-million cash prize and be part of a boyband managed by Star Magic.

Four more winners, each of which will also receive P1 million and a contract with the ABS-CBN talent agency, will be announced on Sunday to complete the group.

For his finals performance, Murillo sang Major Lazer's "Cold Water" with Russel Reyes.

Judge Aga Muhlach praised Murillo for his vastly improved confidence, while singer Yeng Constatino reiterated that he is one of the strongest singers in the competition.

The other grand finals performances were Joao Constancia, Mark Oblea and Ford Valencia singing Enrique Iglesias' "Bailamos," and Tony Labrusca and Tristan Ramirez covering Bruno Mars' "Treasure."

Voting to determine the remaining four winners will resume tomorrow night.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Fil-Dutch boy passes 'The Voice Kids' audition

NETHERLANDS - An 11-year-old Filipino-Dutch boy passed the blind auditions of the TV talent search "The Voice Kids" in Holland.

A rising star of the Filipino community, Kim Regasa impressed the judges at the auditions of The Voice Kids Holland aired on Dutch channel RTL4 last Friday.

Regasa became popular in Holland and a star in the Pinoy community when he was dubbed by the Dutch media as the “mini Michael Jackson” in "Holland's Got Talent" in 2010.

He was only nine years old then and managed to finish in fourth place.

But that did not stop the very young boy from pursuing his dreams.

He took voice lessons and this year he’s back, trying his luck at The Voice Kids.

In the blind auditions, the judges are seated with their backs turned and they can only hear the voice of the contestant. Just one push of a button from a judge for the duration of the contestant’s song is enough to qualify the contestant to the next round.

If more than one judge pushed a button, the contestant will have the option to choose who he or she wants to be the coach.

In Regasa’s case, duo Nick and Simon immediately pushed their buttons and later followed by Angela Groothuizen.

The last judge Marco Borsato pushed his button a tad late.

Borsato explained he pushed his button at the last minute but it wasn't counted. To add to his disappointment, when Regasa was asked to choose his coach, he said he had always wanted Borsato to be his mentor.

Regasa ended choosing veteran songwriter and '80s singer Groothuizen with the hope that she will train him and properly hone his talent.

Regasa was among the 90 contestants picked from a total of 10,000 who registered for the The Voice Kids Holland.

Talpa, the production outfit of The Voice Kids, doesn't allow interviews while the contestants are still in competition.

Many youngsters who saw Regasa on the The Voice Kids are in awe of his voice.

Anne, a Dutch student who is on her last year of primary school, finds Regasa very good.

"Such beautiful tone," Anne said.

"He has a good style, he’s very good and he can sing," said Indy, another Dutch student.

After the blind auditions, only 45 contestants were left. They now form the three competing teams.

With his performance of “I Follow Rivers”, Regasa did not only captivate the judges but also now has amassed would-be voters.

“I invited my whole class and they said they're gonna watch and they thought sure I’m gonna watch and the next day, I mean the next Monday, they said he's very good. I think they like him,” eleven-year-old Pinay Lauren-Rome said.

Regasa is now preparing for the Battle Round on Friday, which will begin airing at 8:30 pm Holland time.

All that Regasa needs now is the full and solid support from the Filipinos in Holland, if ever he makes it to the live shows because all the text votes are going to ensure his survival in the competition up to the finals.

source: abs-cbnnews.com

'X Factor PH' finalists stay in Martin's house

MANILA, Philippines - "The X Factor Philippines" finalists Allen Sta. Maria, Kedebon Colim, Jeric Medina, Gabriel Maturan and grand winner KZ Tandingan on Wednesday shared their love for their second "father," Concert King Martin Nievera, one of the mentor-judges of the hit talent show.

The finalists praised Nievera for his generosity such that he even allowed them to stay in his house.

On ABS-CBN's morning show "KrisTV," finalists revealed that they been staying in Nievera's house for two months already.

"Not weeks, two months na siguro," Colim said.

According to Nievera, he had to fix the attic for his adopted kids and even furnished it with a TV set, video games and other stuff.

Nievera admitted that he fell in love with the young singers.

"I love these kids. I fell in love with them. I fall in love with people I work with, that's something I try to make that I sure I do. With the production, the people behind us, the cameramen, I fall in love with them, especially how many months we were together, every day together. So we've fallen in love with each other. I was given the Boys category and I adopted them as sons and it's so much fan," Nievera explained.

After the show, Nievera said that his "kids" are still very much welcome to stay in his house.

"If they want, they are more than welcome. The third floor is there. It's all theirs," he said.

KZ finds new dad

Guesting on the morning show, grand winner Tandingan also admitted that one of the most important lessons she got from the show came from Nievera.

Tandingan said Nievera taught her that it's very important that she should always listen and to always keep her feet on the ground.

"Sabi niya dapat daw tandaan talaga na as an artist you should always learn to listen. Kahit na 30 years siya sa industry, marami pa din kailangang matutunan. At saka 'yung there are no small gigs. Kahit two minutes lang at kahit gaano ka-short 'yung performance na ibibigay sa iyo, always make sure na you make the most out of it kasi kailangang ma-remember ng tao na ganoon ka as a performer," Tandingan said.

The grand winner also became teary eyed when she was asked to give her message to Nievera.

"Dad, salamat po. Kasi sa mga panahon na hindi namin nakakasama si Charice kasi busy din siya sa paggawa ng materials namin sa 'X Factor' ay in-adopt niyo kami hindi niyo kami pinabayaan. Tapos kahit wala ang family namin, you never made us feel na kailangan naming ma-homesick," she said.

Tandingan, a 21-year-old aspiring singer from Digos who almost lost her voice from a throat problem in high school, was named the first winner of “The X Factor Philippines” on Sunday night at the Pagcor Theater.

Tandingan, an early favorite on the latest ABS-CBN talent search, bested Maturan and the group Daddy’s Home during the show’s star-studded season finale after garnering 54.77% of the total viewers’ votes.

source: abs-cbnnews.com