The Voice kids shine on their own

MANILA, Philippines - Though they’re new in the business, the six finalists of the singing show The Voice Kids Philippines have proven in their first concert that they can hold their own.

Five months after making it at the talent show, Darren Espanto, Juan Karlos “JK” Labajo, Lyca Gairanod, Darlene Vibares, Tonton Cabiles Jr. and Edray Teodoro have come a long way with their own army of fans who came in full force to support and cheer them during the concert.

The show started at around 8 p.m. with the grand champion of The Voice Kids Philippines, Little Superstar Lyca who sang Sharon Cuneta’s Pangarap na Bituin.

Then second runner-up Juan Karlos, known as the Cebuano Charmer, came next with his rendition of the classic jazz song Sway by Dean Martin. Edray and Tonton respectively performed their contest pieces Tulak ng Bibig Kabig ng Dibdib and Dance With My Father.

After their performances, the energetic Darlene sang her winning piece Girl On Fire by Alicia Keys. Darlene, buoyed by the audience’s loud cheers, strutted onstage, belting the notes even higher.

Next came Lyca who performed her favorite Filipino band Aegis’ songs Basang Basa sa Ulan and Halik.

First runner-up and Total Performer Darren drew the most deafening cheers as he belted out the high notes on the Whitney Houston song One Moment In Time.

After giving their own solo performances, the six performed together the song Pangarap Na Bituin.

Fans also made surprise video greetings for the kids which were shown on the LCD screen. After a video greeting from his fans,  JK charmed the audience with his lively performance of Bastille’s Pompeii, although his diction needed improvement. Nevertheless, he has the most distinct voice among the six kids.

Darlene came next and sang Tomorrow from the musical play Annie, but she was less than impressive. First, she forgot some of the lyrics and didn’t seem to sing from the heart. I think she was only concerned with belting and hitting the high notes.

The Voice kids had two special guests that night, Mitoy Yonting, The Voice Philippines Season 1 grand champion and runner-up Klarisse de Guzman.

Mitoy first had a duet with Darren, on the song Foolish Heart, then JK on Don’t Stop Believin’ where again the three champions hit the high notes.  

Tonton also had a duet with Mitoy and sang a sweet song Baby I Love Your Way. Fan girls couldn’t help but swoon, and screamed even louder when all four of them sang Magic’s hit song Rude.

 Mitoy even joked that the boys could be the Philippines’ version of One Direction. “Isa lang kasi direksyon na patutunguhan nila, tagumpay,” he said, stressing that the boys will come a long way in the music industry.

Darren, who had the most fans at the concert, also sang his first single In Love Ako Sa’yo from his upcoming self-titled debut album. It was evident during the concert that he was the star of the night.

 He sang and danced to Animals by Maroon 5 and What Makes You Beautiful by One Direction later that night.

Klarisse also performed with Lyca, Darlene and Edray on the pop hits Domino and What A Girl Wants. At the concert, she expressed her admiration at their immense singing talents. “Saksi ako sa mga talento ng mga yan. Talagang malayo ang mararating nila at mga bata pa sila,” she said.

One of the highlights during the concert was JK’s emotional rendition of The Man Who Can’t Be Moved by The Script. Before singing the song, he told the audience that he was dedicating it to his mother who passed away last year due to cancer. Tears streamed down the 13-year-old boy’s face while singing and at one point, replaced the lyrics with “I will wait here for you.. I’m the son who can’t be moved.”

Another highlight of the concert was a dance showdown between Lyca, Darren, JK, Darlene, Tonton and Edray. They danced to the latest chart-toppers Bang Bang, Really Don’t Care, She Looks So Perfect and Shake it Off.

Lyca impressed the audience when she did a cover of Sarah Geronimo’s Ikot-Ikot.

She and Darren, both from Team Sarah, then did a duet on the Frozen anthem Let It Go.

Lyca, who was criticized before with her poor English singing skills, proved during the concert that she can now sing songs in English. Her voice blended well with Darren’s alto, although they rendered the song with less passion.

The kids didn’t let the night end without promoting Jollibee’s Maaga Ang Pasko campaign. Jollibee was the major sponsor of the show.

They sang the Jollibee Kid’s club jingle and invited everyone to join in the fastfood chain’s campaign to give gifts to unfortunate children this Christmas. The Top 4 also sang a Christmas medley from the album My Christmas Album: All Stars. Lyca began with Miss Kita Tuwing Christmas, Darren with O Little Town Of Bethlehem, JK with Hark The Herald Angels Sing and Darlene with Joy To The World. They were also joined by surprise guest rapper Bassilyo, who popularized Lord, Patawad. Bassilyo’s new song Lord, Merry Christmas features The Voice Kids Top 6.

The concert ended with the song Better Place by Michael Jackson. Although they didn’t fill the PICC to the brim, the kids were still thankful for the fans’ love and support on their first major concert. They have a long way to go and who knows, they might be the next generation’s biggest stars.

(The author, 15, is a high school senior student and fan of The Voice.)