LX2 Entertainment: Bringing Filipino talent to the international stage

CEBU, Philippines — Despite the uncertainty of gambling on the entertainment industry – one of the sectors convulsed by the pandemic globally – renowned Filipino fashion designer Albert Andrada and LX2 Entertainment Corp CEO Loi Magan are adamant to discover untapped Filipino talents, then prepare them for international exposure once the world opens up again.

“We want people to know that there’s something good in every crisis. I don’t want to dwell on the negative,” Andrada, LX2 Entertainment Manila President, told Cebu media in a virtual conference. “We’re very confident that the Filipinos have the talent that we can show and boast in international platforms. We don’t want them and the industry to just die down. We want to help people or revive the industry through online or other platforms.”

For Magan, who is from New York, she said they are plowing through the pandemic because “the world needs to smile again.”

“We have the capability to bring deserving talents internationally. Right now even if it’s hard to travel, with getting visas, we have projects ready so once the economy opens, we will just go instantly. This is a preparation and if we can be the first to go, the better,” added Magan.

Andrada and Magan recently opened a Manila branch for the New York-based global company LX2 Entertainment Corp. The Philippine branch currently deals with artist management. In March, they will launch the Purple Rain Recording Studio in Mandaluyong.

Online applications were opened last month for young aspiring actors and singers which was met with overwhelming response. Submissions will be accepted until Feb. 14, and those selected during the initial screening will receive an email invite for a live audition. If they pass muster, they will take part in an artist development training program to be led by Andrada amongst other industry veterans. Non-Manila trainees will be provided board and lodging by the company for the duration of the program.

Andrada said that 85 percent of auditionees so far were aspiring singers. While they were unable to disclose if there were any from Cebu, the mentor to many beauty queens and models said he has always found Cebuanos to be good singers and fluent English speakers.

“Through experience, when we are training individuals, I noticed that the Cebuanos are one of those who speak very good English. It’s either they speak Cebuano or English. When a pageant candidate comes from Cebu, I know she’ll be good in speaking English. It’s not very hard to train when they’re from Cebu,” shared Andrada, whose expertise includes “untapping the beauty inside the Filipina.”

“This is what I’m very good at. With this company, I could transform and bring confidence out of the individuals. A lot of Filipinas are talented, but the thing is, most of them are the shy type. They also lack support, financially and morally. These talents we will get will go through a lot of training, including speech training because we have voice, dance and acting coaches. We want this raw individual to be packaged for international entertainment. Like the Koreans, they are booming abroad. We don’t want Filipinos to just be behind because we know we are far better.”

While others may gauge star potential through looks, Andrada said he emphasizes talent and a coachable attitude above all else.

“Sometimes they can be good at singing but they don’t have the proper attitude. I’m sure they’re not going to be successful. I tell my talents that the priority always should be family, the friends who have been there in your journey, to pay back those who helped them. If you are grateful for the support of others, you will be loved.”

Magan noted how the West, the US specifically, is quite different in what they want in terms of musical talent. With US entertainment industry professionals advising them and steering them through the proper channels, Magan and Andrada are confident they can help Filipino talents break the ceiling.

“One of the things we have at LX2, one of my business advisers and partners was a big name in TV, movies and the music industry. God willing, he should be coming to the Philippines in May. He packaged a lot of reality shows for big networks like Fox, NBC, ABC, and his team also produced a lot of international concerts of the likes of Mariah Carey, Maroon 5…so we are confident that with the right talents, we can run them through proper channels and see if they can make it to mainstream,” said Magan.

“In fact once of the talents we have now is currently training with an American voice coach who used to coach Demi Lovato. We also have connections with music producers as well as old boy bands – for a lack of a better term – that can connect us to producers to make music and also advise us. What we want to do is create a new genre but make it very current. We’re trying to connect with bands from the ‘90s but also have music producers from today and mix it up.”

LX2 is also looking into getting into Southeast Asia, since like the Philippine, its neighboring countries are very much into ballads.

“Pinoys, and this is the same in Indonesia, as far as what our feasibility studies say, they love hugot songs, mellows, ballads. In America the biggest music genre is country. If you are from a country state like Kansas or Alabama, that’s what you listen to. But if you’re from New York, hardly anyone listens to country. And vice versa. They wouldn’t know a rapper from New York. But they’re all mainstream and making equal money, if not one more than the other. At the end of the day they’re all equally famous,” Magan explained.

“In the Philippines, there’s one genre: hugot, which is mellow and slow. And if you’re not mainstream, you’re not famous. In the West, it’s quite different. They are looking for diversity. Here there is diversity in one genre which is sad because Filipinos are so talented.”

For complete details of the online auditions, visit www.lx2entertainment.com and for updates, follow their social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram @Lx2entertainment.