On February 26, Tuesday, hit online singing show Wishcovery is set to return to the SMART-Araneta Coliseum to cap off its sophomore season.
The grand finals night of Wishcovery Season 2: The Singer and The Song will witness powerhouse performances from its eight grand finalists, representing the eight camps helmed by seasoned OPM hitmakers.
Before their vocals soar high inside the Big Dome, get to know the competition’s Top 8 Wishcoverees who are vying for the championship tilt.
Jemy Picardal hails from the Municipality of Malasiqui in Pangasinan. Since the beginning of the competition, the 23-year-old BS Electrical Engineering student of PHINMA University of Pangasinan has already captured the attention of Wishcoverer-Composer Rannie Raymundo with his unique, emotive sound. Citing the music of Black Americans as his earliest influence, it comes to no surprise that he has evolved to become a soulful performer.
According to Picardal, he was discovered to have the gift of music when he was only three years old. Before entering Wishcovery, he had joined local competitions and even fronted a band.
At a tender age of three, Paula Guevara was already imitating a commercial jingle she had heard in a pizza parlor in their neighborhood. From the time her singing chops was discovered, it was her grandmother who really motivated her to develop her musical gift. Back in 2006, her grandmother signed her up in her first-ever competition stint, a region-wide search for young singers.
When she was in fourth year college, she formally entered the world of musical theatre. And from there, the 23-year-old Bicolana has acquired more knowledge about her musical craft. Her crystal-clear voice, together with her discipline in singing, captivated her Wishcoverer-Composer Moy Ortiz and eventually earned her a spot in the finals.
Rhea Basco comes from a clan of singers. When she was young, it was her parents who found out that the Taguig City-based artist can hit notes and mimic songs she’d hear on the radio. Since realizing she has the potential to become a singer, her parents had enrolled her to voice lesson classes.
Fast forward to today, the 23-year-old aspiring singer is now taking up dentistry at the Centro Escolar University Makati and is vying for the Wishcovery Season 2 crown under the mentorship of Jungee Marcelo. Even before the competition began, the belter has already caught the ears of netizens with the viral videos of her singing “Never Enough” and “Akin Ka Na Lang” in her campus and during the audition.
Before becoming a singer, Camp Top Suzara’s Wishcovery bet Nashrenne Casas was originally a dancer. But when she heard Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez belt out, she was enticed to try singing.
Though she had previously joined contests, the 21-year-old Cebuana — currently a student at the Cebu Institute Technology — admitted that she’s still faint-hearted when it comes to her singing abilities. Thanks to her stint in the Wish 107.5-produced competition, the performer gradually gained confidence. In the grand finals, she’s set to showcase her more mature and versatile vocal chops, which according to her is her primary edge over other contenders.
Growing up in a musically-inclined family, Iloilo City’s Tweetie Salas was exposed to the local band scene when she was as young as eight years old. Though she confessed that she is usually not the type who always joins singing competitions, she sees to it that her passion for the art of performing is nonetheless evident in her every performance.
The 21-year-old songstress has risen to claim the top spot in Noel Cabangon’s camp of Wishcoverees. According to the Business Administration student from University of San Agustin, her sound has evolved significantly during the competition — from pop to alternative rock.
Anna Marie Guinsisana, 20, of Camp Vehnee Saturno is the only singer in her family. Hailing from Bayugan City in Butuan, she revealed the she was once traumatized when she joined a competition; the then eight-year-old singer was jeered by the crowd. It was only when she reached first year high school that she gained back the confidence to sing again. After she was also formally enrolled in a voice class, she ultimately became comfortable with herself.
For the Agusan Del Sur College student, Wishcovery is the biggest contest she has ever joined. Even though she experiences many difficulties in life, she makes it a point to never lose her heart for singing.
Hailing from the City of Davao, 19-year-old Angelica Bermoy was only in the first grade when her teacher noticed her talent in singing. Since she started competing in campus-wide and local contests, it has always been her family who has continuously inspired her to give her best. Her ultimate dream is to alleviate her family’s quality of life.
Admittedly, she found it hard to balance her career and her studies (she’s studying at the Joji Ilagan Career Center Foundation Inc.). But now that she is giving her musical journey a higher priority, she makes sure to do her best in the competition and always think of the people who are supporting her. She is representing Camp Boy Christopher in the grand finals.
Canada-based Audrey Rose Arellano is representing the camp of “Friend of Mine” hitmaker Odette Quesada in the upcoming Wishcovery Grand Finals. In an interview, she revealed that it was her father who got her into music and singing. But apart from her immediate family, the previous musicians she has worked with in Vancouver also serve as her biggest inspirations in the pursuit of her dreams.
Even if Wishcovery is her very first singing competition, the singer-guitarist remains optimistic. Calling the experience “fun and exciting,” she considers the show as a great platform where she can she can share her music and offer something new to the audience.
Wishcovery Season 2: The Singer and The Song Grand Finals takes place on February 26, 2019, 7 p.m. PHT, at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum. As part of the finalists’ score, their Wish Bus performances of their Wishcoverer-Composers’ original songs will be up for power-viewing starting February 18 until February 25 at 12 p.m. PHT. The videos will be uploaded on the Wish YouTube channel.
Related Articles
