Pilita in Jakarta

MANILA, Philippines―Pilita Corrales, the Filipino judge for “Asian Idol,” has arrived in Jakarta, where the first-ever regional version of the phenomenal reality talent search on worldwide television is ongoing.

This was relayed to Inquirer Entertainment via SMS on Tuesday from the Indonesian capital by Belay Chavez, who is escorting Philippine bet Mau Marcelo for the management company Artist House.

The “Asian Idol” finals will be aired 8-10 p.m. Dec. 15 and 9 p.m.-12 midnight Dec. 16, on RCTI―described by Marcelo as the “No. 1 TV station in Indonesia”―which is mounting the show with Fremantle Media, franchise holder. Locally, ABC 5 is airing the whole competition live via satellite.

On Saturday, Marcelo and the five other contenders―from Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, India and Singapore―met with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Chavez said Yudhoyono, whose entire Cabinet and family were present, sang his own composition, “Let’s Save Our Planet” and gave the Idols a copy of his CD.

Yudhoyono then asked the Idols to each render a song. Said Chavez, “Mau wasn’t feeling well, but she belted out Whitney Houston’s ‘Saving All My Love for You.’”

That same night, the “Road to Asian Idol” TV special was launched.

Thoroughly prepared

On Thursday, before leaving Manila, Marcelo told Inquirer Entertainment that she was thoroughly prepared for the tilt. She had rehearsed her competition pieces, “Ako ang Nagwagi” and “Reach” with stage director Freddie Santos and voice coach Zebedee Zuñiga. The musical arrangements arrived by e-mail two days before. (The contestants are expected to sing in English and in their native languages.)

Marcelo relayed her hectic Jakarta schedule to Inquirer via a text message on Saturday, which she ended in Bahasa: “Terima kasih. That’s thank you.”

source: http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/entertainment/entertainment/view_article.php?article_id=106480

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