Filipino community cheers 'Idol' hopeful from Miramar

She's got the look. She's got the voice. And for Filipino Americans across South Florida, she's got the vote.

Ramiele Malubay, 20, of Miramar, is the latest American Idol darling. The young Asian-American caught the judges' attention Wednesday night during the women's semifinals, earning high praise from even the finicky Simon Cowell, who said she "out-sung every single person."

Edwin Dominado, president of the Philippine American Federation of South Florida, knows Malubay and said he would be cheering her on with the rest of his community. Mualubay remained a contender Thursday night after the results of the show's nationwide phone vote came in

continue...

American Idol scandal hat trick: Questionable Ramiele Malubay photos emerge

Today has been a treasure trove of "American Idol" scandals erupting in the news.

First, David Hernandez is revealed to be a male stripper for a gay men's club in Phoenix.

Second, Danny Noriega, the little diva that could, has had his past come back to haunt him via a profane Christmas video.

Now CelebTV.com has unearthed more risque photographs of "American Idol" finalist Ramiele Malubay.

Last week CelebTV.com uncovered racy photos of Malubay, 20, goofing around with some girlfriends on a Facebook page.

The new snaps show the Miramar Florida singer is similar breat grabbing poses with what appears to be coworkers. Yahoo TV reports that Malubay was a hostess at a Miramar sushi restaurant.

Malubay told the Filipino publication Pinoy Business she doesn’t want to be famous but does want to represent the Asian community well in a competition where the whole world is watching.

Ramiele took a break from nursing school to compete on Idol and vows to go back to school if she's not chosen for the top spot on the TV show, Pinoy Business reports.

photos

Ramiele, the Pinoy Idol

If you haven’t heard about Ramiele Malubay yet, you will very, very soon. And she’s not going to be sprung on you as a surprise witness in any Senate investigation, thank God.

Ramiele is a 20-year-old Filipino-American singing sensation from Miramar, Florida who has been chosen to the final 24 of the top-rated US television singing competition “American Idol.” And if you don’t follow “AI,” now on its seventh season and the highest-rating show in the US after the Super Bowl and the Academy Awards, then perhaps it’s time you hit YouTube and watch Ramiele. (No YouTube? Can’t help you.)

Ramiele’s dream is to become the first singer of Asian ancestry to become Idol, a goal was almost achieved by another Fil-Am, Jasmine Trias of Hawaii, who ended up third in the third season of AI four years ago. (Sorry, the efforts of William Hung, the Chinese-American University of California student who became a dubious AI celebrity after his rollicking, off-key rendition of Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs” in the same season, don’t count.)

Judging from the preliminary reviews of the first presentation of the final 12 on the girls’ side (there are 12 young men who also made the top 24), Ramiele’s dream isn’t too far off from reality. Of course, given that the winners are chosen through a telephone poll that counts votes made to a toll number in the US, anything’s possible.

It’s no surprise that Ramiele’s own idols are black American diva Aretha Franklin and homegrown Pinay talents Lani Misalucha and Regine Velasquez. Ramiele’s voice surprises by its sheer power, maturity and depth of feeling, coming as it does from such a small, young package—especially since her speaking voice and mannerisms, during the AI interviews, are much more suitable for a young woman just out of her teens.

Watch Ramiele’s first encounter with judges Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell and you’ll see what I mean. While Cowell was just being Cowell when he voted down Ramiele, Abdul and Jackson were obviously blown away by Ramiele’s abbreviated version of one of Aretha’s signature songs, the anthemic “A Natural Woman.” In another, she breaks into a spine-tingling rendition of Regine’s “Narito Ako.” Awesome, as they say Stateside.

In fact, watching interviews of Ramiele for the show, two things strike the viewer immediately: While she sounds just like a young American girl, she obviously grew up in a tightly-knit Filipino-American family. Thus, her references to balut and how she started singing karaoke at some big Fil-Am gathering in Florida.

In her MySpace Music blog (www.myspace/ramiele), here’s what Ramiele says about herself, complete with the SMS-style punctuation and capitalization: “Dear People, Hi, Im Ramiele. I’m 19 (but I dont act like it). I ‘m single. I have a sister and she’s the acoustic to the songs you hear. We’re the illest pinay rappers of life. Thank you. Enjoy. pOts and pAns BlitChes fcUk wId It!”

The site is important because viewers get treated to stripped-down covers performed by Ramiele, before she was discovered by AI. And, in all likelihood, before she becomes a singing star even bigger than anyone from this country who went before her.

source: http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=jojoRobles_feb22_2008