El Rancho Singing Idol

Fifteen big voices of yodeling cowboys will blend in tomorrow night''s semifinal round of the "El Rancho Singing Idol: Kinawboy Ni!" at the San Roque Gym, Subangdaku, Mandaue City beginning at 7:00 p.m.

The big night in Subangdaku will showcase the special appearance of Cebuano songbird Chad Borja as well as the raffling off of "exciting prizes."

In an interview with Stanley Go, Vice President for Sales and Marketing of Virginia Food, Inc., which powers Paperbag Concept''s "Singing Idol: Kinawboy Ni!" search, he vowed to sustain the putting up of big nights for the series of semifinal rounds in search for local singing cowboys who could best represent the quality of VFI''s latest product - the fusion of corned beef and beef loaf.

"We are not only pushing canned and other processed food products, we are backing talents as well who could speak highly for our recent meat product development, the El Rancho Corned Beef Loaf," Go said.

"Mao ni siya ang gihulagway ni Alan "Goliat" Nacorda nga two become one. The radio ad goes: Duha nahimong usa. Which means fusion sa corned beef ug beef loaf," Go added.

Further, cowboy music (which should not be mistaken for country music and vice versa) tackles the stories of cowboys or ranchers who risk to "cultivate the immense amount of skill it takes to be a good hand, taking seriously values such as valor, gentlemanliness, and honest work in the open lands of the West."

And also because of varied influences from a number of settlers that came to their part of the world, they brought their old traditions with them wherever they set community, adapting some and keeping some, as well as discarding others. As the world changed dramatically, cowboys needed some basis for identity in a rapidly changing technological world. Cowboy music flourished and remained because it responded to the heartfelt romance for cowboy lifestyle - simple and laidback, with a dash of rugged individualism.

During the preliminary search from last week of February to last month, El Rancho Singing Idol:Kinawboy Ni! carried out inter-barangay screenings - in Tisa for the Cebu south district, Subangdaku for the Mandaue City area, Talamban for the Cebu north district, and Gun-ob for the Lapu-Lapu City area.

From hundreds of singing cowboys who trooped to the auditions, the number was trimmed down to only 15 per designated area. Of this number, only three will be picked to qualify for the Grand Finals set on May 19.

The semifinal round in barangay Tisa culminated last March 16. Those who emerged as semifinalists are Esterlina Olmedo of Talisay City, Faustino Villarta of Lapu-Lapu Street, Cebu City; and Maria Glo Rendon of V. Rama Street, Cebu City. A delayed telecast of the barangay Tisa Big Night will be aired later on, from 7:30-9:00 p.m. via Channel 15 - SkyCable Community Channel.

The Subangdaku semifinal round will happen tomorrow, April 21. For Talamban, it is scheduled at 7 p.m. of April 28 at the Talamban Sports Center. As for Gun-ob, big night is set on May 5, again at 7 p.m. at the Gun-ob National High School Gym.

Four major areas of the metro, with three semifinalists each. This means only a dozen will vie for the major title of "El Rancho Singing Idol" on May 19. As of this writing, time and venue as well as the nature of prizes weren''t disclosed yet by Paperbag Concept. But Go assured that samples of the new El Rancho Corned Beef Loaf he tagged as "another quality product of Virginia Food, Inc." would certainly be distributed in truckloads.

Also, Go said, that during the grand finals they would be awarding a People''s Choice recipient and a number of home partners. For the mechanics on how to join the home partner promo, Go advised the public to tune in to 91.5 Hot FM which is the official station of this search for singing cowboys.

To recall, the organizer of El Rancho Singing Idol: Kinawboy Ni! published in The FREEMAN-Banat News its search for singing cowboys, 18-45 years old, who were directed to get application forms available at their respective barangay halls before the screening dates. Attached to the application form were either five labels of 160g or seven labels of the 100g El Rancho Corned Beef Loaf, which were part of the requirement.

For those who weren''t able to join the singing contest, there are still chances to win big prizes. Go said that by collecting labels of the 160g or the 100g El Rancho Corned Beef Loaf, consumers would qualify as home partners.

Go announced that the public should also watch out for the launch soon of the 165g can El Rancho Meatball and Beans (with real meatballs, four pieces) and the 220g can with six meatballs. Product samplings will be conducted in Metro Chain and Gaisano Chain of stores for the public to learn of developments at the Virginia Food, Inc. plant in the field of meat science/food processing.

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