Sing @ Ning at The Pen

MANILA, Philippines - The Peninsula Manila’s search for fresh vocal talent for its Salon de Ning bar is starting to heat up as it winds down. From over 200 hopeful college students (aged 18 to 25) who sent audition videos to a dedicated YouTube channel, Sing @ Ning: The Search for the Ultimate Voice contestants are now down to seven.

In no particular order, the finalists are Garret Bolden Jr. (Lyceum of Subic Bay SBMA); Renz Robosa (University of Luzon); Raphael Gutierrez (University of the Philippines Diliman); Lynly Lacdang (St. Scholastica’s College); April delos Santos (University of the Philippines Open University); Joselle Feliciano (Ateneo de Manila University); and Paula Portillo (Mapua Institute of Technology).

The 200-plus entrants were initially slashed to 21, then 12, then seven (it should have been six, but there was a tie). Accompanied by piano music, the Top 12 delivered versions of OPM standards to a packed Salon de Ning, and were further slashed by judges Rachel Alejandro, Vince de Jesus, Nyoy Volante and Onyl Torres (who leads the panel).

At the round-of-12 face-off, judges continued to dish out pieces of advice to the singers. There was talk of chest tones, head tones — and forgeting everything else and losing themselves in the song. Various styles and executions came to fore, from strong vocal and emotional performances to nonchalant grace and style.

Early favorites are the remaining three young men, along with ADMU’s Feliciano, who sings as if from a bygone era.

Sing@Ning seeks out previously-unsigned talents to be a mainstay at the Salon de Ning, Peninsula Manila’s exotically-themed bar that GM Sonja Vodusek describes as “Ning’s budoir.” The mysterious (if fictitious) Madame Ning is imagined as a “slender, dark-haired, porcelain-skinned beauty” living in 1930s Shanghai.

The winner will receive P100,000 in cash, a scholarship at John Robert Powers and Spotlight Artists Centre, and a weekend stay at the hotel — on top of a contract to perform at the Salon de Ning. The remaining seven contestants will be trimmed to three following another round of competitions tonight at 7.

(Follow ThePeninsulaMNL on Twitter for developments.)