The Voice of the Philippines unveils ‘blind auditions’

MANILA, Philippines - The long wait is over and the country’s best voices will finally be heard as ABS-CBN premieres the most anticipated singing-reality competition on Philippine television, The Voice of the Philippines tonight.

The show, hosted by Toni Gonzaga, kicks off the competition with its unique Blind Auditions, wherein coaches apl.de.ap, Sarah Geronimo, Bamboo and Lea Salonga will select the artists they want to mentor just by listening to the aspirant’s singing voice. Each coach must pick 12 artists for their respective teams who will advance to the next rounds of competition — the Battle Rounds and the Live Shows.

When ABS-CBN said in early 2013 that it was going to bring the local adaptation of the worldwide hit format, the announcement was met with high expectations. This is because the Philippines is known for producing excellent singers, with most Filipinos fond of either singing at KTV bars or joining singing competitions. Even Philibert Braat, international consultant for franchise owner TALPA, acknowledged this. “The world knows that Filipinos are the best singers in the world so I think the country really deserves The Voice of the Philippines. With the line-up of coaches that the show has, it’s going to be of international standards,” said Braat.

Filipinos across the globe have expressed excitement for The Voice of the Philippines, especially in the online world where the show is being constantly talked about and where fans are already rooting for their respective coaches. The show’s primer Mic Test: The Voice of the Philippines Primer also made it to the top trending topics on the micro-blogging site Twitter when it aired last June 9.

Fans will be surely raving more once they watch the pilot telecast tonight when the coaches get to hear the voices of the aspirants. Some of those to watch for include a rakista dad who wants to change his life, a fresh college graduate with a talent for singing, a former band vocalist who wants to step into the spotlight, a Fil-Am working student who wants to pursue a recording career, plus a balut vendor, a taxi driver and a belt vendor who all have temporarily set their jobs aside to become singers.

Who among them will motivate the coaches to push the red button and accept them? Who among the coaches will complete the team line-up first? Who among the artists made coach Sarah cry?

The Voice is a unique singing competition where auditions are based solely on vocal ability. It first started in The Netherlands in 2010 and in a span of three years, it has been localized in more than 40 countries, including the more popular US version where Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, Cee Lo Green, Blake Shelton, Shakira and Usher sat in the iconic red swiveling chairs as celebrity coaches. It is open to artists aged 16 and above with pure singing talent and with or without professional experience.

Also joining host Toni as “V reporters” of the The Voice of the Philippines are Robi Domingo and Alex Gonzaga who will give the various updates and sidelights of the show.

The Voice of the Philippines debuts tonight at 9, and airs Saturdays (9 p.m.) and Sundays (8:15 p.m.) thereafter.