Another Fil-Am gets booted out of American Idol
If you’re not in the know, there is another Fil-Am contender in American Idol Season 6, AJ TABALDO…let me rephrase that…there WAS another Fil-Am contender…coz he was just booted out last night. However, he impressed the judges Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell with his R&B type of voice and his stage presence.
The reviews:
Randy: "…you definitely got skills…it’s kinda nice"
Paula: "You have a real, real, real, real, real good voice and I love to see the change and you expanding to different areas, it’s really refreshing."
Simon: "That was actually nearly very good…you absolutely did the right thing when you came out and made yourself different, you made yourself stand out…I think for the first time we saw a bit of personality from you which is a good thing…"
Just to quote an article from Yahoo.com:
Another surprise: The early elimination of the talented Tabaldo, 22, who gave a rousing rendition of Nina Simone’s "Feeling Good."
Paula Abdul couldn’t hide her disappointment.
"Truthfully, this is a singing competition," Abdul said Thursday. "I don’t feel tonight reflects this."
Tabaldo’s song choice could be bad luck for "Idol" contestants — after all, Hunt also performed "Feeling Good" this week. The 24-year-old Chicago resident told Ryan Seacrest she "had a feeling" she might be going home.
It was just so sad (at least for me) that AJ Tabaldo was voted off. Among the four Fil-Ams who joined American Idol, (Jasmine Trias, Camille Velasco and Sway Penala) AJ for me was the best. Best vocals, best vocal range and best vocal quality. His rendition of Micheal Buble’s "Feeling Good" was very, very good actually. Sayang talaga. Maybe his supporters didn’t vote enough to support him through the competition.
Let me tell you a little something about AJ (not that we are close..hehe) This is just what I read…AJ Tabaldo, 22, an American-Filipino-Portuguese (Mom pinay, Dad Portuguese) but he also has Spanish, Chinese, French and Italian blood in him. Surprisingly, with that kind of vocal quality, range and style, he doesn’t have a formal training in singing. He started singing at the age of five and looked up to his "idols" Brian McKnight, Justin Timberlake and Stevie Wonder. He also adored Christina Aguilera, Beyonce Knowles and Kelly Clarkson.
What I liked about AJ is that he is humble. When only AJ and Sanjaya were left to evaluate, knowing Sanjaya did not do a very good job with his performance, Ryan Seacrest asked AJ, were you suprised Sanjaya wasn’t the one voted off, he said "no, he (Sanjaya) is great".
to view A.J., click this link -> Feeling Good - Micheal Buble version
All I can say is someday, there will be a Fil-Am who will become the next American Idol. That will be the day!
