Jerome Sala
The Balladeer Extraordinaire and the Search for a Star in a Million Grand Champion!
18 years old, from Bohol
Bohol is on a roll! The chocolate hills are alive with the soulful and distinct ballads of Boholano crooner Jerome Sala. One of the three wild card finalists who made it to the champions league, Jerome's strengths are his deep and moving baritone voice and his glaring sex appeal. He sings like a modern day Nonoy Zuniga and has the same audience appeal as a new generation Rico J. Puno. More than being likened to other artists, in the last two months of fierce competition, Jerome has proven that he has his own style.
Ace talent manager to the stars and searcher Wyngard Tracy was so wowed by Jerome's "One in a Million" performance, he exclaimed: "Kanina pa kita hinahanapan ng butas, pero wala akong makita dahil magaling ka."
From wildcard to winner, this native Boholano's wild ride started at the tender age of five, when his father insisted that he sing to prove he got the musical genes passed on from his grandfather.
Jerome won his first singing contest at age five. Since then, he joined and won barangay, fiesta and municipal singing contests, even traveling in small boats to join competitions in neighboring islands. Not even near-tsunami waves could stop him from reaching his destination.
Jerome knows about wild rides and hard times. He has has carried hollow blocks and endured the scorching heat of the sun in the rice fields to make ends meet.
What is most amazing about this next Boholano hero since Cesar Montano is his ability to look life's challenges in the eye and smile.
Nikki Bacolod
The Pop Honey
15 years old, from Iligan City
She has a face that can launch a thousand ships and talent that can launch a thousand hit singles. Born asthmatic, Nikki found swimming to be the therapy that would reinforce her weak lungs. She has developed into quite a competitive swimmer in the past ten years. What she didn't realize was that all that aerobic activity was also improving her lungs for belting.
Nikki dreams of helping her family have a better life. Although the youngest in the family, she always found ways to help when their business hit rock bottom, Being part of the swimming varsity team enabled her to go to school for free, and prize money from swimming meets are used to help send her older sister to school.
Sing or swim, this lady is certain to stay afloat and reach new depths in the recording industry.
Mabel Bacusmo
Fab and Funky
15 years old, from Baybay Leyte
She's strong, she's unique and she can give Christina Aguilera a run for her money. What drives Mabel is the desire to help her family. Her dad lost his job, her mom is a housewife, and their family is in more debt than they can handle. This unica hija is determined to give her parents a better life.
Onstage, Mabel is oozing with confidence with every performance and, seemingly like a pro, knows how to work an audience. Offstage, she is charmingly reluctant and surprisingly shy. She says it is because of a traumatic experience while growing up.
Kids at school used to tease her for having a big mouth, "Bibig! Bibig! Ang laki ng bibig mo, paano ka magiging singer niyan?" She would run home crying and be so discouraged that she would back out of singing contests and gigs. She eventually found a way to overcome this by becoming a better performer.
She says, "Gusto ko lang pong patunayan na puedeng sumikat sa pamamagitan ng tiyaga, sa sarili kong pamamaraan kahit hindi ako gumagaya sa iba."
Jona Lumbera
The Glam Rocker
15 years old, from Tondo, Manila
Husky, Aggressive, Independent. These words not only describe Jona Lumbera, but her song choices as well. Her personal picks from Evanescence's "My Immortal", to Bonnnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart", to Air Supply's "Without You" have revealed exceptionally strong edgy vocals for this dark beauty.
Her strong personality has caused friction with other members of the group in the past, but nothing seems to faze or distract her from her goal.
Born and raised in the tough streets of Tondo, Jona's life was made more tough in a fatherless household. Her parents separated when she and her siblings were very young, and Jona literally would run after her jeepney driver-dad for money. Her mom, a dressmaker, had to stop working after being diagnosed with pneumonia and diabetes.
What inspires Jona? One of the show's hosts, and her big crush, Mark Bautista, may have something to do about it, but then again, it could just be that she was meant to be a great singer after all.
Ryan Racal
The Star on the Rise
19 years old, from Cebu City
Raised on the seaside of Pasil, Cebu City, Ryan first showed an interest in singing at age 9. He underwent formal training at the Salonga Music School in Cebu. His mentor once told him, "Mag-idolo ka ng singer kung gusto mong lalong mahasa sa pagkanta." With a high vocal range and harmonious voice, Ryan identified most with Martin Nievera.
Ryan grew up in a family where education was given priority as nobody had finished their studies before him, not even his father, who maintains his own lumber business. When their family business started to decline, Ryan knew he would have to help. He started to use his talent by joining contests, singing at bars and even recording a Visayan radio commercial for P500.
When Search for the Star in a Million came along, he decided to drop out from school and try to make the most of the opportunity. He also had to choose between the contest and his girlfriend, but the choice proved good for both of them as they are back in each other's arms even after a time of separation.
