The road to Hollywood was paved with gold

They entered singing via different routes. Jed Madela’s dad needed some convincing before he let his son venture into singing. It was only when the albums and awards (the latest as 2005 Grand World Champion for Performing Arts in all categories of the World Championships of the Performing Arts in Hollywood, and six golds in the same tilt) came that Jed’s dad gave his blessings.

Rizza Navales avoided singing like the plague. The shy Cebuana shunned the limelight and needed some prodding from her mom before she mounted the stage in many a singing contest. The family needed the money to make ends meet.

Where Jed was eager, Rizza was reluctant. Where Dad had to be enlightened, Mom was proven right in the end.

But however different their beginnings in the business were, Jed and Rizza’s paths were destined to cross one fine day. And it’s not just because both are Visayans (Jed is from Iloilo). Jed and Rizza happen to have caught the eye of the late Universal Records boss Bella Tan, who knew talent when she saw one. She wasted no time in signing Jed and Rizza up to a recording contract in 2002 and 2004, respectively.

But while she had no ifs and buts when she first saw Jed in one of his gigs, Bella had her misgivings with Rizza at first.

"When Ma’am Bella first saw me," recalls Rizza, "she wondered aloud what it is I’ll be doing since I wasn’t talking at all."

But when Bella saw a video of Rizza’s lounge show in Cebu, the lady boss changed her mind.

"Why, she can move after all," she told everybody.

Rizza not only moved, she went on to bring honor to her country. She was Jed’s female counterpart at the World Championships of the Performing Arts (WCOPA), emerging not only as the Overall Female Vocals World Champion, but bringing home five gold medals and a silver (including two in the duet division with Jed). The golds were for the Pop, Broadway and Original song categories, while the silver was for the R&B level.

Filipinos at Burbank Hilton Convention Center, where representatives from the 51 countries gathered for the contest, joined hands in cheering for their kababayan.

"The hotel’s head chef and the chief of the banquet department in the hotel came out to cheer for us," Jed reports.

While he didn’t have technical problems when he took his turn at the microphone, Rizza did. Microphone feedback hampered her rendition a bit. But the seasoned band member and lounge singer didn’t let this bring her down. She went on singing as if nothing happened, a factor that must tilted the decision in her favor. Judges of the nine-year-old competition rewarded her with a harvest of honors at the end of the three-day tilt.

Little did the judges know the rush-rush preparations the Philippine delegation, headed by GMA Artist Center AVP/head Ida Henares attended before they flew to Hollywood.

Ida only had five months to prepare after Randy and Barbara Krupp, owners of the Showcase Academy which is involved with the WCOPA, invited her to send a Philippine delegation to the contest. The original plan was for WCOPA to hold a local contest in Manila first. But since time was running out, Ida decided to get Jed and Rizza as the RP representatives to the tilt.

Everything was a blur after. Jed and Rizza needed US visas right away. Lawyer James Acoba arranged and expedited group interview with the US consulate. Mike Chiong tapped PAGCOR for financial support, and PAL (Philippine Airlines) for tickets. Funnside Night Club also helped. Bobson created competition costumes for a record five days. Primeline, Inc.’s Francis Pascasio secured fabrics for the Filipiniana costumes for the traditional Parade of Nations. Maxi Cinco designed the national costumes the RP delegation proudly wore. Universal Records furnished 90-second minus ones (performance time is strictly limited to 90 seconds per contestant) for all categories.

The day before she left for the US, Pepsi Herrera lent Rizza several gowns for the performance. Airline tickets came that same afternoon. Ariel Agasang, who was to provide the costumes, was already in the US. But luck was on the Philippine team’s side. Just before the final round of the competition, at midnight, Ariel knocked on Ida’s door and said he has his fashion collection with him in the car. Lani Misalucha’s makeup artist Nemi Rafanan, was kind enough to drive to Los Angeles and offer his services.

So impressed were the contest organizers they appointed Ida Henares National Director of the Philippines for all WCOPA events. This means she will again choose next year’s bets for all the categories. The WCOPA has also allotted 20 slots in any category for the Philippines, next year. This is a big leap from the mere two slots the RP team mustered at so short a time last month. The two slots were nothing compared to say, South Africa’s planeload of 250 bets and the US’ 150 contestants (also covering other categories, like modeling and dancing). In fact, it was so inadequate the audience burst in hysterical laughter when Ida announced her country came with "two contestants, a boy and a girl."

The Philippines’ sterling performance however, proved to everyone that quality, not quantity, is far more important.

As expected, Jed and Ida were flooded with offers to perform in the US, but they had to turn them down, pending the availability of work-related papers. Besides, both agree they must first strengthen their respective careers here before venturing elsewhere.

Rizza says her recent victory has made it easier for her to get show bookings. She and Jed are bent on paying a courtesy call to officials of their respective hometowns as a sign of gratitude. Plans for a back-to-back concert and a provincial tour are in the offing. Jed and Rizza are clearly having the time of their lives.