More than a balladeer

A year after sweeping the World Championships of the Performing Arts (WCOPA) in Hollywood with his six gold medals, the word "champion" has stuck to Jed Madela like the strongest of glue. In these hard times when producers hold on to their money like it’s the most precious of gold, Jed is booked solid for concerts till the end of the year.

The ASAP mainstay is leaving for Hollywood on Aug. 5 to add more feathers in his cap. He will be inducted into the WCOPA Hall of Fame for holding the record sweep of all major awards by a single country. And while he’s at it, Jed will also judge the WCOPA, where a handful of Filipinos, including JLF talents Faith Cuneta, Juaquin and Rommel Luna, will compete with other performers around the world. Jed will also officially open and close the global event’s week-long competition, thus bringing more honor and pride to Pinoys.

But before he leaves, Jed will hold a double celebration of a concert. The event, dubbed The Grand Champion Performer of the World in Concert on July 14 and 15 at Onstage Greenbelt 1, is a birthday celebration and a send-off party rolled into one.

It’s also Jed’s way of telling the world, "Look, I’m not just a balladeer. And I don’t want to be branded as such alone. I can do power songs, go upbeat, even lapse into a mean repertoire of Gregorian chants."

It’s a statement worth looking into. True, Jed has been boxed in as a balladeer because of his smooth singing voice. But years of performing with a band in his native Iloilo and elsewhere have taught him to sing all types of songs, using all types of microphones.

The male version of Lani Misalucha – on a dare – even lay flat on the concert stage and belted out the powerful Through the Fire as the Dye Vest band, and the audience watched, jaws dropping.

"I want to establish myself as a concert artist," Jed says.

And he hasn’t forgotten those who helped him while he was still a nobody in the music scene. Jed is getting Lani’s sister, Carlyn Bayot, as one of his guests (the others are Gail Blanco and his sister Christine Madela) as a sort of payback to the singer who gambled on him way, way back.

Lani, relates Jed, used to insist on getting him as guest in her concerts. That experience enriched the future world champion a lot, and remained etched in his memory. And now that he has made a name for himself, the Universal Records artist has decided to help talented newcomers by guesting them in his upcoming weekend shows.

"My manager (his aunt, Annie Mercado) and I myself thought of the show’s concept," says Jed.

Aside from the power songs, standards, Gregorian chants and others, Jed will also have what he calls an "icon medley." This will consist of songs originally popularized by Gary Valenciano, Martin Nievera, Sharon Cuneta and Regine Velasquez.

The medley will again show Jed’s knack for singing songs, not just for male voices, but for female ones as well.

As for the movies, Jed says it’s not on his priority list as now. It can come later though. And when it does, he will gladly take acting workshops.

"I want to establish myself as a singer first," he explains.

Besides, when you have concerts left and right, and a third album (made up of Vehnee Saturno and Keith Martin songs among others) in the works, why rock the boat? Why take an unfamiliar path?

"I’m happy with how things are turning out. The pace is just right; not too slow, not too fast. It’s not stagnant," Jed relates.

Stagnant is hardly the word for Jed’s career.

One of the many signs of an upbeat career is the glistening car he rides to and from his engagements. Gone are Jed’s MRT days. And for this, he is grateful.

"I appreciate what I have now," he points out.

Jed is also enjoying himself to the hilt.

"That’s the trick," he says. "When we went to the WCOPA, all I wanted was to enjoy. Winning or losing was not on top of my mind."

And that’s exactly what he advises fellow Pinoy candidates in the global tilt.

"Enjoy. Don’t be too serious," he’d like to tell Faith et al.

Look where enjoying the show brought Jed Madela today.