4th Impact is all set for 1st major concert

MANILA, Philippines - 4th Impact — composed of sisters Almira, Celina, Irene and Mylene — has never been busier since it won fifth place on The X Factor UK last year.

The four-member group, which instantly gained a loyal following during the contest, has gone to various interviews and guest appearances on radio and TV here and abroad. And lately, 4th Impact has been gearing up for its first major concert/homecoming concert set tomorrow, Dec. 3, 8 p.m. at the Kia Theatre. The group will also mark its 10th year in the business, thus the concert is billed 4th Impact Invas10n.     

“This is our homecoming concert and we’re hoping that the people will support us just like when they supported us in our X Factor UK journey,” Almira, the eldest in the group, told The STAR during the presscon last Monday.

Irene, who admitted that there’s a lot of expectations and pressure of mounting such concert, said, “Actually, kinakabahan po kami kasi sa tinagal-tagal po namin as a group, this is going to be the first time that we will show our individuality and that’s what we’re going to show the audience so they have to watch out for it.”

 Mylene added, “Of course, hindi mawawala yung biritan. May hatawan din po at ang kinuha naming choreographer is the G-Force.”

How do they avoid outshining each other when they’re together on stage?

“I think we’re just blessed to be sisters in this group. When it comes to delivering the song parts, nagbibigayan kami kasi we work as a team, no competition or whatsoever. We work as one para maging maganda yung performances namin,” said Almira.

The X Factor UK stint was a life-changing experience for the girls. The Cercado sisters had been competing in various talent shows before they successfully made it to the UK TV show. Hailing from the province of Isabela, the girls were originally named The Cercados. They then moved to Manila and since participated in different contests, including the World Championships of Performing Arts, Protégé, It’s Showtime and the Korean show Superstar K6.

“We did not expect that we would be able to compete abroad and I thought it was a really perfect timing. We’ve auditioned for the X Factor Philippines but we didn’t make it pero yun pala mas malaki pa pala yung ibibigay ni Lord sa amin which is the X Factor UK,” shared Irene.

The girls, who got eliminated on the Live Show Sing-Offs, stressed that they do not feel discouraged even if they landed on the fifth place. For them, it was a big thing already and they have no plans of auditioning again in the contest or any other talent shows abroad.

Irene said, “Me and my siblings have already decided that X Factor UK will be our last (competition) and we’re very blessed to be in the Top 5. The opportunity that we were able to audition in the show was a very big thing for us, mas lalo na nung naging fifth kami.”

“We have no regrets at all. What we would like to do now is to focus on our music and create our own sound,” added Mylene.

And what about the changes after their UK stint? Amira replied, “A lot has changed basically with having fans at nakilala kami internationally. It’s very flattering.”

“In terms of music,” Celina added, “we’ve become more professional. We’ve learned a lot from the X Factor UK team/mentors about vocalizing, dressing properly and how to communicate well.”

Asked further if more opportunities came their way, Almira responded, “Yes, the Lord is so good to us for all the blessings that have been coming our way. When we were just starting, our mom would chase after the producers or seek help from the mayors (in the province) para mag-guest kami. But now, sila na po yung tumatawag sa amin. We’re just amazed that we’ve been invited for interviews from the different parts of the world. Marami pong blessings.”

The girls said that aside from staging the Manila concert, they have a series of shows in Dubai on Dec. 15, Europe and the US (no dates yet).

“There were already inquiries from the producers on our first-ever album,” Almira said, adding that she and her sisters will return to London in January 2017 to arrange it.

Now that the 4th Impact girls are seizing every opportunity that they get, Almira, Celina, Irene and Mylene always keep in mind what mentor Simon Cowell told them: “Never stop singing and just enjoy the moment.”

(4th Impact Invas10n is also for the benefit of Anawim Lay Missions Foundation. For tickets, call 911-5555.)