Your Moment, ABS-CBN’s two-in-one reality competition, has just named its first two grand champions rock reggae band Juan Gapang from Bacolod and street group Kenyo Street Fam from Bulacan who competed on different stages and in different categories.
Ultimately, it was their camaraderie, teamwork and love for their craft that made them consistent frontrunners until the end.
Kokoi Baldo, the lead singer of the winning band, first gained exposure as an artist on Sarah Geronimo’s team in The Voice of the Philippines but failed to win the singing tilt.
Aside from being urged by many to join Your Moment, he said he was inspired to compete again to help his bandmates, and because he knew he couldn’t do it alone.
“When I was solo, I couldn’t do it. I need hands and feet; I’m just a voice. But when I became armed (with a band), this happened to us. I became more inspired because every day, I see their struggles, what I go through, and what we all go through,” said Kokoi.
“I used to dream of just singing. Now I have a band. I thank all four of them. My dream couldn’t have come true if it wasn’t for them. I needed partners,” he added.
Juan Gapang, mentored by music producer Marcus Davis, performed Bamboo’s hit song Tatsulok that earned a total average score of 97.22 percent from judges Billy Crawford, Nadine Lustre and Boy Abunda. The Bacolod band trumped their opponent Verse Band, who got 87.22 percent.
Kenyo, on the other hand, is composed of childhood friends who practically grew up together in the City of San Jose Del Monte. The group’s finale performance was inspired by their roots and paid homage to a cemetery where the members used to practice. When asked what they will do with their prize money, they said giving back to their community was at the top of their list.
Jim, the leader, said, “We want a better practice area. Everyone in our group wants that, because we are not the only dancers in our subdivision. If we are able to spend money on something, we want it not just for us, but for others who want to utilize their talents.”
“We won’t stop inspiring other people, especially the youth, who are reluctant to show their talent or don’t know how to. Back where we come from, we experienced how hard it was to lack support. People saw it as only dancing, but it’s deeper than that if you really understand it,” he added.
Their performance stunned the judges, who gave it a total average score of 97.22 percent beating the 96.11 percent score recorded by the competition’s early favorites, Japan’s Fabulous Sisters. The grand dancing champion was mentored by The Philippine All-Stars’ artistic director Lema Diaz.
As the grand champions, Juan Gapang and Kenyo Street Fam took home P2M each and an exclusive management contract from ABS-CBN.
Your Moment finale also featured performances by host Vhong Navarro, judges Bill and Nadine. Judge Boy and host Luis Manzano were also in attendance.
Developed by ABS-CBN and Dutch powerhouse creator Fritz Productions, Your Moment is an original talent-reality format featuring singing and dancing acts.