Janno Gibbs to new singers: Be consistent and adaptable
Taking on the role of a “judge detective” for TV5’s “Masked Singer Pilipinas” Season 3 is right down Janno Gibbs’ alley.
The Philippine version of the hit South Korean show has seen the veteran singer assessing the merits of a performance and making a smart guess about the voice behind it. Disguising their identities by wearing costumes, celebrity contestants come on stage and sing to their hearts’ delight to get the judges’ approval.
Joining Janno on the judging panel are Pops Fernandez, Nadine Lustre and Arthur Nery, with Billy Crawford as the host.
To play the part, Janno banks on his experience as an established recording artist and entertainer.
“Aside from being a singer, I’m also a comedian. So, medyo, di ba?, nakakadagdag sa entertainment (it also adds to the entertainment aspect of the show),” said Janno of his areas of interests and skills that complement and fit the work of a judge detective in an exclusive interview with The STAR.
Besides providing comic relief, Janno believes his years in the industry give him just the right edge, especially when it comes to figuring out who’s behind the mask.
“My age is perfect. My age comes as an advantage, it’s an advantage because I’m old enough to know the older singers, nahuhulaan ko, alam ko yung mga boses nila (I’m able to guess and recognize their voices) and young enough to know the younger generation since I remain active.”
“So, I get the best of both worlds,” Janno added, describing the “Masked Singer” detective in him as “competitive” when it comes to the guessing game.
Once he has settled himself on the judging panel, Janno is all ears and takes his role enthusiastically and thoughtfully.
He shared that the judge detectives are also in a way competing with each other because in the later part of the season, the award for Best in Hula and its winner will be revealed. Pops, Janno, Nadine and Arthur will be grouped in two. Each team should guess more voices or celebrity singers to receive the trophy.
“Yung hulaan is fun lang naman (the guessing part is just for fun). It has no bearing on the scores,” said Janno. “Actually, ang mas mahirap yung judging nung pagalingan talaga, kung sino yung matitira, kasi matira yung pinakamagaling (what’s more difficult is judging the performance — figuring out who should stay, because the one who stays is the best). They all have varied styles (of singing) and that makes the judging hard.”
What is he looking for in a masked celebrity singer in terms of performance?
Since the contestant gets to sing several times, granting he or she avoids elimination, Janno said the ability to deliver each time is important.
“Kumbaga, eh, malalamangan niya yung huling ginawa niya, yung kayang bawat salang ay ma-i-impress kami (the masked singer should surpass previous performance and impress us every time)… and many of them can do that… bawat kanta nila level up na naman… it’s hard to judge,” he reiterated.
Janno recalled that after an impressive singing, one contestant stunned them with an operatic performance that displayed the latter’s range. Singers who are shifting from one musical genre to another, like rap to ballad, are a common sight to them.
“The four of us, we enjoy just watching (these talents),” said he. “Para kang nanonood ng concert na parang variety show, iba-ibang style, ang gagaling kumanta (it seems like you’re watching a concert and a variety show at the same time because of different singing styles. They are really good at it).
“The musical arrangements are great, plus enjoy kaming apat and I think we’ve bonded well together as a group… ang ganda ng balance namin.”
Given his feats as a singer-songwriter, what pieces of advice and insights can he share with new and aspiring recording artists and performers as they either commence and continue their careers?
“I think the secret to longevity is being able to adapt. Hindi pwedeng isang sound lang, eh (you can’t just focus on one sound). Like me, kahit papaano, you know, medyo kailangan kang sumabay ng konti with the times (somehow, you need to keep up with the times). Hindi pwedeng pilit. It has to be your signature, pero mag-a-adjust ka ng konti (but you need to adjust a bit to the current trend),” said Janno, who admires today’s new crop of singers and artists.
“So, for the new ones, lalo na ngayon na napakadami nila, ang bilis ng turnover di ba? Biglang may sikat na bago bukas (especially now that there are so many of them — the turnover is so fast, right? Suddenly, there’s a new popular artist by tomorrow). So they just need consistency plus adaptability.”
(Masked Singer Pilipinas airs Saturdays and Sundays at 7:45 p.m. on TV5 and Sari Sari Channel.)
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