Taking The World By Song

Worlds and a generation apart, 28-year-old Reymond Sajor of Lucena City and 12-year-old Aria Clemente of Malolos City found themselves treading the same path to victory, both grand prize winners in the recent 11th World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA) held in Los Angeles.

But there are other similarities: both were performing before a crowd even before they learned the ABCs; and both dreamed of making it big in the bigger city. In a ironic twist of fate, both were losers in local talent searches, but their potentials were spotted by veteran theater mentors Carlo Orosa and Audie Gemora, partners in a talent and event management agency called STAGES, which now manages the careers of Reymond and Aria. Carlo was also national director of Team Philippines which joined the 11th WCOPA.     

“Reymond studied under us even before he joined Philippine Idol. He’s part of Trumpets’ Little Mermaid…The first time I saw Aria, I knew she’d make it big. I learned she lost twice in Little Big Star. She’s beautiful and talented. She’s got the ‘it’ to make it big. So I asked her parents to enroll her at Trumpets Playshop and Musicademy,” says Audie in a recent interview. “I am glad Carlo and I were part of their success and both are with us till now.”

One recent weekday afternoon in a glass-walled pastry shop in a mall by the bay, we sat down with the two champions. It seemed like WCOPA happened just yesterday, and they were giddy with excitement and still recovering from jet lag.

The road to Hollywood was not an easy path for Reymond and Aria. In a separate interview, Orosa recalled the hurdles they had to face.

“We’d like to make it clear that we didn’t earn anything from it. We had to raise funds for our plane fare and accommodation. Thank God, we have generous sponsors. It’s really for the prestige and honor for our country, and the opportunity to make it in the US,” Orosa says.

Each of the 10 contestants that made up Team Philippines needed around $3,000. Reymond organized his own fund-raising concerts in Lucena City and other towns in the province. He stayed with relatives in Los Angeles a few days before and after the contest.

For her part, Aria almost didn’t go because there wasn’t enough money for the trip. About five weeks before her scheduled departure, she sang for the Independence Day celebration at the Luneta. Backstage, Tourism Secretary Ace Durano learned about her problem and provided the needed funds.

What is WCOPA?

 “Many are still confused about WCOPA and on how they won. That’s why we explain its mechanics every time we’re interviewed,” Reymond volunteers.

There are gold medalists and there are those who receive plaques and trophies. What’s the difference between a grand champion and a gold medalist, between Jed Madela, the 2005 Over-all Senior Grand Champion of the World, and Reymond’s Grand Champion Senior Vocalist of the World award?

WCOPA is an international talent search run and judged by agents and producers working in the Hollywood and Broadway arena. It is made clear from the start that besides the entertainment “X” or star quality factor, the marketability of the artist is highly considered by the judges. Every year, thousands of contestants from all over the world compete not only in the vocal category but also dance, modeling, instruments, variety (jugglers, magicians, etc.) and acting.

For the vocal category, each contestant is allowed only 60 seconds to sing his/her piece. If one exceeds the limit, 25 percent is deducted from his/her final score.

Contestants are grouped into two divisions according to age – the junior division, age 15 and below, where Aria competed and won Over-All Grand Champion, and the senior division, 16 and above, where Reymond and other members of Team Philippines joined.

Each division is further divided into subgroups. Contestants in the junior division are grouped from 8 to 10 years old, 11 to 12, and 13 to 15. The senior division has subgroups for 16 to 17, 19 to 24, 25 to 29, 30 and above.

There are four rounds or days of competition. Day one is when contestants compete in their respective age brackets. Bronze, silver, gold medals and industry awards are special citations given out.

On day two, the winning contestants from a particular age group compete with those in other age brackets. The over-all winners’ plaques are given out. Day three is when the grand finalists are selected.

On the final day, there are usually about four to six grand finalists per category. Grand Champions of the World are then chosen according to their respective category, like dancing, modeling, and so on. Only two will be chosen as Over-All Grand Champion of the World in the junior and senior divisions.

“Everyday, there’s a different set of judges so it’s like you’re auditioning anew each day. Back to zero ang score. Nakakakaba talaga, parang niluluto ako. Nakaka-pressure,” Reymond says. In fact, he was nursing a fever days before the contest and was concerned that US immigration might hold him  back at the airport.

“I ate only oatmeal and bananas. Two days before the competition I still had a sore throat. I was able to vocalize only on the first day of the contest, about two hours before I sang,” he says, still with a touch of disbelief.

Aria was definitely the more relaxed contestant. On the second day, before singing, she was playing PacMan on her portable playstation. She was accompanied by her mother Theresa and Carlo.

“We’d just call her to one corner when it’s her time to sing. It’s like we’re interrupting her from the contest she’s engaged in with her playstation to sing onstage as a form of break,” Carlo recalls.

Team Philippines’ The Revelation Band and Bobby Piedad made it to round three. Only four Filipinos made it in the grand finals: Iago Raterta (senior model), Raki Vega (senior solo vocalist), Reymond (senior solo vocalist) and Aria (junior solo vocalist).

Reymond emerged as Grand Champion Senior Vocalist of the World.  He sang “Anthem” from the musical Chess as his winning piece. The grand finalist from Canada, an actor and model, won as Over-All Champion.

Aria made it as Grand Champion Junior Vocalist of the World and Over-all Grand Champion of the World, Junior Division, similar to the feat of Jed Madela two years ago in the senior division.

Reymond muses, “Just making it there in WCOPA is special to us because we endured a lot of hardships from the start, from the fund-raising to being sick on the plane and the contest proper. WCOPA is a competition that opens a lot of doors here and most especially, abroad.”

He started singing at an early age, prompted by his parents and relatives during Christmas parties and reunions. In a convent school called Maryhill in Lucena City, where he finished grade and high school, he was the consistent choice of teachers and the nuns to sing the Philippine National Anthem during flag ceremonies.

When he was 15, he had formal singing training at Ryan Cayabyab’s Music Studio. After high school he entered the Conservatory of Music at the University of Sto.Tomas but didn’t finish the course. Instead, he went back to Lucena City and finished a Bachelor of Science degree major in Hotel and Restaurant Management at St. Anne College.

When a relative invited him to spend summer vacation in Ontario, Canada, he was prompted to join a local contest. He won and was proclaimed Grand Champion in the 2003 Hamilton Talent Hunt.

Before he joined Philippine Idol last year, he was a finalist in four major singing competitions in the Philippines, namely Metropop Star Search, Star Quest 2001, Star For A Night and Coca-cola Musicola Making of the Band.

Reymond is currently recording his debut solo album, arranged by Gerard Salonga. “Though there will be songs that target the general listening audience, the masa, Reymond is someone who I think will be comfortable with the AB crowd. So we’ll focus on that genre, Broadway and classical,” says Gemora.

Aria’s mom enrolled her in almost all summer talent workshops like ballet, piano and singing. She actually auditioned for Repertory Philippines but didn’t pass. She didn’t do the rounds of amateur singing contests, and the only time her parents allowed her to join one was when the family needed cash because her grandmother was hospitalized. Aria won the grand prize. Her stint at Little Big Star was unremarkable: she lost twice.

She was cast in Regal Films’ Mano Po 5 as the younger version of Angel Locsin’s character. Training under Trumpets’ Playshop and Musicademy, she was coached by veterans like Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo and Playshop Musicademy head Lani Ligot.

Aria comes fresh from essaying a major role in the acclaimed, hilarious off-Broadway musical “Children’s Letters To God.”

Next year, if everything falls in the place, Reymond and Aria will have to be back in Hollywood. Reymond has been in constant communication via email with WCOPA judge Shele Sondheim, nephew of the legendary composer Stephen, while Aria has been invited by Crystal Workman, a talent agent who has worked with Nickelodeon and Disney Productions, for stints stateside.

For these two who dreamt, tried, lost, and tried again, that will be sweet victory indeed.