Mau Marcelo
Encyclopedia
Maureen "Mau" Flores Marcelo (born May 13, 1980) is a Filipina Puertorican R&B soul
singer who rose to prominence as the first winner of Philippine Idol
in 2006. She was dubbed as the "Soul
Idol" and "The Black Belter" at the competition for her R&B-style vocals. She was also called "Philippines' Diamond Diva" after her much-applauded performance of "Diamonds Are Forever
" by Shirley Bassey
during the Movie and Musical Theme Week.
For a time, she went by the stage name
Samantha Brown, based on her father's surname.
She was also the Philippine representative to Asian Idol
, which was held on December 15 and 16, 2007 in Jakarta
, Indonesia
.
citizen from Puerto Rico
while her mother is Filipina. Her father left the family when she was four months old, while her mother died when she was 14. She has a half-sister from her mother and two half-brothers and another half-sister from her father.
It was Marcelo's mother who taught her how to sing when she was 7 years old, wherein she first learned to sing "Somewhere Out There
". She first performed publicly in a singing contest during her school's foundation day when she was first grade. It was also the first time that she won. She eventually joined different local singing contests around her native Quezon
Province when she was 8, winning most of the time thus giving her a boost of self-esteem. She also learned to accept herself and her looks.
A year after her mother's death, Marcelo's father came into her life once more when he returned to the Philippines. It was the first time she met her American father. Since then, they had constant communication even though her father lives in Atlanta with his own family. She eventually graduated in Quezon National High School
and attended college in Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation
, both in Lucena City
.
By her 20s, Marcelo became a veteran of singing competitions. She joined her first national singing competition through Star for a Night, which was shown on IBC-13
. She reached the grand finals, but was lost to Sarah Geronimo
. Losing to the competition did not dampen her spirits. She eventually joined a band called "Chemical Syndrome" and toured around Lucena City and surrounding areas. She has also joined other televised singing competitions such as Star Quest at ABS-CBN's
Magandang Tanghali Bayan
and ABC-5's
Sing Galing.
In 2004, Marcelo went to Singapore
to gain foreign exposure in singing with the help of her stepsister's husband. Using her screen name "Samantha Brown", she performed in various bars and has become popular with the city-state's Filipino community.
By the time Marcelo was about to audition for Philippine Idol, she won in over 200 amateur singing competitions. She even joked in an interview that she had so many trophies in her house that she donated some of them to gay
beauty pageants
.
City Lucena. Passing the fast track audition meant that she did not have to go through the numerous screenings of the main auditions.
She was contestant number 1646 during her auditions in Pasay City
, wherein she sang Jaya Ramsey's "Laging Naroon Ka" (You Were Always There). Her audition was not shown on Philippine Idol, although she appeared during the final phase of the theater eliminations singing "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You
" by Laura Branigan
.
Despite her impressive auditions, Marcelo's journey through Philippine Idol was not easy. She did not reach the Top 4 of the Women's Semi-finals and had to go through the Wildcard. Her confidence slowly started to dwindle to the point that she commented during the Wildcard Results Show, when there was only one finalist spot to fill, that Philippine Idol is a "beauty contest". Her sarcastic yet tearful comment garnered laughter and applause from the audience, including Idol judge Ryan Cayabyab
. When her name was finally called as one of the finalists, Marcelo cried out loud on stage.
During competition, Marcelo's father had petitioned her to migrate to the United States. Marcelo talked to him about what she was going through the competition. He advised that she can continue with the contest, but would rather not see her getting hurt in the process. She ultimately decided to continue.
Marcelo received immense fan support during Philippine Idol to the point that some of them even lent their services to her by giving her a total make-over from her choice of clothes, hairstyle, posture, and even her manner of speaking. She even underwent a strict South Beach Diet and lost 12 pounds during the competition.
Lea Salonga
, who was a guest judge during the Movie and Musical Theme Week on November 19, 2007, praised Marcelo and named her as the best singer in the competition.
Officially, she was at the Bottom 3 twice. Marcelo was also called twice in the "Hot Spot", wherein the official Bottom 3 or 2 were not announced.
Some entertainment writers did not predict Marcelo as the eventual titleholder, saying that the competition was looking for a "Philippine Idol", not a diva
. They even compare her to Ruben Studdard
, winner of the second season of American Idol
, who may have the talent but does not have the popularity.
During the Finale held in Araneta Coliseum
, the Idol judges boldly predicted that a male would win the competition, subtly implying that it would become a showdown between Gian Magdangal
and Jan Nieto
. Marcelo received negative comments from the judges on her first two songs—namely "Love Takes Time
" by Mariah Carey
which was her personal choice and "Balut" by New Minstrels which was the judges' choice—despite what appeared to be impressive performances. She rebounded on her third song, "Try It On My Own
" by Whitney Houston
, which was the record company's choice and would become her "victory song" if ever she would win. Her final performance received a long standing ovation from the audience.
The following night, Marcelo cried out loud on stage when it was announced that she bagged the title as the first Philippine Idol, garnering 35.36% of the total votes.
--which produced Star for a Night--during the competition and that its owner, Vincent del Rosario, was considering to take legal actions against her. Marcelo clarified in a press conference that everything was settled, adding that Viva Entertainment released a statement saying that the company "was very happy for her". Another entertainment scribe affirmed that Nieto should have won Philippine Idol.
Entertainment columnist Lolit Solis even joked that Marcelo fitted perfectly to play the role of Eunice Lagunsad's mother. Lagunsad is a child actress who portrayed as an ugly child named "Charming" in the television series Bakekang
. Marcelo admitted that she did not fit the mold of Filipino pop singers, referring to the local audience's penchant to idolize singers based on looks rather than talent.
Upon receiving her cash prize of P
800,000 (originally P1 million minus 20% tax), Marcelo was able to buy herself a second-hand car—which was the first thing that came into her mind right after winning--together with her family's needs, such as saving for her partner's college education.
She also decided on extending her stay in the Philippines to focus on her career, adding that she would still pursue singing if she would migrate to the United States.
Marcelo's debut performance as the first Philippine Idol was on ABC-5's Shall We Dance: Christmas with the Champions special where she reprised her winning song. On December 20, 2006, she gave a performance at Malacañang for the Christmas party of the Office of the President of the Philippines.
Together with her fellow Idol finalists, Marcelo performed in a concert held in Araneta Coliseum on March 23, 2007. She also guested in a Lani Misalucha
concert together with Frenchie Dy, wherein the three of them performed a Dreamgirls medley.
Marcelo's first solo concert was held in her hometown Lucena City on April 21, 2007, at Sentro Pastoral Auditorium. Her guests include fellow Idol finalist and Lucena resident Reymond Sajor and Chemical Syndrome band, in which she was a former member.
She has appeared on various variety shows, including ABS-CBN's ASAP 07
and GMA Network's
SOP Rules, as well as different corporate and radio-sponsored events. She has yet to have a regular stint on TV, compared to Magdangal who became a talent for SOP Rules weeks after Philippine Idol. Marcelo said that she is happy for him and not envious of his success.
judge Anu Malik
and three judges predicting that she has a good chance of winning, Marcelo lost to Singapore Idol
Hady Mirza
. She performed "Ako ang Nasawi, Ako ang Nagwagi" by Dulce and Gloria Estefan's "Reach". Prior to the main show, Marcelo was concerned if she would be able to represent the country since the Philippines' Idol franchise moved from ABC
to GMA Network
, thinking that the country's participation in Asian Idol would be scrapped.
Following the success of her tilt as the first Philippine Idol CD-EP
entitled On My Own was released on January 2, 2007 by Sony BMG as part of her prize in Philippine Idol. Besides the title track ("Try It on My Own
", which was her Idol "winning piece"), the EP includes two other songs Marcelo performed on Philippine Idol ("Love Takes Time
" and "Minsan Lang Kitang Iibigin"/ I Will Love You Only Once), as well as "Minus One
" versions of these songs.
on GMA Network (the other one being "Minsan Lang Kitang Iibigin"). The album was launched on GMA's variety show SOP.
}
|VIVA Records
|-
|2004
|Samantha Brown
|self-produced
|-
|2006
|Philippine Idol: The Final 12
|Sony BMG Music Philippines
|-
|2007
|On My Own
|Sony BMG Music Philippines
|-
|2007
|I Shine For You
|Sony BMG Music Philippines
|}
* Albums where Marcelo recorded at least one single.
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singer who rose to prominence as the first winner of Philippine Idol
Philippine Idol
Philippine Idol was the first franchise of Idol series in the Philippines, the 35th country in the world to air a national Idol franchise and the sixth in Asia. The franchise was first awarded by FremantleMedia, 19 Entertainment and CKX, Inc. to Associated Broadcasting Company in 2006 and then to...
in 2006. She was dubbed as the "Soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
Idol" and "The Black Belter" at the competition for her R&B-style vocals. She was also called "Philippines' Diamond Diva" after her much-applauded performance of "Diamonds Are Forever
Diamonds Are Forever (soundtrack)
Diamonds Are Forever is the soundtrack for the 7th James Bond film of the same name."Diamonds Are Forever", the title song, was the second Bond theme to be performed by Shirley Bassey, after Goldfinger in 1964...
" by Shirley Bassey
Shirley Bassey
Dame Shirley Bassey, DBE , is a Welsh singer. She found fame in the late 1950s and was "one of the most popular female vocalists in Britain during the last half of the 20th century"...
during the Movie and Musical Theme Week.
For a time, she went by the stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Samantha Brown, based on her father's surname.
She was also the Philippine representative to Asian Idol
Asian Idol
Asian Idol is a reality singing competition, which featured winners of Idol competitions from six Southeast and South Asian countries consisting of India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam...
, which was held on December 15 and 16, 2007 in Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
.
Early life and career
Marcelo's father is an AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
citizen from Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
while her mother is Filipina. Her father left the family when she was four months old, while her mother died when she was 14. She has a half-sister from her mother and two half-brothers and another half-sister from her father.
It was Marcelo's mother who taught her how to sing when she was 7 years old, wherein she first learned to sing "Somewhere Out There
Somewhere Out There (James Horner song)
"Somewhere Out There" is a song written by James Horner, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. Its single was released by American recording artists, pop rock icon Linda Ronstadt and R&B musician James Ingram...
". She first performed publicly in a singing contest during her school's foundation day when she was first grade. It was also the first time that she won. She eventually joined different local singing contests around her native Quezon
Quezon
-History:Originally, what now forms Quezon was divided among the provinces of Batangas, Laguna, and Nueva Ecija. The area was first explored by Juan de Salcedo in 1571-1572, during his expedition from Laguna to Camarines provinces....
Province when she was 8, winning most of the time thus giving her a boost of self-esteem. She also learned to accept herself and her looks.
A year after her mother's death, Marcelo's father came into her life once more when he returned to the Philippines. It was the first time she met her American father. Since then, they had constant communication even though her father lives in Atlanta with his own family. She eventually graduated in Quezon National High School
Quezon National High School
Quezon National High School is a public secondary science high school located at Brgy. Iyam, Lucena City, Philippines with more than 11,000 enrolleess from first year to fourth year, placing it as the 2nd Most Populated School in the country....
and attended college in Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation
Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation
Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation is an academic institution that can be found in Lucena City, San Antonio, Candelaria, Sampaloc, and Catanauan in the province of Quezon Philippines....
, both in Lucena City
Lucena City
Metro Lucena has an estimated population of 700,000 which is mostly concentrated in the flat south-central portion of Quezon, which includes the cities of Lucena and Tayabas, Sariaya, Candelaria, Lucban & Pagbilao . The people are often characterized as friendly and hardworking...
.
By her 20s, Marcelo became a veteran of singing competitions. She joined her first national singing competition through Star for a Night, which was shown on IBC-13
Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation
Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation is a Philippine VHF television network of the Government Communications Group headed by the Press Secretary. Its studios are located at Broadcast City, Old Balara, Capitol Hills, Diliman, Quezon City and its transmitter is located at the Coca Cola plant,...
. She reached the grand finals, but was lost to Sarah Geronimo
Sarah Gerónimo
Sarah Asher Tua Geronimo is a Filipino recording artist, actress and dancer. Geronimo started her career appearing in children's variety shows such as Pen-pen de Sarapen, Ang TV and NEXT...
. Losing to the competition did not dampen her spirits. She eventually joined a band called "Chemical Syndrome" and toured around Lucena City and surrounding areas. She has also joined other televised singing competitions such as Star Quest at ABS-CBN's
ABS-CBN
ABS–CBN Corporation is a Philippine-based media conglomerate. It is the Philippines' largest media and entertainment conglomerate. The corporation was the merger of Alto Broadcasting System which at that time owned by James Lindenberg and Antonio Quirino, and the Chronicle Broadcasting Network ...
Magandang Tanghali Bayan
Magandang Tanghali Bayan
Magandang Tanghali Bayan was a Philippine noon-time variety show broadcast by ABS-CBN. The show was aired on weekdays and Saturdays and was also broadcast worldwide through ABS-CBN's The Filipino Channel...
and ABC-5's
Associated Broadcasting Company
The Associated Broadcasting Company, Inc is a television network in the Philippines, with main broadcast facilities and transmitter located at 762 Quirino Highway, San Bartolome, Novaliches, Quezon City. The network was previously known as the , Associated Broadcasting Company remains the legal...
Sing Galing.
In 2004, Marcelo went to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
to gain foreign exposure in singing with the help of her stepsister's husband. Using her screen name "Samantha Brown", she performed in various bars and has become popular with the city-state's Filipino community.
By the time Marcelo was about to audition for Philippine Idol, she won in over 200 amateur singing competitions. She even joked in an interview that she had so many trophies in her house that she donated some of them to gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
beauty pageants
Beauty contest
A beauty pageant or beauty contest, is a competition that mainly focuses on the physical beauty of its contestants, although such contests often incorporate personality, talent, and answers to judges' questions as judged criteria...
.
Philippine Idol
Marcelo tried out in Philippine Idol through a "fast track" screening held in SMSM Supermalls
SM Supermalls, owned by SM Prime Holdings, Inc., is a chain of shopping malls in the Philippines, with 42 malls across the Philippines as well as branches in China....
City Lucena. Passing the fast track audition meant that she did not have to go through the numerous screenings of the main auditions.
She was contestant number 1646 during her auditions in Pasay City
Pasay City
The City of Pasay is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila in the Philippines. It is bordered on the north by the country's capital, Manila, to the northeast by Makati City, to the east by Taguig City, and Parañaque City to the south.Pasay City was one of the original four...
, wherein she sang Jaya Ramsey's "Laging Naroon Ka" (You Were Always There). Her audition was not shown on Philippine Idol, although she appeared during the final phase of the theater eliminations singing "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You
How Am I Supposed to Live Without You
"How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" is a song originally recorded by Laura Branigan in 1983. The song was recorded later the same decade by its co-writer, Michael Bolton.-Background:...
" by Laura Branigan
Laura Branigan
Laura Ann Branigan was an American singer-songwriter and actress of Italian and Irish ancestry. She is best known in the United States for her 1982 Platinum-certified hit "Gloria" and in Europe for the number-one single "Self Control"...
.
Despite her impressive auditions, Marcelo's journey through Philippine Idol was not easy. She did not reach the Top 4 of the Women's Semi-finals and had to go through the Wildcard. Her confidence slowly started to dwindle to the point that she commented during the Wildcard Results Show, when there was only one finalist spot to fill, that Philippine Idol is a "beauty contest". Her sarcastic yet tearful comment garnered laughter and applause from the audience, including Idol judge Ryan Cayabyab
Ryan Cayabyab
Ryan Cayabyab is a Filipino musician and was the Executive and Artistic Director of the defunct San Miguel Foundation for the Performing Arts...
. When her name was finally called as one of the finalists, Marcelo cried out loud on stage.
During competition, Marcelo's father had petitioned her to migrate to the United States. Marcelo talked to him about what she was going through the competition. He advised that she can continue with the contest, but would rather not see her getting hurt in the process. She ultimately decided to continue.
Marcelo received immense fan support during Philippine Idol to the point that some of them even lent their services to her by giving her a total make-over from her choice of clothes, hairstyle, posture, and even her manner of speaking. She even underwent a strict South Beach Diet and lost 12 pounds during the competition.
Lea Salonga
Lea Salonga
Lea Salonga-Chien is a mezzo-soprano singer and actress from the Philippines well known for originating the lead role of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon, for which she won the Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Theatre World awards.She was the first Asian to play the roles of Éponine and...
, who was a guest judge during the Movie and Musical Theme Week on November 19, 2007, praised Marcelo and named her as the best singer in the competition.
Officially, she was at the Bottom 3 twice. Marcelo was also called twice in the "Hot Spot", wherein the official Bottom 3 or 2 were not announced.
Some entertainment writers did not predict Marcelo as the eventual titleholder, saying that the competition was looking for a "Philippine Idol", not a diva
Diva
A diva is a celebrated female singer. The term is used to describe a woman of outstanding talent in the world of opera, and, by extension, in theatre, cinema and popular music. The meaning of diva is closely related to that of "prima donna"....
. They even compare her to Ruben Studdard
Ruben Studdard
Christopher Theodore Ruben Studdard , best known as Ruben Studdard, is an American R&B, pop, and gospel singer. He rose to fame as winner of the second season of American Idol...
, winner of the second season of American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, who may have the talent but does not have the popularity.
During the Finale held in Araneta Coliseum
Araneta Coliseum
The Smart Araneta Coliseum, known as The Big Dome is an indoor multi-purpose sports arena located in the Cubao area of Quezon City, Philippines...
, the Idol judges boldly predicted that a male would win the competition, subtly implying that it would become a showdown between Gian Magdangal
Gian Magdangal
Giancarlo "Gian" Alzate Magdangal , is a Filipino singer, performer, and theater actor currently signed to GMA Network. A former boy band member of 17:28, he rose to prominence as one of the runners-up of Philippine Idol in 2006...
and Jan Nieto
Jan Nieto
Jan Kurt Anthony Pasion Nieto, popularly known as Jan Nieto , is a Filipino male singer who rose to prominence as one of the runners-up of Philippine Idol in 2006. With the height of 5' 10½" and weighing 165 pounds , he was dubbed as the "Hunky Idol" during the competition...
. Marcelo received negative comments from the judges on her first two songs—namely "Love Takes Time
Love Takes Time
"Love Takes Time" is a song written by Mariah Carey and Ben Margulies, and produced by Walter Afanasieff for Carey's debut album, Mariah Carey . It was released as the album's second single in the third quarter of 1990...
" by Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
which was her personal choice and "Balut" by New Minstrels which was the judges' choice—despite what appeared to be impressive performances. She rebounded on her third song, "Try It On My Own
Try It on My Own
"Try It on My Own" is a 2003 single released by American R&B/pop singer Whitney Houston. The song is about overcoming doubts or fears so a person can reach the point in their life where they can "try it on their own"...
" by Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
, which was the record company's choice and would become her "victory song" if ever she would win. Her final performance received a long standing ovation from the audience.
The following night, Marcelo cried out loud on stage when it was announced that she bagged the title as the first Philippine Idol, garnering 35.36% of the total votes.
After-Idol
Marcelo's win had mixed reactions. Some say that her win was like "an underdog triumphing in the name of talent", being referred to as the least favorite among more "packaged" Magdangal and Nieto. Others questioned the validity of her win, citing a claim that Marcelo had an existing 5-year contract with Viva EntertainmentVIVA Entertainment
VIVA Entertainment, Inc., also known as Viva Entertainment Group is a Philippine entertainment company. Its history started in 1981 when Vicente "Vic" del Rosario, Jr. founded Viva Films.-Divisions:*Viva Productions, Inc...
--which produced Star for a Night--during the competition and that its owner, Vincent del Rosario, was considering to take legal actions against her. Marcelo clarified in a press conference that everything was settled, adding that Viva Entertainment released a statement saying that the company "was very happy for her". Another entertainment scribe affirmed that Nieto should have won Philippine Idol.
Entertainment columnist Lolit Solis even joked that Marcelo fitted perfectly to play the role of Eunice Lagunsad's mother. Lagunsad is a child actress who portrayed as an ugly child named "Charming" in the television series Bakekang
Bakekang
Bakekang was a Philippine drama that aired on GMA Network from September 11, 2006, and ended on March 30, 2007. It aired internationally with a three-week delay on GMA Pinoy TV, which made Bakekang a success to viewers abroad....
. Marcelo admitted that she did not fit the mold of Filipino pop singers, referring to the local audience's penchant to idolize singers based on looks rather than talent.
Upon receiving her cash prize of P
Philippine peso
The peso is the currency of the Philippines. It is subdivided into 100 centavos . Before 1967, the language used on the banknotes and coins was English and so "peso" was the name used...
800,000 (originally P1 million minus 20% tax), Marcelo was able to buy herself a second-hand car—which was the first thing that came into her mind right after winning--together with her family's needs, such as saving for her partner's college education.
She also decided on extending her stay in the Philippines to focus on her career, adding that she would still pursue singing if she would migrate to the United States.
Marcelo's debut performance as the first Philippine Idol was on ABC-5's Shall We Dance: Christmas with the Champions special where she reprised her winning song. On December 20, 2006, she gave a performance at Malacañang for the Christmas party of the Office of the President of the Philippines.
Together with her fellow Idol finalists, Marcelo performed in a concert held in Araneta Coliseum on March 23, 2007. She also guested in a Lani Misalucha
Lani Misalucha
Lani Misalucha is a singer from the Philippines currently performing in the United States where she also resides. She holds shows at the Flamingo Las Vegas with the Hawaiian variety troupe Society of Seven - SOS...
concert together with Frenchie Dy, wherein the three of them performed a Dreamgirls medley.
Marcelo's first solo concert was held in her hometown Lucena City on April 21, 2007, at Sentro Pastoral Auditorium. Her guests include fellow Idol finalist and Lucena resident Reymond Sajor and Chemical Syndrome band, in which she was a former member.
She has appeared on various variety shows, including ABS-CBN's ASAP 07
ASAP (variety show)
ASAP Rocks is a musical variety show in the Philippines broadcast by ABS-CBN in the Philippines. The show is presented by its main hosts Zsa Zsa Padilla, Gary Valenciano and Martin Nievera. The show first premiered on February 5, 1995, and airs live Sundays...
and GMA Network's
GMA Network
GMA Network is a major commercial television & radio network in the Philippines. GMA Network is owned by GMA Network, Inc. a publicly listed company...
SOP Rules, as well as different corporate and radio-sponsored events. She has yet to have a regular stint on TV, compared to Magdangal who became a talent for SOP Rules weeks after Philippine Idol. Marcelo said that she is happy for him and not envious of his success.
Asian Idol
In December 2007, Marcelo participated in Asian Idol, which was held on December 2007 in Jakarta, Indonesia. The competition gathered the winners of Idol across Asia. Despite an impressive showing, which included a standing ovation from Indian IdolIndian Idol
Indian Idol is an adaptation of the Pop Idol format. It started airing in India with the first season in 2004-2005 and followed that with second , third and fourth seasons...
judge Anu Malik
Anu Malik
Anu Malik , born Anwar Sardaar Malik, is a famous music director in the Hindi film industry. Son of veteran music director Sardar Malek, Anu Malik made his debut as a music composer in the year 1977. After a considerable period of struggle, the 90's welcomed Anu with hits like 'Phir Teri Kahani...
and three judges predicting that she has a good chance of winning, Marcelo lost to Singapore Idol
Singapore Idol
Singapore Idol is a television show on Channel 5 of MediaCorp TV. It is a competition among undiscovered singers in Singapore. Like others in the Idol series, it is modelled after Pop Idol. The current judges are singer/songwriter Dick Lee and record producers Florence Lian and Ken Lim. Previous...
Hady Mirza
Hady Mirza
Hady Mirza is a Singaporean singer of Bugis descent, with his grandparents hailing from Sulawesi. He is the winner of the second season of the reality TV show Singapore Idol...
. She performed "Ako ang Nasawi, Ako ang Nagwagi" by Dulce and Gloria Estefan's "Reach". Prior to the main show, Marcelo was concerned if she would be able to represent the country since the Philippines' Idol franchise moved from ABC
Associated Broadcasting Company
The Associated Broadcasting Company, Inc is a television network in the Philippines, with main broadcast facilities and transmitter located at 762 Quirino Highway, San Bartolome, Novaliches, Quezon City. The network was previously known as the , Associated Broadcasting Company remains the legal...
to GMA Network
GMA Network
GMA Network is a major commercial television & radio network in the Philippines. GMA Network is owned by GMA Network, Inc. a publicly listed company...
, thinking that the country's participation in Asian Idol would be scrapped.
Pre-Idol
Prior to Philippine Idol, Marcelo had also recorded, as "Samantha Brown", a self-titled album of ten original songs composed by her stepsister's husband. She was also part of the compilation album of Star for a Night.2006: Philippine Idol: The Final 12
Marcelo also recorded a title track under Sony BMG include singles on the Philippine Idol: The Final 12 CD: "Minsan Lang Kitang Iibigin" (solo) and "Kaleidoscope World" (the group song featuring the top 12 finalists).Following the success of her tilt as the first Philippine Idol CD-EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
entitled On My Own was released on January 2, 2007 by Sony BMG as part of her prize in Philippine Idol. Besides the title track ("Try It on My Own
Try It on My Own
"Try It on My Own" is a 2003 single released by American R&B/pop singer Whitney Houston. The song is about overcoming doubts or fears so a person can reach the point in their life where they can "try it on their own"...
", which was her Idol "winning piece"), the EP includes two other songs Marcelo performed on Philippine Idol ("Love Takes Time
Love Takes Time
"Love Takes Time" is a song written by Mariah Carey and Ben Margulies, and produced by Walter Afanasieff for Carey's debut album, Mariah Carey . It was released as the album's second single in the third quarter of 1990...
" and "Minsan Lang Kitang Iibigin"/ I Will Love You Only Once), as well as "Minus One
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
" versions of these songs.
2007: I Shine For You
In late 2007, a second album was also released Sony BMG as Marcelo's first full-length album for entitled I Shine For You. She said that the title track best describes her struggles during Philippine Idol as well as her way of thanking her fans for their unwavering support. The album also includes a song penned by popular composer Vehnee Saturno entitled "Sino Ba Naman Ako" (Who Am I To...), which was used as one of the theme songs in the Filipino-dubbed broadcast of Come Back Soon-AePlease Come Back, Soon-Ae
Please Come Back, Soon-Ae is a 16-episode South Korean comedy-drama television series, originally broadcast by Seoul Broadcasting System in 2006. Its Chinese title is 回来吧顺爱...
on GMA Network (the other one being "Minsan Lang Kitang Iibigin"). The album was launched on GMA's variety show SOP.
Studio Albums
| Year of release | Title | Record label |
|---|
| 2003 |
|VIVA Records
VIVA Records
VIVA Records is Philippine record label. It is subsidiary of VIVA Entertainment.- Artists & Album Releases :* 18 Greatest Hits ** Andrew E.** Basil Valdez ** Jun Pulistico...
|-
|2004
|Samantha Brown
|self-produced
|-
|2006
|Philippine Idol: The Final 12
|Sony BMG Music Philippines
|-
|2007
|On My Own
|Sony BMG Music Philippines
|-
|2007
|I Shine For You
|Sony BMG Music Philippines
|}
* Albums where Marcelo recorded at least one single.
Singles
| Year of release | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | "Try It On My Own" | On My Own |
| 2007 | "I Shine For You" | I Shine For You |
| 2008 | "Sino Ba Naman Ako" | I Shine For You |
| 2008 | "Kagandahan (with Frenchie Dy and Poy Palma)" | I Love Betty La Fea Theme Song |
See also
- Philippine IdolPhilippine Idol finalistsThe Philippine Idol Finalists consisted of 12 aspiring singers who competed for Philippine Idol. They were selected after several stages of audition and theater eliminations, and succeeded in earning a spot in the Finals by popular votes from the viewers.The Final Round started on September 30,...
- for the list of Marcelo's song performances during the competition