Jed Madela

HE’S A SINGER WHO’S WON COUNTLESS AWARDS AND CONQUERED THE GLOBAL STAGE. BUT THIS BOY FROM ILOILO BELIEVES THAT IT’S REALLY THE FILIPINO AUDIENCE THAT FIRES HIS PASSION TO PERFORM. DANIEL BETANCOURT TALKS TO THE STAR WITH HIS FEET ON THE GROUND

HOW DID WINNING AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS OF PERFORMING ARTS (WCPA) IN LOS ANGELES, USA, AFFECT YOUR CAREER?

It gave me a boost. With so many good artists competing, you really had to have a ‘thing’ that separates you from the others. After winning the contest, I got signed by ABS-CBN and Universal and my career sped up.

IS IT ANY EASIER NOW?

It is still tiring but at a different level. It is no longer a routine though, as it was with gigs with the band.

HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR YOUR CONCERTS?

I am not the type who fusses too much about what to wear, it’s more about how I feel. I do my own song line-ups, not the musical directors. I choose the songs, and in the end it is easier to learn and project them because I like them and they come from [within] me.

YOU JUST GOT BACK FROM A CONCERT TOUR IN THE US. HOW DIFFERENT WERE THE STUDIO GIGS OVER THERE?

On TV you perform for millions, but it is not pressurizing because you face a camera and there are only a few people in the studio.

I find the crowd here in Manila and some provinces harder to please than the crowds abroad. That is what I’ve noticed and I really see it as a challenge. Overseas, if people love you, they shout, scream, and stand up, even if it is not the last song. And it’s heartwarming.

I think it is because they only see us on TV, but now they see us live and they take advantage of it.

I enjoy live concerts and full production shows. Hindi ako nabibitin [I don’t get left hanging in the air]. It is the artist in me, this passion to perform. I like to see people enjoy it, and I get to touch their hearts. It’s fun.

ON YOUR LATEST ALBUM, ONLY HUMAN, ONLY FOUR SONGS ARE NEW.

The four original songs are the first for the songwriters. With composers, I am not so particular with “names”. It is the material. It doesn’t matter if it is done by a newbie. I just have to like it and the public has to like it.

ONE OF THE SONGS ON THE ALBUM IS A REMAKE OF THE ANTHEM “THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM.”

I am a big fan of Luther Vandross.

I was listening to his version when I was invited back to LA for the WCPA. And that song was very much in line with what I wanted to say to the contestants. I made it my own and I saw that people liked it. But doing remakes are always a challenge.

WHAT IS YOUR IMPOSSIBLE DREAM?

I know I have been through a lot, but I know this is not yet it. I feel that there are more opportunities and challenges. You feel it when it arrives, but I know there are a lot more things in store. I’d like to do international projects and have an international career. But of course, I still want to perform over here in the Philippines. It is different singing for your own.
The emotions are more immediate. Sometimes, foreigners just see the performer in me. But with Filipinos, I get to reach their hearts.

WHAT DO YOU MISS ABOUT ILOILO?

I miss being an ordinary person over there, not catching everyone’s attention, being able to wear flipflops and a t-shirt to a mall if I want to. I miss my family, friends and the laid back way of life. It is really different. When I want to relax and to return who I really am, I go home.

WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER FAVORITE DESTINATIONS?

I love going back to Cebu. I have family and friends there. It is like a mixture of Iloilo and Manila; it is laid-back and busy at the same time. I’d go to special places over there, like Larsians for the street barbecue. I like it that way. It’s me. I don’t want any of this showbiz broohaha where I am up there out of reach of everybody else. My family keeps me grounded.
My parents always tell me to put God first, be humble and thankful for what I receive. I am very happy that they helped instill these values in me. Fame and money might come and go, but values stay.

Only Human from Universal Records is available at all good record stores