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COPVA Student wins Silliman Idol 2019

By Shareen Anjali Warad | News Writer

Vol. XCI No. 5

Aug. 28, 2019


She takes a step onto the stage; about to face hundreds of people, she puts her hand on her chest and clenches it, this is it.

The different shades of light filled the Hibalag stage, the drums and guitars were already in the hands of the worthy, the audience was flocking in the middle when the first strum of guitar resounded the area. Aug. 26 was just another fun-filled night on the Hibalag Booth Area but not for the Silliman Idol contestants – instead, it was a heart-stopping and nerve-racking night.

Silliman Idol, an annual singing competition of the Silliman University (SU) Founders Day Celebration organized by the Kapunungan sa mga Mass Communicators (KMC), is known for producing great singers such as Kyle Juliano, who has signed a contract under the Universal Studio and Zephaniah Buenavista, who is currently making his name in the Visayan Music industry. Eden Faith Lucaylucay, the woman who struck the audience by her awesome and rocking performance, won the Silliman Idol 2019 title. It was predictable, as everybody expected. She was, out of everyone, the most consistent.

Out of this amazing and consistent performance, eyebrows raised when Eden was announced as champion. Was it okay to have a Music major as a contestant and, what’s worse for others, the champion? Eden made this clear that her major is just a certificate and not a four-year course, which was an Advance Certificate Degree in Music major in Vocal Performance. Eden is already a Licensed Professional Teacher and had graduated her first degree in 2018.

Nicole Lucero, Mass Communication sophomore and Silliman Idol chairperson, also defended the champion by saying, “Voice major or not, they all have the passion for singing. I think it’s part of the challenge in the competition that you, as a contestant, should know how to put yourself out there and make yourself stand out. [And] that’s what I saw with the other 4 finalists. They may joke about it, but they never pulled themselves down and forfeited.”

For Eden, being a Music major was not an edge in some aspect, “I think my experiences in singing molded me through the years but as a classically trained singer of COPVA? Hmm, bawal gani mi mag rock ‘n’ roll or any genre,” [We are not even allowed (to sing) rock or any genre] she said. She also mentioned that she was thankful to have a voice that could easily, and that being a versatile singer (like her) was a gift from God.

The preparation for the final night was difficult for the top 5 and Eden, an experienced singer, wasn’t an exception. On Aug. 19, she was taken to a hospital due to a gastric pain which made her rethink her participation in the competition. She was also too booked for rehearsals, for at the same week of their practices, she had another event with her college which was the Silliman Performs. She never gave up though, for the first reason she joined Silliman Idol was because of the cash prize. Eden wanted to pay her balance in her tuition and to sustain her studies, she mentioned that she also joined the competition to inspire students to keep on doing their best and strive hard for the things they want to earn.

The hardest part of the competition for her was when she realized the consequences of being the champion, “If I become the winner I would be a great model to each student and empower them, influence them [on] how music can change lives, how music can be an instrument of healing, how music [can be] an outlet of oneself, how music can inspire everybody with the voice and the gift given to me.” To her, being the Silliman Idol was both an honor and responsibility.

Along Eden were, Khristine Angela Mercado, 1st runner up; Carla Andrea Bacalso, 2nd runner up; Marieneil Caguisa, 3rd runner up; and Chino Rafael Capul, 4th runner up. Eden Lucaylucay was part of the Songs of Solomon which was performed in the Luce Auditorium last Nov. 2018.

Despite this year being the first to produce a Music major champion, the Silliman Idol was a job well done even without the “encore performance” tradition – when the champion sings his winning piece once again for the crowd to sing and celebrate with. Although this year, right after the announcement, the crowd left leaving the area empty.

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