Jed Madela: The Man Behind La Voce

When one mentions the name, Jed Madela, two words will always come to mind, The Voice. Jed Madela is the man behind the powerful vocal range that launched countless concerts here and abroad. It all started when he earned the world grand champion title in the World Championship of Performing Arts (WCOPA) and he was the first Filipino inducted to its hall of fame. Since then he’d been making a name in the music industry for more than a decade now.

Jed Madela is no stranger to having concerts/shows here in Cebu. In 2009, he had a successful The Voice concert. And now he’s back once again to serenade Cebuanos later tonight. This time is a special dinner concert dubbed as, La Voce at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino for the benefit of Caritas Cebu, Inc.

 

Video Credit: Liv G. Campo

When he was in town to promote the benefit concert, lifeisbeyeeutiful had a chance to talk with him about the concert, his passion for music and him being a total performer. Here’s the rest of the interview with Jed Madela.

lifeisbeyeeutiful (L): What can we expect from Jed Madela in this benefit concert?

Jed Madela (JM): I’m so excited for La Voce since it’s been years since my last concert here in Cebu. I’ve been planning with my team on what concept are we going to have this time since the Cebuano crowd is hard to please – it challenges us, artists to step up. Cebu, is one of the most fulfilling audiences that I performed to. If you can make them sing along or make them dance to your music that only tells one thing, you’re good.

I’ll be doing a little bit of all the concerts that I’ve done here in Cebu. It’s a little bit of everything, a concert of the young, for the young-at-heart, people who love mainstream music, people who love the old classics and people who just love to be entertained.

 

L: Is there any song that you never missed out on any of your repertoires?

JM: I try my best to change my repertoires everytime I perform but there are songs that people always request for that “medyo sukang-suka na ako” but then I indulge them because it’s what they want. Signature songs – The Past, I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing – probably we can squeeze that in but these are the songs that I can’t avoid.

 

L: What moves you to sing with so many emotions that anyone can relate to you as they listen to you sing?

JM: Hugot? (Laughs) I simply put myself in the audience’s shoes that if I am watching a concert, what do I want to see? Personally, I’m the type who wants to connect with the performer. “Kung makikinig lang ako, bibili nalang ako ng CD.” I want to have a personal relationship with the performer on that very night. So when I do perform, I make it a point, to make it my goal that when the audience goes home, they bring home a part of me whenever I sing songs, I don’t just sing songs for the heck of “pakitang gilas” (putting on a show) or “magyabang ako na maakyat ko mga kantang iyan.” I choose songs because they mean something to me.

All the songs I sing in my concerts have meaning to me. Maybe that’s the reason why whenever I sing a particular song, the audience feels it too because the song is personal. So I rarely sing songs that I can’t relate to. For me having a concert is like showing a part of my personality, showing the people who you really are through your music – your songs. So at the end of the evening, I want the people to go home with a part of Jed Madela. Every concert artist for me has different basis on how succesful their concert is – whether by seeing that they are able to fill the whole concert venue or if the audience is noisy or participative. For me, it’s more of what will happen after the concert, the people talking about the concert that I’ve touched their hearts after the concert. Of course, I want the venue to be full but after the concert, no one talks about it, sayang naman din. Rather than, the venue is not that full but people are talking about it – which is better for me.

 

L: We haven’t seen you sing and dance in a concert. Is that something we can look forward to in your upcoming concert?

JM: Sing and dance to save my life? (laughing) Probably. I am open to the idea but I look funny when I dance because I’m a big guy. I would appear like a big bouncing ball on stage.

 

L: What about singing Bisaya songs in your concert?

JM: I love to. People were asking me about it. If there’s going to be a song – Vispop, right? I’d love to. Jude (Jude Gitamondo, songwriter, man behind Kadasig and one of the proponents of VisPop Songwriting competitions) wrote a song for me for VPop love songs in Manila, “I Don’t Want to Fall” and we won the TFC People’s Choice Awards. Yeah, why not. I am open to the idea of singing Bisaya songs in the benefit concert.

 

L: Do you have any standard rituals that you follow before doing a concert?

JM: No, I don’t vocalize though others have their certain rituals. As for me, I don’t have one as long as I memorize the songs and I know the purpose why I’m there. I’m more of having a mindset, as long as I am in a good condition.

 

L: What other things are you busy with?

JM: I’m still promoting my latest album, Iconic with Star Music. It’s all covers in the album, songs that are by iconic artists like Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Celine Dione – all foreign singers. Hopefully next year, we’ll come up with another one in time for my 15th Anniversary. We’re doing another concert next year to celebrate my 15th year in the industry.

Also what’s eating up my time is the WCOPA (World Championship of Performing Arts) . We go around the country doing auditions. After the concert here in November 17, we’re going to have an audition here in Cebu. And I have my regular stint in Showtime TNT (Tawag ng Tanghalan).

 

L: How about acting?

JM: No. I can’t deal with the way of work that they can do. Like the schedule, it deprives you of sleep, it’s an open-ended job. Once you start working, you don’t know when you’re to end your day at work. I’m the type of person who wants to have a fixed schedule.

I received offers to do theater stints. It’s the same thing, you have to block your schedule for months. I really need to schedule way ahead. I’m pretty much booked until 2019.

 

L: Who is Jed Madela behind the monicker, The Voice?

JM: People only know me as La Voce, The Voice – the person who has a voice that can hit the high notes. I just want to tell the people I am more than just the voice. I am more than the person that they perceive or see on TV. I want the concert to be fun. I want it to be entertaining, very interactive. It’s going to be different from the past concerts I’ve been doing. So that’s what the people will be seeing on November 17.

 

Jed Madela will be joined by a Cebuana, Jolianne Salvado who gained popularity in the Season Two of ABS-CBN’s The Voice Kids Philippines. At such a young age, she’s got one powerful yet soulful voice which had become her “mark.” Just last year, she has debuted her first single and music video, I Can’t Go On.

Ticket prices are at Php 3500 for VIP with dinner,Php 3000 for GOLD with dinner, and Php 800 for Balcony without dinner. For inquiries, please call 232-6888 or 0915-5353873. You may visit the La Voce ticket booth at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino.

 

MEETING UP CLOSE WITH JED MADELA

 

Note:

Feature Image extracted from https://www.facebook.com/events/128088664512018/

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