Gerphil Flores’ Vindication

I found this video of Gerphil Flores, or Fame, at the Pilipinas Got Talent when she said, “I will not stop from singing classical songs because that is my talent.”

It is her response to Kris Aquino’s advice that she should sing the songs that the masses can “relate to.” Kris said, “In order to win your audience, you have to sing a song which the audience can identify with. You definitely have the talent, but I’m basing my vote on impact.” Kris’ comments tell us that PGT was after impact, not talent. Because impact sells.

Fr. Alberto Ampil SJ said that in this video below, Gerphil showed to those in PGT her “backbone” and her “strong belief.”

Years later, Gerphil proved the PGT judges wrong at the 1st Asia’s Got Talent. To her, it IS ideal to use what God has given you. We should appreciate our unique talents, hone them and master them. That would be our contribution to the world. In AGT, she showed that the audience would be pleased IF you are good at what you do. Thus, she sang what she loves to sing. Thus, AGT IS after talent, not impact.

What troubles me is Kris Aquino’s condescending attitude towards the masses: that the public’s ability remains only at the level of pop music. Gerphil believes otherwise: that the general audience is also capable of appreciating a range of musical genres and in various languages. She said, “Kaya ng Pilipinong kumanta, hindi lamang ng Tagalog kundi sa ibang lenguahe din” (The Filipino can sing, not just Tagalog, but also other languages as well).

Kris’ comment renders us incapable of improvement, while Gerphil believes that we can improve our taste.

Gerphil proved it here at the AGT’s audition. It won David Foster’s Golden Buzzer.

Moreover, she rose further in this emotional rendition of the theme from “Love Story.” Melanie said, “You belong to the world stage.”

But she performed unbelievably at the Grand Finals. Note what David Foster said about her (David Foster’s work and talent proved more credible than Kris, Ai-Ai, and whose that other judge (?) of the PGT. David Foster said that her “(the) Impossible Dream, made her dream possible.” He added, “I promise you that the world is gonna know about you.”

Fr. Ampil SJ called this Kris Aquino mentality as the “idolatry of the masses.” He said, that Gerphil Flores’ performance at the Asia’s Got Talent was “her sweet revenge” — it proved that those PGT judges should be somewhere else.

I perfectly agree. Now, do you?