The Sensation That Is Renaldo Lapuz

Some hate him. Some love him. I belong to the latter. Rather than see his American Idol audition last Thursday as a source of annoyance, I chose to see it more as an amusement. Here is a simple man wanting to convey a simple message of love and having some fun in the process of doing so. He gave a taste of what the Filipino can offer to the rest of the world: a warmth that comes from being able to see the goodness and the beauty of life in an otherwise dreary existence. For whatever it's worth, Renaldo's 7-minute brush with fame has put a smile (or if I may go overboard, touched the lives even) on people's faces across the world.

Also worthy to note is how Filipinos can spot one of their own kind. In AI's preview last Wednesday, many have already guessed that this strange guy with the silver cape can only be Filipino. The accent was a dead giveaway and so were the words that he used to express his admiration for Simon Cowell. On Thursday night, his Filipino-ness just shone. His composition, "We're Brothers Forever", is very simple and catchy. Heck, it sounds like a Filipino novelty song! I can almost see the "tambays" in the kanto strumming their guitar in front of Aling Nena's sari-sari store while sharing a few rounds of Ginebra San Miguel. It's the kind of song that gets stuck in your head for a very long time! The way he sang it was also reminiscent of some late-night karaoke session, the kind that makes the neighbors haplessly toss and turn in their beds. He sang with such bravado that can only come from someone who regularly sings My Way. Just listen to the part where he sings "Singing the songs, the music that you like" and you'll know what I mean. His showmanship was excellent as well. Maybe we can all learn a thing or two from him. His costume, stance, gestures and pipes make for a very well-prepared contestant. He was going to have his shot at fame and he might just as well prepare for it. Renaldo Lapuz is your typical Filipino entertainer and will pull out all the stops to get you entertained. Fortunately, he succeeded in doing so and even got Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Ryan Seacrest to participate in his performance. That's your typical Filipino entertainer: generous (he shares the fun with the audience), flamboyant (would not scrimp on costumes and would give his all in every performance) and happy (to be onstage that is, and you can tell by the way they behave there that the stage is their home).

I don't know how far he will go but I am just happy for this man. He may be a nuisance contestant (because he was not really a serious contender) but I find him better than the rest who just donned silly costumes but could not sing even if their dear life depended on it. Hats off to you, Renaldo for pulling off that crazy stunt!

Let me end this entry by sharing with you the lyrics of the song, "We're Brothers Forever".

I am your brother

Your best friend forever

Singing the songs

The music that you like

We're brothers til the end of time

Together forever til the end of time

I am your brother

Your best friend forever

Singing the songs

The music that you like

We're brothers til the end of time

Together or not, you're always in my heart

Your hurting feelings

Will reign no more.

For more on Renaldo, you can visit his website: http://www.renaldolapuz.com/