The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
By Boy Villasanta
There is a singing contest in Japan which is named after the famous Grammy Music Awards.
Its title is Kitashinchi Grammy Singer Contest and Filipino singer Mika Lorie won second prize among several contestants.
Mike sang the iconic song “My Way” in her own interpretation that got the nod of the judges.
According to Lorie, she should have won the first place but a Japanese chanteuse took home the plum.
“Dapat daw ay ako po ‘yon pero pinabayaan ko na. Ako lang naman kasi ang contestant na Filipino. At saka, desisyon ‘yon ng mga hurado (According to some insiders, it should have been me but I let it passed. I am the only Filipino contestant, anyway. Besides, it’s the decision of the jurors),” qualified Mika who was happy and proud of her victory of the musical battle.
Kitashinchi is an entertainment district in Osaka where the Japan Grammy Singer Contest is based.
How did Mika get into the search?
“Marami pong nakakakilala sa akin na mga promoter dito sa Japan at sinabihan ako na sumali sa Japan Grammy Singer Contest nang mapakinggan ako. Kaya sumali po ako at sa awa ng Diyos, nanalo ako (There are many people who know me here in Japan, including, promoters and they told me to join the contest when they listened to me. So, I joined and in God’s mercy, I wom),” explained Mika.
Lorie has been performing in Japan for years and she has entrenched herself into the Japanese entertainment industry.
As a matter of fact, Mika has recorded original songs digitally and they are being distributed internationally.
“Matagal na po akong hindi nakakauwi sa Pilipinas kaya miss ko na ang ating bansa. Pero marami pang gagawin dito sa (I have not gone home to the Philippines for ages so I miss our country so much. But I still have many things to do here in) Japan,” she sighed in our online interview after her winning the contest.