Kuh Ledesma shares the spotlight with talented newcomers

July 26 ------ Kuh Ledesma is no stranger to performing live. With her upcoming concert "Kuh Sings Her ABCs" happening on August 3 at Winford Manila, her audience will surely find the hitmaker acing the notes effortlessly and delivering the most heartfelt performances anew. Asking how she finds working with new talents, Ledesma told The Manila Times, "It is important to have talent and not be arrogant. Being humble enough to learn is important to me. I would give more opportunities to the likes of Nathan and David rather than to those who are hard to talk to and think they are already great and don't want to learn. We should encourage gifted kids because they are a blessing from God," Ledesma added.

In separate interview, Randal and Young recalled how they were introduced to the "Till I Met You" and "Dito Ba?" hitmaker. Young met Ledesma through family friend and artist, Richard Merck. In one of their gatherings in Ledesma's Hacienda Isabella, Young was given the opportunity to sing for guests. "During a morning teaching, Ms. Kuh asked for any male singers who can sing for the service. My mom pointed at me and next thing I knew, I was up there singing," 19-year-old Young recalled.

The Filipino-American gained stage experience by performing at their family bar in Biñan, Laguna where they had nightly jamming sessions. Often OPM singers such as Marco Sison and Nonoy Zuñiga — his family's friends — would join him. "I developed interest for performing and singing and here we are," he said. A recent graduate of Brent High School, Young is taking a break to decide what path to take. He has already completed an online music course and is currently interested in pursuing a degree in Music Business Management.

Looking back at his promising career, Young reflected, "I was always quiet nervous to get on stage at a young age but the love for music overshadowed that a bit, not by much, but it was enough to push me to really get up on that stage." "Practice is really the best remedy for that because you get better and have more confidence," he finally noted. Randal, meanwhile, has been a regular at Ledesma's concert. The upcoming "Kuh Sings Her ABCs" will be the fifth time for the 16-year-old to share the stage with the OPM star. Like Young, Randal was also discovered and introduced to Ledesma through a family friend. He started singing at 9 years old and participated in the musical, "Martir sa Golgotha."

Despite growing up in a musically-inclined household, with a dad who loved to sing, Randal said he never took singing seriously. That was until the passing of his father. "My dad and I used to sing a lot together and so when I sing these days, I feel closer to him. Since then, I've embraced singing wholeheartedly and took it as my passion and my dream," the Filipino-American performer said. Randal has already released two singles now available on Spotify as part of the Viva Records family.

Asked how important it is for artists like him to be recognized by an established star such as Ledesma, Randal answered, "It's really important but you have to remember to always keep your feet on the ground. It's a blessing and not many kids and people who have dreams of becoming a singer get an opportunity like this." Tickets to "Kuh Sings Her ABCs..." are available at Ticketnet. Visit www.ticketnet.com.ph or call 09608850288 for more information.

Source: manilatimes.net