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Renaldo Lapuz takes flight to fame
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Published: February 6, 2008 | Author: Janet Nepales LOS ANGELES — Renaldo Lapuz, the 45-year-old former tricycle driver-turned-graveyard shift janitor at Wal-Mart in Reno, Nevada, still could not believe what is happening to him. He has become an overnight sensation after auditioning in the top rated reality talent show, American Idol. Unassuming, cheery and very positive, Lapuz may be missing some lower teeth or speak with a heavy accent but he has the confidence to belt out his original composition, “We’re Brothers Forever,” to “American Idol” judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul and host Ryan Seacrest without any sign of stage fright at all.
He may say things like “Over to the maximum of happiness!” or “Hopefully continuous progress” but somehow you know, he says it from the heart. Asked by Seacrest what he would do if he were an “American Idol,” Lapuz said, “If I were an American Idol, I will give hope to all those who are in despairs (sic), to be tough and to be strength!”
Always respectful, Lapuz would always inject an “I love you po!” or to Cowell, “You are heaven’s chosen to give chance to any talent for free of charge, even they throw you negative words. There are many people who really like you, who admire you and one of them is me. You are a great person, Simon.”
Dressed in a costume which he proudly made and designed himself --- white hat with the word “Simon” on it, shimmering metallic cape, all-white ensemble complete with white shoes and a white padded jacket --- Lapuz disclosed in a Fox TV interview that he was inspired by the movie “The Gladiator” (yes, the Russell Crowe starrer). “They said ‘dress to impress’ so I thought for two weeks and finally, I was inspired by the movie as well as the song ‘Skyline Pigeon,’” he candidly disclosed. He said his costume is a combination of Mexican-Cowboy hat with hints of a Greek mythology character and touches of an American cartoon character, Flash.
Suddenly, we saw the usually nasty Cowell beaming approvingly as his colleagues Jackson and Abdul, later on joined by Seacrest, joined Lapuz in an audition-turned-sing-a-long complete with Abdul and Jackson breaking into an impromptu dance as well. We interviewed a former Manila recording publicist who preferred to remain anonymous and we asked him whether we should feel embarrassed or proud of Lapuz’s performance on “AI” and he replied, “At first, it appeared like Renaldo was an easy target of ridicule but the man, despite his outlandish costume, came across as sincere and almost innocent. He was having fun and not taking the whole thing very seriously so Paula and Randy lightened up and had fun too. We should not be embarrassed. Renaldo was charming. It would have been very embarrassing if he took himself so seriously as he wore that outfit. Then the hosts could have spoofed and made fun of him. But there was a winning naïveté about Renaldo so the hosts were not cruel to him.”
Asked whether recording companies in the Philippines should take advantage of Renaldo Lapuz’s popularity to the masses, he said, “They should definitely capitalize on Renaldo’s 10 plus minutes of fame! He captivated the viewers, and from what I understand, the TV audience in the Philippines too. After that appearance and the ensuing publicity, he had a name and a face that are instantly recognizable.”
So how does he explain Lapuz’s song, “We’re Brothers Forever” becoming a hit as Simon Cowell predicted? He pointed out, “Simon could have been sarcastic but there is no denying that refrain is very catchy and memorable. A lot of the songs that were supposed to be ‘silly’ but went on to become hits succeeded because they have hard-to-forget refrain melodies and lyrics.”
He believed that Lapuz belongs to the group of Yoyoy Villame and company “but he’s probably a slightly Americanized version of Yoyoy and company. But don’t discount the legacy and popularity of these so-called novelty singers. They have established a niche in the music scene. After all, we have forgotten some of the ‘serious’ songs by the ‘respected’ Filipino singers but we have not forgotten Yoyoy’s ‘Magellan’ song.”
And finally, how can he explain the likes of “American Idol” rejects like Lapuz and William Hung becoming popular to the masses? He explained, “Because we need a break from those contestants who take themselves too seriously. Folks like Lapuz and William Hung are like a whiff of fresh air. They bring humor and lightness to the proceedings. The regular folks also tend to identify with Lapuz and Hung because they see themselves in these folks, not in the sophisticated-looking contestants who can hold those high notes for 15 minutes.”
Indeed, Lapuz’s sincerity is like a “whiff of fresh air” especially in Hollywood. He may have been rejected to go to Hollywood but after his 15 minutes of fame when he auditioned in Dallas, Texas for “American Idol” season 7, the unassuming church choir member now has his own website (www.renaldolapuz.com); has a loyal following who have posted their own versions of his original composition, “We’re Brothers Forever;” has ringtones of his song that you can download on your cell phones; has t-shirts with the title of his song sold for $19 with 50 percent reportedly being donated to Big Brother Big Sister Organization; has been interviewed twice by Fox 4 and once by Access Hollywood; and has reportedly been invited by the owners of the Sacramento Kings to perform in one of their games.
Lapuz, who just turned 45 last December 18, explained that he was not aware of the age limit of 28 in “American Idol.” He said, “My friends checked online and they did not see any age limit and so I flew immediately to Texas to audition. My friends have been telling me that I should audition because I love to sing.”
In a Fox interview conducted a day after his audition, Lapuz disclosed that his family and friends were all excited. He revealed, “I have a big family and they all gathered together in Reno. There were two groups, one of which was with my sister Irene. Everybody was so excited. They enjoyed watching my audition so much.”
He disclosed that after watching his audition again on TV, “I became nervous again. I felt like I was auditioning again.” He added, “Hopefully continuous progress. I expect more blessings.” The former tricyle driver in Sikatuna Village, Quezon City arrived in the U.S. on August 6, 2004 after being petitioned by his mother. Raised in Marikina, he also worked as a janitor in Pasig and is currently working in the graveyard shift at Wal-Mart in Reno, Nevada. Prior to that, though, he also worked at the Greyhound Bus.
His contract with American Idol is up to May of this year and Lapuz disclosed in an interview that he plans to go to the Philippines after that contract expires.
Does he mind being compared to “AI” reject William Hung? Lapuz replied in the negative. “Not at all! He is now rich!” Lapuz revealed that he is now being mobbed. People recognize him on the streets and there are a number of requests for interviews.
“My singing career has just began,” he said in an interview. So, all together now – below are the lyrics of Lapuz’s new international hit, “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.”
E-mail the writer at jrnepales_624@yahoo.com.
http://www.philippinenews.com/article.php?id=1774 http://www.philippinenews.com
Tags: brother philippine pinoy song american idol
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