After the stunning performance of Charice on Ellen Ellen DeGeneres show, another young Filipino talent had made it to one of the America’s top-rated talk show, in the person of Rhap Salazar. The 12-year old Rhap is also the 2009 WCOPA Junior Grand Champion held earlier this year.
Last November 17, Rhap perform on the stage of Ellen, he performed an eardrum-rupturing version of Celine Dion’s “All By Myself,” the same piece he performed at WCOPA. The newest judge of the American Idol describes Rhap’s singing voice as “incredible” and having so much “power and emotion.”
During a short Q&A, DeGeneres asked the 12-year-old singer who his favorite singers are. Rhap mentioned the names of Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Josh Groban and Beyonce Knowles. Ellen also revealed that it was Rhap’s birthday wish to perform on her show and famous also host said she saw Rhap on YouTube, same as with her first ‘discovery,’ of Charice.
Rhap Salazar is the fourth Filipino musical talent to appear on Ellen DeGeneres’ show after Charice Pempengco, Arnel Pineda of Journey, and Rin on the Rox. Charice and Rhap are products of ABS-CBN’s kiddie talent search “Little Big Star Season 1” in 2005.
It was DeGeneres herself, through her sponsors, who shouldered Salazar’s trip to the US.
If the sports have Olympics, the Performing Arts have its World Championship.  It is called the World Championships of Performing Arts or the WCOPA.  On the recently concluded 13th World Championships of Performing Arts, Filipino talents have once again proven our supremacy in terms of Performing Arts.  The Little Big Star (the same competition Charice won 3rd place in Big Division) Little Division Grand Winner Rhap Salazar garnered the coveted titles Junior Grand Champion Solo Vocalist of the World, and the Junior Grand Champion Performer of the World.
Rhap Salazar won all the 5 GOLD medals from five categories he competed in at this year’s WCOPA.  Rhap topped in Male Vocal Broadway (11-12 category), Male Vocal Gospel (11-12 category), Male Vocal Open (11-12 category), Male Vocal Pop (11-12 category) and Male Vocal R&B/Soul/Jazz (11-12 category).  Rhap had blown away the audience in his rendition of Celine Dion’s “All By Myself” during the Junior Grand Champion Solo Vocalist of the World grand finals.
On the other hand, the vocal quartet The Young Voices of Negros won the title Junior Grand Champion Group Vocalists of the World.  They won Gold in Group Vocal Original Works and Group Vocal R&B/Soul/Jazz and Silver in Group Vocal Gospel, Group Vocal Open and Group Vocal Pop all in 11-12 categories.
Here’s the complete medal list of Team Philippines in the 2009 WCOP “Talent Olympics”:
J2 Power Duet
o SILVER – Group Vocal Pop – 30&Over
o SILVER – Group Vocal R&B/Soul/Jazz – 30&Over
The Young Voices Of Negros Philippines
o GOLD – Group Vocal Original Works – 11-12
o GOLD – Group Vocal R&B/Soul/Jazz – 11-12
o SILVER – Group Vocal Gospel – 11-12
o SILVER – Group Vocal Open – 11-12
o SILVER – Group Vocal Pop – 11-12
Christian Matthew Andeza
o GOLD – Male Vocal Contemporary – 18-24
o GOLD – Male Vocal Original Works – 18-24
o SILVER – Male Vocal Broadway – 18-24
o BRONZE – Male Vocal Pop – 18-24
o BRONZE – Male Vocal R&B/Soul/Jazz – 18-24
Evette Pabalan
o GOLD – Female Vocal Broadway – 25-29
o GOLD – Female Vocal Rock – 25-29
o SILVER – Female Vocal Gospel – 25-29
o BRONZE – Female Vocal Pop – 25-29
Guy Lockwood
o GOLD – Male Acting Contemporary – 30&Over
o GOLD – Male Vocal Gospel – 30&Over
o SILVER – Male Acting Dramatic – 30&Over
o SILVER – Male Variety-3 And Under Props – 30&Over
o BRONZE – Male Vocal Country&Western – 30&Over
Izarzuri Vidal
o SILVER – Female Vocal Opera – 18-24
Maila Mitra
o GOLD – Female Vocal Gospel – 25-29
o SILVER – Female Vocal Broadway – 25-29
o SILVER – Female Vocal Open – 25-29
o SILVER – Female Vocal Pop – 25-29
o SILVER – Female Vocal Rock – 25-29
Martha Joy Lim-Fiuza
o GOLD – Female Vocal Open – 18-24
o GOLD – Female Vocal Pop – 18-24
o BRONZE – Female Vocal Gospel – 18-24
o BRONZE – Female Vocal Country&Western – 18-24
Mayumi Morales
o GOLD – Female Vocal Broadway – 13-15
o GOLD – Female Vocal Open – 13-15
o GOLD – Female Vocal R&B/Soul/Jazz – 13-15
o SILVER – Female Vocal Gospel – 13-15
Melchizedek Bicua
o SILVER – Male Vocal Open – 11-12
o SILVER – Male Vocal Pop – 11-12
o SILVER – Male Vocal R&B/Soul/Jazz – 11-12
o SILVER – Male Vocal Rock – 11-12
Nicole Joy Espolong
o SILVER – Female Vocal Pop – 18-24
Orie Jun Vamenta
o GOLD – Male Vocal Rock – 25-29
o SILVER – Male Vocal Gospel – 25-29
o SILVER – Male Vocal Open – 25-29
o BRONZE – Male Vocal Pop – 25-29
Reynaldo Concepcion
o GOLD – Male Vocal Gospel – 25-29
o GOLD – Male Vocal R&B/Soul/Jazz – 25-29
o SILVER – Male Vocal Broadway – 25-29
o SILVER – Male Vocal Pop – 25-29
o BRONZE – Male Vocal Open – 25-29
Rhap Salazar
o GOLD – Male Vocal Broadway – 11-12
o GOLD – Male Vocal Gospel – 11-12
o GOLD – Male Vocal Open – 11-12
o GOLD – Male Vocal Pop – 11-12
o GOLD – Male Vocal R&B/Soul/Jazz – 11-12
Ronald Diana
o GOLD – Male Vocal Contemporary – 30&Over
o GOLD – Male Vocal Open – 30&Over
o GOLD – Male Vocal Original Works – 30&Over
o SILVER – Male Vocal R&B/Soul/Jazz – 30&Over
o BRONZE – Male Vocal Pop – 30&Over
Watch Rhap as he rocks the house with his powerful rendition of Celine Dion’s¬† “All By Myself”
