HER name remains familiar to those who have followed the UK edition of the popular X-Factor singing competition. Filipino singer Alisah Bonaobra rose to fame when she flew to the UK in 2017 to audition for the contest. Her powerful vocals wowed the judges and stunned the live audience.
In her journey to the finals, she experienced being eliminated in the early rounds, but her persistence did her good, and the judges gave her another chance. Bonaobra did not get to reach the victory line but she made an indelible mark and showed the entire UK, and perhaps the world, what stuff she is made of as a vocal artist.
Losing broke her heart, but the twentysomething singer is not one who’d easily give up on her dreams.
“I have been competing practically all my singing life—from small-town contests to big-time talent searches. I’ve had my share of winning and losing, happiness and heartbreak. I’d acknowledge my emotions after each contest and move on the next. That was my life as a struggling singer growing up, and I’ve never let go of my dream of becoming a grand winner in a big competition,” she told us in a recent virtual chat.
The singer with fierce vocals was a standout during the second season of The Voice of the Philippines in 2014. She then represented the country at the always controversial World Championship of Performing Arts in 2016 where she brought home a few medals. But winning the grand title has been elusive.
“I used to think that winning was everything. But as I mature, gain experiences and meet people, I have come to realize there is more than just winning. What I need is to continuously improve my gift of voice, and use it as an instrument for a bigger purpose,” she said, adding that her eight-month stay in the UK gave her a lot of time to look at life from a different perspective.
Now back in Manila, Bonaobra shared with us that she has just released her new single, titled “Gintong Tinig,” composed by Kiko Salazar. It’s a fitting follow-up to her earlier single, “Gintong Sandali,” which has attracted more than 300,000 views already on YouTube. The quality of Bonaobra’s voice has prompted both her camp and followers to give her the title of “The Golden Voice.”
One of her biggest blessings is becoming an artist of RJA Productions, owned and managed by businessman Rosabella Jao-Arribas.
“My management team has been overseeing the progress of my career, and even during these challenging times, when the live-performance circuit has been put on hold, my teams at RJA, both in the US and here in Manila, are making sure to guide me every step of the way. And for that, I am thankful.”
Bonaobra said she will be busy promoting her new single on every available platform online, and she hopes that the pandemic will soon come to an end. “Life has been difficult for every one. The new normal is not something that we can all easily adjust to, especially those who are in the live performance and entertainment business. But I remain hopeful, in faith and in people, that things will get much better soon.”
Indeed, at the end of this excruciating health crisis confronting the world, Alisah Bonaobra, the young dreamer with a golden voice, believes that she will get to see her golden sky.