Viewers can expect fun-filled nights once again on Saturday
evenings as the much-anticipated second season of Celebrity Duets aired
its pilot episode last weekend. Last Saturday, August 23, celebrities from
different fields graced the concert stage and delivered spectacular duets with
some of the country's esteemed music icons and singing superstars.
Celebrity Duets 2 has eight new contenders to jumpstart this electrifying season: Metro Manila and Development Authority (MMDA) chairman and secretary Bayani Fernando; actress and model Melanie Marquez; fashion designer JC Buendia; football player Phil Younghusband; beauty queen Carlene Aguilar; celebrity chef JL Cang; beauty and wellness guru Cory Quirino; and host-comedian Joey Marquez.
A fresh set of judges has also been selected to complement this new batch of contenders. Seated in the judges' panel this season are musical director, composer and arranger Danny Tan; stage and TV director Freddie Santos; and reigning Celebrity Duets champion Tessa Prieto-Valdes. Singers Ogie Alcasid and Regine Velasquez also reprise their roles as hosts.
For the opening performance, season-one contenders Tim Yap, Wyngard Tracy, and Manny Calayan as well as grand champion turned judge Tessa Prieto-Valdes rocked the concert stage, singing VST & Company's "Awitin Mo" with season two's celebrity contestants.
After this exhilarating number, it was time for the eight celebrity contenders to show the judges their vocal prowess.
Beauty title-holder Carlene Aguilar was the first to perform with a karaoke favorite, Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive." For her duet, Carlene was paired with singer-actress Agot Isidro.
"I was surprised," admitted judge Danny Tan, after Carlene's performance. "Hindi ko in-e-expect na gano'n ka kagaling," he told Carlene. "Meron...may boses. Nag-duet kayo ni Agot, hindi ka nawala sa tono, and then yung facial expression mo parang professional singer. Nasira lang nung in-introduce mo si Agot," he laughed. "Pero otherwise, it was a good performance."
Tessa Prieto-Valdes seemed to have the same opinion. "This is the beginning, and you're like pa-buena mano," she observed. "I hope you last longer than the other beauty contestants that we had in season one."
On Direk Freddie Santos' turn to speak, Ogie jokingly asked him to "be kind."
Freddie obliged and gave Carlene a good comment. "You're very beautiful," he told the beauty queen. "Carlene, you can spell your name with a K. May karapatan ka diyan."
Next to perform was actor-comedian Joey Marquez, who considers singing one of his frustrations in life. For his celebrity duet, he chose Mike Francis' "Let Me In," singing with balladeer Nonoy Zuñiga.
"I love that song, and you guys sounded so macho," commented Tessa. "Very nice. I love it. Parang ikaw yung main singer. Back-up mo si Nonoy," she jokingly told Joey.
As for Freddie Santos, "I'm speechless," he laughed. "I'm supposed kasi to comment on the presence, and the presence was present. 'Tsaka ang lamig ng boses mo...ang lamig talaga," he added.
"Joey, hindi ko akalain na maganda pala yung boses mo," praised Danny Tan. "Mag-enjoy ka lang, more pa." He added, "Medyo parang tensed ka. Pag ang notes mo [middleground] lang, okay. Pero nung tumaas ka, medyo nasira. I was also pleasantly surprised na magaling ka pala, he told the comedian."
Beauty and wellness guru Cory Quirino went next with Abba's "Dancing Queen." She chose this song, she said, because she believes she's more of a dancer than a singer. For her duet, she was paired with the sultry diva, Vernie Varga.
