ALL 13 contestants of the Music Performing Arts Competition Corp.’s Battle of the Voices made it to the second round set for Sept. 23, 2023.
The local talents who showed up to audition at the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-purpose Center in Susupe on Saturday received equal scores from the judges: Marpac consumer sales manager Tom Basa, local musician Alfred Saures, former Marianas High School Glee Club member and Public School System Social Studies program manager Vinnie Orsini, and Rotary Club of Saipan President Irene Holl.
The Music Performing Arts Competition Corp. or MPACC, the competition’s organizer, is a locally registered non-profit organization whose board members include Arlene Reyes, Gus Litulumar, Bobbie Iglesias and Daniel O. Quitugua.
Due to requests from community members, Quitugua said MPACC will hold another audition on Sept. 16 for those who are 16 years old and above.
The first audition qualifiers and the songs they performed are:
—Donato Santiago, 18, “She Believes in Me.”
—Dean Borja, 39, “Kao Sina Yu Humalum.”
—Brent Espineda, 18, “One Last Cry.”
—Arianne Antonio, 22, “I Have Nothing.”
—Matthew Manuel, 20, “Love in the Dark.”
—Bernice Sabino, 17, “Always Remember Us This Way.”
—Bernard C. Sabino, 50, “No Arms Can Ever Hold You.”
—Lorenzy Leo, 24, “If I Ain’t Got You.”
—Zoe Stephanson, 24, “My Heart Will Go On.”
—Jessel Antonio, 29, “Never Enough.”
—Ronilo De Belen, 50, “I Know.”
—Lawrence Tubera, 17, “Honeymoon Avenue.”
—Raniel Santos, 26, “Just Once.”
Those who will be selected in the semifinal round to be held on Oct. 21, 2023 will compete in the final competition scheduled for Nov. 4, 2023. The top three winners of the finale will each receive a cash award.
The Battle of the Voices singing competition is MPACC’s first event.
“It is in our collective best interest to aspire and work toward building a better community for ourselves,” the MPACC board of directors said in a statement.
