COMMENTS ON MADONNA DECENA

May 31, 2008

Madonna Decena booted out of 'Britain's Got Talent'

By Bayani San Diego Jr.

Inquirer.net - Philippines

Decena's exit dashed hopes of having a Filipino in the show's finals after another Filipino, Charlie Green, bowed out on Wednesday.

Decena however gave a commendable performance as she belted "The Greatest Love of All" as images of her children were shown on stage. Judge Piers Morgan said Decena "did (her) two little girls proud." Fellow judge Amanda Holden was also impressed and said she always believed in Decena. She, however, failed to convince the third judge and the show's creator, Simon Cowell, that she was destined for Saturday's Grand Finals.

"I love you. I love your story, but this is Britain's Got Talent, not Britain's best story," Cowell said.

Apr 29, 2008

Fame for Manchester's Madonna?

By Dianne Bourne

Manchester Online, UK

The future is looking rosy for Filipino singer Madonna Decena after her appearance on TV show Britain's Got Talent.

But while she waits for the next round of auditions for the hit ITV programme, Madonna has headed back to the day job - singing to revellers at Manchester's swanky Lounge Ten restaurant.

Madonna left judge Amanda Holden and millions of viewers in tears after telling how she entered hoping to win the £100,000 prize so she could be reunited with her two daughters, seven-year-old Ysl and six-year-old Yra, at her home in the Philippines.

Now back in her `second home' of Manchester, The Diary caught up with the petite singer at Lounge Ten, famed for its celebrity clientele.

She's sung for Manchester United ace Wayne Rooney there in the past, and will be singing again at the Tib Lane venue tomorrow night.

Madonna says: "It's great to sing at Lounge Ten, there are always a lot of VIPs. When I sang to Wayne Rooney I didn't actually know who he was - I even got him to sing with me and he seemed to love it."

And she says she can't believe the reaction since she appeared on the ITV show.

"Amazing"

She said: "The amount of support both here and back home in the Philippines has been amazing.

"I would love to win the show for my children. Everything I do is for my family."

Madonna tells me she hasn't seen her daughters since last June - and will not get to see them again until July this year as she cannot afford a plane ticket back to the Phillipines.

So now she's hoping to impress judges Amanda, Piers Morgan and Simon Cowell at the next audition stage in May - which will then lead on to the live finals and a public vote.

She revealed that she first thought of entering Britain's Got Talent after noticing a flyer for the auditions while on a night out with pals singing karaoke at Churchill's Bar in Manchester.

The 32-year-old first came to live in Manchester for a music production course at Manchester MIDI School in 2006, and she's loved the place ever since.

"Manchester is my second home," she beams. "I'm always here with my friends when I'm not working, I go to church here and get to do lots of fun things in Manchester."

Apr 26, 2008

Pinay enters 'Britains Got Talent 2008'

Sun.Star, Philippines

ANOTHER talented Filipino singer has become the talk of the town as she is now seen and gradually known all over the world through YouTube.

Madonna Decena, 32, a single mother of two children, and now one of the potential contenders for the "Britains Got Talent 2008", which is a reality-singing contest in Britain.

In her YouTube video, Decena had won not only the sympathy and heart of the judges but also earned a standing ovation from the audience.

Before her performance in the show, the club singer shares her agony and nostalgia of being away from her two daughters that she left here in the Philippines at the care of her grandparents.

She said she had to leave her children to seek her luck abroad and one day send her two kids with her in Britain.

Right at that moment, she had captured the compassion of the hosts and the audiences.

"If I do well in this competition it will be life changing not just for me but for the kids. And it's a chance for us to be together," Decena said in her video interview.

"Now I'm singing for my girls for their future," she said following her rendition of "I will always love you" by Whitney Houston that stunned and left the people in the stadium teary-eyed.

The judges composed of English actress Amanda Louise Holden, former Mirror editor Piers Morgan and Simon Cowell, were also amazed and impressed by the performance of Decena.

Holden said, keeping not to shed tears in the video: "I don't think you need not worry because I think that you'll gonna go such a long way in this show and I you're gonna get all the money in the world and you're gonna get them (Decena's children) on the plane and their gonna be with you because you lady have got talent."

Cowell, meanwhile, knowing his reputation as a judge of different reality singing shows, was also touched by Decena's performance as he still tried the audience's reaction by saying "no" then added "I don't want to disappoint you. It's a yes."

The performance and story of Decena is now the much-awaited scenario in the reality show. She likely becomes a big winner of the United Kingdom's most popular talent search as the crowd and her performance showed.

One of her YouTube videos had been seen by almost 344,534 viewers and still counting. (JRDB/Sunnex)

Apr 24, 2008

Filipina in UK talent show thanks fellow Pinoys

By Reyma Buan-Deveza

ABS CBN News, Philippines

She's not just talented, she's also a grateful person.

Two days after www.abs-cbnNEWS.com broke the story of Madonna "Mado" Decena, a Filipina who got a standing ovation from her English audience after wowing UK's popular talent search "Britain's Got Talent," she took time out of her busy schedule Thursday, April 24, to say how much she appreciates the attention being given to her by fellow Filipinos.

In the e-mail she sent to www.abs-cbnNEWS.com, the official news Web site of ABS-CBN, Decena praised the news site for publishing her inspiring story.

"Hi..kamusta po... salamat sa magandang article na isinulat nyo sa akin... i'm very pleased with how media responded to this journey of mine..salamat..I was surprised with the attention that you gave me ..and i'm very grateful," Decena said.

"I hope win or lose I would be able to inspire a lot of Filipinos especially our Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) all over the world who are sacrificing, and working hard for their loved ones to have better lives," Decena added.

The new YouTube sensation is also grateful that ABS-CBN's ANC and TV Patrol World newscasts had featured her touching story.

"...also..I heard I was on the morning show of ABS-CBN and TV Patrol...that was very nice of you..I hope soon I could go back to say hello to everyone. ingat at kamusta sa lahat. GOD BLESS," Decena said.

Mado wows 'BGT'

Late last week, Decena got a standing ovation as she auditioned for "Britain's Got Talent" at Manchester Theatre.

Presently, Decena is one of the favorites in the second season of the show. "Britain's Got Talent" is a talent search for Britain's next best amateur act. Singers, dancers, comedians, and other performers of all ages join the reality contest produced by "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell. The show has the same format as its US counterpart, "America's Got Talent."

Decena became a crowd favorite in the search after the show's judges Simon Cowell, actress Amanda Holden and journalist Piers Morgan voted her through to the semi-finals.

"With the performance, taking everything into account I absolutely love it," Cowell said after Decena's rendition of "I Will Always Love You."

"I have nothing to say, it's absolutely brilliant," Morgan said.

Decena is a 32-year-old single parent and singer who left the Philippines 18 months ago to find work in the UK. She left her two girls in the care of their grandparents. She said she decided to join the contest for her kids.

"Well it's a chance for me to get more work, more opportunity for me to sing, for my kids," Decena said.

"If I do well in this competition it would be life-changing not only for me but for my kids, it's a chance for us to be together."

Decena recently appeared on the The Stage Newspaper's Showcall Showcase and on the Paul Bridson Showcase.

She also performed in a Charity Gala at The Opera House, Blackpool, along with Joe Longthorne and Frank Carson, and as a guest singer with the Andy Prior Big Band at The Grand Theatre, Blackpool on New Year's Eve.

Apr 23, 2008

Lady Madonna manages

By Bayani San Diego Jr.

Inquirer.net - Philippines

MANILA, Philippines-From YouTube, Madonna Decena, the Filipina singer who wowed audiences and judges alike on the UK reality show "Britain's Got Talent," has crossed over to mainstream media-as her story is now being reported on TV news programs.

The British show similarly made a big fuss over the 33-year-old Filipina singer's performance, posting two interviews with judge Amanda Holden and Decena herself on its official website.

The show's homepage dubbed the semi-finalist as "the star of the show."

A fan site asked: "Is Decena the next Paul Potts?"

Also an underdog, Potts is the former phone salesman who won last year's competition with his rendition of "Nessun Dorma."

Cowell charmed

In her performance video on YouTube (which has received over 130,00 hits as of Tuesday), a trembling and tearful Decena charmed the entire Manchester Theater-especially when she ran backstage to get a paper hankie from the show's hosts, Ant and Dec.

Judges Holden and Piers Morgan readily gave Decena the "Yes" vote, which pushed her on to the next round.

The always caustic third judge Simon Cowell unleashed a reality check ("You've picked up some bad habits from singing in clubs and bars."), but was also generous with praise ("It was unexpected ... I absolutely loved it!").

In an online interview on the show's homepage, Decena explained that she had come to Britain over a year ago, to "save money."

"I'm a single parent," she said. She left her daughters, ages 6 and 5, with their grandparents in the Philippines.

On the Web site, she was shown making a phone call to her kids in the Philippines.

"My kids are asking me to come home," she recounted. "It's a tough choice ... it's a sacrifice I have to make."

According to a report on the Mirror website, she moved to Manchester on a student visa in 2006 and that now, apart from studying music and production, she works by singing in different clubs.

A fan site reported that she recently performed in a charity gala at The Opera House in Blackpool, together with singer Joe Longthorne and comic Frank Carson. She guested in a concert featuring the Andy Prior Big Band at the Grand Theater, also in Blackpool, on New Year's Eve.

For her club performances, she earned rave reviews from The Stage: "Vocal quality is nothing short of extraordinary and the future of this ... Filipino lady seems assured."

Life-changing

In the online interview, Madonna pointed out that she had joined the competition "not for fame ... not just to win and fulfill my dreams. I'm here for a higher purpose, to save and provide a better future for my children."

"Life-changing," she described the prospect of doing well in the competition. "It's a chance for us to be together."

According to the show's site, the big winner will receive a £100,000 check, along with the chance to perform for Prince Charles at the prestigious Royal Variety Show.

 

Apr 22, 2008

Madonna touches a lot of hearts

By Bayani San Diego Jr.

Inquirer.net - Philippines

MANILA, Philippines -- No, not that Madonna. Filipina Madonna Decena, who made it to the semi-final round in the second episode of the UK reality competition, "Britain's Got Talent," is now an Internet sensation.

The video of her performance of Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" has merited over 39,000 hits as of Monday, and a five-star rating (exceeding the four-star system) from YouTube viewers.

In the video, Decena's sob story-and singing-left the entire Manchester Theater in tears, including judge Amanda Holden and two stagehands who led the 33-year-old Filipina to the stage.

Holden, an acclaimed West End actress, explained on the program's Web site that she was "moved" by the Pinay's touching real-life drama. "She had to leave her two daughters in the Philippines to work [in the UK] and she hasn't seen them in a year (actually, six months)," Holden related. "Every penny she earns, she sends back home."

At first, Holden said, she tried to contain her emotion. "But when she started singing ... I completely lost it, really badly. I knew she was singing for her babies."

Now dubbed Madonna of Manchester on the Web site, Decena received two standing ovations from the audience-one at her song's end, another after the judges' comments-and a wink from the initially blasé judge and show co-creator Simon Cowell, who was shown chewing on a pencil throughout the Pinay's performance.

Holden says in the online interview that Decena is "a possible finalist-she's great!" On the show, she was just as effusive, telling the Pinay: "You'll go a long way on this show and you'll have all the money in the world and you'll be able to put your children in a plane and you'll be together. Because you, lady, have got talent."

Inquirer Entertainment was alerted to Decena's story by reader Alma Borja. Blogger and TV host Daphne Oseña-Paez sent us a link. Clearly, this Madonna has touched quite a lot of hearts.

Apr 20, 2008

Britain's Got Talent star: I'll be singing for two angels

By Lara Gould, TV Editor

Sunday Mirror, UK

These are the two angelic daughters Britain's Got Talent star Madonna Decena left on the other side of the world - to win the show and give them a better life.

The single mum dedicated last night's emotional performance of Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You to her girls Yra, six, and seven-year-old Ysl.

She told how she had left them with their grandparents in their native Philippines to move to the UK in 2006 to earn enough money for the entire family to live on.

Her story left judge Amanda Holden wiping away tears before adding: "I know you were singing that for your babies."

Madonna, 32, made it through to the next round, but told told how her celebrations are tinged with the pain of missing her children.

She said: "I cry myself to sleep most nights because I miss them. But if I'd stayed home, I'd never earn enough to support three adults and two children. We'd all be hungry." The wage over there is £10 a week.

Madonna - who moved to Prescot, Lancs, after splitting with the girls' dad - sends cash back from her £200-aweek earnings singing in restaurants. Her ambition is to win the £100,000 prize.

She said: "I dream of a normal family life but until then I will do this to give them what they need."