EXCLUSIVE: Getting to know MICA

MICA performing on ‘Superstar K6′ on Oct. 24 (Photo: Superstar K6/Mnet)

Filipino sister act MICA, composed of Mylene, Irene, Celina and Almira Gollayan, may have lost the opportunity to win big at the Korean talent search show “Superstar K6” but the whole experience only served to further their passion in pursuing a career in music.

The sisters from Santiago City, Isabela made history by becoming the first Filipino to land as finalists on the popular TV show. They were eliminated Oct. 24, finishing at the Top 8.

Almira, the eldest of the group, acknowledged that being part of the show is a “dream come true” for them.

Here’s an excerpt of our exclusive interview.

Bulletin Entertainment: Please describe your journey on the show.

Almira: “It was just like what the ‘Superstar K6’ tagline said: ‘Real Miracles Never Stop.’ Auditioning for the first stage, which was held at the SM Mall of Asia Center Stage is a life changing experience for us. We didn’t plan to audition. At that point, we already gave up on our dreams. We later learned that it’s the biggest star search in Korea. My sister Irene googled it and our mom told us to give it a try.

“The global audition held in Korea was a blast because we saw our idol Ailee in person. The stages we went through was like a huge rollercoaster ride mainly because it’s our first time to perform Korean songs. Even though we love K-pop music, we haven’t really tried to memorize and master the pronunciation. Going against hundreds of talented Korean singers and musicians and making it through was like a miracle.

“When Yoon Jong Shin (one of the celebrity judges) announced that we were among the Top 11, it was like, the happiest moment of our lives. We knew right there and then that God prepared this for us: to share our God-given talent.”

Bulletin Entertainment: How did you learn to sing in Korean? Was it hard?

Almira: “The first Korean song that we learned was ‘Nobody’ by the Wonder Girls. From that moment, we became fans of K-pop music. Joining ‘Superstar K6′ was really different. They were very particular with our pronunciation. After we passed the first audition, we took basic Korean lessons at UP Diliman for us to have some basic conversational skills at least.

“We tried our best but it’s really hard to learn the language in a short span of time. Still, we were able to learn 20 to 30 Korean songs. We studied them day and night including the original choreography. None too soon, we were already injecting a bit of ourselves into the music.”

Bulletin Entertainment: You’re the first foreign act and the first Filipino group to reach the finals in “Superstar K.” How do you feel about it?

Almira: “It’s a very huge honor for us to be the first Filipino act to reach the show’s Top 11. We are proud to have been able to represent the country in the biggest reality singing competition in Asia.”

Bulletin Entertainment: Among the 4 judges of “Superstar K6,” who is your favorite?

Almira: “We admire Kim Bum Soo because of his famous song “Bogoshipda” but our favorite is Yoon Jong Shin because he always gave us great compliments and really good grades. He really appreciated our talent.”

Bulletin Entertainment: How did “Superstar K6″ change your life?

Almira: It made us want to travel this path a little bit further. We already gave up singing. We lost hope. ‘Superstar K6′ changed that. Through the show, God made us a living testimony that dreams do come true. Just have faith in Him and your dreams.”

Bulletin Entertainment: What was your most memorable moment in the show?

Almira: “It was when we were housed in a camp for almost two months. It’s the first time we were away from our family. There’s also the discipline and intense training. Eating salad for two months was another.”

Bulletin Entertainment: Among the Top 11 finalists, to whom were you closest?

Almira: “We consider Brian Park a very dear friend. All of the other contestants were nice to us. But Brian is really a nice guy. He can relate to us because when he migrated to Australia, he also had a hard time communicating in English.”

Bulletin Entertainment: How did you feel when you were eliminated?

Almira: We didn’t expect it as we gave our best performance. But we believe that God has bigger plans in store for us.”

Bulletin Entertainment: What are your future plans?

Almira: “We want to continue performing, record an album and sing our own songs.”

Bulletin Entertainment: Thousands of Pinoys and Koreans supported you on “Superstar K6.” What is your message to them?

Almira: “We are so thankful for all your warm support. This is like a dream come true for us. We hope that you will still continue to support and root for us even if our journey in “Superstar K6″ has ended. We are just beginning and we will never stop reaching for our dreams.”

EXCLUSIVE: Getting to know MICA

Source: Mb.com.ph (October 30, 2014 at 06:20PM)

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