The popular saying “fall seven times, stand up eight”, in both its literal and figurative context, can be applied to Elaine Duran’s journey. She auditioned for It’s Showtime’s Tawag ng Tanghalan seven times until she emerged as the competition’s grand champion just last Saturday, September 28.
In the Huling Tapatan, Elaine surprised the madlang people with her song choice – Shanti Dope’s “Nadarang” – which the judges described as an unconventional piece for a singing competition. The crowd and hurados got more thrilled when Elaine tweaked the song’s musical style into an ethnic pop-rock genre. The passionate Elaine said giving “Nadarang” a twist is her way of pouring out her artistry. This kind of creativity is what she admires with the likes of KZ Tandingan who is known for having unique takes on her covers. Fresh from her win just last weekend, Elaine played the ukulele while singing her wining piece and her own rendition of Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendez’s “Senorita” as a bonus.
WATCH: Elaine Duran rocks the stage with her rendition of Shanti Dopes’ “Nadarang”
For some, consecutive failures may break the spirit and desire to keep on trying, but with Elaine, the series of defeat in the beginning has ignited her passion even more. Boy Abunda can’t help but say that Elaine truly deserves her victory.
Part of Elaine’s triumph is the opportunity to showcase her talent in front of a wider audience. Yet, as we all know, tapping on the windows of showbiz entails risks. Elaine has stepped into a bigger world where she would become a subject to scrutiny. She may have garnered massive supporters but doubters are still lurking around her, ready to throw stones of criticisms anytime.
There are bashers calling her a copycat. Elaine humbly admitted that a neophyte like her looks up to other prominent singers in the industry. She idolizes hurado Kyla but this admiration does not totally mean she is trying to copy the Queen of RNB’s singing style. Elaine revealed that she is suffering from vocal nodules which makes her voice more airy hence, the runs and riffs.
The champ from Butuan is still on the adjustment period. Nevertheless she understands that she can’t please everyone. “Sana i-bless pa sila ni Lord. Sana maramdaman nila ‘yung love ni Lord”, Elaine’s message to the bashers.
In the Fast Talk segment, Elaine revealed that Hashtag Ryle Santiago is her crush. She named Piolo Pascual as the sexiest man in the Philippines and picked Kyla as the best TNT hurado for her. “Roxanne Barcelo”, Elaine’s answer to the question “Sino’ng artista ang kasing ganda mo?”. Guy Sebastian’s “Angels Brought Me Here” is her life’s current theme song.