What better word to describe Shanne‘s hard-won victory than the word “deserved”. Hailing all the way from General Santos City, in the southern part of the Philippine archipelago, Shanne sang her way to the finish line. Winning was no easy feat, but she had what it takes: talent, dedication, and the courage to take a leap of faith. And let’s not forget the final piece of the puzzle: the technology to reach the farthest corners of the globe, which is where Kumu comes in handy.
The Trajectory To Victory
If you want to reach the stars, you have to break the stratosphere, which is a need answered by having the best technology can offer. Kumu‘s “Sing For The Stars” was the vehicle aspiring singers and musicians rode to see how high they can reach. Hundreds of aspirants joined the country’s first-ever virtual singing contest and called upon their supporters to fuel the journey via the giving of virtual gifts. Much like an actual rocket launch with parts disengaging along the way, there were eliminations that narrowed down the contestant number from 100 down to 30, to 15, and finally, the top 3.
No rocket launch is complete without people guiding its trajectory, which comes in the form of the guest judges: Grammy Award-winning Michael Bublé, and Tony Award-winning Lea Salonga, along with other big names in the music industry such as KZ Tandingan and Ben&Ben. It isn’t really the end for those who didn’t make it to the top—a diamond in the rough is still a diamond beneath the surface. During the “Sing For The Stars”‘ virtual press conference, Lea Salonga mentioned that aspiring musicians can still get discovered even if they did not win the competition, which is a very encouraging statement to hold on to. Many can start their musical journey, but only one can call herself a Grand Champion and enjoy the perks that come with it—the title belongs to Shanne Gulle alone.
The New Star Under The Telescope
The now Grand Champion was then a regular Kumunizen live streamer who started her Kumu journey in 2020 at the young age of 16. She had a burning desire to grow her confidence and self-esteem, saying “I wanted to be a live streamer because I wanted to grow and interact with people”. She found the Kumunity to be a very welcoming place, filled with people generous with their time and support, and surely, her confidence began to grow. As Shanne put out her music content, she saw a promotion for “Sing For The Stars” on Instagram, showing the names of two huge legends in the music industry, one of which caught her attention: Ms. Lea Salonga. Her friends rightly pointed out that these types of singing competitions are not common, and was encouraged to give it a shot, to which she excitedly obliged.
The stars aligned for Shanne, whom beat more than a hundred other aspirants to the top. Kumunizens’ kind nature was also properly represented in the rapport Shanne had with the other finalists, Archie Aguilar and Christian Bahaya. The three bonded behind the scenes as they watched the finale stage being set up. With her Kumu friends along with her that day, she came home bagging the grand prize: $10,000, a one-year contract with Warner Music Philippines, and her own Kumu concert, which happened on April 24. In it, she sang huge pop hits such as Olivia Rodrigo‘s “Happier” and “Driver’s License” highlighting her winning vocals. Last on the prize list was a one-on-one coaching session with Michael Bublé himself—a Zoom session Shanne mustered up more of her confidence to join.
What’s Up On Kumu?
The Kumu-verse is a galaxy filled with various types of content that will cater to anybody’s tastes, may it be comedy, music, art, lifestyle and many more. Get in on the live streams, or start your own content and see how great the Kumu-nity can be! Here’s how to get the app for free:
- Go to the Google Play Store or the App Store and search for Kumu.
- Download the app and create your account for free.
- Start following content creators in the genres you prefer or start creating your own content for everyone to experience.
