American Idol: Jose ‘Sway’ Penala
ABC-5 airs American Idol Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10pm.
Fil-Am among ‘Idol’s’ top 24
[source: article by Kathryn Reyes of inq7.net]
ANOTHER FIL-AM TALENT HAS MADE IT TO the top 24 of the widely popular talent search, “American Idol.”
Jose “Sway” Penala turned 28 on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila), when the final crop was selected during proceedings in Pasadena, California.
Out of thousands who auditioned from all over the United States, 200 had been sent to Hollywood for the qualifying rounds.
Sway said he felt “numb” when judges Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell told him he was through to the next level.
“It’s still sinking in,” he said in an interview on Friday.
Unexpected obstacle
It hadn’t come easy for Sway, whose eligibility was questioned earlier.
He was said to have been part of a band with a recording contract when he auditioned for AI in August. Contest rules banned anyone signed to a recording or talent management contract.
The issue was put to rest when AI producer Ken Warwick announced on Feb. 3 that Sway was “still absolutely in the show” since the Fil-Am singer had dropped the contract as soon as he passed the auditions in San Francisco.
From childhood
A product of La Salle Greenhills, Sway migrated to the US with his family in 1989. His parents are investment bankers. In his latest interview (on the website idolonfox.com), he said he would land in real estate if he didn’t make it on “Idol.”
He spent his teenage years in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he formed singing groups. His passion for music had been apparent since he was 7.
Proud mom
Sway’s mother, Cristina, was at the Pasadena Civic Center when he got the coveted green light.
She was telling host Ryan Seacrest how proud she was, when her son burst into the holding room with the happy news.
Trail blazers
Former Fil-Am finalists were Camile Velasco and Jasmine Trias, who joined the third season in 2004. Trias finished third.
Winners from this point on will be determined by viewers’ votes.