VINCENT BUENO'S "SINGIN' IN THE RAIN"

Vincent Bueno's performance of "Singin' in the Rain"

(Video downloaded from youtube.com)

Vincent Bueno uploaded a video of "Singin' in the Rain" by Jamie Cullum on his Facebook account. I posted a comment on that video where I mentioned I would be uploading his (Vincent's) version of the song on this blog as soon as I am certain there would be no legal implication in doing so. I downloaded the video from youtube.com just couples of weeks after Vincent's win in Austria's Musical: Die Show as Grand Winner and just as I was trying to learn the technical aspect of blogging--including the downloading of videos from the Internet. The said video is no longer available on youtube.com. Although I was able to download it, I failed to get the name of the person who uploaded it so I can properly give credit in case I use said video for blogging purposes.

"Singin' in the Rain", Vincent's version, was my most-watched video. I was quite certain I have watched this video perhaps a thousand times or more. No exaggeration at that. I remember I watched it for the whole year--except on Good Friday to respect the holiness of the day.

I watched it just after saying my morning prayer upon rising, watched it again during break time at work, and before I went to sleep. This is, of course, aside from watching other Vincent's videos like Hair, I Wanna Be Like You, Grease Lightning, and Music of the Night that I all likewise loved so much. All these videos were Vincent's actual performances in the reality TV talent search which were responded with thundering applause and some by standing ovation by the audience. It is my belief that had Vincent's reality-TV-talent-search experience happened here in the Philippines, he would have been more popular and better recognized here for his excellent performances. But then, maybe he would not be that popular in Austria where the cash prize he won was more than what he would have won in the local counterpart of the contest. 

Anyway, I love "Singin' in the Rain". It is my most favorite of all Vincent's performances. It has both beautiful and happy melody. It really makes my heart sing. Also, the video was where I first saw Vincent sing and dance. And I was very much impressed with his performance. During the time I fell in love with the song, my life was laden with problems and sorrows. There were problems in all areas of my life, and everywhere--at home, in the workplace... everywhere! 

It was also during that time when a doctor in the Subic Dispensary and a cardiologist in the Nueva Ecija Doctors Hospital in Cabanatuan City told me there was finding in my ECG results. It was during this time when I was feeling very, very weak and very much afraid. "Singin' in the Rain" became a sort of self-affirmation to me. I AM HAPPY--despite the rain. I AM SINGING AND DANCING--despite life's insurmountable problems. I am not negatively affected by problems that have enveloped me. I sang this song when I jogged or took a brisk walk at Olongapo's Tapinac Oval--everyday. I sang this song while walking and as I headed for work. I sang or hummed this song when I walked on the hallway of the building where our office is housed. And everyone who heard me sing or hum could not help but sing or hum this song, too. Even Aling Helen, our janitress, was also singing this song. Ask her. 

After a year or a little more than a year, when I had my annual physical examination again, the nurse who conducted my ECG told me, "It's okay, sir. It's normal." Praise the Lord! To where shall I attribute the healing aside from jogging and brisk walking if not to positive thinking thru singing that song and my fondness for its singer--Vincent! 

Well, it's mid-October. Pretty soon, the rainy season would be over. I don't like the floods! But I do love the rain. So, before the rainy season winds up, as the rain rhythmically falls down from the heavens, I'll get out and sing in the rain (a la Vincent Bueno--with matching umbrella--but minus the backflip and break dance, of course).

VINCENT BUENO - MORE THAN JUST A REALITY TALENT SEARCH CHAMPION

Photo from Vincent Bueno Support page on MySpace.com

I first came to know about Vincent Bueno on January 12, 2008 when I watched ABS-CBN's TV Patrol and he was in the news. He just won then the grand prize in Musical! Die Show, a reality talent competition, probably the counterpart in Austria of American Idol, although with a twist.

I was so interested in the news that the following day, when our office's copy of a daily broadsheet was delivered by the newsboy and I saw Vincent on the front page, I immediately read the news item about him.

It is natural for a Filipino to rejoice when news about a fellow Filipino, even if he is not a full-blooded one, who gained international recognition, reaches the Philippine shore. How much more when he is a full-blooded Filipino as in the case of Vincent Bueno!

The next thing I found myself doing was surfing the Internet for more news about Vincent. My effort did not fail me. So many bloggers have already written much about Vincent. Some of them even witnessed the actual competition and have accurately transformed their jubilant feelings into words and put them in print.

My interest to know more about Vincent Bueno's extraordinary talents and sudden rise to fame was further aroused by some bloggers' accounts of Vincent's stage performances as seen in video clips especially those uploaded on www.youtube.com. Even if I had not visited that web site before and had no intention to visit it, my overwhelming desire to see Vincent doing his thing in videos brought me there. I was so impressed and delighted to see his superb performances that I even clapped my hands after each performance. They were so great they gave me goosebumps!

One blogger was justified in saying and sharing her experiences with her readers that, after watching Vincent in videos, she suddenly had a wild craving to see more of him, especially his stage performances. I share the same experience and feeling.

As more and more people had seen Vincent in videos, more and more people started to show fondness for him sending congratulatory messages directly to his web page or anywhere on the Net where their fondness for him could be expressed and, hopefully, read by him. Finding him on MySpace.com, I signed up just for the purpose of sending him a message of praise. To my surprise, he replied to my message—and quite intimately at that—addressing me "Tito Goddy", after which, I found myself exultant.

Since then, I've been frequenting internet cafes watching him on You Tube.

All of the above speak well of Vincent's inherent singing, dancing, and acting talents and skills as well as his superb performances that led him to becoming a reality talent search champion. To me, however, Vincent is more than just that for he even possesses qualities that can be attributed to a modern-day hero.

Having won his prize at a time when news on political turmoil and other negative issues dominated the Philippine print media and the airwaves, Vincent's win provided a respite from such alarming and discouraging news.

Vincent was able to lift the Filipino spirit and has become a sort of a unifying figure to what seems like a divided people.

Yes, Vincent is more than just a reality talent search champion and has, in fact, achieved what a mere reality talent search champion may not, for in a land where the citizens are notoriously known for their colonial mentality and preference for things not their own, VINCENT BUENO has proven his power and capacity to make that nation's people proud—so very proud—of their race!