KWC KARAOKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2011 Filipino singers make history in prestigious international singing competition

Philippines’ first representatives in the 2011 Karaoke World Championships held in Killarney, Ireland on September 8-10 made a remarkable start. Joel Cruz was the 2011 KWC Male 1st Runner-Up and Lyda Shyla Roxas was the 2011 KWC Female 3rd Runner-Up. Indeed, the 2011 KWC World Finals marked another memorable experience for all its participants. KWC Philippines’ first experience was a blast with Joel and Lyda making it to the top 5. Their commendable performances served as a clear proof of Filipinos’ world class talent.

For his winning piece, Joel sang Bridge over Troubled Water (originally performed by Simon & Garfunkel), blowing the crowd away with his electrifying performance. Lyda stunned the audience with her powerful rendition of Alone (originally performed by Heart). Out of 23 participating countries, the Philippines was the only one to get both male and female representatives in the top five.

The five winners for the male cateogry are:

1. Marc Hatem (Lebanon) – champion
2. Joel Cruz (Philippines) – first runner-up
3. Vladimir Pak (Russia) – second runner-up
4. Riki James (New Zealand) – third runner-up
5. Toni Laaksonen (Finland) – fourth runner-up

Karaoke World Championships 2011 videos

Joel Cruz performs “Bridge Over Troubled Water” at the 2011 KWC Karaoke World Championships held in Killarney, Ireland

The five winners for the female cateogry are:

1. Cassandra Jopp (USA) – champion
2. Estefania Gralla (Spain) – first runner-up
3. Jerrica Santos (Canada) – second runner-up
4. Lyda Shyla Roxas (Philippines) – third runner-up
5. Viktoriia Pakhtusova (Ukraine) – fourth runner-up

Although neither bagged home the championship crown, their success has earned Filipinos the respect of the international music community.

Lyda Shyla Roxas performs “Alone” at the 2011 KWC Karaoke World Championships held in Killarney, Ireland.