If you’ve had your fill of local contemporary music’s predilection for grungy pop-rock tunes and saccharine-flavored revivals, get a copy of “Pinoy Dream Academy Season Two Scholars Sing Cayabyab” for a hearty serving of new compositions from everybody’s favorite music man, Ryan Cayabyab.

More inspired than the recent “Ryan Cayabyab Singers” album, “Scholars Sing Cayabyab” contains delightful tracks that will have you singing along from beginning to end. If you liked the catchy playfulness and Pinoy wit of RCS’ “Ba’t ’Di Mo Sinabi?” and the optimistic vibe of KC Concepcion’s “Ngiti Lang,” you’ll find a number of tracks here that are just as easy on the ears.

Top tracks

The 11-song playlist—which includes the bonus track, “Awit ng Pangarap,” sung by “PDA’s” first Grand Dreamer, Yeng Constantino—is basically middle-of-the-road OPM. The collection’s top tracks, Jay “Bugoy” Bogayan’s ballad, “Paano Na Kaya?,” and Iñaki Ting’s “Ganun Ba?,” capture the album’s over-all musical spirit—the songs are playful, youthful, contemporary, and they ooze with optimism. Another notable number comes from the academy’s resident heartthrob, Van Pojas, who soars in the melodically complex “Another Goodbye Song.”

The group’s most talented performers are given beautiful but vocally demanding songs: Bugoy demonstrates complete vocal control in “Paano Na Kaya?,” a ballad that benefits from his R&B stylings; Laarni Losala shows off her range and versatility in the show-stopping “Manalig Ka,” and Liezel Garcia comes up with a sultry and polished rendition of “I’d Rather.”

Limitations

Interestingly, while the other scholars are given safe songs to mask their limitations, Losala is once again assigned a tune that requires her to show off her belting prowess. (On the TV show, she’s always required to sing similarly difficult songs, while a number of her less-talented “classmates”—with less-demanding tunes—struggle to stay on the note. Of course, it’s good to see how this stretches the talented singer, but it always wreaks havoc on her nerves.)

Like Losala, Miguel Mendoza is given a rousing “contest piece” (“Hero”), but the song is dragged down by a churchy arrangement and a heavy-handed interpretation. Cris Pastor (“Bakit Ganyan?”), one of the most improved scholars in the academy, and Bunny Malunda (“Narito Lang Ako”) sing safe, radio-friendly songs that are within their limited range.

Sen Nichols and Apple Abarquez sing the compilation’s two covers: Ariel Rivera’s “Wala Kang Katulad” for the former, and “Limang-Dipang Tao,” the classic OPM ditty from Mr. C’s groundbreaking “One” album, for the latter.

But, singing remakes is always tricky, because it presents the risk of being compared to their original interpreters. The fresh arrangement of “Limang-Dipang Tao” helps Apple escape that unfair fate.

Unfortunately, it’s Sen who, despite hitting all the right notes, suffers from the comparison. If a performer neither sings better nor brings something new to a well-loved hit song, he ends up sounding like a copycat—and that’s not something that would jumpstart a career in the performing arts.

The Top Six’s charity program, Dream Bigayan was launched today on Uberture. Late this afternoon the scholars cooked up a storm for some street children from Cebu as part of Van’s charity assignment. Ex-PDA scholars Bunny, Iñaki, Poy and Sen assisted in the feeding program and were more than happy to be serving the young ones.

7^th placer Hansen was also interviewed on the show. Close to being part of the final batch, Sen feels that he can still learn a lot from the remaining last two weeks of the competition. Were he given the opportunity to stay in the Acadmemy, he would have wanted to help kids with cancer. He believes that this illness robs the kids of their childhood and he wanted to restore in them the passion to live. Billy tried grilling Sen about his closeness with Cris but the ex-scholar turned the tables on him and caught him flustered over a question on Nikki Gil.

Meanwhile the Top 6 were invited to participate on Cesar Montano’s The Singing Bee. Who among them will bring home the Singing Bee trophy? Catch this exciting episode on the primetime edition later of Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2!

Song title: Wala Kang Katulad
Sang by: PDA 2 Scholar Hansen Nichols (Scholars Sing Cayabyab version) | Ariel Rivera (original version)

Lyrics:

Mula ng kita'y makilala
Walang ibang naaalala
Kundi ang tamis ng iyong ngiti
Parang nagsasabing, mahal mo ako.

Ibang-iba ka aking giliw
Sa lahat ng nakilala
Walang ibang naghahatid ng sigla, tulad mo sinta.

Wala kang katulad, wala ng hihigit pa sa iyo
Wala kang kaparis, wala ng gaganda pa sa iyo
'Di ka maihahambing
Kahit kanino pa, labis ang 'yong ganda
Wala kang katulad, at mahal kita.

Iisa lamang ang nais
Ang makapiling ka lagi
At pagmasdan ang iyong nangungusap na mga mata
O kay ganda

Lagi akong umaasang
habang buhay tayong magsasama
'Wag kang mabahala sa piling ko ay liligaya ka

Wala kang katulad, wala ng hihigit pa sa iyo
Wala kang kaparis, wala ng gaganda pa sa iyo
'Di ka maihahambing
Kahit kanino pa, labis ang 'yong ganda
Wala kang katulad, at mahal kita.

Minsan lamang sa aking buhay, nakadama ng ganito oh

Wala kang katulad, wala ng hihigit pa sa iyo
Wala kang kaparis, wala ng gaganda pa sa iyo
'Di ka maihahambing
Kahit kanino pa, labis ang 'yong ganda
Wala kang katulad,
Wala kang katulad,
Wala kang katulad,
at mahal kita.

at mahal kita.

For Bunny, Iñaki, and Sen, recently expelled from Pinoy Dream Academy, along with Poy, an honorary scholar, life goes on.

They may not have made it to Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2’s Top 6 but that doesn’t stop them from pursuing their dreams.

Bunny

Bunny, who wished she’d be the grand winner, is happy that she is now reunited with her daughter and husband. She is also glad that finally her cyst in her throat had been removed and is now undergoing therapy. “No matter how long that will take, I will willingly go through so that I can go back to singing,” she says.

She discovered that she had a cyst in her throat that greatly affected her singing inside the Academy.

“I have gone through a lot, and this is just the beginning for me, my husband and my daughter,” she adds.

Chivas, her husband, who was with her in the Academy had been expelled earlier than she was because of his episodic collapses.

Life became harder without her husband by her side in the Academy, but she never gave up the fight.

“I really want to thank them and I hope that they continue supporting me outside the Academy. I’m really doing everything that I can to make them happy and hopefully, the removal of my cyst would be the start of better performances dedicated to them,” she says.

Iñaki

Iñaki, nephew of ’80s rock icon Juan Miguel Salvador, is taking things one at a time. Already, the young man is being deluged with offers to perform here and there. But now that he is still tied down to the Academy’s supervision, he has to weigh things over. He may not have ended up in the Top 6, but he is very thankful for the amount of exposure he got through his stay in the Academy.

While others see him an arrogant rich kid, others think he’s a strong-willed young man who knows what he wants in life.

Now that he’s back in the outside world, Iñaki is aware of the negative things some people say about him. He admits that he may have done a couple of stuff that came off as irritating or even offensive to others but he’s also humble enough to own them up and apologize to those who think they were offended.

“I hope that the people would give me another chance to prove that contrary to what some think, I am actually a good person,” he says.

Is there anything he regrets doing or not doing inside the Academy?

“I regret the things I did that have offended anyone or hurt their feelings in any way,” he says, sincerity evident in his eyes.

What are his plans after PDA?

“I want to pursue my singing career. Maybe come up with an album or venture into songwriting. I want to work with my friends, like Christian Bautista and Sam Concepcion, and of course my idol Gary V,” says the young man who is very much into theater.

Sen

Many couldn’t believe Sen, a cancer survivor, who Media Performance Mentor Joey Reyes called “The Saint” had been expelled.

He was a strong favorite to last through to the finals.

Sen won the followers of the nightly Pinoy Dream Academy with his good looks, affable personality, and a talent that was nearly taken away from him in a car crash. The accident was a blessing in disguise for Hansen as it gave doctors the window to see that he had thyroid cancer.

The prognosis was devastating. He couldn’t use his voice to sing, not ever. Yet, persistence and perseverance became his best friends. After successfully battling cancer, he came home to his mother’s native country to start a career as a singer.

He auditioned to be a scholar on the first season of Pinoy Dream Academy but unfortunately, he didn’t make it. When the Academy’s door opened for a new batch of scholars, Sen tried his luck once more.

What made him audition again?

“I have always been a fighter. I was inflicted with cancer and I fought it. I came home to the Philippines to fulfill my dreams and there’s no way a rejection is going to hold me back. I didn’t make it before but it doesn’t mean that I can’t make it the second time around,” he says.

Was he aware of the risks?

“Very much, actually. I knew I was risking getting another rejection but I still did it anyway. My efforts paid off and I was able to get in this time,” he says with a smile.

Was he disappointed when he was expelled?

“Of course I was disappointed. I was really close to getting in to the Top 6 but I got voted out. Nonetheless, I don’t believe that getting expelled makes me less of a performer. What I believe is that my getting expelled is just a start of good things to come. As long as I continue working hard, I know that I’ll be able to achieve my dreams,” he says.

Poy

Among the four, Poy is the only one who was not able to snag a spot in this season’s Top 16. She was one of the four wildcards who vied for the chance to get into the Academy. Unfortunately, she failed to get the text votes needed for her to become an official scholar.

To her and her fans’ delight, she was given the opportunity to enter the Academy as an honorary scholar tasked to clinch the star scholar title thrice. Each star scholar award was equivalent to a prize money of P50,000 and had she fulfilled her assignment as an honorary scholar, she could’ve decided whether to take home P150,000 or carry on as a regular scholar and battle it out with the rest for this season’s Grand Star Dreamer title. Although she was consistently in the Top 3 each week, Poy failed to win the star scholar award.

Was she disappointed when she failed to carry out her assignment?

“No. In my opinion, I was able to fulfill my job as an honorary scholar. In my four-week stay, I consistently made it to the Top 3 and that’s worth everything for me,” she said. She also added that she is really happy that she was able to help bring out the best in the other scholars as her presence made them work harder.

What does she plan to do after her stint on PDA?

“Strike while the iron is hot! I will surely grab any opportunity that comes my way,” she said, beaming.

Who does she want to win this season?

“In terms of vocal ability, I think it’s a toss between Laarni and Bugoy,” she replied.

As different as Bunny, Iñaki, Sen, and Poy are perceived by people, one thing’s for sure: they all have made impressions that will never be easily forgotten. They are four individuals who dared to fulfill their dreams inside the Academy. Even though they didn’t clinch spots in this season’s Top 6, they have successfully endeared themselves to the viewers who are eagerly waiting for the next step that they are going to make.

Dubbed as the Cancer Survivor, Sen of Taguig was diagnosed with thyroid cancer after surviving a car crash. When told that he might not sing again, he almost did not undergo surgery but thankfully, his voice is still intact—allowing him to share it with others.

Clearly the weakest among the remaining scholars (based on average weekly grades), he went out with style, singing a commendable rendition of "His Eye on The Sparrow," a popular Gospel song and arguably his best solo performance throughout the competition. "I think that was one of your most emotional songs which you did. I thought that you were very sincere tonight. And the message was very, very nice, so I enjoyed it," resident juror Louie Ocampo said. Louie ended his critique on a positive note, what could even be a forewarning of his elimination: "What ever happens after tonight, He [God] will be watching over you." 

Van's "Who Am I," another worship song, was also well-received. Gust judge Girlie Rodis, a renowned talent manager, said she was impressed with Van since the beginning, and his latest performance was a testament of his improvement. "Alam kong marami kang dinadala sa dibdib mo, so yung performance mo today did not reflect the heaviness of your heart... I have to say maganda ang performance mo today," she said. Girlie was one of guest judges during the first PDA Gala Night. In her critique of Van's first PDA performance, she said: "Kung ako magiging manager mo, mabebenta kita agad... I think you're on your way."

Girlie said Miguel Mendoza lacked the skill to convey the story of his song, "Sandra." Still, she commended Miguel's vocal prowess and urged him to work harder for the upcoming finale. "Magaling ka naman talagang singer, no doubt. You're one of the better singers in this competition. But you really have to work on your storytelling." On the other hand, Girlie gave a more positive feedback to Cris Pastor's "Inseparable." "Ang laki ng iyong improvement, ang ganda ng vocal quality mo ngayon," she said. 

Louie said Liezel Garcia's rendition of "Goodbye's (The Saddest Word)" was not consistent. However, he still praised the performance as a whole. "May dating ka," Louie said. "Alagaan mo yun. You have to remember that in the coming weeks if you want be there." 

But the resident juror was more encouraging to Bugoy Bogayan ("Can't Stop A River') "No doubt, magaling ka talaga kumanta. Magaling ka talaga kumanta. Ngayon, kailangan talaga you have to find that tone to charm your audience and all your viewers to love you even more," the resident juror said. The Farmer's Son from Camarines Sur has clearly stolen Liezel's thunder, although the Pride of Puerto Galera has garnered the highest average during the 10-week graded performances. 

Laarni Losala ("I Am Blessed"), also among the top scorers of the competition, was also not to be left behind. "Blessed ka nga talaga. Buong kanta mo, napakaganda. Meron lang isang parte dun na 'di dumikit masyado nung kumambyo yung key. Pero, like a real star, sumabay ka naman...Pro ka talaga ngayon gabi." Louie also said he thinks Laarni will be in the top three, although it's not clear if he was referring to the top three of the night or of the entire competition.

The official Final Six scholars of Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2 are: Liezel, Bugoy, Laarni, Van, Miguel, and Cris. One of them will become the 2nd Grand Star Dreamer after Yeng Constantino of PDA Season 1. Who will be named the new Grand Star Dreamer on September 14?

For the 11th gala night of Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2, the public had the chance to choose the Final Six scholars and it turned out that Hansen Nichols will no longer be eligible to win the title of Grand Star Dreamer.

This makes Cebu's Young Heartthrob Van Louelle Pojas as the official sixth scholar who has the chance to follow in the footsteps of Yeng Constantino, the first winner of Pinoy Dream Academy last year. Van garnered 54.58 percent of text votes over Sen's 45.42 percent.

The first Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2 album, Scholars Sing Cayabyab, was also launched last Saturday. Proceeds from the said album and upcoming mall shows will be donated to the Scholars' chosen charitable institutions.

The performances last August 30 were not graded, which made the 11th Gala Night one of the most anti-climatic so far. Still, rest of the top six managed to showcase what learned during their 11-week stay in the academy, which reflected in the comments of the judges. 

Last Aug. 30 during the 11th Gala and Expulsion Night, Van Pojas completes the top 6 Scholars of Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2.  Van stays in the academy after garnering a 54.58% of text votes over Sen’s 45.42% of text votes.

Now the official top 6 scholars of PDA season 2 are: Zhel, Bugoy, Laarni, Van, Miguel, and Cris. One of them will become the 2nd Grand Star Dreamer after Yeng Constantino of Pinoy Dream Academy. The text voting is now open for the public to choose who will be the new Grand Star Dreamer until September 14.