Jed Madela continues to soar and explore
In an intimate bloggers’ conference, respected OPM artist and world champion Jed Madela expressed his gratitude for all the support he’s been getting through the years. With successful concerts and numerous awards under his belt, Jed is still definitely on a roll.
Ask any recording artist and they‘ll tell you that while awards are nice, winning them isn’t their priority. However. they‘ll also admit that it feels very good when award-giving bodies recognize all the hard work they put into their music. Such is true of world champion Jed Madela, whose new album Superhero just earned a nomination from the Catholic Mass Media Awards (CMMAs). It’s vying for Best Secular Album.
“The recognition of my album Superhero is a big big deal for me. I’m very honored that the CMMAs recognized this album. For me kasi, this album is a reflection of who I am. When I was conceptualizing it, inisip ko na I didn‘t want to release an album just for the sake of having a hit song. I wanted to put together an album full of songs that people can relate to,” Jed says.
Looking back. he thinks he was able to do exactly that, given the success of the singles “‘Di Matitinag,” “Superhero,” and the BoybandPH collab “Be With You Again.”
“Ang daming naka-relate sa kanila, which is awesome. I wanted people to really relate to my songs. Alam mo yung pakiramdam na kapag naka-relate ka sa isang song, you’ll say, ‘Wow, kwento ng buhay ko ‘to, ah.’ That’s what I really wanted for Superhero, so for it to be recognized by a legitimate award giving body means a lot. I prayed hard for this album to succeed, so win or lose, I’m very thankful to the CMMAs for the nomination.”
Jed says the album tells a story that he thinks is very timely, given how dark and dreary life is for many people these days.
“I really hope and pray that this album encourages people to not give up on their dreams. If you listen to it from start to finish, you’ll see that it tells a story of how a man starts with a dream. In pursuit of that dream, he’ s faced with many obstacles, but in the end he succeeds thanks to his hard work, persistence, and prayers.”
After Superhero was released, Jed staged his 15th anniversary concert Higher than High at the Araneta Coliseum last November 16,2018. The concert was a resounding success, but not many know that Jed was very hands-on when it came to the preparations.
“That concert was a major milestone for me, because it marked my first time to do a solo concert at the Big Dome. But what made it really special was the fact that I was heavily involved in every aspect of it. It was then that I realized na I’m more than just a performer. I can direct and write din pala. So now I’m looking forward to doing more concerts, not just as a performer, but as someone who works behind. the scenes.”
He may have to wait a while to do, that, because Jed’s duties as a hurado on the popular It ’s Showtime segment Tawag ng Tanghalan keep him busy. Not that he’ s complaining, mind you he loves being a hurado because it allows him to do another thing that he loves, which is to mentor up-and-coming artists.
“When these artists perform on Tawag ng Tanghalan, most of them are amateurs. They’re really raw. Kung manalo sila, good. Kung hindi, that was their only shot. Kaya I make it a point that when I critique them, win or lose, may matututunan sila sa comments ko para hindi sila uuwing luhaan,” he says.
“Being a hurado isn’t easy. In giving critiques, we have to be constructive, but at the same time you have to be honest kasi you have to open their eyes to their strengths and weaknesses. This season, I‘m confident that I did my job well. Some people tweeted me to say na yung mga comments ko may saysay. In fact, may may napupulot daw silang aral kahit hindi sila contestants. So yeah, I’m very happy to be a hurado and I’m really looking forward to being on the panel again when Tawag ng Tanghalan comes back for its next season,” he adds.
In the last year alone, Jed has achieved a lot. But he’s always looking for more mountains to climb.
“Sa totoo lang, I feel like this is just the tip of the iceberg, na there are new frontiers Jed Madela has yet to conquer,” he says. “I really want to direct a concert for another artist. I’m also going on another US tour in January 2020, and I’m prepping another really exciting album.”
One thing’s for sure, no matter what Jed does, this world champion will continue to fly high.
