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SINGAPORE: After three months of intense vocal sparring, 33-year-old life insurance adviser and part-time performer Fendi emerged victorious at the finals of MediaCorp's singing competition Live The Dream on Wednesday night.
For two-and-a-half hours, the audience was treated to a musical spectacle as the finalists - soloists Fendi and Victor Tang, and bands By Definition and Catsinecradle - duked it out at on stage.
Also performing were the other top ten finalists - Shauna Simon, Olynn, Robert Sunga, Revalina, After The Rain and The Sugarettes - as well as special guests the Papaya Sisters from local hit movie, 881; Singapore Idol winner Taufik Batisah; and American alt-rock band The Click Five.
"I'm very happy to win it," Fendi said of his win, which he dedicated to his fans and family, especially his mother. "And it's not just about the money."
He pocketed S$40,000 and will get a chance to perform in his own concert. Winners of the group category, five-piece rock band By Definition, also get to star in their own concert, and took home S$60,000 prize money.
The band won the judges and audience over with their energetic performances, complete with matching costumes, as they romped through powerhouse versions of Franz Ferdinand's Take Me Out and Elvis Presley's A Little Less Conversation.
Fendi, whom judge Ken Lim dubbed "Shrek", was also undeniably the better of the two, said the judges. "Now it's time to improve and move on to Shrek 2," Lim told the winner.
"I'm glad the voting audience got it right this time," said judge Dick Lee. A veteran at judging TV singing competitions - he also judged both seasons of Singapore Idol - Lee said the public perception that the judges were "helping" certain contestants sometimes saw a shortfall in votes for that singer. "It did happen in this contest. You can never be too sure about the public."
Lim, also a judge on Singapore Idol, said that the viewing public has become more objective in its voting. "Normally at the finals, they will get it right," he said. "As the viewers increase, at the end of the day you will get the right answer."
So, what plans do the winners have?
"The top five soloists all agreed that we're all going on a holiday together, no matter who won," said Fendi. "I guess this is on my tab." He also said he would treat his family and close supporters, and probably donate a portion of his winnings to charity.
Meanwhile, By Definition said they intend to use their winnings to record their first CD of original material, which they say they've already started writing. "Winning this has pushed us to complete it," said lead singer Ash, 25.
Fendi added: "We're going to party after this. Then I'm going to go home and sleep. Then wake up, and see if this isn't a dream."
He needn't worry - that dream has become a reality. - TODAY/ym
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