Asian Idol
Encyclopedia
Asian Idol is a reality singing competition, which featured winners of Idol competitions from six Southeast
and South Asian countries consisting of India
, Indonesia
, Malaysia, Philippines
, Singapore
, and Vietnam
. Part of the Idol franchise
, it originated from the reality program Pop Idol
created by British
entertainment executive Simon Fuller
, which was first aired in 2001 in the United Kingdom. The first season was won by Singapore Idol
Hady Mirza
, who was awarded an all-expense-paid trip around the world on business class
, after almost two million votes were cast.
The first season was held on 15 December and 16, 2007 in Jakarta
, Indonesia. RCTI
(which also hosts Indonesian Idol
), was the main broadcaster, with the program shown live among participating countries.
and Daniel Mananta
, both from Indonesian Idol, and Malaysian Idol's
Soo Kui Jien
.
Each participating country had its own system of determining its representative.
As a kickoff to Asian Idol, all six contestants were introduced through a special presentation called Road to Asian Idol on 8 December 2007. Meanwhile, fans of each contestant will be able to choose the song they want their Idol to perform before the Asian Idol performance show. The Idols performed two songs each—one in English and another in their native language.
In addition to the coverage of Asian Idol, RCTI ran a series of features called Asian Idol Extra between late November to mid-December 2007.
Every competing country sent a judge to serve as the contestants' critics, but comments from only three judges on each performer were shown due to time constraints.
Special guests in the Results Show included American Idol
winner Taylor Hicks
, Australian Idol
winner Guy Sebastian
, Indian Idol
judge Alisha Chinai
, and Vietnam Idol
judge Siu Black
. It also featured performances by Rivermaya
, Peterpan
, and Agnes Monica
.
The production of Asian Idol was put up with the help of the production crew from Australian Idol.
's franchise is also listed below because it was originally in the line-up of countries for the show. Gold background indicates the winner of the competition and the songs performed.
votes for two favorite Idols, thus allowing contestants to receive votes aside from their respective countries.
As consideration on population size among the participating countries, tabulation of votes are done through an "Equal and Even Cumulative Method", wherein the total votes of each country are converted into percentages. The winner was said to be determined through 50% viewers' votes and 50% judges' scores, but this was not confirmed during the program.
The Performance Night was taped on 12 December 2007, in Hall D2 of Arena Pekan Raya Jakarta. This program was seen first by viewers in Vietnam on 14 December 2007, followed by viewers in other participating countries on 15 December 2007, although in different time slots depending on time zones.
The Results Show, meanwhile, was shown live on 16 December 2007, with varying time slots, depending on time zones.
12,985,000 (roughly US$
1,500) to RCTI's Jalinan Kasih (Love Line Foundation) in Jakarta's Borobodur Hotel. A day later, they visited the presidential palace
of Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
in Bogor
.
, the second-season winner of Indian Idol, was dismayed over Sawant's selection to compete in Asian Idol. He claimed that Sony TV India, the broadcaster of Indian Idol, was supposed to hold a competition among its three winners to determine India's representative and he felt he was bypassed.
Network representatives clarified that although they have the option to choose their representative, they were toying the idea of competing the three Indian Idol winners—including season 3 winner Prashant Tamang
. However, it was cancelled due to scheduling conflicts.
There were reports of disrupted voting lines the Philippines, making SMS votes delayed by as much as eight hours until the morning of 16 December 2007. According to representatives of ABC, the Philippine broadcaster of Asian Idol, the glitch was caused by "a clog in the telephone companies".
There were claims that Hady may have gotten the crucial second vote outside of his home country, wherein it is claimed that votes for strong candidates were paired with weak ones like Hady and Sawant who were trailing in Asian Idol's online survey. This voting tactic was said to avoid viewers' home Idols be beaten by their closest rivals.
In Singapore, the victory stirred hopes of a revival of the country's golden age of music during the 1960s and 70's. Taufik Batisah
, first season winner of Singapore Idol, said that the win is something their country should be proud of and hopefully this would "open the eyes and ears" of listeners. However, there were viewers in Singapore who still doubt Hady's singing ability, claiming that his performance in Asian Idol was not as strong as other competitors and it was a matter of "luck over talent". Singapore Idol judge Ken Lim reiterated that "looks and voice" had won the title for Hady.
Meanwhile, Hady shrugged off speculations that he won because he was a "non-threat", but considered himself an underdog
and that he did "pretty well" in terms of sincerity and connecting with the audience.
Filipino TV and movie critic Nestor U. Torre mentioned that he was not surprised about Hady's win, even lauding him for his "impressively cool yet dynamic" performances. He also appreciated Victor and Phuong Vy's performances. While Torre was also equally impressed by Marcelo and Mohede's voices, he also said that their girth worked to their disadvantage. On Sawant, Torre noted that his "balladeer" projection was "less dynamic" with his country's large voting population failing him. Despite the surprises and disappointments in the competition, Torre regarded Asian Idol a success as it produced relatively new talents in the Asian and international music scene.
Asia's production director (which holds the Idol franchises in the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaysia) reported that the second season will not take place in 2008, and is planning to launch on 2009 due to several reasons (Kazakhstan, Malaysian and Singapore franchises ended, relaunch of the Philippine franchise, delayed launch of India and Vietnam, cancellation of the Pakistan franchise). Thailand (which will have its franchise soon) is reported to participate in the event.
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
and South Asian countries consisting of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Malaysia, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, and Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. Part of the Idol franchise
Idol series
The British talent search television series Pop Idol has spawned spin-offs in 42 territories, in what is now referred to as the "Idols" format, as described by FremantleMedia...
, it originated from the reality program Pop Idol
Pop Idol
Pop Idol is a British television series which debuted on ITV on 6 October 2001. The show was a talent contest to decide the best new young pop singer in the United Kingdom, based on viewer voting and participation. Two series were broadcast - one in 2001-02 and a second in 2003...
created by British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
entertainment executive Simon Fuller
Simon Fuller
Simon Fuller is a British artist manager, television producer and creator of the Idol franchise, first seen as Pop Idol in the UK. Fuller is also the co-creator and executive producer of the Fox TV reality show So You Think You Can Dance and other U.S...
, which was first aired in 2001 in the United Kingdom. The first season was won by Singapore Idol
Singapore Idol
Singapore Idol is a television show on Channel 5 of MediaCorp TV. It is a competition among undiscovered singers in Singapore. Like others in the Idol series, it is modelled after Pop Idol. The current judges are singer/songwriter Dick Lee and record producers Florence Lian and Ken Lim. Previous...
Hady Mirza
Hady Mirza
Hady Mirza is a Singaporean singer of Bugis descent, with his grandparents hailing from Sulawesi. He is the winner of the second season of the reality TV show Singapore Idol...
, who was awarded an all-expense-paid trip around the world on business class
Business class
Business class is a travel class available on many commercial airlines and rail lines, known by brand names which vary by airline or rail company. In the airline industry, it was originally intended as an intermediate level of service between economy class and first class, but many airlines now...
, after almost two million votes were cast.
The first season was held on 15 December and 16, 2007 in Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
, Indonesia. RCTI
RCTI
RCTI is Indonesia's first privately owned television network and is based in West Jakarta. RCTI broadcasts Indonesian Idol as well as sinetron , films, news and current affairs, reality shows and religious programs...
(which also hosts Indonesian Idol
Indonesian Idol
Indonesian Idol is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia Asia, which began airing on RCTI on March 2004. Part of the Idol franchise, it was as a spin-off from the UK show Pop Idol...
), was the main broadcaster, with the program shown live among participating countries.
Season 1
The first season was hosted by Amelia "Ata" NatashaAmelia Natasha
Amelia Natasha or more commonly known as Ata was a host of the popular TV show Indonesian Idol for its first four seasons, from 2004-2007....
and Daniel Mananta
Daniel Mananta
Daniel Mananta is a Chinese Indonesian television host, VJ and actor. He's best known as a VJ for MTV Indonesia since 2003. Mananta hosts Indonesian Idol and was one of the host on the Asian Idol show in 2007 for the first time held in Indonesia...
, both from Indonesian Idol, and Malaysian Idol's
Malaysian Idol
Malaysian Idol is the Malaysian version of the Idol Series that started in UK, similar to shows such as UK's Pop Idol and American Idol in the franchise. This show is a contest to determine the best young singer in Malaysia, with the winner receiving a major record deal, although some runners-up...
Soo Kui Jien
Soo Kui Jien
Soo Kui Jien, , is a Malaysian television personality.- Biography :Better known as Handsome Jien, Jien got his big break when he became a host on the Disney Channel in 1997. He has worked as an emcee and host on television in Hong Kong, Manila, Singapore and Malaysia. At 5' 9", he has also acted in...
.
Each participating country had its own system of determining its representative.
As a kickoff to Asian Idol, all six contestants were introduced through a special presentation called Road to Asian Idol on 8 December 2007. Meanwhile, fans of each contestant will be able to choose the song they want their Idol to perform before the Asian Idol performance show. The Idols performed two songs each—one in English and another in their native language.
In addition to the coverage of Asian Idol, RCTI ran a series of features called Asian Idol Extra between late November to mid-December 2007.
Every competing country sent a judge to serve as the contestants' critics, but comments from only three judges on each performer were shown due to time constraints.
Special guests in the Results Show included American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
winner Taylor Hicks
Taylor Hicks
Taylor Reuben Hicks is an American singer who achieved fame in 2006, when he won the fifth season of American Idol. Hicks got his start as a professional musician in his late teens and performed around the Southeastern United States for well over the span of a decade, during which he also released...
, Australian Idol
Australian Idol
Australian Idol is a Logie Award-winning Australian singing competition, which began its first season on July 2003 and ended its run in November 2009. As part of the Idol franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program Pop Idol, which was created by British entertainment executive...
winner Guy Sebastian
Guy Sebastian
Guy Theodore Sebastian is an Australian pop, R&B, and soul singer-songwriter who was the first winner of Australian Idol in 2003. He is currently a judge on the Australian version of The X Factor. Sebastian has released six top ten platinum/multi platinum albums, including a number-one and...
, Indian Idol
Indian Idol
Indian Idol is an adaptation of the Pop Idol format. It started airing in India with the first season in 2004-2005 and followed that with second , third and fourth seasons...
judge Alisha Chinai
Alisha Chinai
Alisha Chinai in Gujarati family and an Indian pop singer known for her several albums as well as playback singing in Hindi cinema.-Career:...
, and Vietnam Idol
Vietnam Idol
Thần tượng âm nhạc: Vietnam Idol is a Vietnamese reality television competition to find new solo singing talents. It is part of the Idol franchise; it originated from the reality program Pop Idol created by British entertainment executive Simon Fuller...
judge Siu Black
Siu Black
Siu Black is a prominent Vietnamese popular singer from the Central Highlands. She is a member of the Ba Na ethnic group....
. It also featured performances by Rivermaya
Rivermaya
Rivermaya is one of the most influential, critically acclaimed and significant Filipino rock band formed in 1993. They are one of the several bands who spearheads the 90s Philippine alternative rock explosion...
, Peterpan
Peterpan (band)
Peterpan is a multi-award–winning Indonesian pop rock band. The band originally consisted of six members, known as Andika, Indra, Ariel, Uki, Loekman, and Reza, the first two of whichhave since left the band...
, and Agnes Monica
Agnes Monica
Agnes Monica is an Indonesian recording artist and actress. Born in Jakarta, Indonesia, she started her career in entertainment industry at the age of six as a child singer. She has recorded three albums which established herself as one of the most popular child singers in the 1990s...
.
The production of Asian Idol was put up with the help of the production crew from Australian Idol.
Participation details
The table below lists the contenders in Asian Idol and the songs that each performed. It also lists the representative judges and the TV networks that participated in the show. KazakhstanKazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
's franchise is also listed below because it was originally in the line-up of countries for the show. Gold background indicates the winner of the competition and the songs performed.
| Asian Idol Franchise | Representative Idol | English song | Native language song (with English translation of title) |
Representative judge | Participating network |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Indian IdolIndian Idol Indian Idol is an adaptation of the Pop Idol format. It started airing in India with the first season in 2004-2005 and followed that with second , third and fourth seasons... |
Abhijeet Sawant Abhijeet Sawant Abhijeet Sawant is an Indian singer. He is the winner of Indian Idol , a show that follows the extremely popular Idol series format, which began with Pop Idol in the UK... Season 1 Winner |
(Everything I Do) I Do It for You (Everything I Do) I Do It for You " I Do It for You" is a power ballad performed by Bryan Adams and co-written with Michael Kamen and Robert John "Mutt" Lange, featured on the soundtrack album from the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and on Adams' album Waking Up the Neighbours... |
Junoon (Obsession) |
Anu Malik Anu Malik Anu Malik , born Anwar Sardaar Malik, is a famous music director in the Hindi film industry. Son of veteran music director Sardar Malek, Anu Malik made his debut as a music composer in the year 1977. After a considerable period of struggle, the 90's welcomed Anu with hits like 'Phir Teri Kahani... |
Sony TV Sony Entertainment Television (India) This article is about the SET channel in India. For the Indian version broadcasted worldwide, see Sony Entertainment Television Asia.Sony Entertainment Television, or SET, is a Hindi-language based general entertainment television channel in India. It was launched in October 1996 and is owned by... |
 Indonesian Idol |
Mike Mohede Mike Mohede Michael Prabawa Mohede , better known as Mike, is an Indonesian singer and the winner of the second season of Indonesian Idol.He represented Indonesia in Asian Idol, losing to Hady Mirza of Singapore Idol.... Season 2 Winner |
I Believe I Can Fly I Believe I Can Fly "I Believe I Can Fly" is a 1996 song by R&B singer R. Kelly. The song was written, produced and performed by Kelly and was featured on the soundtrack to the 1996 film Space Jam. The song later appeared on Kelly's 1998 album R..... |
Mengejar Matahari (Chasing the Sun) |
Indra Lesmana Indra Lesmana Indra Lesmana is an Indonesian jazz pianist.- Background :He was introduced to jazz music by his father, Jack Lesmana, who is also a jazz musician. His musical career with keyboards instrument started at age 10... |
RCTI |
 SuperStar KZSuperStar KZ SuperStar KZ was a reality television show based on the popular British show Pop Idol, which aired from 2003 to 2007 on the Kazhak television station Perviy Kanal Evrasia. The talent contest determined the best young singers in Kazakhstan by allowing viewers to vote by phone or SMS... |
Originally in the lineup but failed to send a representative among its four winners. | ||||
 Malaysian Idol |
Jaclyn Victor Jaclyn Victor Jaclyn Joshua Thanaraj Victor is a singer and actress, popularly known as Jac, who won the inaugural Malaysian Idol and Ikon Malaysia. For being the winner of Malaysian Idol, she won a recording contract under Sony BMG Entertainment. She is under the management of The 8 Unit. She represented... Season 1 Winner |
For Once in My Life For Once in My Life "For Once in My Life" is a pop song written by Ron Miller and Orlando Murden for Motown Records' Jobete publishing company in 1967 . The composition was originally recorded by Jean DuShon, while other artists, such as Tony Bennett and The Temptations, recorded slow ballad versions of the song... |
Gemilang (Glory) |
Paul Moss Paul Moss Paul Raymond Moss is the general manager of Media Prima network's media portal and a judge in 8TV's One in a Million singing contest.Moss was the AS A&R director of record company Positive Tone from its inception in 1994 until last year... |
8TV 8TV (Malaysia) 8TV is a private Malaysian Chinese television station, previously known as MetroVision Channel 8. Metrovision closed on 1 November 1999. 8TV was officially launched on Thursday, 8 January 2004 as 8TV after being acquired by Media Prima Berhad.... |
 Philippine IdolPhilippine Idol Philippine Idol was the first franchise of Idol series in the Philippines, the 35th country in the world to air a national Idol franchise and the sixth in Asia. The franchise was first awarded by FremantleMedia, 19 Entertainment and CKX, Inc. to Associated Broadcasting Company in 2006 and then to... |
Mau Marcelo Mau Marcelo Maureen "Mau" Flores Marcelo is a Filipina Puertorican R&B soul singer who rose to prominence as the first winner of Philippine Idol in 2006. She was dubbed as the "Soul Idol" and "The Black Belter" at the competition for her R&B-style vocals... Season 1 Winner |
Reach Reach (song) "Reach" is a song by Gloria Estefan, released as a single in 1996, and taken from her seventh studio album Destiny.Estefan, together with nine other Latino artists, also recorded a Spanish version of the song entitled Puedes Llegar.... |
Ako ang Nasawi, Ako ang Nagwagi (I'm the Defeated, I'm the Winner) |
Pilita Corrales Pilita Corrales Pilita Garrido Corrales is a Popular Filipina singer. She is tagged "Asia's Queen of Songs."-Biography:Pilita Garrido Corrales was born in Lahug, Cebu to a Spanish mother Maria Garrido and a half Filipino half Spanish father Jose Corrales... |
ABC Associated Broadcasting Company The Associated Broadcasting Company, Inc is a television network in the Philippines, with main broadcast facilities and transmitter located at 762 Quirino Highway, San Bartolome, Novaliches, Quezon City. The network was previously known as the , Associated Broadcasting Company remains the legal... |
 Singapore Idol |
Hady Mirza Season 2 Winner |
Beautiful Day Beautiful Day "Beautiful Day" is a song by the rock band U2. It is the first track from their 2000 album, All That You Can't Leave Behind, and it was released as the album's lead single. It was a commercial success, helping launch the album to multi-platinum status, and is one of U2's biggest hits to date... |
Berserah (Holding On) |
Ken Lim Ken Lim Ken Lim is an album producer, composer, publisher, artist manager and concert promoter from Singapore who came under the spotlight in 2004 as a chief judge of the Singapore Idol series... |
MediaCorp TV Channel 5 MediaCorp TV Channel 5 MediaCorp Channel 5 or Channel 5 is a 24-hour free-to-air English and Malay language television channel based in Singapore.... |
 Vietnam Idol |
Phương Vy Phuong Vy Nguyễn Ngọc Phương Vy is a Vietnamese singer who won the first season of Vietnam Idol, in 2007.-Vietnam Idol:Phương Vy auditioned for Vietnam Idol in Ho Chi Minh City. She proceeded into the top 10 and was never voted into the bottom three. Phương Vy advanced into the final and won the title over... Season 1 Winner |
River Deep - Mountain High River Deep - Mountain High "River Deep – Mountain High" is a 1966 single by Ike & Tina Turner. Considered by producer Phil Spector to be his best work, the single was successful in Europe, peaking at #3 in the United Kingdom, though it flopped on its original release in the United States... |
Lúc Mới Yêu (Just Falling in Love) |
Siu Black Siu Black Siu Black is a prominent Vietnamese popular singer from the Central Highlands. She is a member of the Ba Na ethnic group.... |
HTV9 Ho Chi Minh City Television Ho Chi Minh City Television is the official televised channel of Ho Chi Minh City. HTV broadcasts in three channels: entertainment & advertisement service and gameshow on HTV7, information, propaganda-trend, official and analog-digital on HTV9, and HTV4. HTV also has several specific cable and... |
Voting procedures
There are several differences in voting and tabulation between Asian Idol and other Idol shows. Unlike the latter wherein the viewers get to vote for one contestant, the voting procedure for Asian Idol requires viewers to send SMSShort message service
Short Message Service is a text messaging service component of phone, web, or mobile communication systems, using standardized communications protocols that allow the exchange of short text messages between fixed line or mobile phone devices...
votes for two favorite Idols, thus allowing contestants to receive votes aside from their respective countries.
As consideration on population size among the participating countries, tabulation of votes are done through an "Equal and Even Cumulative Method", wherein the total votes of each country are converted into percentages. The winner was said to be determined through 50% viewers' votes and 50% judges' scores, but this was not confirmed during the program.
Partial results
Daniel Hartono, project manager of Asian Idol, revealed during a press conference that Mohede received the highest amount of actual votes at approximately one million in total. However, because of the show's voting process where 50% of votes per country goes to the second option Idol, Mohede's votes were slashed by half and total percentages of votes from other participating countries were added. Hady, meanwhile, got the highest number of "second option votes". In total, Hady got 115% while Mohede is in second place with 111% and Victor got the lowest amount of votes. The rankings of other contestants were not revealed.Telecast schedule
To address differences in time zones (and in some cases, telecast dates), shows about Asian Idol was broadcast on different time slots and dates depending on the country. For instance, viewers in Indonesia, Philippines, and Malaysia, watched Road to Asian Idol on 8 December 2007, while it was shown in Vietnam on 9 December. Viewers in India and Singapore watched the preview program on 14 December.The Performance Night was taped on 12 December 2007, in Hall D2 of Arena Pekan Raya Jakarta. This program was seen first by viewers in Vietnam on 14 December 2007, followed by viewers in other participating countries on 15 December 2007, although in different time slots depending on time zones.
The Results Show, meanwhile, was shown live on 16 December 2007, with varying time slots, depending on time zones.
Pre-event activities
The contestants for Asian Idol participated in activities promoting the program during their stay in Jakarta. On 7 December 2007, the contestants donated RpIndonesian rupiah
The rupiah is the official currency of Indonesia. Issued and controlled by the Bank of Indonesia, the ISO 4217 currency code for the Indonesian rupiah is IDR. Informally, Indonesians also use the word "perak" in referring to rupiah...
12,985,000 (roughly US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
1,500) to RCTI's Jalinan Kasih (Love Line Foundation) in Jakarta's Borobodur Hotel. A day later, they visited the presidential palace
Istana Bogor
Istana Bogor is one of 6 Presidential Palaces in Indonesia. The palace is noted for its distinctive architectural, historical, features, as well as the adjoining botanical gardens. Istana Bogor was opened to the public in 1968 to public tour groups , with the permission of the then President of...
of Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono AC , is an Indonesian politician and retired Army general officer who has been President of Indonesia since 2004....
in Bogor
Bogor
Bogor is a city on the island of Java in the West Java province of Indonesia. The city is located in the center of the Bogor Regency , 60 kilometers south of the Indonesian capital Jakarta...
.
Controversies
Sandeep AcharyaSandeep Acharya
Sandeep Acharya is an Indian singer.Sandeep Acharya - Indian Idol Season 2 hails from Bikaner, Rajasthan and was crowned the winner of Indian Idol on 22 April 2006. Acharya is the winner of the second season of Indian Idol while the first was won by Abhijeet Sawant. Acharya beat judges favorite,...
, the second-season winner of Indian Idol, was dismayed over Sawant's selection to compete in Asian Idol. He claimed that Sony TV India, the broadcaster of Indian Idol, was supposed to hold a competition among its three winners to determine India's representative and he felt he was bypassed.
Network representatives clarified that although they have the option to choose their representative, they were toying the idea of competing the three Indian Idol winners—including season 3 winner Prashant Tamang
Prashant Tamang
Prashant Tamang is a Darjeeling-based singer and actor. He was the winner of Indian Idol Season 3 in 2007. He is the first Indian from Nepali community to make it to the final rounds of Indian Idol and win it...
. However, it was cancelled due to scheduling conflicts.
There were reports of disrupted voting lines the Philippines, making SMS votes delayed by as much as eight hours until the morning of 16 December 2007. According to representatives of ABC, the Philippine broadcaster of Asian Idol, the glitch was caused by "a clog in the telephone companies".
Reactions
Hady Mirza's win came as a surprise, as at least three of the judges predicted that the winner would either be Marcelo, Mohede, or Victor.There were claims that Hady may have gotten the crucial second vote outside of his home country, wherein it is claimed that votes for strong candidates were paired with weak ones like Hady and Sawant who were trailing in Asian Idol's online survey. This voting tactic was said to avoid viewers' home Idols be beaten by their closest rivals.
In Singapore, the victory stirred hopes of a revival of the country's golden age of music during the 1960s and 70's. Taufik Batisah
Taufik Batisah
Muhammad Taufik Bin Batisah, is the winner of the first season of the reality TV series Singapore Idol...
, first season winner of Singapore Idol, said that the win is something their country should be proud of and hopefully this would "open the eyes and ears" of listeners. However, there were viewers in Singapore who still doubt Hady's singing ability, claiming that his performance in Asian Idol was not as strong as other competitors and it was a matter of "luck over talent". Singapore Idol judge Ken Lim reiterated that "looks and voice" had won the title for Hady.
Meanwhile, Hady shrugged off speculations that he won because he was a "non-threat", but considered himself an underdog
Underdog (competition)
An underdog is a person or group in a competition, frequently in electoral politics, sports and creative works, who is popularly expected to lose. The party, team or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the rare case where an underdog wins, the outcome is an upset. These...
and that he did "pretty well" in terms of sincerity and connecting with the audience.
Filipino TV and movie critic Nestor U. Torre mentioned that he was not surprised about Hady's win, even lauding him for his "impressively cool yet dynamic" performances. He also appreciated Victor and Phuong Vy's performances. While Torre was also equally impressed by Marcelo and Mohede's voices, he also said that their girth worked to their disadvantage. On Sawant, Torre noted that his "balladeer" projection was "less dynamic" with his country's large voting population failing him. Despite the surprises and disappointments in the competition, Torre regarded Asian Idol a success as it produced relatively new talents in the Asian and international music scene.
Season 2
Fotini Paraskakis, FremantleMediaFremantleMedia
FremantleMedia, Ltd. is the content and production division of Bertelsmann's RTL Group, Europe's second largest TV, radio, and production company...
Asia's production director (which holds the Idol franchises in the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaysia) reported that the second season will not take place in 2008, and is planning to launch on 2009 due to several reasons (Kazakhstan, Malaysian and Singapore franchises ended, relaunch of the Philippine franchise, delayed launch of India and Vietnam, cancellation of the Pakistan franchise). Thailand (which will have its franchise soon) is reported to participate in the event.