The Asian search of Nippon TV’s biannual singing competition programme, “I Can Sing in Japanese!”, has come to an end as Krissha Viaje from the Philippines has been announced as the winner of the Asian audition which took place in Singapore on Sunday, 12 February.
Beating 11 other finalists from Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines, Krissha will now represent Asia in the coming season of “I Can Sing in Japanese!”, which is slated for filming later this year.
“Singing in Japanese is not easy so we were surprised by the high quality of entries across South East Asia. The overwhelming response from aspiring singers reflects the popularity of Japanese pop culture in this region,” said Virginia Lim, Senior Vice President & Head of Content, Production & Marketing, Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia.
“On behalf of GEM, I congratulate Krissha on being crowned the Asia finalist and wish her every success for the final round of I Can Sing in Japanese! in Tokyo,” she continued.
Yuji Gobuichi, the Japanese director of the programme, also remarked: “We are very impressed by the immense talent we have seen in the entries from Asia. I believe that Krissha is the next big thing in the making and that the rest of the contestants are also ready to take on other global singing competitions.”
As a long-time fan of Japanese shows, Krissha who is a signed artist to Universal Japan in 2015, impressed judges at the audition with her soulful rendition of “Precious” by Yuna Ito, the theme song from the 2006 movie “Limit of Love Umizaru”.
“I am so excited for this chance and I cannot thank the judges enough for selecting me as the winner. I am looking forward to doing my country proud at the “I Can Sing in Japanese!” competition!” Krissha exclaimed in excitement.
“I Can Sing in Japanese!” was previously known as “Nodojiman The World”, produced by Japan’s no.1 terrestrial TV network, Nippon TV.
The singing competition features non-native Japanese speakers from all over the world who have a passion for singing Japanese songs.
The performers are assessed by a panel of industry experts based on their pronunciation, singing skills, and how they express their love for Japan through their songs.