Cristiani Rebada’s Journey As A WCOPA Grand Champion

Cristiani Rebada

         “I started singing even before I went to kindergarten. My parents said that I mimicked songs, and to their surprise, I was in tune.”

     From a shy boy to a frequent singing contestant in various barangays, citywide competitions to province-wide, and finally, on the world stage, Cristiano Rebada has proven that he is “called to sing” for life.
     “I started singing in our local church (during my elementary years), but I was too shy to sing in any competitions. So, my dad enrolled me in the Bel Canto School of Music for voice lessons,” he recalled.
     He even mentioned that (at first), his dad’s decision was against his will.
     “My dad still pushed me to do it because he believed in me. After a few months of training, I finally gained the self-confidence to join some competitions,” he said.

      Music as His Mission
      The confidence he got from his voice lessons encouraged him to join singing competition.
     “I was in sixth grade and I was still shy. But I managed to do it and got first place. I think that validates that I have a talent for singing,” he added.
     Rebada is the epitome of what Ralp Waldo Emerson described as an excellent artist. “Every artist was first an amateur.”

      Father was His First Mentor
     “He discovered that I have the gift of singing, so he encouraged me to sing and even bought cassette tapes for my music. And as I said enrolled me in a music school in our place,” he stressed.
     He engaged in various competitions and learned a lot from experience. The seeds planted in him have flourished as he opted to pursue Music at Silliman University in Dumaguete City, where he got his Music degree, majored in Voice.

Cristiani Rebada

      Classically Trained, But Open to Explore More About Music
     “I’m usually into mellow love songs, but since I am a classically trained singer, I prefer crossover, where my voice fits, but I’m open to different genres,” he explained.
     He pursued his passion for classical music by joining the Philippine Opera Company as one of the artists for “Ang Bagong Harana.” He also taught voice lessons at the music company.
     As a singer, he doesn’t limit himself to one genre, thus, he wants to embrace more.
     He joined the World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA) Team Philippines in 2017, and brought home with six medals as an industrial awardee (2 gold medals as a Grand Finalist and for Opera, 3 silvers for Broadway, Gospel, and Open, and a bronze for pop).
     He also earned the industry award, a glass globe, and a plaque as the division winner for Opera; and two major awards – the glass star trophy as the Senior Grand Champion Vocalist of the World, plus the diamond glass trophy as the Senior Grand Champion Performer of the World.
     Like Jed Madela, the first Filipino to win the WCOPA title, the competition has opened doors for him.
     His dream of getting validation for all the hard work he has put into his singing – the award gave him more reason to thrive and excel in his chosen craft.
     “First of all, God gave me this talent to glorify Him, to praise and worship His name,” he said.

      What Fuels His Passsion for Music?
     Apart from God, he considers his family as his inspiration.
     “I would like to bring joy and happiness to them. Who sacrificed a lot to give me a brighter future,” he claimed.
     Some of the awards he earned during the “29th Asia-Pacific Excellence 2017 Awards” included the Asian Achiever Awardee 2017 (Outstanding Asian Young Performer),
and the 2017 Asian Entertainer Awardee (as an Outstanding Young Performing Artist).
     His recent awards were 2022 Gawad Amerika Awardee as Classical Crossover Artist of the Year, and the 2022 Spotlight Awardee as Best Classical Artist.
     Today, he’s part of the Fil-Trio with LA Master Balladeer Kenneth Laurente, and Broadway star Lyndon Apostol.

Cristiani Rebada

    On September 29 of last year, Rebada’s debut single “Ikaw Pa Rin” got released and streamed on Spotify and other online streaming platforms.
     A proud Negrense (from Cadiz City, Negros Occidental), his musical influences are the multi-national classical crossover vocal group Il Divo, the world’s most beloved tenor, Andrea Bocelli, the Italian operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti, and the Spanish opera singer, conductor, nd arts administrator Placido Domingo. Among the local artists and performers, he appreciates Gary Valenciano, Jaya, Lani Misalucha, and Jed Madela.
     “I want them to remember as an inspiration,” was his prompt response when asked how he envisioned himself as a singer-performer.
     “Talent is just secondary, and a good character will come first. Respect our differences.

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