Connecting the world through karaoke

By Hilary Atkinson
Special to The Post

Jerrica Santos has a clear vision of her future.
The 23-year-old University of British Columbia biology graduate wants to enter the profession of optometry.
On one condition.
“Music has always been a part of my life,” said Santos, who first, and foremost, wants to pursue a career in music.
Her voice is soft, yet bluesy. She has the voice of singer, but more importantly she has the heart of a champion.
A World Karaoke Champion.
In the summer of 2011, Santos won the Canadian Karaoke Championships in Vancouver. The prize sent her to Ireland to the world karaoke stage where she placed third.
“Ever since I was a little girl, my parents would always have the karaoke machine on at home.”
The Surrey, B.C., native is a first generation Canadian. Her parents emigrated from the Philippines, where karaoke is hugely popular.
In the Philippines there are karaoke bars for the young and the old. Every age group loves to belt out ballads.
Although, it was a Japanese inventor and musician, Daisuke Inoue, who built the first karaoke machine back in 1971, a Filipino named Roberto del Rosario patented the machine in 1975.
Karaoke is part of Santos’ heritage. Singing is in her blood.
“Karaoke is just a lot of fun,” smiled Santos. “I first looked at karaoke as kind of an opportunity to get noticed.”
Her soulful take on modern and classic hit songs is one of the things judges loved about Santos’ karaoke singing and what almost crowned her the world champion.
“I didn’t really know what to expect. I didn’t even know there was a World Karaoke Championship in the first place,” laughed Santos.
When she arrived in Killarney, Ireland, she was up against 25 countries and 46 other singers and their entourages.
From the 46 contestants the judges cut down the pool to the top 20: 10 women and 10 men.
Santos breathed a sigh of relief when she made the cut. Before she knew it she had made it through three rounds and was in the top 10.
“It was really exhilarating. The stage. The sound. The grand production. It was a full-on concert,” described Santos.
There were 1500 people in the stadium watching.
“There was a lot of people there from all over the world and I didn’t realize how popular karaoke singing actually was until I got there.”
Santos laughed.
The butterflies were there she acknowledges, but it was all worth it in the end, “I really want to follow my dream. I don’t regret not trying.”