Following the sound of notes
(Ryan Tamondong performing This Time as a guest artist for Wish 107.5. Screen capture from YouTube account of Wish 107.5.)
SELF-ASSURANCE is not that easy to build for young stars whose light is just about to shine brightly. It was all the timid young boy from Bulacan needed for his potential yet all he got was a certainty of uncertainty—that he believes he does not have what it takes to make it all the way to the top.
Little singing Ryan Tamondong once greatly disregarded his own million-dollar worth of talent, despite all the recognitions he received from the singing competitions he was forced by the faithful people around him to join.
At the age of 12, the Gary Valenciano-influenced teenager was just playfully singing when his friend surprisingly noticed that he has a voice that deserves to be shared to the world. A contest in their school was just right around the corner that time; supportive, his friends and his family let Ryan—half-hearted, he was—join the competition, wherein he won.
Now a 19-year-old music student of the University of Santo Tomas, the then-hesitant musician eventually realized the talent that he used to belittle is the path that he actually wants to walk on.
“Nanalo ako sa contest. Nanalo ako sa interschool at hindi ko alam kung bakit ako nanalo kaya inisip ko na siguro may something talaga tapos nagtuloy-tuloy na,” he said in an interview with Dapitan Post. “Kung dati, wala akong direksyon, ngayon, ito na.”
Facing the crowd of Berlin, the college freshman was also pushed by another one of his friends to join Europop two years ago. He bested 17 contestants in the different European countries and the Philippines was the only Asian country invited to join the contest.
Only few would recognize the award but he was still proud of the achievement that he brought.
“[I]yon pa rin ang biggest acheivement ko, kaya, kahit konti lang ang nakapansin masaya parin ako kasi yung fulfillment sa sarili,” Tamondong said.
Ryan recently appeared on ABS-CBN’s I Can See Your Voice. He was “Shy-yang na shyang talaga.”
Now, Tamondong is a guest artist for both Wish 107.5 and ABS-CBN’S project of reviving old songs, OPM Refreshed.
As an artist earning his name, Ryan wants to be successful not only for himself but also for his family.
“Gusto ko talagang maging OPM artist pero the number one reason why [is] kasi gusto ko pagdating ng araw ayoko [nang] mahirapan kami,” he said. N. A. PEREZ
