We had already seen Akira Morishita of BGYO impersonate several international and local talented pop heartthrobs, along with a female K-pop star, throughout his stint in “Your Face Sound Familiar.” But in the 10th round, we got to witness him take on a completely different genre as he transformed into "King of Latin Pop,” Ricky Martin.
In the February 8 episode, the “Ace Idol” delivered an invigorating performance of “La Copa de la Vida” (“The Cup of Life”), showcasing not only his vocal prowess but also his impressive dance skills. As if his performance wasn’t “pangmalakasan” or hardcore enough, hosts Vhong Navarro and Jhong Hilario even requested Akira to do Ricky’s signature dance moves again, as well as to sing the song once more, as they invited two live studio members to be their dance partners onstage.
Juror and OPM chief Ogie Alcasid commended Akira’s spectacular vocals and striking dance moves, while the ‘Megastar’ Sharon Cuneta expressed how proud she was of him and how much they enjoyed his performance.
Meanwhile, “Mr. Pure Energy” Gary Valenciano—who proudly traces his Latino roots to his pure-blooded Puerto Rican mother—commended Akira for flawlessly executing the signature groove Latins are known for.
Reminded by Akira’s ‘Adobo’ response to the hosts when asked before stepping into the ‘iconator’ what he would name BGYO if ever they were formed at the same era as Ricky’s former group ‘Menudo’, Gary imparted that there was actually a US-based band in the ‘80s that named themselves after the well-loved Filipino dish.
The segment wrapped up with the jurors sharing which Pinoy food they would likely name their band, with Ogie saying that it’s going to be ‘tinola’ for him, while Gary chose ‘sinigang’. Sharon, who asked the question, laid three options, namely ‘isaw,’ ‘bopis,’ and ‘sisig’.
Catch the amazing transformations of your favorite celebrity performers on “Your Face Sounds Familiar,” Saturdays and Sundays, 7:15PM on Kapamilya Channel, ALLTV2, A2Z, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL) and iWant.