Featured Artist

JONATHAN BADON

By: Chita dela Cruz-Heap

I first encountered this young performer at the Reloj-Zabal Reunion on April 24, 2011, and was so impressed not only by his singing but of his confidence.

Jonathan was born with music in his blood. He is the son of Remedios Badon, a sarzuela singer in the 1970s, and the younger brother of Kelly Badon, the former guitarist of the band ‘Side A.’

Discouraged by his mother from pursuing a career in music, he enrolled at the University of the Philippines as a student of Architecture. Music however could not be shaken from his veins. When Jonathan earned a scholarship from the Cultural Center of the Philippines to study music as a voice major at U.P., he knew that he had found his calling.

He quickly made his mark on the opera and theater scene, playing lead roles in various sarzuelas, oratorios, operas, and musicals.

Even with his blossoming stage career, Jonathan’s desire to grow as an artist urged him to expand his repertoire and challenge his versatility. He ventured into pop-opera or popera, displaying an uncanny ability to shift from opera to pop singing with ease.

Following his success in this new genre, Jonathan was tapped to sing the theme song of the movie “Minsan Pa”, which was chosen as Best Movie Theme Song at the 21st Golden Screen Awards. He also won the Aliw Award for Best Male Classical Performer in 2004.

Jonathan sings for a cause

Jonathan left the country on All Soul’s Day to do a series of benefit concerts in the US in the run-up to the Christmas holiday season.

In Los Angeles, he used his voice for the benefit of the “pushcart classrooms” of the Dynamic Teen Company, the group of Efren Penaflorida, who was honored as the CNN Hero of the Year in 2009 for his efforts to bring education to the poor.

“When I join events like these, I don’t think too much about the money. I sing for them because I believe in their cause,” Jonathan remarked with a wide smile.

After Los Angeles, he is scheduled to perform in Pittsburg, New York, Philadelphia, and several cities in Texas.

Many have been waiting for Jonathan to return to the mainland after his US tour in the 3rd quarter of 2009. This is their chance to catch him again live.

He will be back in the Philippines in January and will make the rounds then in Northern Luzon and Metro Manila to promote his Ilocano album, Jonathan Badon: SIka.
Ilocano album

In 2009, based solely on his rendition of Filipino songs in an unreleased album, he was hand-picked to record an all-Ilocano album entitled Sika. Jonathan, who is not Ilocano but is deeply enamoured with the Ilocano culture, gladly lent his talent to the project.

“The album is meant to raise the bar and improve the quality of Ilocano songs, and Jonathan’s talent is way above many others we have seen and heard. If he can sing in Italian, German, Spanish, and English, then why not Ilocano?” says Ilocos Sur Governor DV Savellano, one of the producers of the album.

Worldwide recognition

Jonathan’s exceptional singing voice and emphatic performances have made him a favorite choice to represent the Philippines in different music and cultural festivals and diplomatic events in Asia, Europe, and the United States.

His recognition in May 2010 as the Best Global Pinoy Performer only affirms what his fans have known from the start – that Jonathan’s talent is world-class (Jonthanbadon.com)./TE