Another Cebuano singer once again grabs the limelight after his world-class stint on live television.
Kent Randale Villarba, 22, recently joined the Kalokalike segment in the noontime show “It’s Showtime” during their October 4 episode. He wowed the crowd with his top-notch impressions as a look-alike of Fil-am singer Bruno Mars.
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The Cebuano talent ended up winning the daily episode, but the pride and acknowledgment did not seem to end there. He was more popularly recognized after Mars himself reposted a clip of Villarba’s TV stint on his Instagram story.
With all pride, the singer-lookalike shared his excitement over the incident in an interview with CDN Digital.
Bruno Mars look-alike: Meet the man beneath the face
Kent is a 22-year-old Cebuano from Dalaguete town in southern Cebu. In the interview, he said that he enjoyed traveling as much as anyone, but he also appreciated the time he spent on his musically inclined hobbies.
Kent Randale Villarba | FB Photo
In fact, he enjoyed singing so much that it transitioned from a hobby to a freelance career.
It all started as a hobby [gyod] since my siblings sing as well. Sila’y nagtudlo nako sa bata pa ko until one day, nahimo siyang career labi na atong pag pandemic.
As a young kid, he was always a huge fan of the Fil-Am singer, so it was not a surprise that he would often be found singing Bruno Mars classics from time to time, especially at some of the gigs and in his TikTok account.
He even enumerated “24K Magic,” “Versace on the Floor,” and his latest song, “Die with a Smile,” as some of his favorite songs from the artist.
Joining Kalokalike as Bruno Mars
In the interview, Kent said that he was not completely serious about joining the noontime show segment, but several netizens had commented on his TikTok posts that he looked somewhat similar to the international icon.
He gave it some thought and made the bold decision to actually audition. One thing led to another, and he was then invited to join as a daily contestant against two other celebrity look-alikes.
Kent sang the Bruno Mars classic “Just the Way You Are,” delighting the audience with his beautiful voice, which echoed that of the original singer. He also performed his rendition of the recently released duet “Die With The Smile,” mesmerizing the crowd even further.
With that, he won the daily round of the competition, bringing home a cash prize of P15,000.
Bruno Mars-approved
Kent expressed gratitude to God, his supporters, and the people behind the show, but he did not know that his celebratory party would not end anytime soon.
That is after Bruno Mars himself shared a clip of his TV singing performance on the singer’s Instagram story. All eyes were on the Cebuano singer as his greatest idol noticed and shared his performance with his followers.
It was an important milestone for Kent, and his reaction the moment he saw his idol’s Instagram story reflected this. For him, it was a dream come true.
Nisyagit [gyod] kos sakyanan! Nangurog ko nga mura [ko’g] kahilakon sa [IG Story] ni Bruno kay it feels like a dream man [god]. As in, grabe ang fulfillment sa’kong part ba nga nangandoy rako nga ma-notice niya someday and niabot jud ang panahon nga nabantayan niya.
Fortunately for him, the excitement and recognition were not short-lived. He said that it got him multiple gig bookings, allowing him to share his talent with more people while fulfilling his passion for singing.
He admitted that it left him feeling a bit overwhelmed, but he has always expressed his gratitude to God for the blessings He showered upon him.