Kate Quiogue Valentino produces ‘Level Up Pinoy’ for Filipino dreamers
Kate Quiogue Valentino is about to stir the Philippine music industry by providing a platform for aspiring Filipino singers, newbies or veterans, to make it international via an online contest dubbed Level Up Pinoy Singing Competition.
This singing competition will serve as a springboard for talented Pinoy singers to be recognized worldwide and be given a chance to enjoy a sustainable international singing career.
“My goal is to discover the next generation of internationally-renowned Filipino singers. The likes of Manny Pacquiao or Leah Salonga. I want to be an instrument for aspiring Filipino singers to chase their dreams,” said Kate during a Zoom conference with the entertainment press on July 8.
Based in Arizona, Kate has basically travelled the world from Europe and America to Asia and lived in the most exciting and colorful world cities where she learned different cultures and enjoyed an enviable brand of life.
But wherever she is, her heart always brings her home to a passion that has been nurtured since childhood.
As far as Kate can remember, music has played a huge role in their family. Kate herself was a member of the school choir. Her parents, too, were members of the church choir.
She fondly remembers her parents waking up very early and going to church before the break of dawn. Relatives would also come to the house and play musical instruments and sing to the accompaniment to their hearts’ desire. These were their bonding sessions that brought them closer.
These were the memories that stuck in her mind and heart. Until the days that her parents lived, music has been part of their lives. This is the main reason why she became so inclined in becoming part of this creative endeavor that her parent loved so much—to continue their legacy.
Kate was a full-blooded Manileña in her younger years. Having been educated at St. Paul University and De La Salle University College of Saint Benilde with a degree in accountancy, she lived a fairly comfortable life.
Manila, though, is not for the faint-of-heart. So she has learned to be a street smart girl. This toughened her up and molded her into an intrepid individual.
Life took a major turn when she met the love of her life. Having fallen in love with a pilot, Kate packed her bags and joined her husband in the US.
This was one of the best times of her life as she had endless opportunities of travel and enjoyed a lavish lifestyle. During their marriage, they were blessed with twin girls.
Shuttling between different jobs is not new to her, so becoming a mom-preneur, in order to attend to her businesses and growing kids, is something that she cherishes.
After 17 years, her marriage to her pilot husband came to an end. But, she says, they maintain a cordial relationship as they try to be the best parents for their kids.
The trials of her married life did not stop Kate from dreaming big. One dream that lingered in her mind for so long was to continue the musical legacy of her parents.
And so on fateful day, Kate decided to proactively pursue that dream. In order to achieve this, she started a new undertaking as a host and producer of an online singing competition to honor her parents.
Just recently, Kate put up a company, Unicorn Dreamers Production where she also serves as the President/CEO in order to bankroll the singing contest, Level Up PInoy.
The competition is open to all Pinoys from all corners of the world who want to make it big on the international stage. In fact, auditions has started where aspirants are required to send a video of their singing piece. All qualified aspirants will be notified after an arduous process of screenings.
A spin-off of the singing competition is the Level Up Pinoy Lifestyle Edition which features singers and non-singers aimed at inspiring them to fight for their dreams and reach their goals in life.
“I want to provide a platform for aspiring Filipino singers to pursue an international career,” Kate also said.
The winner of the competition gets a cash prize of 50,000 pesos and a round trip to Bangkok, Thailand with 15,000 pesos pocket money. The second and third placers will receive 30,000 pesos and 20,000 pesos, respectively.
Winning does not end here. The grand prize winner will embark on a career marked by trainings supervised by international vocal coaches, significant online presence and promotions and virtual concerts.
The winner’s journey will be supervised by Unicorn Dreamers Production as the management team.
One of the judges of the contest is Introvoys leader/drummer Paco Arespacochaga who is Kate’s first cousin.
For more details, follow Level Up Pinoy on social media. You can also send your audition video to leveluppinoy2021@gmail.com.
