Social media sensation Alienette Coldfire or Katchry Jewel Golbin in real life has given Filipinos more reasons to be proud after placing third at the “France a un Incroyable Talent” (France has Incredible Talent) on Wednesday, December 14. Her rendition of Jacques Brel’s “Quand on n’a que l’amour” once again touched the hearts of the panel of judges.
During her audition for the show, Alienette made an emotional rendition of the French version of “I Dreamed a Dream” from the musical “Les Miserables.” One of the judges, Helena Segara was sent to tears with Alienette’s performance.
PHOTO CREDIT: Facebook/ Bombo Radyo Roxas
The young Pinay from Tapaz town in Capiz first caught the eye of netizens after a video of her singing Mariah Carey’s famous hit “I’ll be there” inside a mall was uploaded on social media. It quickly amassed hundreds of thousands of views and became a viral hit not just among Filipinos but even with foreigners.
Her passion for singing wasn’t limited to Filipino and English songs. Alienette then decided to learn the French language in order to understand the lyrics of “La Vie en Rose” or Life in Rosy Hues by Edith Piaf.
According to Alienette, she became interested in that particular song because it had a different and unique style.
“Nung marinig ko ang song ni Edith Piaf na La Vie En Rose, I told myself, parang iba ang style nito. I found it unique so parang gusto kong maintindihan lahat ng mga kantang ganun,” Alienette told ABS-CBN News.
But learning French wasn’t a walk in the park. In fact, it took Alienette three years to learn it with the help of some resources she found online like blogs and online communities.
“I listen to French conversations without understanding them. I listen closely to the rhythm of the language. Tapos nung nag-start na ko to learn the language seriously, everything came naturally na lang,” Alienette.
Who is Edith Piaf?
Highly regarded as France’s national chanteuse, Edith Piaf was a French cabaret singer and songwriter. She was best known for chanson and torch ballads and popularized the songs “La Vie en rose”, “Non, je ne regrette rien”, “Hymne à l’amour”, “Milord”, “La Foule”, “L’Accordéoniste ” and “Padam … Padam …”