TBO.com - Tampa Bay Online
It Crosses Ramiele's Mind That She Wants A Performing Career, Thanks To 'Idol'
ADVERTISEMENT
Published: April 4, 2008
Updated:
Ramiele Malubay, who shed a boatload of tears Wednesday night when she left "American Idol," says she plans to stay in Los Angeles and move in with fellow "Idol" exile Danny Noriega.
She also wants to make an R&B album that features her spin on vintage soul songs.
There were no tears Thursday when the 20-year-old Filipino-American from Miramar talked to the media in a telephone news conference.
The big news out of the brief chat-up was her comment about moving in with her close pal Noriega, the 18-year-old glam guy from California who was sent packing early last month. Saying that she and Danny are "a fun duet," Malubay noted they clicked right away.
"We've been there for each other," she said.
Noriega has called Malubay his "best friend" and said they have a lot in common.
"She's my twin and I love her," he said in his post-"Idol" interview.
When Noriega was voted off, Malubay flashed him a hand signal that was a Spanish symbol for "heart."
On a recent performance night, Noriega joined Malubay's parents in the audience wearing a T-shirt with her picture.
Malubay had said she wanted to be the first Asian-American to win "Idol," and that may have added a little pressure.
"I wanted to do well not only for myself and my parents, but for people of the same race," she said. "I got as far as I could. I hope no one is disappointed."
She also said that she wishes she could come to Tampa this weekend for the annual Filipino festival. She is a past performer at the event. PhilFest 2008 kicks off today and runs through Sunday at the Bayanihan Arts and Events Center, 14301 Nine Eagles Drive.
Malubay said she enjoyed every minute of the "Idol" experience.
"It was exposure. It was a future for me," she said.
She said she came in with little experience and was a little clueless about how intense the competition would be. She said her best performances were on the first episodes and that when she realized what was at stake, she kept trying to top her previous performance.
"You can overthink things so far that you don't know how to handle yourself," she said. "It gets out of hand, and then you don't know where you are."
Malubay's last song was Dolly Parton's "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?" Paula Abdul liked it. Randy Jackson said it was just OK. Simon Cowell compared it to a lounge act on a cruise ship.
Malubay said she wasn't familiar with Parton's songs and tried to do this one in her own style. Prior to "Idol," she was studying to be a nurse. Now she wants to pursue singing and acting.
FRAK WHAT? "Battlestar Galactica" begins its final season tonight on the Sci-Fi Channel. The loyal fan base will be parked in front of the TV set, many of them wearing their "frakking" T-shirts.
"Frak" is the four-letter "Battlestar" slang word for all the frustrating things in the universe.
"Battlestar" ends its run as a well-respected work of science fiction, which is more than can be said of the original 1980 series that starred Lorne Greene.
Edward James Olmos as Admiral Adama and Katee Sackoff as the ace fighter pilot Starbuck made us forget all about that clunky low-budget version. Also, the story lines have been strongly influenced by our post-9/11 terrorism fears and the war in Iraq.
In this incarnation, a race of homeless humans is on the run from the heartless, robotic Cylons. The humans are trying to find an inhabitable planet called Earth. Wait a minute. Adama headed to Earth? Get it? It's the past, not the future. This is a different twist on that intelligent design theory.
TUNE IN TONIGHT
Ghost Whisperer, 8 p.m., CBS
This is a new episode. All you need to know is there are ghosts and Jennifer Love Hewitt will help them while wearing something fetching.
Numb3rs, 10 p.m., CBS
There's a crime and, once again, things don't add up. Rob Morrow and David Krumholtz star as crime-fighting brothers who use math skills to snare perpetrators.
TBO.com - Tampa Bay Online Member Agreement | Privacy Statement | Work With Us
Post a comment
(Requires free registration.)
* Keep it clean
* Respect others
* Don't hate
* Don't use language you wouldn't use with your mom
* Use "Report Inappropriate Comments" link when necessary
* See Member Agreement for details