Ramiele in American Idol Competition. Ramiele successfully auditioned in Aug. 2007 with a great partial rendition of Aretha Franklin's "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman". Randy said it was unusual for such a "small person with a big voice." Randy and Paula voted yes; Simon voted no and thought she was like a hotel singer.
Ramiele proved Simon wrong later on with her rendition of "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" at which time Simon commented : "You out sung the competition tonight." She reached all the way to the Top 10 Finals and came in at 9th place.
She is probably the shortest contestant in Idol history - standing at 4 feet 11 inches tall. However, the combination of her small stature but a big heart, a certain spunkiness (as Dolly Parton so expressed eloquently), her captivating manner and behavior makes her simply adorable to many of her fans. Ramiele developed close personal relationships with fellow idol contestants Danny Noriega, Kady Malloy and Syesha Mercado, the latter two who who were her roommates. She calls Danny Noriega her best friend and have plans to move in with him after the U.S. Summer Tour.
She and Danny expressed plans to stay in Los Angeles to pursue a singing and acting/hosting career. Her music is influenced by Aretha Franklin, Jackson 5, Mariah Carey, Filipino singers Lani Misalucha and Regine Velasquez (whom she indicated to be her favorite performer). She was eliminated on April 2, 2008. With heavy emotions and in obvious tears, Ramiele performed a great rendition of "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" shortly after her elimination was announced. Surprisingly, her fans were shocked and surprised as had never been in the Bottom 3 prior to her elimination. Her many fans considered her garnering 9th in the Finals a valiant and successful effort, considering that she was the only true Amateur in the competition.
By garnering a berth in the top 10 Finals (placing 9th), Ramiele gets the valuable and priceless opportunity to participate in the American Idol U.S Summer Tour (which begins July 1 and ends Sept. 13, 2008). This valuable experience will significantly hone and refine her voice, singing skills and stage performance.
What now after American Idol? Jasmine Trias, another Filipina-American like Ramiele, had placed third in an earlier American Idol competition. Jasmine strongly supported Ramiele during her active Idol competition by attending one of the voting parties in Cerritos, California, sponsored by Goldilocks, a popular chain of Filipino bakery and food stores. Jasmine developed a singing career in both the United States and in the Philippines after American Idol. Thus, Ramiele hopes to follow in Jasmine's footsteps and return to the Philippines to pursue her singing/acting career. She leaves open the option to continue her nursing studies. With the strong support of her many fans, they believe that she will be successful in launching and maintaining a flourishing international singing career. This www.ramieleofficial.com forum particularly has many dedicated and hard working fans who promote Ramiele tirelessly. The fans here have launched an aggressive radio campaign to have her song "Alone" play in many radio stations internationally. The Philippine campaign is gaining momentum daily; we are opening up the US, Canadian, and Hawaiian radio markets. We are optimistic about a new initiative in the UK. After her Idol elimination, she had the opportunity to guest in various TV/talk shows like: Live with Regis and Kelly, Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Today Show, The Sauce, The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet, Access Hollywood and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. She had the opportunity to perform several great renditions of "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me." During her interview on The Morning Show, Ramiele said she it would be a privilege to work with Disney.
Ramiele was nominated for the category "Favorite TV Reality Show Personality in 2008" for the JC Penney Asian Excellence Awards. Although she did not win, her nomination demonstrates her new found celebrity status due to the worldwide exposure given to her by American Idol. With the launching of an aggressive radio campaign internationally, her many fans believe that this is just the beginning of what will be a flourishing international career for Ramiele Malubay - the "small Idol with the big voice."