Watch: Filipino fisherman gives soul-stirring performance on ‘America’s Got Talent’
By Iris Jung
June 14, 2023
Filipino fisherman Roland Abante earned a standing ovation for his stunning performance on “America’s Got Talent” (“AGT”).
A soul-stirring performance: In a video uploaded to “AGT’s” YouTube channel on Tuesday night, Abante can be seen singing a cover of “When a Man Loves a Woman,” originally recorded by Percy Sledge in 1966. Abante immediately surprises the audience and judges Simon Cowell, Sofia Vergara, Heidi Klum and Howie Mandel with his vocal range.
Continuing through the audience’s cheers and claps, Abante’s soulful voice leaves behind a trail of shocked expressions and smiles. After completing his cover, the Filipino fisherman is met with a standing ovation.
Judges’ reactions: “I don’t think you could have done it better,” Klum states in awe of Abante’s performance. “You left it all on that stage. You were amazing. You should be very proud of yourself.” Vergara also comments on Abante’s performance, saying, “I have a feeling, you’re going to have to stop fishing because this is where you needed to be.”
“You were so nervous, I genuinely thought you weren’t going to be able to do this,” Cowell confesses. “And then, that happened. And it actually made me love this audition even more. And I really like you.” Upon discovering that Cowell was his favorite judge, the famous TV personality shares an embrace with Abante.
Mandel also made sure to express his agreement with his fellow judges: “I think Simon’s absolutely right. It’s the emotion and we can feel your heart. I think that everybody just heard a life-changing moment.”
With praise from all four judges, Abante leaves the stage with a complete set of “yes” votes.
About Roland Abante: From the Philippines, the Bisaya-speaking Abante works as a fisherman in the mornings and does delivery work in the afternoon. While Abante, who has described himself as the “Michael Bolton of the Philippines,” usually sings for fun during karaoke nights in his neighborhood, he shares that it had always been a dream of his to go on “AGT.”
Abante has previously gone viral multiple times through the years for his singing. Most notably, a video from six years ago of his cover of “You’re the Inspiration” performed on Filipino radio station Wish 107.5 has earned over 14 million views on YouTube, and a 2014 video of him singing “To Love Somebody” has collected over 6.3 million views.
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