IN PHOTOS: 4th Impact’s journey to stardom

Breathtaking numbers punctuated by amazing vocal prowess – this is how we’ll remember the all-Pinay siblings group 4th Impact in their performances in the international reality talent search X Factor UK.

Siblings Almira, Irene, Mylene and Celina Cercado Gollayan wowed not only Filipinos, but also their new fans from all over the world, who eagerly awaited their performances week after week.

Last Monday, the group finally said goodbye to their dream of bringing home the honor of the being the first Filipino to win the prestigious competition. After being included in the Top 5, they were eliminated, leaving four other contestants to sing their way to the top.

Despite the success that 4th Impact has gained, it was never an easy road to stardom for the sisters. They had to go through life’s ups and downs, and even tough losses to be where they are now. Take a look back at their journey with these photos.

Though the members of their group have joined various contests individually in their hometown province Nueva Ecija, the Cercado Sisters made their debut as a group in 2004 in the talent search Fam Jam on QTV-11 (now known as GMA News TV-11). They only placed as a runner up in the said competition. But this was considered their first step towards achieving their dream of becoming international artists.

In 2006, the Cercado Sisters were invited to be part of the Philippines’ representative to the World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA) in Hollywood. The WCOPA event was considered the Olympics for the performing arts, including singing, acting, and even modeling. The sisters were proclaimed the Junior Grand Champion Vocal Group Category. They went home with 16 gold medals with their winning performances in various categories such Pop, Gospel and Broadway.

Due to sheer talent, the Cercado Sisters were invited to take part in various performances and competition, inside and outside the country. The group said one of their memorable experiences was when they were invited to perform on a benefit concert in Monaco, France for the street children of Iraq.

In 2011, the Cercado Sisters was back in GMA Network when they joined the first season of the reality talent search Protégé: Battle for the Big Break. They were coached and mentored by the country’s R & B Prince Jay-R. Though the group passed the auditions, they failed to make it to the Final 10 when they were eliminated in the Face Off round of the competition.

Seven years after their first international win, the Cercado Sisters who changed their group name to Gollayan Sisters, were back in WCOPA. In 2013, they brought home WCOPA’s highest honor, the “Grand Performer of the World,” along with the award as “Senior Grand Champion Vocal Group of the World.”

In 2014, the sisters also join a reality talent search in Korea, the Superstar K6 with yet another new group name - MICA. MICA stands for the initials of each of the four members of the group.

MICA only made it to the Top 8 of the competition. According to them, they had a difficult time competing in the said talent search because of language barrier.

Introducing themselves as the 4th Power, the sisters shocked the judges and the audience of X Factor during their first audition at the Wembley Arena in London. Their name, however, was immediately changed to 4th Impact due to copyright issues.

After they received the “four biggest yeses” to advance to the Final 14 of the competition, 4th Impact has been wowing their fans the world over with their powerful performances. In this song, they performed a huge hit by Christina Aguilera titled “Ain’t No Other Man.”

Last September, just before they flew back to London for the continuation of their audition, Ms. Jessica Soho had an exclusive interview with 4th Impact. In the interview, the girls said they are waiting for their “biggest break” yet to finally realize their dream of becoming successful international performers. They said they are hoping that the X Factor UK would turn out to be the break they are waiting for.

In this photo, members of the photo had the rare opportunity to take a selfie with the members of the widely-popular international group One Direction or 1D. After 4th Impact’s elimination from the X Factor UK, it was announced that they will still be part of the The X Factor 2016 Live Tour of United Kingdom, which will start in February.

Because of their powerful performances on stage, many international artists have praised the group for their sheer talent and professionalism. One of them is world-famous crooner Ed Sheeran who also took a selfie with the group.

Though they did not win in the X Factor UK, the group 4th Impact has proven that the Filipino talent is a force to be reckoned with, not only here in country, but also the world over.---CARLO P. ISLA / BMS, GMA Public Affairs

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