Having earned a huge fan base because of his good looks and singing voice, Markki Stroem was thought by many to be a strong contender for Pilipinas Got Talent. But surprisingly, he came in last in the number of votes among the twelve finalists with Jovit Baldivino bagging the crown as the Grand Champion. Markki said that he wasn’t disappointed with the results of the voting. “During my performance I felt that I gave it my all naman. I know that I don’t have a clout here because most of my friends are abroad. I kind of had a feeling I won’t get much votes. Really we all knew that Jovit will come out as the winner. All that mattered for all of us was to have fun, enjoy the moment. PGT was a great experience which I will treasure forever, plus the friends I have made because of the show.”
Despite the loss, Markki still has a reason to celebrate because he and the other PGT finalists Sherwin Baguion and the Ezra Band now have their very own album called Pinoy You Got It produced by Star Records and Sony Music Philippines. Markki has three songs in the album, namely “Ordinary People” which he performed for the PGT semi-finals, his version of OPM classic “Mahal Na Mahal Kita,” and the original composition “Tell Me.”
The 22-year-old Fil-Norwegian is very much happy that with this album he got to fulfill his pact with his parents. “Kasi after I graduated last December, my parents only gave me a year to see if I can pursue music here in the Philippines. If nothing happens, they will send me back to Norway. When I told them that I was about to record an album na, they said ‘Finally!’ They were very proud of me, of course.”
Even though he now has several girl fans because of PGT, Markki said that he didn’t join the competition just for fame, but instead he is really serious about pursuing his passion for music. “When I wake up in the morning the first thing I do is sing. I want to cultivate my passion and make it much stronger. I admit I’m not yet fully educated in terms of music. I sang in choirs pero recently lang ako nag voice lessons.”
Gifted with good looks and hunky appeal, Markki is predicted to have a bright future as a model and actor. The young man said he is open to trying out modeling or acting, but preferred to be more fluent in speaking Tagalog first. “I’m not closing my doors. Baka modeling pwede pa. Pero kung sa acting, kasi I really want to make music. I want to establish myself first as a singer. Maybe when magaling na talaga ang Tagalog ko I will venture into acting. I don’t want to act naman without mastering the language.”
Photos of Markki modeling skimpy underwear were recently published online, creating controversy during his bid to win PGT. He clarified that the photos were taken when he accepted a modeling job in Europe where he spent most of his growing years. “In Europe, everyone is open about nudity. When I got here someone approached me if I want to model for underwear. I didn’t put malice on it. For me it’s still art. If I would be asked again, I would do it. But nothing more daring than wearing underwear. Really for now I want to focus on my music.”
After finishing his college degree in Switzerland in December of last year, Markki decided to fly home to the Philippines to finally devote time for a music career. He even had to break up with his Italian-Swedish girlfriend of three years because he figured he couldn’t juggle a career and a relationship at the same time. For now, Markki considers his budding music career as his only girlfriend. He nevertheless named his crushes in local showbiz. “I like Anne Curtis, I like how Angelica Panganiban acts, also Bea Alonzo. They are all talented ladies. I want to sing with Yeng Constantino. Her voice is amazing.”
Catch the nationwide concert tour for Pinoy You Got It which also features PGT finalists Ingrid Payaket and Keith Clark Delleva. The 20-city tour will kick off on July 23 at the Cuneta Astrodome. Catch the show also on the following dates and venues: July 31 at Cebu Waterfront Hotel Grand Ballroom; August 6 at Lipa City Youth and Cultural Center; August 7 at Dasmariñas, Cavite at De La Salle University Gym; August 13 at San Fernando, Pampanga at Bren Guiao Convention Center; August 14 at Dagupan Astrodome; August 20 at Enverga University Gym, Lucena; August 21 at Avenue Plaza Hotel Pavillion, Naga; August 22 at Legazpi Astrodome; August 27 at Baguio Convention Center; August 28 at San Fernando, La Union at St. Louis University Gym.
Tickets are available at TicketWorld or call 891-9999. For provincial cities, tickets are available at SM Department Store Customer Service Counters at SM Cebu, Lipa, Batangas, Dasmariñas, Bacoor, Molino, Rosario, Pampanga, Clark, Tarlac, Lucena, Naga, and Baguio; SaveMore Market Customer Service Counters at Cebu (Mactan, Parkmall, and E-Mall), and Legazpi City Metro Hub; CSI City Mall Customer Service at Dagupan, Urdaneta, and San Fernando, La Union; Magic Club Dagupan, and Magic Mall Urdaneta Customer Service Counter.
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