MANILA, Philippines -- Like Kapamilya singing sensation Charice, a
"random girl" whose karaoke singing at a mall was put on YouTube
recently made her international debut on American talk show "Ellen."
Filipina singer Zendee Rose Tenerefe appeared overjoyed as she took a seat next to American TV personality Ellen Degeneres.
In a video of her interview posted on the show's YouTube page Friday
night, Tenerefe is seen making an entrance to the beat of pop hit
"Gangnam Style."
The 21-year-old rose to fame when a video of her singing the
"Dreamgirls" hit "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" was posted on the video-sharing site early this year.
As of posting, the video, supposedly recorded at SM Megamall in Ortigas, now has over 2.2 million views.
Referring to the now-famous public karaoke performance, Tenerefe told
Degeneres: "Actually I'm always singing there to get attention from
everyone, and it was free."
"I love the story," Degeneres said, pertaining to a local recording
contract Tenerefe recently scored. "You were having some hard times,
your family, you were living in a fire station for a while."
According to Tenerefe, her family, for a time, lived in a fire
station. But since it was still operational, they were only allowed to
stay there during night time to sleep.
Now a local star in her own right, Tenerefe said she promised her
parents "to buy a big house for them, and my aunts who took care of me
when I was young, and send my cousins to school."
Tenerefe isn't the first Filipino to set foot inside the "Ellen"
studio. Charice, who recently appeared as a mentor-judge on "X-Factor
Philippines," had her guesting on the show as her claim to international
fame.
Kapamilya talent Rhap Salazar was also invited to the show three years ago to share his singing talent.