The wonders of technology indeed! These days, the Internet, on its own, or coupled with mainstream media like TV, is a great avenue/venue to make one an instant celebrity. Video-sharing sites, in particular YouTube, has been responsible for the rise of such people as Gary Brolsma and Esmee Denters from relative obscurity to instant fame. Recently, our very own Charice Pempengco and Arnel Pineda parlayed the popularity of their YouTube videos into transforming themselves into international stars. Now comes another Filipino proving the viral nature of today's media. Ladies and gentlemen, we give you, Renaldo Lapuz!

The other day, I caught American Idol on TV and saw this funny-looking man auditioning in a garish if not ostentatious attire, doing one of the funniest, if not most memorable, performances on American Idol history since William Hung. The instant I laid eyes on him, I knew he was Filipino -- his name, his looks, the way he talked, his accent, immediately gave away his nationality.

Judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson, were so amused with the rendition of Renaldo's song 'We're Brothers Forever,' a catchy ditty composed by Renaldo himself, that Paula and Randy and American Idol host Ryan Seacrest joined Renaldo during his performance. Renaldo, a Simon Cowell fan -- Simon's name was emblazoned on the former's hat -- then embraced Simon and later eulogized the now ethereally-edited Simon.

It's just been around three days since Renaldo's audition was shown on TV, but already, the most popular YouTube upload of Renaldo's performance has registered more than 200,000 views. Someone immediately put up a Renaldo Lapuz fan site selling shirts and offering a free ringtone of his song. And then there's the other YouTube tributes: a remix,

a Gary Brolsma-like lip-sync,

and even a music video from the famous Filipino cartoonist Gerry Alanguilan.

Simon, after Renaldo's performance, predicted that Renaldo's song was going to be a big hit, and based on the comments on YouTube -- not a few swearing to buy Renaldo's CD if he would ever come up with one, with others opining that Renaldo's voice wasn't that bad, and many admitting that they can't get the song out of their heads -- it is safe to say that Simon's prediction will come to pass. Hail to the new Pinoy International Star and the marketing clout of the World Wide Web!

Update:

And the Renaldo mania goes on -- a cover by Alina: