When Miguel “Mig” Ayesa, star of musical We Will Rock You (WWRY) that just ended its run in Singapore on Apr 27, failed to clinch the top spot in the Rockstar: INXS competition in 2005, all he felt was relief.

“Not because I didn’t win, but because it’s over. I knew that I wasn’t going to be the lead singer of INXS. So all I wanted to do is to reach the finals, because in the finals, my family is flying all round the world to Los Angeles to see the show; all I wanted to do is to perform in front of them,” the self-confessed big fan of INXS told UrbanWire.

Ayesa recalled, “It was an amazing time of my life. If I had to do 1 reality show, I’m glad I did that one. But my confidence just left me. Week by week I was feeling less and less of a performer. By the end of the show, I was a nervous wreck and I was thinking, ‘I can’t even sing anymore. I don’t know how to sing.’”

“But then I realised that if I had stuck to my guns and believed in myself in the first place, I’d have been doing much better,” he added.

That was not his first disappointment. When Ayesa was younger, his piano teacher told him that without practice, he’d never be able to make it as an accomplished virtuoso. “I envy those virtuosos and pianists because I look at how they play and I just marvel at the way they do that. I think it takes a real analytical brilliant mind to be able to play like that,” he admitted.

Having said that, he maintained that his strengths are better used in what he’s doing now. “My mind is something different. I rather just be crazy and wild and try something that’s my own creativity rather than something that’s written for me,” Ayesa said.

When you point out that most songs in his debut album are covers and not original songs, he clarified that the concept of MiG was not his, even though he was given some degree of creative input.

“I gave up being a recording artiste about 8 years ago, thinking it’s never gonna happen for me. Suddenly, out of the blue, this recording contract with a major record company falls on my lap. And so I thought, ‘Well, I’ll play humble pie and do what they say, if the payoff is that the next album I can do own thing,’” the 38-year-old singer explained.

As part of its Australasia-Asian tour, WWRY played in Singapore from Mar 28 to Apr 27 at the Esplanade – Theatres On The Bay. Playing lead character Galileo, a solitary dreamer in a dystopia where ideals, creativity and non-conformity are prohibited, Ayesa belted out songs by Queen in this jukebox musical. For instance, he sang “I Want To Break Free” when Galileo, a reincarnation of Freddie Mercury, refuses to listen to his teacher and adhere to societal norms.

It is a role that Ayesa identifies very strongly with. “Like Galileo, I find that I can express myself better through my music than through anything else; it’s a way for me to really be myself. And also, when we first did the show in London, Galileo Figaro had to have a stutter,” he said, before stuttering to demonstrate its severity.

He continued, “Then he lost his stutter eventually. As a child, I had a bad stutter as well. But when I sang a song or spoke lines in a play, I didn’t stutter anymore. So for me, singing and performing was a way to overcome my speech impediment. That’s why playing Galileo, for me, is art imitating life.”

Having also performed in Australia and on West End, Ayesa has this to say of performing in Singapore: “The audience is great! They go nuts!” he declared. “We just came Korea where they also go nuts. But language is a bit of a problem in Korea, so they don’t really get a lot of jokes. But here, they get everything and it’s nice playing for an audience that it’s really into the show.”

It helps that Philippines-born Ayesa, who moved to Australia at the age of 2, has his South-East Asian roots firmly intact. A few days ago, he was overheard at the local radio station Power 98 conversing in Tagalog, his native language, with DJ Super Mario.

“It feels really nice to be back in South-East Asia. It just feels comfortable for me. Even though, I consider myself Australian, I am also very much Filipino,” the singer said. “I’m touring with a whole bunch of South African people, and for them, it’s their first time in South East Asia, but for me, I feel a bit like a tour guide.”

Like many foreigners, he found the diverse cuisine in Singapore an immense attraction and a constant fascination. “I’m crazy about the food here. I love the seafood, the roti prata (a hand-tossed crispy dough pancake) – that’s too good actually. I love Chinese food, Indian food, Thai food and I’m crazy about Japanese food,” he rambled on. “Singapore has the best of everything! Not a day goes by that I’m not satisfied with I’ve eaten here.”

Watching the talented singer speak so passionately about his life, interests, experiences and future as a recording artiste, it’s difficult to believe that this very same man was brought to his knees 3 years ago.

What is very clear is the fact that he wasn’t lying when he said that Queen’s “We Are The Champions” describes his life the most. He concluded triumphantly, “Because I’ve paid my dues, time after time, I’ve done my sentence, but committed no crime. And bad mistakes
– as you could see in Rockstar: INXS – I’ve made a few. I’ve had my share of sand kicked in my face, but I’ve come through!”