Human beatbox Jonar Makiling makes jaw-dropping nine sounds at once

Techno funk music fills the auditorium in Dubai as one man sends mouths agape with the cool music he is making. Nine unique sounds blended into one musical number. Incredibly, he’s making it all using nothing but his own mouth! Meet Jonar Makiling, the Filipino human beatbox in the UAE and the first grand winner of OFW Got Talent in Dubai. “I really didn’t expect I could win this competition, do you know?” Jonar told Expatmedia.net in an exclusive interview. The 25-year-old Filipino said he was overjoyed to win the competition. It was his second championship belt, after winning Malaysia's Got Talent last year.   Jonar’s first beats How did Jonar develop his extraordinary talent? He found his knack for beatboxing when he was 15 years old. He discovered it while watching a contestant beatbox in a Philippine TV show, Wowowin. He’s been hooked ever since. “My mother would scold me for staying in our bathroom for a period of time because I practice beatboxing while I’m inside, every day. Even my younger siblings will go to school late for the same reason,” he recalled, chuckling. Jonar is the eldest among his four brothers. They are natives of Davao City in the Philippines. Believing in himself, Jonar joined local competitions where he was told he could never be good at beatboxing. He never let it discourage him. When he bagged second place in a local talent competition, he saw it as a confirmation of his talent. It motivated him to join more contests. He also performed at weddings and events, even in the 2016 campaign of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. He is in it for entertainment, he said. “My style is for entertainment, people could jam along with me,” he said. What started as a curious hobby quickly turned into a routine. “My mouth just can’t stop playing some beats even during bedtime, it’s as if it has its own life, you know, creating music on its own,” he shared. Even when Jonar flew to Dubai four years ago to work, he still performed beatboxing as a side job while working as a team leader for a burger chain, and later on as a call center agent. His winning beats It was Jonar’s co-workers who pressed him to join OFW Got Talent in Dubai. From a contestant pool of more than 100, he made it to the final 17. "I practiced every day and humbly believed in myself," he said. In the finale, he wowed the audience and judges by creating music with nine sounds that he made using his mouth. It was unbelievable. “My family in the Philippines, my neighbours, my friends did not sleep because they were watching me. If I lose, it would be embarrassing,” he laughed, remembering the thrilling moment. He admitted that he panicked when the runner-ups were called and his name was never mentioned. “I told myself, ‘Why am I not there ?’ There are still many contestants left. Before the champion was called, I started crying even harder. Everyone was chanting my name, ‘Jonar Beatbox,’” he recalled. When he was finally announced as champion, Jonar couldn’t help but kneel on stage. Crying tears of joy, the beatboxer accepted his trophy, the P150,000 cash prize, and the title of OFW Got Talent Season 1 Grand Champion.   His life continued to change for the better since then. He performed at Expo 2020 Dubai and is set to travel to California in July to compete in an international talent competition. What’s next for Jonar? He hopes to perform with his local beatbox idol and good friend Niel Llanes, the Talentadong Pinoy 2016 champion. “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams,” he said, quoting the late American political figure and author Eleanor Roosevelt. Jonar hopes that every aspiring artist, especially beatboxers, will be guided by the saying. With a promising future ahead in the UAE, it is only a matter of time that the rest of the world will hear the amazing beats inside this Filipino with a dream. KMB & KSO/Expat Media Watch more:
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