Pinoy singer conquers America's Got Talent stage

MANILA, Philippines -A part-time Filipino student and shipping worker from Mandaue City is quietly making a name for himself after wowing judges of the hit American reality search America's Got Talent.

Luigi Seno, 20, played guitar and sang a bluesy version of Maroon 5's "Sunday Morning", winning praise from the AGT judges and loud applause from the audience. 

Luigi Seno

"Luigi, you have a really cool, relaxed style. Fantastic," said judge Sharon Osbourne.
Judge Howie Mandel said Seno looked shy, "like a young kid", when he walked out on the AGT stage with his guitar.

"As soon as you started strumming on that guitar, you, like, opened up. You are truly a great entertainer. If you had an album right now, I'd be listening to you in my car. I would be," he said.

Third judge Piers Morgan, on the other hand, said it was not just Seno's talent that got his attention but his undeniable charm.

"I'll tell you what it is. It's not just that you're a good guitar player, or that you're a very comfortable singer and a good singer, it's the fact that you've got this charm about you, which I think is going to go a long way," he said.

All three judges voted Seno into the next round, with the chance to win the US$1 million grand prize.
In an interview before his performance, Seno said he was born and raised in the Philippines before his family moved to California 8 years ago.


His parents described him as shy but with a passion for singing. "He practices every day. I'm so blessed," said Seno's mom.

Seno said his family inspired him to join the competition. "They brought me here to get a better life. It was really tough back in the Philippines so I just want to give back to them," he said.

America's Got Talent is a British-owned American reality television series created by Simon Cowell on the NBC television network.

A local version of the show "Pilipinas Got Talent" recently ended its first season, with singer Jovit Baldivino winning the top prize.