INDIVIDUAL SPOTLIGHT
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Juan Karlos Labajo, also known as “JK,” is a Filipino-German singer born on February 5, 2001, and raised in Consolacion, Cebu, the Philippines, by his mother, Malinda Labajo. His German father, Oliver Stolz, left the family after his birth. His mother married a second time, and he has two younger half-brothers from her second marriage.
On November 17, 2013, he became an orphan after he lost his mother at the age of twelve, following which he was adopted by his uncle, Jovanni, and Grandmother, Linda, in Metro Manila. His family struggled financially for a long time, and he even had to scavenge junk for a living.
Juan Karlos Labajo, having a talent for singing, decided to join the season 1 blind audition for ABS-CBN’s ‘The Voice Kids.’ He charmed the coaches with his rendition of the Adam Sandler song, ‘Grow Old With You.’ Coaches Sarah Geronimo and Bamboo Mañalac wanted him on their teams, which allowed him to choose one, following which he picked Mañalac. His performance of ‘Sway’ during the live semi-finals at the Newport Performing Arts Theater in Resorts World Manila placed him third after public voting, which advanced him to the four-person finals. In the finals, the coaches praised his performance of ‘Yesterday’ by The Beatles, ‘Runaway Baby’ by Bruno Mars, and the duet ‘Eto Na Naman’ with Gary Valenciano. Still, he again finished third in the voting.
After the competition, JK was managed by Star Magic, ABS-CBN’s training and management center. From there started his career, and he was cast in different T.V. programs. He also appeared in the lead role in the Philippine drama anthology series ‘Maalaala Mo Kaya.’ His successful career continued as he was involved in different parts – supporting and leading the cast.
In August 2015, he released his debut album ‘JK,’ which comprises eight tracks, including the song, ‘Di Ka Man Lang Nagpaalam,’ dedicated to his late mother. He also became a host of a music program, MYX. He later released his second album, ‘JKL,’ which consisted of eight tracks, including three of his compositions.
Even though his mother didn’t have the chance to support and witness JK gain over many years of hardships, he was still proud to become successful and even dedicated a song to his mother. He was the one who believed in himself when nobody was his support. He didn’t give up during his life as an orphan growing up without the support from his biological parent, but instead worked hard to follow and achieve his dreams with minimum help from his uncle and grandmother.
