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Aeta street kid singing Bieber is a hit on Youtube


Arjohn Gilbert from Marcos Village in Mabalacat, Pampanga sells flutes for a living, but he can also make head-bopping music without any instrument other than his own voice. The young Aeta boy is often spotted singing in front of Puregold at the Clark Freeport Zone. "I'm singing the Justin Bieber, the 'Baby'," says Gilbert before launching into an energetic rendition of the hit song, which was the first video on Youtube to earn 500 million page views. Thanks to Youtube user Ryanesky, Gilbert can now be seen on YouTube, singing hits from Bruno Mars, Mariah Carey, and Sean Kingston. Gilbert seems to be a natural performer, and his enthusiasm is infectious. "Sorry for the unstable video coverage... I had to bounce to the beat!" the uploader apologizes in the video description, explaining the shaky video in his notes. The video was uploaded on July 31, 2011 and has gained over 30,000 views in the past three days alone. It has been liked by over 3,000 viewers and disliked by only 20 people, and is being rapidly shared across social networks like Facebook and Twitter. "Despite his poor living condition, God gave him talent :) He must be discovered!" said Facebook user Isabel Bulatao on her wall. "Akmang akma lang sa boses niya," Facebook user Joselle Credo observed of Mariah Carey's "When Angels Cry," which Gilbert sang as easily as he belted out parts of Sean Kingston's "Shawty's Like a Melody in My Head" and Bruno Mars' "Just the Way You Are." Twitter user Francis Chiu shared the video with TheEllenShow, describing Gilbert as a "homeless kid but with killer vocals." YouTube users who watched the video also think Gilbert is very promising. "awesome!!!!! good diction too. i think we can have some space beside maria aragon. :)," wrote bien2t. "Sisikat 'to," commented YouTube user Jordiniffic. "Mas sisikat pa 'to kaysa kila Moymoy Palaboy," agreed Captainbarbell10. "May future ang batang 'yan... Sana ma discover siya," commented SuperRyanjoshua. Scholarship grant It's not the first time Gilbert has attracted the attention of netizens. In fact, he had already been "discovered" before. In 2009, Gilbert was featured on the GMA public affairs show Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho. "Pag kumakanta siya, hindi ko pinapansin, parang wala sa akin," Gilbert's mother Rebecca said on the program. "Pero nagulat na lang po ako na may pumunta dito sa amin," she said. "Marami rin nagsasabi sa akin, nakikita siya sa Internet. Baka madiskubre ka na diyan Arjohn, sabi ko," added his father Johnny. "Pagbalik ko po dito pinalakpakan po ako, sabi ng Barangay Captain magaling ako," said Gilbert in an interview on 24 Oras. Many people can't help but take a video when they see Gilbert performing on the street. On YouTube, several people have uploaded videos of Gilbert, which have been viewed thousands of times. Gilbert's family and neighbors are his audience when he practices, but his Internet audience is much larger. A video of Gilbert singing Colbie Calliat's "Bubbly" was viewed over 150,000 times, while one of him singing Mariah Carey's "Always Be My Baby" had almost 200,000 views. On Wish Ko Lang aired on March 21, 2009, Gilbert was given a videoke mic, a scholarship grant for sessions at the Center for Pop Music Philippines Inc., and a contract with GMA Artists Center. Gilbert's contract expired last year, and although Gilbert gets "discovered" with every video of him, his dream to become a professional singer has yet to be fulfilled. Two years after his first television appearance, Gilbert can still be found selling flutes around Clark, turning heads and impressing people with his talent. Gilbert may not be as fortunate as children with easy access to the Internet, but in the age of YouTube, even a street kid can get his fifteen minutes of fame, or at least, his share of shares. - YA, GMA News

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