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Not Saying Adiós
Exclusive Q&A by Valerie López
As Fox's talent showcase “American Idol” crowns its eighth winner this month, Puerto Rican participant Jorge Nuñez wonders what could have been and what might still be...
He tried to do it “My Way.”And the judges loved it. He pleaded “Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me.” They didn't. Then he told them that he “Never Can Say Goodbye.” But that's what he had to do.
The Jackson 5 tune was Jorge Nuñez Méndez's swan song on Fox's “American Idol.” Having made it to the final group, Nuñez, a 20-year-old junior at the University of Puerto Rico , Río Piedras, was voted out along with fellow contestant Jasmine Murray.
Boricua audiences shared in the Cidra native's disappointment when top judge Simon Cowell refused to use a new save option that would allow the judges to overturn the audience's vote. Such was the furor over his dismissal, Nuñez bumped former Gov. Aníbal Acevedo Vilá's federal trial off the front page of most island dailies.
“I thought once I got booted out of “American Idol” that would be it,” Nuñez told Metro a few days after arriving back on the island. “I [thought I] would be on my own, but the Fox Network has helped me out a lot. They have booked a lot of interviews.”
By the time he returned home in March, Nuñez had done dozens of interviews, plus appearances on TV shows “Ellen” and “Live with Regis and Kelly.” And “Idol” is not finished with him yet; Nuñez returns to Hollywood on May 20, along with the other booted contestants for AI's season 8 finale.
How has American Idol altered your plans? You were going to law school but you say you want to pursue music…
I didn't think I would get this far, not because I didn't have talent, but because this is a show that demands a lot from its singers. But once I got through that first audition I realized that things were going to be different… because it was not just anybody telling me that I was good enough. These are professionals in the field who work with artists of high caliber, people like Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul.
Right now, I feel really strange because now that the show is over, I thought things would go back to normal, but no. People have stopped me on the road to ask if they could take a picture…I find that so strange.
I understand that you are still under contract with American Idol, correct?
Yes. I have a contract with AI until August. I can't complain because their contract is excellent. They have a great group of managers and the [Fox] network has treated me incredibly well, even after I was eliminated. Really, I can't complain. I do have a contract with them but that does not mean that other people can't make me offers.
Are you going to record an album?
Hopefully, within a year and a half, I should be working on that album and God knows maybe even before that. I would like to get started on a record as soon as possible and to record in both languages. My preference, though, is Spanish because that's part of my culture and who I am as a person.
What will the album be like?
I would concentrate not just on pop ballads that have rhythm but also songs that have a lot of feeling. Above all, I want songs that challenge my voice.
Who are your musical influences?
I have a lot of them. There's Marc Anthony, Andrea Bocelli, and Luis Fonsi. But the style that makes me passionate as a singer is Marc Anthony's… he is a singer who performs with a lot of fuerza, with emoción.
A lot of people commented on your performance and particularly the judges' reactions. First, it's not easy because you have to deal with a set theme for every show. For yours it was the music of Michael Jackson…
Michael Jackson, despite the fact that he is an artist that I admire very much, is not one that I relate to. I've always thought that Michael Jackson is the only one who can sing his own songs.
I chose [“Never Can Say Goodbye”] because it was the one that caught my attention the most. I thought it was interesting because it had a bit of a nice rhythm. I had been doing ballads since I started out in the competition and I wanted to challenge myself a bit more.
I took the comments from the judges as something positive. I like to see how I can improve, because in the life of a singer, there is always space for improvement.
You have mentioned in previous interviews that it was a cultural rather than a language barrier that affected you on the show, particularly for song selection. Why?
Language was not really an obstacle for me. I love languages. Having to translate a song to feel its emotion is interesting to me. When your native tongue is Spanish, well, you are happy in Spanish, you get angry in Spanish, me entiendes? You explain what you feel in your own language because that's how you can do it best.
I invest a lot in my emotions when I sing. When I had to translate, when I had to really understand what was this author was saying in this specific line, I had to find a similar expression in Spanish. That was an interesting challenge.
Some people, mostly bloggers, allege there may have been some bias on part of the judges…
For me, all the contestants there are very talented. All of them have a unique way of expressing themselves through music. That's where diversity lies, I think. It's in the variety of voices and talents each contestant has.
Still, there are a lot of people who are questioning if AI is truly ready to have a diverse cast…
What do you mean?
I mean contestants from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds…
Pues claro! There's Allison [Iraheta], who is Latina . And there's Lil Rounds. American Idol has always had diversity. Each contestant has something different to offer. That's what's interesting about the competition.
From the moment Boricua audiences watched Nuñez make it through “Idol's” San Juan auditions at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum, they supported him. Island media digested the episodes and interviewed family members. During the semi-finals, Nuñez was compared to Boricua singer Marc Anthony. The performer and his wife, actress Jennifer López, were so impressed with Nuñez, they sent a text to AI's host Ryan Seacrest about the young singer's vocal prowess. Seacrest shared it with the impressed Nuñez during an interview on his syndicated radio show.
When Nuñez made it through the Top 36 on Feb. 11, performing Elton John's classic “Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” he became the first Boricua contestant to reach the finals. On March 10, the Top 13 performed hits from Michael Jackson's catalog. Nuñez picked “Never Can Say Goodbye.” The following evening, he was sent packing.
Nuñez was not the only Boricua in contention. The 24-year-old Tatiana Del Toro auditioned for AI in San Francisco . A musician, songwriter and actress, Del Toro was noted for her over-the-top laugh and diva-like emoting. She advanced to the Wild Card round, singing Whitney Houston's “Saving All My Love for You.” But instead of saving love, the judges brought the curtain down.
Did you meet Tatiana Del Toro?
Yes, I did meet her. Ella es bien chevere. I hung out with her a lot because she was the only other Puerto Rican in the show. We got along super great. She is very talented. When I listened to her in Hollywood, I said to myself esperate, esta muchacha tiene una voz incredible. I always thought she would go really far…
Did you see the show on TV or the Internet? She was portrayed as an over-the-top diva…
I don't know anything about that because I did not watch the show after doing the live broadcast. I don't Google – myself or anybody else. To this day, I don't look at that because I saw them the way they were. I saw her as a persona común y corriente. She was great.
But what do you think about the way that she was presented on TV?
I don't know what to tell you there. I didn't watch the shows after they were taped, because I felt strange watching myself on screen. I never paid attention to that.
What was life at the AI mansion?
The mansion was amazing. Four floors—two above and the other two below ground. It was huge. Every night, before going to bed, I walked around to see if I could find a new room and, almost always, I did. The kitchen was really far from my room. I usually had to walk more than two minutes to get there. It was incredibly big. I don't think I even got to see the whole house…
How did you get along with the other contestants?
I had a great relationship with all the contestants. Lil Rounds was wonderful to me. While in Hollywood , we usually auditioned on the same days, and we got along great. The group was excellent. Everybody had something different; they were super funny. When the días de canto were over, we sat around [the house] and joked around.
What moved you to sing?
I grew up in a religious background, so at first I thought it was a way to connect spiritually with God. It was at 17 that I truly fell in love with music and I decided to [pursue it]. I had this friend who asked me to audition for a choir in Aguadilla …
You also sang for the UPR choir. As a matter of fact, the choir's director Carmen Acevedo was rooting for you…
At the UPR choir, I developed my vocal technique and a deeper connection with music because Carmen Acevedo is a woman who truly loves music and she transmits that to her singers.
What did you family think about your desire to sing? Did they support your decision?
My family was not didn't really want me to pursue music as a career, not because they didn't believe in me as an artist, but because it's a field that's very hard to get into. You have one chance in a million. They really thought about my well-being. They wanted me to get an education above everything else, and I understand that. I'm very aware that education is very important. It makes you a better person and gives you better opportunities. But having seen my abilities for themselves, and getting that feedback from professionals, they now support [my music career] unconditionally.
Have you watched the show since?
Yes I have been watching it and I was surprised by the elimination [of Alexis Grace, who followed Nuñez] and I think I will feel that way when any of the contestants is ousted because they are all wonderful to me.
Many thought Alexis Grace would make it to the final four, particularly after rumors that she was already picked for it. Who do you think has a better chance to make it to the final?
With all these things that happen, that's when you realize that you never really know what is going to happen on this show. Each one of those guys is incredibly talented.
Out of the AI limelight—at least for now—Nuñez is due to finish a bachelor's program in literature by December. Then maybe law school, but he is also eyeing a career in magazine journalism. It all depends on what happens with his music.
Having already experienced a little taste of fame, Nuñez is determined to follow his musical dreams. His chances may reignite at “Idol's” May 20 finale. In the meantime, he'll keep singing. And Puerto Rico will be watching.
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