Geo Rebucas: The male Mariah sings Whitney in tribute concert
Geo outside the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey where the late Whitney Houston got her start as a Gospel singer. Photo by Elton Lugay
If you ask Geo Rebucas, he will say everyone in his family is musically gifted. From his four older siblings to his parents, George and Concepcion, who used to perform in Malaysia as an acoustic duo.
“In my family, I’m the one with the not-so-nice voice,” he said and not in a self-deprecating way. “But I’m the only one who pursued singing.”
He’s been singing since he was child. The family dining table was his stage, his parents his stage managers. Even then, it was undeniable there was a huge talent waiting to come out of this young boy of 4.
Geo got his break in 2011 when he became a finalist in Pilipinas Got Talent with his rendition of Mariah Carey’s “Through the Rain.” The belting, the whispering, the ability to switch from high to low range were unmistakably Mariah. He came to be known as the “Male Mariah Carey of the Philippines” for his unfaltering falsetto. It’s all a matter of imitating the sound, is how he explains the accuracy of his style.
His NYC debut through the 2014 The Outstanding Filipino Americans in New York awards ceremony held at Carnegie Hall.
The FilAm community of New York first heard Geo when he and Fil-Canadian singer Darren Espanto headlined TOFA – or The Outstanding Filipino Americans New York in 2014. The Carnegie Hall audience was smitten. There was a rush to book him for events after that breakthrough debut. He obliged, sang solo or partnered with other musical talent, and that was the beginning of Geo’s steady rise as a local sensation. He has been singing Mariah for years — “Love Takes Time,” “Hero,” and “Through the Rain” are the most requested by his fans — he feels it’s time to step out of the singer’s shadow and try something different.
On September 15, Geo will interpret the hits of the late Whitney Houston in a solo concert to be held at Feinstein’s/54 Below. Patti Lupone, Tony Danza, and Jane Lynch are just some of the Broadway stars who have performed in this cabaret restaurant. Geo’s all-Whitney repertoire is apt for the venue’s showtime vibe. His version of “Run to You” — from the 1992 movie The Bodyguard — was a well applauded number when he sang it during the Ms. Gorg transgender beauty pageant in April. He echoed the trademark Houston vocals with their full power and excellent control.
With parents George and Concepcion Rebucas and siblings Geoward, Rosalie, George Jr., and Gee.
The young boy from Pagadian City.
One weekend in July, he was overwhelmed with nostalgia he decided to visit Houston’s church in Newark as well as her graveyard in Westfield, also in New Jersey.
“I wanted to get her blessing (for my concert),” said Geo, 27, who works as a medical assistant in a Manhattan dermatology clinic. The sight of the tear-shaped tombstone made him emotional as he reflected on his favorite Houston song “The Greatest Love of All.”
“It was the first Whitney song I ever sang,” he told The FilAm in an interview. “It is also my favorite.”
At the New Hope Baptist Church, he got to meet some church elders and caught a glimpse of Houston’s mother, Cissy, as she arrived for the late-morning service. Whitney was a Gospel singer in this church where her mother, a legend in the Newark community, also sang. As a matter of fact, Sussex Avenue has been renamed Dr. Emily Houston Plaza in her honor. Like the Houstons, Geo is a Baptist and was an active member of the church when he lived in California with his family.
He plans to donate to the church part of the proceeds from his concert. “I feel blessed.”
Likening his career to a “rollercoaster,” he said the ups have far outweighed the downs. He is fortunate to have people in his life who have given him nothing but wholehearted support.
“My career has just been growing,” he said.
(C) The FilAm 2018
A visit to Whitney’s graveyard.
