B.C. singer hopes for Canada’s Got Talent success with semi-final performance

A Vancouver Island man will be competing in the semi-finals on Canada’s Got Talent Tuesday night.

Born and raised in Nanaimo, 24-year-old Filipino-Canadian Raymond Salgado began singing in his early teens.

He’s competed on American Idol and The Launch, but says this whole experience still feels surreal.

“Everything just goes by so fast that I’m just trying to soak it all in, to just enjoy and ride the wave of the moment right now,” he told CityNews Tuesday morning.

Salgado says he’s felt a “whirlwind of emotions” since his journey began, adding at times, it feels like it’s not real.

He explains he had his doubts about even auditioning for the show. However, Salgado says he’s happy that didn’t stop him.

“I went through so much last year and when the opportunity of auditioning for Canada’s Got Talent came about, I was kind of wary about it. I’m just glad that I took the initiative to do this for me and to do it for myself and just to be courageous and put myself out there, even after a big fall,” he said.

Salgado advanced after his cover of Bryan Adams’ “Heaven” last month was met with a standing ovation and four “yeses” from the judges.

WOW! This #VancouverIsland local has something to SING about! Raymond’s confidence shined through in his cover of @BryanAdams’ “Heaven” and earned him one of the BIGGEST standing ovations in #CGT history! @lilly @howiemandel @trishstratuscom @kardinalo @lindsayell pic.twitter.com/YoChuSy3mZ

— Canada’s Got Talent (@CanGotTalent) April 13, 2023

The pressure’s still on but Salgado says he’s eyeing a spot in the finals — all while stepping outside of his comfort zone.

“I am a ballad singer most of the time, and ballad singing is something that I’m known for and I know that I’m good at. But I wanted to show the judges, show Canada’s Got Talent that I wasn’t just a one-trick pony, and I can sing whatever it is when it comes to the occasion and do the best that I can. I feel like I rose to the occasion and yeah, I’m excited for those to see another part of me that a lot of people haven’t seen yet,” he said.

Beyond making the finals, Salgado wants to be able to connect with others in his community.

“Being Filipino, being in the LGBTQ+, being on the Island, I’ve been getting such lovely messages from people and getting a lot of opportunity to perform locally. So I’m really just taking it as it is,” he explained.

“Whatever happens going forward, I made my mark on the stage and I really did the best that I could. Regardless, I’m just so happy to have represented and to have put myself out there.”

You can catch the Canada’s Got Talent semi finals starting at 8 p.m. PT on Citytv. You can also vote for your favourite contestant online.