learned one thing when I interviewed Jed Madela.

“Stop clearing your throat,” Jed told me when he noticed that I was making ehem-ehem every so often. “It can hurt your throat instead or relieve what you feel is a lump. The thing to do is to simply swallow.”

So since then, I've been trying to unlearn what I've been doing automatically since time immemorial and — surprise, surprise! — it's working!

The interview was in connection with Jed's new (third) solo album titled Only Human (after I'll Be Around in 2003 and Songs Rediscovered in 2005), released by Universal Records and launched last Sunday on ASAP '07.

The throat-clearing thing came up because, as a singer, Jed never, never does it.

“I take good care of my vocal cords,” said Jed who doesn't drink ice-cold water when he's tired (but sometimes does when he isn't) and vocalizes as often as possible (so what if the neighbors think he's being, ehem-ehem, “strangled”).

I wondered, why is his new album called Only Human?

“You know,” explained Jed in a heavily-Ilonggo-accented Tagalog, “every time I perform, people would say, ‘Hindi ka tao; you're not human,' because normally I'm so quiet and my speaking voice is very soft. But the moment I start singing, my voice daw is such that I don't sound human. You know who was the last person who told me that? Lea Salonga. We saw each other during her concert last February. I was flattered when she told me na sobrang malinis daw ang boses ko. I told her, ‘It's all about discipline.' And then she shared some tips with me.”

Tips like, 1) drink plenty of water (at least eight glasses per day), 2) get enough sleep (eight hours per night as much as possible), and 3) do cardio exercises and practise deep-breathing for lung power, and 4) vocalize, vocalize, vocalize.

“And yes, sabi ni Lea, refrain from clearing your throat by going ehem-ehem,” Jed added.

And what are the signs that Jed is human after all, like you and me?

“Well, namamalat din ako at napapaos din. I also get hoarse, like everybody else. In December last year, I did so many corporate shows and I got really hoarse because you know me, I do birit songs. Bihira daw ang male singers na bumibirit and that's very hard on the vocal cords. Power ballads, like I Don't Want To Miss a Thing (by Aerosmith) can be very demanding on your vocal cords.”

He doesn't smoke because he said smoking dries the throat and he doesn't drink (hard drinks, that is).

No wonder Jed has a winning voice.

In 2003, he won a silver and the People's Choice and Judges' Favorite awards at the Voice of Asia competition in Kazakhstan . In 2005, he won the grand championship in the Olympics for Performing Arts in Hollywood , the only Filipino artist to have achieved that honor. (Last year, several Filipino artists did win golds but only in the elimination rounds and not in the grand finals among the gold winners in various categories.) Jed has acted as judge in that Olympics.

“After winning in Kazakhstan ,” said Jed, “I didn't want to join any contest anymore. And then, the invitation to join the Olympics in Hollywood came up. Afer that, sabi ko, ‘Enough already!' Why? To give other singers a chance. We have so many talented singers around.”

Asked who he patterns his style after, Jed named Luther Vandross and other Black singers.

“When I feel low, all I do is listen to a Vandross CD. It inspires me. That's how I motivate myself.”

He did just that before he recorded his Only Human album which carries four originals (Whispering Your Name, I'm Sailing, Free and Iniibig Kita); and 10 covers (Forevermore, And I Love You So, There's No Easy Way, I Want to Give It All, Only Love, Tuyo Na'ng Damdamin, Every Now And Then, Summer Breeze, I Just Can't Let Go and Only Human); plus two bonus duets, Hard Habit To Break with Gary Valenciano and Narito with Rachelle Ann Go.

The songs were Jed's personal choices, all right, but which one is closest to his heart?

“Whispering Your Name, composed by Arnel de Pano a few years ago but recorded only now. May kuwento ang song na ‘yon. It's about a guy who kind of toys with the feelings of a girl, only to realize that he loves the girl after all when the girl has fallen for another guy. So alone in his room, he keeps whispering the girl's name.”

Has he experienced the same thing?

“Not yet,” smiled Jed. “But I've been broken-hearted. After all, I'm only human, just like everybody else.”

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