Courtesy photo

San Antonio resident Alfredo Lomelí isn't nervous about performing on national television.

“Your nerves can betray you. You can be prepared and be really good, but if you get nervous, it could mess things up,” said Lomelí, a 22-year-old baritone who's pursuing his musical dream on the Telefutura singing competition show “Objetivo Fama.”

A cross between “American Idol” and “Big Brother,” contestants on “Objetivo Fama” vie for a chance at singing stardom while living together in a large house in San Juan, Puerto Rico. A panel of judges critiques their weekly performances — sound familiar? — and advancement on the show depends solely on audience votes.

“My goal is to win. I feel a responsibility to do well and represent Mexicans,” said Lomelí, a Mexican-born singer who has lived in San Antonio since 1992.

Lomelí, a 2003 Jefferson High School grad who studied opera at the University of Texas at San Antonio, first auditioned for the fifth season of “Objetivo Fama” in October when show producers held preliminary tryouts here.

It was his second year trying for the show. He didn't make it last year, but admits, “I wasn't ready.”

Lomelí was among the 26 finalists from across the country invited to audition in Puerto Rico last month. He was the only San Antonian among the finalists.

On the Feb. 3 season premiere of “Objetivo Fama 5,” Lomelí made the cut to the top 20.

He will now compete weekly on the hit show that airs Sunday nights on the Telefutura network, a sister station of Univisión. It can be seen locally on Time Warner Cable channel 19.

Lomelí is prepared for whatever might happen as a result of the show, which is so popular in Puerto Rico that contestants often have to travel with bodyguards to avoid being mobbed by fans.
 
“I'm ready for this,” he said. “I have the support I need, and I'm really excited about the experience. It can only be good.”

Melissa Rentería | 210SA Contributor