Juan Karlos Labajo facts for kids

Juan Karlos Labajo (born February 5, 2001) is a talented Filipino singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. He became famous at age 13 after finishing third in the first season of The Voice Kids in 2014. Juan Karlos is also the main singer and songwriter for his band, Juan Karlos.

As a solo artist, he has released two studio albums. With his band, he has released three studio albums. Juan Karlos has also acted in several TV shows like Hawak-Kamay (2014) and Senior High (2023–24). He was even a housemate in the reality show Pinoy Big Brother: Lucky 7 in 2016. For his role in the movie Blue Room (2022), he was nominated for a Gawad Urian Award. He also played Senator Ninoy Aquino in the musical movie Ako si Ninoy (2023).

Early Life and Challenges

Juan Karlos Labajo was born on February 5, 2001. He grew up in Consolacion, Cebu, with his mother, Maylinda Labajo. His father was not around when he was growing up. Sadly, his mother passed away on November 17, 2013, when he was twelve years old. He now lives in Metro Manila with his uncle Jovanni and grandmother Linda.

Growing up, Juan Karlos faced bullying in school. Even though he looked like he came from a wealthy family, they actually had financial difficulties. He shared that his grandmother even asked for a small amount of money from the Cebu governor, Hilario Davide III, which he was very thankful for.

Journey to Stardom

2014: The Voice Kids Breakthrough

Juan Karlos first appeared on The Voice Kids season 1 on June 7, 2014. He sang "Grow Old With You" by Adam Sandler for his blind audition. Both coaches Sarah Geronimo and Bamboo Mañalac wanted him on their teams. He chose Bamboo as his coach, who called him "the funniest kid I have ever met."

He made it to the finals after singing "Sway" in the semi-finals. He was one of the top three contestants chosen by public votes. In the finals, he performed "Yesterday" by The Beatles and "Runaway Baby" by Bruno Mars. Coach Lea Salonga praised his looks, charm, and heart. For the final round, he sang "Eto Na Naman" with Gary Valenciano. Juan Karlos finished in third place in the competition.

After The Voice Kids, Juan Karlos and the other finalists joined Star Magic. This is ABS-CBN's training and management center. His first acting role was in the TV series Hawak-Kamay. He also appeared in the drama show Maalaala Mo Kaya, playing himself in his own life story.

2015: Pangako Sa 'Yo and First Album

In May 2015, Juan Karlos continued his acting career in the TV series Ipaglaban Mo: Sa Dulo ng Daan. He also joined the cast of "Pangako Sa 'Yo" as Amboy Mobido. Amboy was a friend of Yna, one of the main characters.

In August 2015, Juan Karlos released his first album, "JK." It had 8 songs, including a special band version of "Para Sa 'Yo." A song called "Di Ka Man Lang Nagpaalam" was dedicated to his late mother. In October, he was the MYX Celebrity VJ, which means he hosted music videos for a month.

2016: Reality Shows and New Experiences

In May 2016, Juan Karlos competed in We Love OPM, a Filipino music competition. He was part of a team called Voice Next Door with Kyle Echarri and Bailey May. They performed many popular Filipino songs. Juan Karlos had to miss some episodes because he was also competing in Pinoy Big Brother: Lucky 7.

He joined Pinoy Big Brother: Lucky 7 as a celebrity housemate. He traveled to Vietnam for the show, which was a new experience for the program. Inside the house, he sometimes felt ignored because he was the youngest. Big Brother encouraged him to talk about his feelings. He also shared personal stories about his mother and his half-brothers. Juan Karlos was eventually evicted from the house.

2017: A Love to Last and Second Album

Juan Karlos was the MYX Celebrity VJ again in January 2017. On January 9, 2017, he appeared in the TV series A Love to Last as Lucas Noble. His first big solo concert, "JKL Live," was planned for February 2017 but was postponed.

On February 6, 2017, his second album, "JKL," was released. It had 8 songs, including three he wrote himself: "Demonyo," "Forever," and "Move On." Later that year, he made his first movie appearance in the indie film Tatlong Bibe.

2018–Present: The Juan Karlos Band

In 2018, Juan Karlos announced he was forming a band named after him, Juan Karlos. He released one of his most famous songs, "Buwan" (which means "moon" in English), in June 2018.

In January 2024, Juan Karlos and fellow artist Kyle Echarri released "Kasing Kasing." This is a Visayan pop song fully in Cebuano. They wanted to show more Cebuano music in the Philippines. In July 2024, Juan Karlos released his album Sad Songs and ... Part 2. In October 2024, he announced his first major solo concert, "Juan Karlos LIVE," set for November 29, 2024, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

Musical Inspirations

Juan Karlos has always wanted to be in the entertainment industry. He wants to make a lasting impact. His late mother also inspired him, as she hoped he would win a singing contest. He looks up to actors like Daniel Day-Lewis and Joel Torre. He also admires jazz artists such as Django Reinhardt and Bill Evans. Besides music, he is also an aspiring photographer.

Personal Life

In April 2020, Juan Karlos shared on Instagram that he was looking for his German father. He later found his father's contact but was blocked. He then shared that his search was over, believing his father had a new family and did not want him to be part of it.

Juan Karlos dated Filipino-German model Maureen Wroblewitz from 2017 to 2022. She appeared in the music video for his song "Buwan". As of February 2024, Juan Karlos is dating beauty queen and musician Dia Maté.

Filmography

Movies

Key

Denotes films that have not yet been released

Year	Title	Role	Ref.
2017	Tatlong Bibe	James
2022	Blue Room	Anton
2023	Ako si Ninoy	Benigno Aquino Jr.
	When This Is All Over	The Guy
2024	Lolo and the Kid	Adult Kid
2025	Ex Ex Lovers	Joey
	Untold	Jasper Torres
	Meet, Greet & Bye

TV Drama Series

Reality and Variety Shows

Discography

Studio Albums

Singles

As Lead Artist

As Featured Artist

Other Appearances

Concerts

Awards and Recognition

See also

In Spanish: Juan Karlos Labajo para niños