Border region singer Frank Díaz was saved from elimination from the Mexican reality show "La Academia" by an unlikely savior: La Toya Jackson.
In Sunday's prime-time show, Díaz sang the Juan Gabriel tune "No Tengo Dinero" alongside fellow contestant Yanilen, a performance the judges called "horrible."
They told Díaz that he had talent but needed to get out of his comfort zone and nominated him to be dropped from the show.
It was the second week in a row that Díaz, who was born in Los Angeles but grew up in Tijuana, faced elimination.
The singer, however, performed a tribute to Michael Jackson before his sister, La Toya Jackson, a special guest on the show.
Jackson said her brother would have liked the performance and she granted Díaz "immunity," thus saving him from elimination.
"He was marvelous, he had so much energy," Jackson said of Díaz.
The goal of "La Academia 2011," from the Mexican TV network Azteca América, is to discover the next Latin American star. Contestants, who are from the United States and Latin America, live together in a house and learn at "The Academy" from professional singers, dancers and actors. On Sunday nights, they present a gala show, where entertainers serve as judges, who recommend which contestants should be dropped. The public can then vote by phone to save them.
By the end of Sunday's show, Ceci and Alan were eliminated. Erick, from Mexicali, and the other contestants from the United States – Carmen, Gustavo y Noé were among the 25 who survived to compete next week.
Andrea.garcia@sandiegored.com
[sidebar]Reality show
The show "La Academia 2011" airs Sundays at 6:30 p.m. on Channel 15 in San Diego. Fans can follow the action at their official website.[/sidebar]
