Sampaguita's 'Bonggahan' is the Music Video of the Week. The Reyna of Rock and Roll. Lyrics after the jump. Bonggahan
Panahon na para magsaya Forget mo na ang problema Pa-dance dance, para sumigla Rock 'n' roll hanggang umaga Wa ko type ang magpa-cry cry Type ko ay todo bigay Kaya join na lang kayo Let's all have a good time.
Refrain Di ko say na magwala ka Ang say ko lang ay magpabongga ka Stop ka na sa pagdurusa Ride ka lang sa problema.
Di ko trip ang magpasabog Hate na hate ko ang matulog Trip ko lang na umiksena Heto ay sobrang pilya Wag ka say na lang, kumadre Bow ka lang ng bow Pa-sing sing ka lang Para ikaw ay sumaya.
Repeat Refrain & 1st verse
Kaya join na lang kayo Let's all have a good time Kaya join na lang kayo Let's all have a good time.
Isabel Preysler is on the cover of the Spanish magazine Semana this week as the famous Filipina celebrates her 57th birthday. Above is a picture of the controversy that took place when the Spanish magazine Lecturas featured the same cover of Philippine Tatler. Of course, the Philippine Tatler and Lecturas are both owned by the same publishing company, but Isabel was still upset according to her daughter Tamara. In the Philippine Tatler, Isabel said, "I always try to promote Philippines whenever I can and try to help as much as possible." And she did, as she was recently in Manila as the godmother of an Inno Sotto fashion show, for which all proceeds were donated to homeless Filipino children. Meanwhile, Isabel's most famous son, Enrique Iglesias was in Miami, Florida for the 20th anniversary of the Premio Lo Nuestro Awards, where he performed to an excited crowd, let a reporter kiss him on the lips, and left everyone with their mouths wide open when he said in a press conference after the event that his most attractive physical assets are his testicles.And here's a picture of her beautiful daughter, Tamara Falcó, who is the covergirl of Yo Dona magazine. Tamara admits that she is posh, and that all the questions the media asks her are related to clothes. Speaking of Posh, Isabel Preysler is friends with Posh Spice, Victoria Beckham, and even had Vickie and famous hubby David Beckham over at her mansion for dinner when he was still playing for Real Madrid. The Spice Girls end their reunion tour today with their final concert in Toronto. See how the Philippines is connected to famous people all over the world? And most Pinoys think that we just live in our own little prism, but we're out there in the world. Spice Girls on Tour February 2008 Wallpaper David Beckham Wallpaper
Bamboo's latest hit album released in 2007 "We Stand Alone Together" is still in stores nationwide and EMI Philippines is gearing the boys up for an international release. Bamboo is the most successful rock band in Philippine history and have also recently been named as the Philippines international representative to UNICEF (The United Nations), placing them up there with such prestigious international acts as U2 and the Spice Girls, also UNICEF representatives. There's just no words to describe how spiritual their music is, it hits you, deep in your puso while you're rocking out and enjoying it at the same time. The band is made up of that great singer Bamboo Mañalac, Nathan Azarcon, Ira Cruz, and Vic Mercado. Listen to the #1 hit "Hallelujah" below. Philippine legend is that a bamboo split open, and out came the first man whose name was Malakas (Strong), and the first woman whose name was Maganda (Beautiful).
More Regalos! The world categorizes him to however they want to according to their racist standards, which usually means categorizing him as only a "Spanish singer", but Enrique Iglesias is Filipino and proud. Just ask him yourself: Though I was born in Madrid, my being a Filipino is very strong in me,” says Enrique. “When I was growing up, my mom (Isabel Preysler) would always talk about the Philippines. She taught us the things that are very important to Filipino culture such as family, being hospitable to guests, and fear of God. I even remember the Filipino dishes she used to whip up.” - Manila Standard, March 18, 2004And he's released a few new videos, including "Somebody's Me" where he has an almost naked romp with a woman who is not Anna Kournikouva, his fiance:
Nandito Ako(Tagalog of "I Am Here") was the fifth album released byThalía. It was exclusively released in the Philippines, where she became a major superstar because of her telenovelaMarimar. The album composed of 10 cuts included her first singleNandito Ako.Nandito Akowas recorded after her major concert in the Philippines. It also featured the Tagalog version ofMaría La Del Barrio,El VenaoandJuanaand English version of Quiero Hacerte El Amor and Gracias A Dios. She also hade her own version of the songTell MeandHey, It's Me. The album was certified platinum after a week it was released.Enjoy and download this large-sized album cover, and get your copy at all National Bookstores nationwide, where EMI Philippines has re-released her hit album due to the born-again popularity of Marimar! And enjoy this article in the New York Times about the Marimar phenomenon in the Philippines! And of course, enjoy the Thalia in Manila video gallery, scroll down to see all the videos.EMI Philippines Re-Released Thalia Nandito Ako Cover, 2007/2008
August 27, 1996
Mere Soap Opera? It's Mexican Magic (in Tagalog)
By EDWARD A. GARGAN
As the shadows on Honradez Street lengthened, Conrad Alvarez bustled about his open-air corner grocery store making sure all four television sets were on. It was 6:30 in the evening and it was time for ''Mari Mar,'' the country's favorite soap opera -- a blizzard of love, sex and betrayal, poverty and sudden wealth, revenge and triumph. And a talking dog.
But the actors who flutter across the screen are not the usual stable of Philippine stars. Instead, all are Mexican and they have rampaged through the Philippines like a late-summer typhoon.
Especially the actress who plays the heroine for whom the show is named. She goes by the stage name Thalia, and recently, in the midst of a historic peace agreement with Muslim guerrillas and the centennial celebrations of the Philippine Revolution, all was pushed aside as she stormed into town where she was thronged by crowds usually seen only by the Pope.
''She's captivating,'' sighed Mr. Alvarez as he huddled in front a television with his wife Emma. ''She's so sexy. She's romantic.'' Their five children hunkered down around another set, some neighborhood kids drifted in and an hour of romance had begun.
''It's different from our soap operas,'' explained Mrs. Alvarez, settling onto a plastic stool. ''She has the same problems we do. It shows the discrimination against poor people. Her house was burned down when she was poor. They mistreated her. They degraded her. She's almost Filipina.''
But the Thalia phenomenon is not restricted to the Philippines. Televisa, the Mexican network that produces ''Mari Mar'' and is the world's largest producer of entertainment television, markets this and other soap operas in Asia and Russia. Thalia drew similarly enthusiastic crowds last year on a visit to Indonesia.
Since first exploding onto Philippine television sets last March, ''Mari Mar'' has bulldozed the country's prime time television hour, established Mexico in Filipino eyes as the font of what is pure and romantic, and transformed the Philippines, in the words of one commentator, into the ''Republica de Mari Mar.'' Across Manila, at the witching hour, commuters scramble from buses, street basketball players hurry home and bars fall silent as Mari Mar, her Spanish dubbed into Tagalog, begins to talk.
It was people like the Alvarezes, by the thousands, who gathered outside Manila's airport in the predawn darkness to welcome Thalia, whose plane finally touched down at 4:30 A.M. For those who didn't make it to the airport, television carried the event live. From there, it was a week of concerts, interviews and public appearances. Thalia, a 23-year-old who got her start as a pop singer, showered kisses on the crowds like confetti. Tears flowed. Politicians vied for her attention.
In Guimba, a town a couple hours north of here, local officials told the local power company in no uncertain terms that there were to be no power failures during Thalia's visit or during daily broadcasts of her show or concerts.
''Very seldom do we see our people in Guimba preoccupied and mesmerized with such a soap opera, and to deprive them of such enjoyment would be to act like a killjoy,'' declared Benny Rillo, a member of the Guimba city council.
At the head of the list of politicians feting the Mexican star was President Fidel Ramos, who rolled out the red carpet at the Malacanang Palace.
''It's O.K. if I kiss?'' Thalia asked the President's wife, Ming Ramos, before planting a taco-sized buss on the delighted President, a kiss that graced the front-page of virtually every newspaper in the country.
''This is what goes with the office,'' the President beamed, capping off a 45-minute meeting. A dinner drenched in the trappings of a state occasion followed.
The frenzy over Thalia, whose real name is Ariadne Sodi Miranda, stirred bewilderment among commentators more accustomed to dissecting the confabulations of national politics, and resentment among some politicians.
''Not since the days of the galleon trade have Filipinos celebrated with wild abandon the arrival of a ship from Mexico,'' offered Conrado de Quiros, a local columnist. ''She has pretty much stolen the hearts of Filipinos. Filipino soaps are too familiar, American soaps are too alien. 'Mari Mar' is neither.''
The sober Daily Inquirer managed to meld sociology with its own long-running series on corruption in Congress. ''You can understand what the Filipinos are trying to escape from,'' the paper wrote. ''They are trying to escape from the ugliness around them. The ugliness of their surroundings, the ugliness of their poverty, the ugliness of their public officials.''
''But you can see Thalia descending,'' the paper raved, ''like an apparition from Mount Olympus, and you can understand what the Filipinos are trying to escape into. They are trying to escape into beauty. The beauty of goodness winning over evil, the beauty of folk rising above adversity.''
Some lawmakers found the adulation for Thalia overwhelming even the celebrations of the Revolution, which, with American help, ended Spanish rule of the Philippines. ''We're becoming a nation of 'Mari Mar' fans,'' moaned Edcel Lagman, who rounded up 100 equally grumpy colleagues from the House of Representatives and filed a motion deploring the transformation of the Revolution into, as he put it, a ''non-event.''
The soap opera mines every cliche and wrings every tear. Mari Mar, brutalized by poverty, is rescued by a weakling rich-boy husband who chucks her out on a trumped-up accusation of theft. Mari Mar returns Eliza Doolittle-like, smart, cultivated and bent on revenge. In moments of despair, her ever-loyal dog Fulgoso lifts her spirits.
Many here believe Thalia's Mari Mar embodies the experience and hopes of Filipinas and Filipinos.
''It's almost the same as the Philippines,'' insisted Mr. Alvarez, as he stacked a few loaves of the bread made in the bakery behind the grocery store. ''We're very romantic, Filipinos. Sometimes when I go to bed I dream of Mari Mar.''
Mrs. Alvarez swatted her husband with a paper. ''He'd better not,'' she laughed. ''But Mari Mar is what we all believe in.''MarimarEduardo Capetillo Thalia Fernando x2, Carrillo, above, and Colunga, bottom
Julio Iglesias Jr. will get married to his girlfriend Charisse. He currently lives in the Madrid house of his mother, Filipina journalist Isabel Preysler, with his sisters Tamara, Ana, and Chabeli who's visiting for the holidays with her husband and kids. Photo above: Julio Jr. and sister Tamara enjoying a day at an amusement park with that cartoon bird, what's his name? The one that goes, da da da da. Ah, whatever, hehe. Meanwhile, you can currently watch him on the CMT reality show, Gone Country, where we see him try to become a country singer. Woody the Woodpecker! That's it!
Richard Gutierrez and Marian Rivera new Valentine movie news below, but enjoy this classic Thalia video, "I Found Your Love (Gracias a Dios)" released exclusively for the Philippines from her multi-platinum Filipino-Tagalog album, Nandito Ako, in which she dresses up in a Basic Instinct inspired S&M bondage outfitand ties up a half naked guy upside down, shaves him, rips off his clothes, and then sprays him with a rubber hose, hehe. And then, she lights her breasts on fire! (Watch the video to see how she did that!) Let's see Marian Rivera do something like that! Haha. Video below these images: Thalia - I Found Your Love (Gracias a Dios) I'm not sure if this was actually seen by many Filipinos in the Philippines during those times, because due to the racy content, it probably would've been banned by the MTRCB. Hehe. But they're prudes like that, don't even show your knees on TV, that's too racy for them! Hahaha. You can also see Thalia performing this song live at Araneta stadium in the Thalia in Manila Video Gallery, scroll down to see the video. Also, enjoy these clips of Thalia singing in Tagalog on Don Francisco in Miami, Florida: Chika Lang Mariang Taga Barrio Chika Lang Full Song
The truth about Thalia Conversations with Ricky Lo
Date: 17 Sept 2000 Source: Philippine Star Major Daily Newspaper The truth about Thalia - Conversations with Ricky Lo
The Bright Boys and the Spice Boys of the House of Representatives are scrambling mad over one another for the rare chance to be in the same frame with Fernando Carillo/Jose, male lead of the smash-hit telenovela Rosalinda, who¹s arriving tomorrow for a week-long promo visit for his new soap Siempre te Amare (produced by Viva Television for RPN 9), with a concert at the Araneta Coliseum on Sept. 23 as highlight.
Would you believe the "Young Turks" of Congress, supposedly the "hope of the Fatherland," throwing caution to the wind over a macho showbiz hero, threatening to engage in, heaven forbid, palengkera squabble for the attention of one Fernando Jose!?! What some people will do to the point of brazenly sacrificing their dignity and their own "macho" reputation at the altar of media mileage to get a share of the limelight.Shame, shame, shame!
If the Bright Boys and the Spice Boys would kill one another for Thalia, Fernando Jose¹s sexy and seductive Rosalinda leading lady, it would be understandable and more "heroic," wouldn¹t it be?
In the meantime, while Œem Boys are going gaga over Fernando Jose, let¹s listen to what Thalia has to say about all the rumors spicing up the international media and the Internet concerning her lovelife and her career.
This 30-minute phone Conversation, conducted between thousands of miles (Thalia was in London and I was in Manila), was arranged by EMI-OctoArts Records which is releasing Thalia¹s new album, Arrasando. It was 12 midnight in London and 7 p.m. in Manila, and Thalia was just about to turn in. She said she was talking to Conversations from bed.
As usual, Thalia was sweet as ever, freely talking about her new love, Sony Music boss Tommy Mottola, and new developments in her life and career, wishing to come back for another visit, more memorable perhaps than her twin visits back in 1996.
It¹s okay for the Bright Boys and the Spice Boys to claw their way to the side of Fernando Jose but the rest of the world, I¹m sure, would rather have Thalia.
Hello, Thalia, how are you?
"Good. How are you? I¹m okay. Good, good! Nice to hear you!"
I doubt if you remember but I met you very briefly, from afar at a presscon when you visited Manila a few years ago.
"Oh, yeah! That was a long time ago, huh?"
What are you doing in London? Shooting or what?
"We are doing promotion for my new album, Arrasando (Taken By Storm, released locally by OctoArts-EMI)."
Como estas, Thalia? "Muy bien, gracias? Kumusta, too?" Oh, you still speak Tagalog!
"Yeah. Salamat po!" Do you know that Fernando Carillo/Jose is coming to Manila?
"Oh, good for him! I wish I could be with him in Manila. It¹s amazing!"
When are you coming back? We¹re missing you already.
"I¹m really looking forward to coming back there; I wish I could show Fernando Carillo a little bit of what I knew... the people that I¹ve met there... the places that I¹ve visited there... all the things that I¹ve seen while I was there. I miss Manila very much... really, really miss Manila."
That was about four years ago.
"I miss all the people there who always, always give me the opportunity to be somebody over there."
But you¹re a somebody not only over here but everywhere! All over the world! "Am I?"
What are your fond memories of Manila?
"The people are very kind, very sweet, very friendly. I made many, many friends over there. I also remember so much the music; I remember also the food. I remember everything!"
What food did you like most?
"Oh, my God, everything! Everything was amazing! Especially the breakfast. Never in my whole life have I tasted a breakfast so amazing!"
What kind of breakfast was that?
"It was meat with a sweet juice; it was with eggs, too, and with bacon, and with fried rice, and with potato, and everything! I get hungry just thinking of that breakfast."
Do you know that your telenovela Rosalinda is a big, big hit in the Philippines, like Marimar?
"Yeah. Thanks to God and thanks to all the people of the Philippines. I want to thank the people there for allowing me to be part of their homes (During telecast of Rosalinda and her other telenovela Quinceanera. RFL)."
When did you shoot Rosalinda?
"We did it like approximately two and a half years ago."
Was it after Marimar?
"No, no, no. Not after Marimar. After Marimar came Maria la del Barrio."
How long did you shoot Rosalinda (now being replayed on ABS-CBN, Monday through Friday, 10 to 10:30 p.m.)?
"Approximately one year... about 10 months."
All over Mexico?
"Just in Mexico City."
How did you find your role as Rosalinda (the poor girl who triumphs in the end)?
"Oh, I always love the Cinderella story. It¹s the kind of story that everyone in the family can watch the grandfather, the grandmother, the father, the mother, the children. In my soap operas, there¹s no nudity. It¹s like Cinderella¹s story. Very wholesome. It¹s like a dream. It¹s a story that people like and that gets people involved."
Do you identify yourself with that kind of role?
"My emotions are kind of like Rosalinda. I mean, she¹s such a dreamer; she¹s a romantic; she fights for the future, she fights for love, so I identify so much with her. Rosalinda is one of my favorite roles ever; that one and Marimar."
Speaking of love scenes and kissing scenes... Now that you¹re doing movies in Hollywood (her starrer, Mambo Cafe, is showing soon in Manila), what would you do if you¹re offered a movie that requires a kissing scene or a love scene? Would you accept it?
"You know what... I don¹t like colds. I¹m freezing all the time! I really cannot accept that kind of role. Let me tell you something... I have the approval of many audiences around the world, in different languages, different cultures, without taking off my clothes and just with my performance in the soap operas, and just with my music. So basically, I don¹t need roles like that (with kissing and/or love scenes). I¹ve been doing this since I was 9 and I never took my clothes off, not even a blouse; I never took it off. So I¹ll never gonna do it."
How nice of you! We love you as you are with your clothes on.
"You know, in the future, in the long term I really want to have a family; I¹m really looking forward to that. I can¹t imagine one of my children will come to me and tell me, ŒHey, Mommy, my friend in school showed me this magazine and you¹re naked.¹ You know. I don¹t want my children to suffer."
Is it because of your Catholic upbringing that you don¹t like sexy roles?
"It¹s not because of that; it¹s because of ethics. You know, my family tells me, ŒDo whatever your heart tells you.¹ My heart tells me not to take off my clothes so I¹m not gonna do it. Anyway, Thalia plays two roles; one is the actress and the other is the singer. The actress is more conservative while the singer can be more sexy."
How was it working with Fernando Carillo/Jose? Did you know him before Rosalinda?
"No, never; never before Rosalinda. I just knew him because of his work. The experience of working with him is just amazing. He¹s such a good guy; very, very nice person. We worked together very good. He¹s great. His brothers are amazing, too. Yeah, he¹s such an amazing guy. I¹m sure that we have the best chemistry ever in television. He¹s my best co-star."
Is he romantic also just like you?
"I don¹t know. The only thing I can tell you is that on the set, we laughed all the time. There were occasions when we couldn¹t work because we were just laughing and laughing, playing and playing, jumping all over the set. We were just like two kids playing."
There was a report that Fernando Carillo/Jose courted you during the shooting of Rosalinda. Was it true?
"No, no! You know what, he¹s like that with all the women. Cariñoso. I¹m telling you now... If I am in the Philippines, I should tell the women to be prepared."
Why?
"Because he¹s very sweet with all the girls! But he¹s respectful, too. We talked since the beginning of (Rosalinda) and we told each other, ŒYou know what, let¹s just be friends. Let¹s just be the best friends we can ever be.¹ Even after Rosalinda we¹re still talking; we¹re still in contact with each other."
He¹s still a bachelor, isn¹t he? He¹s still single, isn¹t he?
"Bachelor? Single? I really don¹t know."
There was also a rumor that you¹ve found a new love, none other than Sony Music boss Tommy Mottola. True or not?
"Well, that¹s one of the reasons why Fernando and I didn¹t have any relationship because when I started Rosalinda, I already had a boyfriend. Yes, Tommy!"
Congratulations!
"Thank you! You know, Fernando respects me and he understands that. I¹m happy and I¹m very pleased (with my boyfriend)."
How long have you and Tommy been going steady?
"Oh, well, almost three years and a half. Oh, I think more than two years and a half."
How do you find Tommy?
"I find him amazing. I don¹t really want to go into my personal life. But the only thing I can tell you is that I¹m very happy and I¹m so in love; I¹ve found a soulmate. He¹s a person who really takes care of my soul, of my dreams. HeŒs such a good, good, good person; an amazing person!"
Do you think you¹ll end up at the altar?
"Let¹s wait for the next episode. Let¹s follow the soap opera. Let me tell you... This is the best soap opera that I can ever do in my whole life! A real soap opera."
Do you have new telenovela coming up, aside from Rosalinda and Quinceneara (now being shown on RPN 9)?
"Quinceneara was my first hit soap opera; I did two before that. It was the one that really gave me the opportunity. Right now, I¹m reading several (scripts) but it¹s basically the same story all the time. I really prefer to wait until I find a really amazing project, a great idea and a great story. I¹m willing to wait a little bit."
What role would you like to play next time?
"I¹m telling you... I like the Cinderella story. I really would like to still do that but with a new concept, new setting, new pattern."
Which of your telenovelas is your favorite (also including La Pobre Señorita Limantour and Luz y Sombra)?
"My favorite? Marimar! Why? Because I identified completely with the little, little girl who lives in the beach. Free and wild with her dog. Just running in the beach, just enjoying life. I identified with Marimar when she was a little girl; I felt just like her. I also felt very close to Rosalinda because she was completely romantic and completely, you know, her mind was focused all the time."
You have a movie called Mambo Cafe. Could you tell us more about it?
"Mambo Cafe is such a funny project. I play a completely different character, a new character for me. She¹s arrogant, you know, pretentious; different from my soap opera characters."
Is this your first Hollywood movie?
"Yeah. It¹s more like an independent film; it¹s not like the most amazing production, you know. But the script is so good; it will make the audience laugh too much. It¹s about a Latin family living in New York City and the funny stuff that happens to the family. I had fun making that movie and I hope to do another movie soon."
It¹s showing in Manila very soon.
"Oh, yeah? I wish I was there to promote it."
We wish the same thing, too.
"You know what... I talked with my record company over there and we¹re putting something together, something that will bring me back to Manila with my family. I¹m eager to see how things are over there. I¹m praying that I can go back to the Philippines."
Could you tell us more about Arrasando, your album?
"Arrasando is an album full of life, full of happiness. You listen to the songs of the album and you start to get up from your seat and you start dancing, you start moving your feet and tapping your fingers, you start to forget about all your problems."
How different is it from your other albums, such as Amor a la Mexicana and En Extasis?
"Amor Mexicana reflects more of the Latin rhythm while Arrasando is more of pop music with the flavor of the Latin rhythm."
What¹s your favorite song from Arrasando?
"Oh, I like the title song, Arrasando, definitely. And the romantic song that is named Why Do I Cry. It¹s so beautiful and so tender. I¹m gonna record that in English. I also like Reincarnation. And Rosalinda, of course, which is included in the Arrasando album."
You once recorded a Tagalog song, Nandito Ako. Remember?
(Proceeds to sing) "Mayroon akong gustong malaman... Oh, you know what, I¹ve seen that your (Filipinos¹) side of romanticism is so big. Nandito Ako was the first song that I heard when I arrived in Manila and I fell in love with it. I said, ŒGuys, I don¹t know what you¹re gonna do but I¹m gonna record this song!¹ And I did. It¹s one of my favorite songs ever."
What do you enjoy more, singing or acting?
"Both. I love both, but if you really, really want to know... I prefer the stage. Because in the stage, as a singer, you can also act, you can perform a song, you can act a song. You can be an actress and a singer at the same time."
Do you have any favorite singer?
"I love Celine Dion. I love her voice. Very simple and very dramatic. I love her!"
Any favorite song?
"I have so many, especially also the songs of Tina Turner and Elton John."
So you¹re now in London for your album promo. Where else are you going?
"From here, we¹re going to Budapest, Hungary, Greece, Miami to work again, to New York for more work, and then I¹ll be back in London."
Where are you based?
"I live between Florida and Mexico. My family is now moving to Florida. My Dad is dead. I only have my Mom, Yolanda. We¹re five sisters; some of them are divorced."
When you get married, how many children do you want to have?
"Oh, only three."
What are your immediate plans?
"If I find a new story for a telenovela, I¹ll start work on it as soon as possible." What about for yourself, as a private person? Do you have time to enjoy yourself? You¹re always working.
"Yeah, definitely! I have time to be with my family, with my friends, with my boyfriend. I have time to enjoy life, go out for dinner, go to the movies and live a normal life."
So you still have a normal life in spite of your popularity?
"You know, first, I¹m a person; and second, I¹m an artist. Most of the people in this business want to be the artist first and then the person after. In my case, I prefer to live and enjoy life. After that, I work."
If you had three wishes, what would they be?
"First, eradicate the pain and hunger in the world. Second, find the right government for my country and make my country improve and make my country so beautiful. Third, happiness for everybody, with the blessing of God."
Anything to say to your fans over here?
"Salamat po. Maraming salamat po. I love you all."
In her first appearance on American television, 15 year-old Charice Pempengco from the Philippines performs an incredible version of, “And I Am Telling You.” It is one of the most incredible performances I've ever seen.
Young Filipino Diva Arrives for US Debut on Ellen Show Asian Journal
LOS ANGELES -- It's fitting that the first song that 15-year-old Filipina diva Charice Pempengco sang when she got off of the airplane in Los Angeles International Airport was Whitney Houston's One Moment In Time.
In the corner wing of the Tom Bradley International Airport arrival center, the brown-haired, light-skinned, and petite Pempengco sang the song with much gusto, causing passersby to watch in admiration as she belted out the chorus in front of the Asian Journal and a small ABS-CBN television crew.
This is Pempengco’s moment to shine.
“I chose this song because it really fits me,” she said before she burst into song.
The talented Filipino singer wunderkind from Cabuyao, Laguna, Philippines is the latest YouTube sensation. Her video performance clip of Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You when she was 12-years-old on ABS-CBN’s Little Big Star has garnered more than 700,000 page views and counting.
Pempengco arrived from the Philippines on Thursday on a special invitation. Last month, television host and comedian Ellen DeGeneres featured Pempengco on her network daytime show (also seen on YouTube). After viewing a video clip of Pempengco singing, the crowd clapped in ovation while Degeneres said in front of the camera, “You [Charice] come here too. Yeah. You!”
Pempengco took up the offer and a few weeks later, she’s in the United States for the first time. It has been reported but not confirmed that she will be on the Ellen DeGeneres Show next Tuesday.
“I’m a little bit nervous but excited,” said Pempengco, who was escorted by Millie Gurfinkel. “This is my first time [here] and I’m going to meet Ellen DeGeneres.”
The Asian Journal tried to get in contact with Ellen DeGeneres but the e-mail was not returned as of press time.
Youtube
Pempengco credits much of her success to YouTube, a video sharing website where users can upload, view and share [legal] video clips.
Charice became a singing sensation at the age of 12, when she appeared on the Philippine show Little Big Star.
She placed third on the competition but her career took a turn for the better when people began to watch videos of her performances posted on the popular website, YouTube.
DeGeneres, one of hundreds of thousands of viewers, saw the clips and demanded her to be on the show.
According to Pempengco, DeGeneres’ people discovered her after watching the videos.
“After talking to an [Ellen DeGeneres show] producer, Ellen DeGeneres called me,” Pempengco recalled. “And then she said, that she’s my No. 1 fan. I’m really really shocked that she said that.”
“I’m so excited. I can’t explain [it],” she added.
This is not the first time that Pempengco was discovered on YouTube. A record producer in Sweden discovered her after watching her YouTube performance.
Pempengco said she recorded six songs in Sweden earlier this year.
She then made an appearance on a South Korean TV variety show Star King and sang And I am telling you I’m not going from Dreamgirls last October.
Pempengco said she wants to be the next Filipino international superstar. But first things first, she said that since she’s in Los Angeles, she just wants to visit all the tourist destinations.
“I want to visit Disneyland, Hollywood, the Walk of Fame,” she said.
Special thanks
Pempengco is taking her recent success in stride.
She knows she wouldn’t be successful if it weren’t for all the fans that continue to watch her sing and perform.
“I want to thank you for all of your support and I hope that you will still support me,” she said. “Now that I’m in the United States, just pray for me. All my dreams are dedicated to all of you.”
As for her appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres show next week, she’s keeping her performance a secret.
“Of course I’m going to sing in the show,” she said. “[But] it’s a secret. It’ll be a surprise.”
And just like the song, One Moment In Time, this is Pempengco’s moment on US national network television. Let’s hope this moment lasts for eternity. (AJ)
Filipina singer Shaila Dúrcal, daughter of Filipino singer Junior, triumphs at the Latin Grammy Awards 2007. She didn't win the award she was nominated for, Best Pop Female Vocal Performance, but she did do an awe-inspiring rendition of Amor Eterno in a tribute to her deceased mother, Spanish singing legend Rocío Durcal, and was named by Univision's fashionista of the stars as one of the best dressed celebs of the night. Shaila arrives in Las Vegas, Nov. 7 for rehearsals for the Latin Grammy Awards. Shaila Durcal performs Amor Eterno, Nov. 8 on the Latin Grammy Awards in Las Vegas.
Latin Grammy-nominated Filipina singer Shaila Dúrcal who performed "Amor Eterno" in a touching tribute to her deceased mother during the November 8th awards presentation last night at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, is also making plans for a walk down the aisle with her fiance, Dorio Ferreira. Hola! magazine reports that, following a four-year courtship, the couple will be united in a wedding ceremony to be held in Mexico in the spring of 2008.
Enrique Iglesias is featured in Elle Magazine where he talks about his mother and gambling with his lola (grandma) in Miami. Translated from Spanish by yours truly.
Isabel is the only song with a name on your album, with the same name as your mother...
Yes, but it's the only song that I didn't write. It's not about her.
And what are some of the things that you identify with about your mother?
My mother is the one that keeps the family together. She's a 10. She and my father have done a good job in surrounding us with good people.
Since you know yourself well, what is it like being around Enrique Iglesias?
In two words: gili-pollas (laughs). I think I'm very curious and I have a sense of humour, I'm always in a good mood. My dad is also a joker, like my grandfather, who was the one who kept us together. He never got mad. He lived happy to the end. I was very sad about his death, but he died leaving behind a happy life... I hope the day I die, I'll do it with the same happiness as him... Well, I still have my grandma Beba, the mother of my mother, who's also a lot of fun!
Si?
She's the best of my family. I say that because I love her very much. She's a great woman. She lives with me right now in Miami. She also likes to play and joke around. I take her to the casino. She goes crazy. My mother scolds me, "What are you doing over there gambling with your grandma!?!"
Enrique with his lola (grandmother) at their home in the Philippines.
Filipina singer Shaila Durcal, daughter of Filipino singer Antonio Morales Barreto "Junior" and deceased Spanish singer Rocio Durcal, will be performing on the Latin Grammy Awards airing tonight LIVE at 8 p.m. from Las Vegas and pre-show at 7 p.m. on Univision here in the United States, Spain, and Latin America where she is also nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Shaila Durcal talks to Elle magazine about how she was "conceived": «Mi madre me contaba que yo llegué inesperadamente. Mi padre llevaba unos meses trabajando en Filipinas y, cuando regresó, ella ni siquiera estaba en el momento fértil de su ciclo. Sin embargo, se quedó embarazada. Por lo visto fue por la presencia del macho… »
"My mother told me that I came unexpectedly. My father was working for a few months in the Philippines, and when he came back, she wasn't even in her fertile cycle. Regardless, she became pregnant. It was because of my dad's macho-ness."
Shaila's real name is Shaila de los Ángeles Morales de las Heras. Our Dayanara Torres, beloved among the Filipino people for her years spent as an actress and host in Filipino TV and movies, will also be featured tonight as a presenter. She's on my TV screen right now being interviewed as I type this, I'm recording it straight to DVD right now to my DVD recorder right now and on my Tivo, so we have can have two copies just in case.
Sampaguita's 'Bonggahan' is the Music Video of the Week. The Reyna of Rock and Roll.
