If you have ever wondered whether Isabel Preysler really is as famous as you've heard she is in Spain, just look at the picture above where the famous Filipina is swarmed by paparazzi, tv reporters, and photographers, which was taken right after she arrived home in Madrid from her trip to the Philippines to do Inno Sotto's charity fashion show a couple of months ago.
Isabel Preysler with daughter Tamara Falcó, the self confessed "pija", in Madrid, Spain. 
La Preysler y la pija
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
More Regalos!
And 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:
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!
Filipina journalist Isabel Preysler at the age of 56 years old was voted out of a total of more than 40,000 Hola readers as the Most Elegant Woman in Spain for 2007, happening simultaneously as she and her daughters were invited by Prince Charles of England as guests of honor at the Clarence house at their estate in Britain, resulting in Mrs. Boyer and her 3 beautiful daughters with their beautiful black almond-shaped eyes (like most of us Filipinos have), journalist Chabeli Iglesias, fashion designer Tamara Falcó, and college student Ana Boyer, snatching the January 2008 cover of Hola Magazine, the first cover of the new year. You can see how important Isabel Preysler is to Spain, as even Julio Iglesias, Penelope Cruz, and Javier Bardem were making headlines as well and featured in the January issue, but who does the Spanish public and Hola want on the cover? Isabel Preysler.
This is the second consecutive year in a row that the Filipina received the honor of being voted the most elegant woman in the Iberian country, and her 4th time winning the award as well, as she was also voted the most elegant woman in Spain in 1991, 2002, and 2006.
Picture above is of Isabel Preysler at the Filipiniana cultural exhibit hosted by the Philippine Embassy in Madrid, which showcased different cultural and historical artifacts from Filipino culture and history to the public in Spain. Isabel Preysler was also recently in the Philippines hosting an Inno Sotto-designed fashion show with proceeds going to homeless Filipino children. In 2006, she was also honored along with Hillary Clinton, Shakira, and Yoko Ono among others with the Women Together Award, which honors women for their philanthropical contributions to the United Nations in New York, making her the first Filipina woman in history to ever win the prestigious honor.
Tamara Falcó, who is famous for her car accident in Madrid, during which she told reporters, "Don't tell my mom about this, she'll be furious with me!", talks about her relationship with her mother, Isabel Preysler:
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was in Spain for an official visit and honored with a special dinner by King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia. Only two guests of honor were permitted into the dinner, and they were none other than Filipina journalist Isabel Preysler, who received rave reviews in the Spanish press for her elegance alone at the dinner, and husband Miguel Boyer. President Arroyo was accompanied by husband José Miguel Arroyo. Also in attendance to honor President Arroyo were Princess Letizia Ortiz, who honored Philippines especially with her Filipina-themed falda (skirt) from the fashion line Mantón de Manila, and the Prince of Spain.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and husband Miguel meet Miguel Boyer, husband of Isabel Preysler.
Princess Letizia Ortiz
Isabel Preysler
Meanwhile, Isabel Preysler's daughters, Chabeli (Iglesias) and Tamara (Falcó) spent a night at the opera as the madrinas of an exposition of jewelry designed by María Callas.
ISABEL with mom, Betty Preysler; cousin Rosanna Fores; sister Vicky Preysler and niece Christina Tuason; aunt Mercy Tuason; and good friend Ching MontinolaMANILA, Philippines - It was Isabel Preysler week when one of Europe’s most glamorous, beautiful and iconic women came to Manila. Isabel, who had not been home for more than eight years, took Manila by storm. She was here to attend the Inno Sotto and Bea Valdes gala fashion show and, of course, to visit friends and family. As expected, everyone wanted to spend some time with this sorely missed Filipina, and a series of dinners were immediately planned for her. The first one was, naturally, given by her family at the home of her first cousin, Rosanna Tuason Fores. Another one was hosted by her Assumption classmates at the home of Mary de Leon. Then there was the fashion show. The next day, after the show, Sotto also hosted a dinner at Sala, and guests included Patxi and Sofia Elizalde, Maurice Arcache, Bea Valdes, Marietta Santos, Gina Roxas and Pilar Roxas. The Philippine Tatler, likewise, gave a dinner for her at the Mandarin Oriental Manila’s Tivoli Grill, which was attended by Ting Ting Cojuangco, Lyn Ilusorio Bildner, Doris Ho, Inno Sotto and her sister Vicky Preysler and niece Christina Tuason. Jaime and Bea Zobel also gave a dinner at their home before she left. Preysler had to jet back to Europe in time to catch her son Enrique Iglesias’ concert in London. Her two daughters, Ana and Tamara, went with her to the concert, along with about 15 other friends. To find out how iconic Preysler really is, she had barely arrived in Madrid when photos of her in Manila came out in Spain’s premiere society/lifestyle magazine Hola. The magazine has a circulation of more than a million readers. I was privileged to get an exclusive interview with Preysler in Manila at the tail-end of her visit. Below is the one-on-one with this beautiful and gracious lady that the whole country is so proud of. What is it like coming home after eight years? Seeing family, friends and classmates again? Seeing Manila as a city? What do you miss most about the Philippines? How’s your visit? Hectic? Too short? What would you say are the highlights of your trip? You get a lot of attention in Spain. Is it the same with people here in Manila who would like to meet you and ask to have photographs taken with you? Your trip was a time to catch up with your family. What was that like? How was the fashion show? Your thoughts on Inno’s designs? Bea Valdes? What will you take with you from this trip? When do you think will you be back? Your message to your family, friends and the country as a whole? |
Billy Crawford being interviewed.
Bianca Araneta and fans.
Filipina journalist Isabel Preysler with her mom, Beatriz Preysler, and two sisters. Lola "Beba" is living with her apo (grandson) Enrique Iglesias, in Miami, visiting the casinos.
Filipina journalist Isabel Preysler on the cover of Spanish magazine Lecturas for November 2007. It's basically the same exact article and photoshoot done for her by the Philippine Tatler, but published for her Spanish fans and public.
Enrique Iglesias with mother Isabel Preysler backstage at one of his concerts.
Filipina journalist Isabel Preysler, better known to younger Filipinos as Enrique Iglesias' mother, featured in Hola magazine as she hosts and funds an Inno Sotto-designed fashion show at the Shangri-La Makati Hotel in the Philippines with proceeds going to homeless Filipino children in her home country via the Virlanie Foundation, for which she also got a large donation from the Amade Foundation headed by Princess Carolina of Monaco. Isabel is seated below next to Imelda Cojuangco.
The covers of Hola! Magazine Spain for the past few months have been filled with Filipinos: Junior talking about the death of his wife, Isabel Preysler on the cover twice, one in Paris and another with George Clooney, fashion designer Tamara Falco in Paris, Enrique Iglesias with his new album in Miami, and now Shaila Durcal, daughter of popular Filipino actor and singer Junior.
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...
Enrique with his lola (grandmother) at their home in the Philippines.
Filipino singer Enrique Iglesias will be guest starring on the CBS soap opera The Young and The Restless, today at 12:30 p.m. Meanwhile, his latest album Insomniac has gone platinum in various countries around the world.
Julio Iglesias Jr. attends the America's Cup Match Party at Antigua Tabacalera in Valencia, Spain.
Occupation: charmer - singer Julio Iglesias, Jr
has the looks and charisma of his debonair easy-listening superstar dad and a voice of his own. But what else has he got? Interview went to his hotel room to find out Some musicians have an ambivalent relationship to their stardom. Performing as if compelled by nameless inner demons, they can seem indifferent, even hostile, their audience irrelevant to private scenes they're enacting in their own heads. Then there are those performers who live only to seduce, as if their relationship with their audience were a love match somehow predestined from birth. Any guess as to which kind Julio Iglesias, Jr., is?
Made late by his Interview photo shoot, Iglesias stands in the lobby of his hotel talking happily with two women. I've been waiting for some time, but Iglesias is cheerfully oblivious, kissing me on both cheeks when I'm brought to him and then returning to his conversation in animated Spanish. Once he's forcibly extracted - more kisses for the women - we head for his room, which can be politely described as untidy.
For the past week he's been in New York City to put the finishing touches on his debut album, Under My Eyes, a collection of breathy, easy-on-the-ears pop songs mostly written by himself, with a little help from Junior Vasquez and others. Probably more famous in his native Spain, he has started to provoke a reaction here; after a recent Ricky Martin concert fans ignored the headliner to inundate Iglesias with demands he autograph their Ricky Martin posters. If his music is, in his own words, "completely different from my father's," it doesn't take more than two minutes in the son's company to notice the traits he shares with Papa. Boyishly good-looking with a smooth yet puppylike charm, Julio II is poised to bring family tradition into the 2000s.
HELEN EISENBACH: Did you enjoy being photographed?
JULIO IGLESIAS, JR.: [buttoning his fly] I did.
HE: So I see. [JI looks up and laughs] You grew up in Madrid?
JI: Until I was ten years old; then I moved to Miami, where my father was living. Mom still lives in Spain.
HE: Did you have any nicknames when you were young?
JI: Always Julio, Little Julio. My mom used to call me Kung Fu. [mimes a kung fu move] She's from the Philippines - I'm more Filipino than my whole family. I used to walk around with a bandanna - woo!
HE: And how old are you now?
JI: How old do you think I look?
HE: I have no idea. You're ageless.
JI: I'm twenty-six. I was born on February 25, 1973.
HE: You grew up with your father?
JI: Pretty much. My father was always [sings] "on the road again. . ."
HE: Did he take you with him?
JI: Sometimes. I've been all over Europe with him.
HE: Did he ever bring you out onstage with him?
JI: Yes. I used to hate it! It used to embarrass me.
HE: Did you cry? Did you smack him?
JI: I did! I was so young, you know, I was a little afraid - so many people! And the lights.
HE: Did you ever imagine you'd be doing it yourself someday?
JI: I didn't realize until I was twelve or thirteen that I wanted to be in the entertainment industry. First I wanted to be a fireman. Then I wanted to be a football player, get myself a cheerleader. But I didn't become strong enough.
HE: And you figured out how to get the cheerleaders anyway. How did your show business career begin?
JI: With a little bit of modeling. It was fun; it paid my phone bill.
HE: How did that come about?
JI: I met the photographer Bruce Weber and did a shoot for him, for Versace. Then I hosted my own show on Latin American TV called Mosaico. We used to travel around South America and just show the nice places. It was cool, but music is what I really want to do.
HE: When you were growing up did your father give you any advice: Do this, don't do that? Stay out of the business?
JI: My father has always been very frank with us. If we want to do something, he's always very helpful. He's happy I'm doing well - he loves the music.
HE: Would he tell you if he didn't?
JI: Oh, hell yeah!
HE: Is that tough? A high standard to live up to?
JI: Yeah. I do my best, you know, and if people like it, I'm happy. And if they don't like it [whispers] f--- them.
HE: Who has influenced you musically?
JI: Sting, Bryan Adams, Michael Jackson.
HE: Your songs remind me a little of George Mich
ael.
JI: My goodness, so many people tell me that!
HE: It's because you're all breathy. I've heard four of the songs.
JI: When the CD comes out, we'll send you a full one, OK? Some love songs in there for you, baby.
HE: With a big nude photo?
JI: Nude?! That's later on in life. [laughs] First I need to do a little weight-lifting.
HE: What was the first song you wrote?
JI: I don't even remember, it's been so long. I started writing in high school. I wrote nine songs for this first album. Some dance songs, some a little more mid-tempo, and then ballads. I like everything. Sometimes I get in the mood to listen to opera, you know? I can be in the mood to listen to rap, R&B, pop music.
HE: Are you ready to play big venues?
JI: That comes a little bit later, after the second album. You have to have enough songs. I want to play Madison square Garden, baby!
HE: You're not too shy?
JI: Me? No. You start working in TV, in front of the camera every day, and you get used to it. Sometimes you just go like this [snaps] and you change.
HE: Where do you see yourself three years from now?
JI: Hopefully, very successful.
HE: All work and no play?
JI: I go to both extremes. I like to have a lot of people around me or I don't like anybody around me.
HE: What's the worst thing you do?
JI: I don't do anything bad. Honestly, I'm such a good boy. Can't you tell?
HE: Were you ever not a good boy?
JI: No. My mother and father have always been very strict. Our manners. . . everything had to be perfect.
HE: Were you ever mad because they were so strict?
JI: Of course I was! We used to have a baby-sitter and the day she had off, oh, it was like heaven! Party time!
HE: Do we have any home movies of that?
JI: We probably do.
HE: Do you like New York?
JI: I've been back and forth to New York since I was little, and for work I've been coming for the last year and a half. I like New York, but I also like a little green, you know? It's hard for me to breathe here sometimes.
HE: Would you come just for fun?
JI: Why not? For three, four hours - then I'd get back on a plane. [smirks]
HE: Look at you smirking.
JI: I've heard that word like ten times this week! What does it mean? Yesterday in the photo shoot, I heard "smirk"; today I heard, "Give me a little smirk." What the hell is "smirk"? [sings] "I came to New York and everyone was smirking . . . ."
HE: What's the first thing you're going to do when you get home tonight?
JI: McDonald's. I eat McDonald's or Burger King every day. I know it sounds gross but I just do, every single day. Lately, it's the first time in my life I'm gaining a little weight. I weigh 165 pounds.
HE: I'm sorry to hear that.
JI: Sports help me out a lot. I love surfing, windsurfing, jet skiing, waterskiing. I'm a water person. I'm a Pisces.
HE: What qualities are Pisces supposed to have?
JI: Romantic, sensitive, pure people.
HE: And are any of those true about you?
JI: All of them. One of the bad things is that Pisces people are perfectionists.
HE: Mean to everyone around them?
JI: No! We're not mean. We're hard to get. [slams hand on table for emphasis] Yes, we are!
HE: Do you like staying in hotels?
JI: Yes, because I don't have to pick up after myself. I'm such a neat person when I'm not in a hotel. In my house, oh, my God, everything has to be perfect. You know me.
HE: I don't, really.
JI: [low-voiced] Nobody knows me. It's a lonely life. I'm so lonely.
HE: Are you a tease?
JI: You think so?
HE: Not you.
JI: Me? Nooooooo. But I think everybody is a little, you know?
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