CHARICE, pinoy cinderella.

Charice loses much, wins big. Entertaining the best in us, in others

2011-11-25T05:23:00.001+08:00

MANILA – It’s a new world. Charice finally won the honor of being Aliw Awards' "Entertainer of the Year" 08 November 2011, and that was after finally losing the love of her father who was murdered in the evening of 31 October 2011. Earlier, she begged her Daddy Ricky Pempengco in her eulogy 05 November 2011 at the Divine Mercy Chapel in Muntinlupa City, "Please tell me you're proud of me" (see my "Endless Love, Angel," 12 November 2011, pinoycinderella.com). We Chasters are proud of you, Charice.

Losing is finite; loving is infinite. Loving is a work in progress; Charice's 2nd international album Infinity works out the love in 11 songs:

Far As The Sky
Louder
New World
Before It Explodes
Lost The Best Thing
One Day
Never Always
Bounce Back
Lighthouse
Lesson For Life
Living It Up

Rito P Asilo quotes from the liner notes of Infinity (18 November 2011, inquirer.net):

Life is about infinite possibilities. We are what we imagine ourselves to be - and sometimes more. The world has given me a better life than I ever imagined. I hope my music will inspire people to reach to their own infinite possibilities!

Rito then describes Charice in these terms:

The singer’s latest recording is a bright spot in her drama-heavy life and career: It’s a showcase of her wide range and steely, resilient pipes, with catchy, hum-worthy (albeit generic-sounding) melodies and warm harmonies to boot. With its booming riffs and Charice’s strong vocals, we’re keeping our fingers crossed that her latest album will generate as much hit-making traction and fire as the first one.

Well, Rito, this Chaster wants Infinity to generate hit-making traction and fire much more than Charice's self-titled first album!

Today, let's talk about the winning more than the losing. How come Charice was adjudged Aliw Awards "Entertainer of the Year?" It was the GMA TV special Charice: Home for Valentine, for which Charice won "Best Major Concert (Female)" and Louie Ignacio also won "Best Concert Stage Director" (ANN, updated 21 November 2011, philstar.com). Aliw Awards did mention "David Foster & Friends;" if you ask me, while Charice wasn't a single performer there, she was The Star.

An Aliw Award is welcome but ephemeral; your estranged father is only vaguely welcome but irreplaceable. Learning from Charice, if you yourself have an estranged father, prepare to love him now! If you have an estranged mother, prepare to love her now anyway.

Life must go on even as love must go on. Despite the stumbles, despite the hurts. If you can't get over the stumbles, you're dead. If you can't get over the hurts, you're double-dead.

Actually, every time we have to be our own Entertainer of the Day. We entertain this, we entertain that. Learning from Charice, we must entertain only the best in ourselves, the best in others.

Thank God, so far, the life story of Charice points more to the ups and less to the downs, less to the worst and more to the best.

Exactly 4 years ago from Aliw Awards night 2011, on 08 November 2007 BE (Before Ellen), Charice told Asianbuzz she had been asked to sign up as an "SM Entertainment's trainee," but she was still under contract with a local record label and it wasn't until May the following year that this contract would end (multiply.com).

Long, long ago and far, far away in 2007, Charice was really:

(1) Thankful of FalseVoice of YouTube "who started it all" for her
(2) Happy of the songs she recorded in Sweden to be released digitally
(3) Yet to penetrate the international music market
(4) Yet to be recognized outside the Philippines, except Korea
(5) Yet dreaming of singing different genres, different kinds of songs
(6) Not sure whether to develop her music career in Asia first or US first
(7) Yet dreaming of singing a duet with Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, and Andrea Bocelli
(8) Yet to be a guest star as herself in the animated film Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
(9) Yet to be a guest performer in the Fox hit TV series Glee.

There was no guesting at Ellen DeGeneres yet, no catching the ear of maestro David Foster, no catching the fancy of Oprah, no catching the admiration of Celine Dion at Madison Square Garden, and no self-titled international album.

The only thing exciting about Charice's career 4 years ago was what she told Asianbuzz about the popular TV show Star King in Korea, where she guested and brought the house down. Charice said, "I was happy that I got the loudest cheers and yells. It really boosted my confidence to really sing my heart out." I mean, the whole studio fell in love with that little singing angel dropped from heaven.

That was all.

Last year, before the Aliw Awards set 18 October at the Manila Hotel, Charice was being considered to lead the list of young guest performers, to alter the old-school image of Aliw and attract the young ones, the bagets (Yugel Losorata, 29 September 2010, mb.com.ph). Aliw Awards President Jeatte Palabrica had "her vision to help unnoticed but excellent performers." She said, "We're trying to reach out to younger audiences by inviting young performers to our event and by introducing new categories that will cover the interest of the young market." Jeatte was also thinking of "music spread by viral technology," considering that in the case of Charice, "posting her video on YouTube led to her success" (ANN, 19 September 2010, philstar.com).

The young market and YouTube. Aliw Awards honors "the best and unmatched personas and performances in Philippine live entertainment" (ANN, 18 November 2011, starmometer.com). Frank H cannot help but think of a similar opportunity for the US music industry to tap the young market, and about our young international singing sensation Charice who can give the world both persona and performance at the drop of a tune, and then:

I'm sure Charice would One Day, soon, I wish, become the American Entertainer of the Year. Halo!

Endless Love, Angel. Last songs to Charice's Daddy Ricky Pempengco

2011-11-12T08:24:00.001+08:00

MANILA - Performers entertain their audience; murderers entertain their evil thoughts. Obscure father Ricky Pempengco bowed and cried when a friend told him he had watched her famous daughter Charice in wonderful action, in a performance. That was his best of times. Charice bawled and cried when people told her that her Daddy had been murdered in a wild act. That was her worst of times.

So how do you tell your estranged father how much you love him, and how can he tell you how much he loves you, when he's dead? You can't, he can't, but somehow you can, somehow he can. You must believe.

"Guide me. I know you'd be there to see my achievements," Charice cried out loud during the funeral (Maricar Cinco, 06 November 2011, inquirer.net). "I might not hear you back, but please tell me you're proud of me." She broke down many times. It's impossible to say goodbye when you know it's your last.

Angel Capili Jr said he had killed Ricky Pempengco in self-defense. He was lying, I heard Ricky's daughter Charice say on TV (Karen Davila's Bandila interview, reported 04 November 2011 by abs-cbnnews.com). It was towards midnight; Ricky was buying cigarettes at the corner store. Angel was armed; Ricky was not. Angel plunged the ice pick on Ricky and the latter tried to flee from his attacker. Angel pursued him. Ricky pleaded for mercy saying, "Bakit mo ako sinaksak, eh wala naman akong atraso sa iyo?" (ANN, author not named, abs-cbnnews.com). Why did you stab me, I didn't do you any harm? Angel said, "Ah, buhay ka pa?" (pep.ph). Ah, you're still alive? Angel stabbed Ricky again, a total of 9 times, Mommy Raquel said, to death. And Angel called that self-defense.

They buried Ricky Pempengco properly in a tomb at the Pasture of Heaven Memorial Park in Cabuyao, Laguna 05 November 2011, on an improper, rainy Saturday afternoon. Heaven was crying too.

Ricky was 43. I’m 71. Me, when it's my time to go, thank you for the tears, but I want to be cremated, my ashes scattered to the wind over the sea while someone recites Christina Rossetti's lovely little earthly poem:

When I Am Dead, My Dearest
When I am dead, my dearest,
Sing no sad songs for me;
Plant thou no roses at my head,
Nor shady cypress tree:
Be the green grass above me
With showers and dewdrops wet;
And if thou wilt, remember,
And if thou wilt, forget.

It is of course easier to remember and harder yet to forget. For Charice, how can she not remember DA doting father who one time spirited his little girl out of the house without the knowledge and consent of his wife whom they both knew would not allow Charice the luxury of ice cream? "Si Daddy, konsintidor," Charice said. Daddy spoiled me. He bought her Pinipig Crunch (Tito Frank says that's ice cream on a stick with rice crispies and chocolate all over - delicious!). Uh, uh. If you drive, don't drink; if you want to sing, you don't want ice cream.

In Davila's interview, Charice said, "Gusto ko siyang makulong, kung hindi matagal, habambuhay." I want him imprisoned, if not for long, for life.

I understand. Charice is mad as hell; she had lost her father once before, temporarily, because of his sin of commission; now she had lost her father permanently, irrevocably, because of somebody else's sin of commission. Murder, not self-defense.

"Inconsistent po ang sinasabi niya kanina. Self-defense ang ginawa niya, kaya siya ang may hawak ng weapon at walang hawak ang Daddy ko. Self-defense, kaya di pala siya kilala ng Daddy ko. Sabi niya, sinapak daw siya ng Daddy ko. Never magagawa ng Daddy ko na manakit ng tao, lalo hindi niya kilala."

His statements were inconsistent. Self-defense is what he said he did, that's why he held a weapon and my Daddy held nothing. Self-defense, that's why my Daddy didn't know him. He said my Daddy punched him. My Daddy will never hurt anyone, especially someone he doesn't know.

Karen Davila asked if she can still find in her heart to forgive Angel Capili, and Charice replied:

"Hindi ko alam, kasi kahit anong sorry ang sabihin niya, di ko ma-feel. Dinadamay pa niya ang Daddy ko, na sinuntok daw siya. Idadamay mo pa, wala na nga. May witness na nakakita, sinaksak na nga niya, tinatanong ng Daddy ko, 'Bakit mo ako sinaksak, eh wala naman akong atraso sa iyo?' Binalikan pa niya kasi buhay pa. Sira na nga ang pamilya namin, lalo pa niyang sinira."

I don't know, because no matter how sorry he says he is, I can't feel it. He is putting the blame on my Daddy, that allegedly he punched him. He's already gone, you blame him still. There are witnesses who saw that when he stabbed him, my Daddy asked, "Why did you stab me, I didn't do you any harm?" He went back to him and stabbed him again, because he was still alive. My family was already ruined, the more he ruined it.

"Gusto kong dalawin siya... gusto kong sabihin sa kanya na gusto kong bigyan ng tamang hustisya ang Daddy ko. Gusto kong sabihin sa kanya na maayos na kinuha mo ang buhay ng Daddy ko, kailangan mong pagbayaran ng buhay din."

I want to visit him... I want to tell him that I want to give justice to my Daddy. I want to tell him that "you took the life of my Daddy in peace, you have to pay for it with your life."

"Daddy," Bum Tenorio quotes Charice as saying in her eulogy 05 October 2011 before her unreconciled Daddy Ricky Pempengco was laid to rest at the Pasture of heaven Memorial Park in Cabuyao, Laguna, "please bear in your heart that we looked for you several times" (06 November 2011, philstar.com). "But our paths never crossed. We did not find you." Her brother Carl said, "Dad, I did not have the chance to talk to you when you were alive, but I want you to know how much I love you. I regret that I got mad at you for a while, but let me make it up to you by being the one to always protect Ate (Big Sister) and Mommy." (You might also want to see my "Charice & her Dad. Raquel Relucio tries love on Ricky Pempengco," CHARICE pc, pinoycinderella.com).

Charice said she had been repeatedly listening to Sarah McLachlan's "Angel" and Luther Vandross' "Dance With My Father" to bolster her sagging spirit.

"There’s a part of us, Carl and I," Charice said, "na kinakailangan din namin ng ama." There's a part of us, Carl and I, that also needs a father.

“Ngayon ko lang nakita ang Daddy ko, sa kabaong pa,” Carl said. Now is my first time to see my Daddy, in a casket yet.

Charice said, "Pilit na bubuhayin namin ang mga masasayang alaala ng aming ama. Nakabaon na sa puso ko ang mapait na nangyari at alam kong habambuhay ko itong dala-dala."

We will force ourselves to re-live the happy memories of our father. The bitter thing that has happened is now buried in my heart and I will forever carry it.

Ricky and Raquel’s theme song "Endless Love" was played as white balloons were released during the funeral the other Saturday.

I could have gone to the funeral of Charice's father because I was so near, but I really was so far. One reason I don't go to funerals is that I don't want to see the dead in the casket - I want to remember the face when the person was still alive. I want to remember the happy memories.

Which reminds me. The father-daughter ice cream sneak-out was also the time this conversation took place:

Daddy Ricky: "Alam mo ikaw, paglaki mo, bakit hindi ka maging sundalo?" You know, child, when you grow up, why don't you become a soldier?
Charice: "Bakit?" Why?
Daddy Ricky: "Kasi ang tapang-tapang mo. Ang liit-liit mo, ang tapang-tapang mo." Because you're so daring. You're so little and yet so daring.

Tito Frank: Come on, Charice. Show us a little more daring and forgive the devil of an Angel who made your father pay the ultimate price for a forgivable sin, if any. This is not to say that the criminal case should be withdrawn in favor of the accused, who has confessed to the killing. Leave that to the courts. In the meantime, move on and live a good life, singing "Endless Love" and "Angel" and "Dance With My Father" - minus one. Yes, go on and re-live the happy memories of your father as much as you can. To the bitter thing that has happened? There's only one thing to do: Don't! Don't bury it in your heart and forever carry it. You're taking the burden of Angel as your burden.

Rather, come along and sing a duet with me!

Hey Jude, don't make it bad
Take a sad song and make it better
Remember to let him into your heart
Then you can start to make it better!

Did you notice that I changed the lyrics of this song by the Beatles, like you did with the lyrics of the song "And I Am Telling You (I'm Not Going)" by Jennifer Hudson? Only this time, I changed the pronoun from female to male, while you changed from male to female: her to him, man to mom. Notwithstanding, the meaning's the same: You and I am trying to give love to someone by changing our perspectives, our points of view. Why? When you give love when it's not called for, it's the greatest gift of all to that someone - and remember, by the grace of God, a gift like that comes back to you a hundredfold, even a thousandfold.

With that, I can easily imagine Ricky Pempengco lovingly bidding his estranged but loving wife Raquel, daughter Charice and son Carl goodbye, singing back, in the simple words of Christina Rossetti:

I shall not see the shadows,
I shall not feel the rain;
I shall not hear the nightingale
Sing on, as if in pain:
And dreaming through the twilight
That doth not rise nor set,
Haply I may remember,
And haply may forget.

Charice & her Dad. Raquel Relucio tries love on Ricky Pempengco

2011-11-05T10:54:00.001+08:00

MANILA - How do you translate love of life? How do you translate love in life? However you do it, do it with the illumination of understanding, not the illusion brought about by drunkenness, nor the delusion by drugs. When you're hurt, do love with forgiveness, not unforgiveness. Been there, done that. Forgiveness is impossible, that's why it's impossibly sweet!

As you well know by now, Ricky Pempengco, Charice's Dad, was murdered by Angel Capili Jr who had admitted to the crime (you might want to see my "Love hurts. Charice & Raquel Relucio & Ricky Pempengco," CHARICE pc, pinoycinderella.com). With the family estranged since 1995, Ricky died before he could reconcile with his wife Raquel Relucio, daughter Charice and son Carl. Not for want of trying.

I watched the full interview of Charice by Karen Davila of ABS-CBN with the YouTube upload by bbelj, “Charice (English Subbed)Bandila Interview by Karen Davila)” (ChariveTVCrew). (Image is a screen capture from the interview.) That one was presented with English subtitles, but I have my own translation, and I believe mine is nearer Charice's original mix of Tagalog and English. Charice is in tears all the time; at one part, she laughs a little when she lovingly recalls the time her Daddy took her out for ice cream without her Mommy's knowledge - ice cream is a no-no for singers, budding or not. Fathers are known to spoil their children.

In one part of the video, while Karen interviews Charice, Raquel & party are seen at that time she had gone all the way from her house in Tagaytay City to Cabuyao, Laguna to try and convince her husband Ricky to come out of his house to talk, but Ricky would not. Why the visit? "Matagal ko na siyang napatawad," Raquel had said. I had forgiven him long ago. She was doing it for her family. Charice says that was about 2 weeks before he was murdered. Here was Raquel offering forgiveness, and Ricky would not take it. He was nowhere to be found. He had disappeared. That was because, Frank H believes, Raquel's forgiveness was too much for Ricky, because he had not forgiven himself. If you cannot forgive yourself for making any big mistake, or mistakes, you cannot forgive anyone at all.

Frank H says, "And now these things remain: faith, hope and forgiveness, these three. And the greatest of these is forgiveness."

Here's the Karen Davila interview with my own transcription along with my translation (with minor editing):

Karen: With your Dad's passing, Charice, 'no, it's been many years [since your family broke up], do you have any regrets?

Charice: I think the only regret naman, sabi ko lang ay, sana hindi nangyaring lahat before. Sana hindi siya nagkaroon ng bisyo. Sana hindi siya sumama sa maling kaibigan. Sana nakinig siya kay Mommy. Sana nakinig siya sa amin. Pero wala akong regrets na naging ama ko siya. Kahit na nandoon yong sakit ng memories before, yong nangyaring lahat, part of me, part of Carl, miss pa rin namin siya, kasi, he's still my Dad after all.

Frank H's translation: I think the only regret, I wish those things before didn't happen. I wish he didn't pick up a vice. I wish he didn't get into the company of wrong friends. I wish he listened to Mommy. I wish he listened to us. But I have no regrets that he was my father. Even with those heartaches before, all those things that happened, part of me, part of Carl, we still miss him, because, he's still my Dad after all.

Karen: Do you regret hindi mo siya naimbitahan sa isang concert [mo]? (Do you regret you never were able to invite him to any of your concerts?)

Charice: A couple of months ago, talagang trinay po talaga ni Mommy na puntahan po kung saan nakatira si Daddy. Si Mommy ko po, naghintay talaga sa labas [ng bahay] para lumabas si Daddy para po kausapin niya, hindi po siya lumabas. Hanggang sa noon pong pagbalik niya, wala na daw po doon si Daddy.

Frank H's translation: A couple of months ago, Mommy really tried to see him where he was residing, she was there in front of the house, inviting Daddy to come out and for them to talk, she waited, but he did not come out. Until when she returned, she was told Daddy was no longer there.

Karen: What is the best memory of your Daddy that you will never forget?

Charice: I think yong last time na nag-usap kami, bago siya malulong sa bisyo niya, ano, kasi, hindi ako, kami pinapakain ng ice cream, kasi bawal, pero that time, itinakas niya ako kay Mommy, para ibili ng ice cream. Tapos, ikinukwento niya sa akin, sabi niya, "Alam mo ikaw, paglaki mo, bakit hindi ka maging sundalo?" Sabi ko, "Bakit?" Sabi niya, "Kasi ang tapang-tapang mo. Ang liit-liit mo, ang tapang-tapang mo." Lagi ko yon naalala. Ang joke ko lang sa kanya, e "Kulang yong height ko. Para maging sundalo." Yong maigsing time lang na 'yon, kinunsinti niya ako. (Laughs a little)

Frank H's translation: I think it was the last time we talked, before he got addicted to his vice. Well, I was not supposed to eat ice cream, that was against the rule (for singers). But that time, he took me out, without Mommy knowing, to buy me ice cream. He said, "You know, Charice, when you grow up, why don't you become a soldier?" I said, "Why?" He said, "Because you're so daring. You're so little and yet so daring." I always think of that. My only joke to him was, "My height is not enough. To make soldier."

Karen: Napatawad mo na ba ang ama mo sa lahat ng bagay? (Have you forgiven your Daddy for everything?)

Charice: I think hindi naman po ako totally nagalit sa kanya. Yon nga pong lagi kong itinatanim sa isip ko, na lahat ng nangyari before, hindi yon dahil sa kanya. Dahil yon sa maling impluwensya ng bawal na gamot. Nagalit ako sa kanya yong part na yon, syempre, bata pa ako, hindi ko pa alam. Ang alam ko lang, naging violente siya. Pero noong lumaki ako, nalaman ko kung bakit siya nagkaganoon. Minsan naisip ko, sana nandito siya, sana kompleto tayo...

Frank H's translation: I think I did not hate him completely. I always ask myself, tell myself, all the things that happened before, it was not his fault. Those were because he was under the influence of drugs. Because I was young, I hated him for that part I did not know. What I knew was that he became violent. But when I grew up, I learned why he behaved that way. Once in a while, I am thinking, I wish he were here, I wish we were complete [as a family].

Karen: Sa burol ng ama mo ngayon, Charice, ano ang sinabi mo sa kanya? (Here, in your Daddy's wake, what did you tell him?)

Charice: May nagtanong sa akin, sabi sa akin, na, sayang, hindi mo napakita sa kanya ang achievements mo, yong mga narating mo. Alam naman niya e. Alam niya. Sinabi sa akin ng mga kaibigan niya na lagi daw po niya ako itinatanong. One time, yong isa sa mga kaibigan niya, sabi, nagkita kami two weeks ago, sabi ko sa kanya, "Ricky, napanood ko anak mo." Ang ginawa lang daw niya, yumuko lang daw siya at umiyak. Sabi ko lang sa kanya, "Pwede ko pa ring sasabihin sa kanya, kaya lang this time hindi na siya sasagot." This time makikita niya lahat; alam kong kasama na siya [lagi].

Frank H's translation: Someone asked, said to me, "Pity that you were not able to show him your achievements, what distance you have reached." But he knew. He knew. His friends told me that he was always asking about me. One of his friends told him, he saw him two weeks ago, "Ricky, I watched your daughter [in a performance]." What he did, he only bowed his head and cried. The only thing I told him [that someone], "All that I can still tell him, but this time he can no longer respond." This time he will see everything; I know he will always be with us.

How do you translate love after life?

Charice's Angel. How do you say "Goodbye" to goodbye?

2011-11-04T15:10:00.001+08:00

MANILA - Charice lost her father Ricky Pempengco to a stranger who stabbed him to death on 31 October 2011, Monday. Charice and her father had become strangers to each other when she was yet 3, and she had hated him for threatening to kill her mother, but after that she loved him anyway, acknowledging that he was her father and nobody could change that. This Saturday, she would be saying her last "Goodbye."

How do you say "Goodbye" when you know it's your last? In tears.

Some people have been saying negative things about Charice grieving for a father she has lost for the 2nd time, and this time with finality. Losing a father is losing a father; if you cannot allow a daughter to grieve for her loss, you weren't born: you were made - by yourself, and grievously.

Bum Tenorio Jr says all is well that ends well (see his "Charice makes peace with family," 03 November 2011, philstar.com). "There is nothing that a forgiving heart cannot heal." Bum says Charice has made peace with the one who took care of her father Ricky when the family broke up, and that was Ricky's own sister and Charice's Tita (Aunt) Russell Pempengco. Upon his murder, the old animosities had flared up again. Now, Bum quotes Charice as saying:

My Tita Russell and I are okay now. At the wake last night, I lovingly requested my Mom and my Tita Russell that we should all forgive one another, that we should all move on... What's important now is that my family and the sisters of my father are taking the steps to be friends again.

Mommy Raquel and brother Carl are family to Charice; his elder sisters Rebecca, Mary Grace, Ruby, Riza and Russell have been family to Ricky. I'm glad to hear that they are "taking steps to be friends again," to be one (extended) family again.

And Mommy Raquel has made peace with Ricky's sisters too. She says, "Enough had been said and done in the past. I am sad that Ricky met a tragic end. (Now) I only want to move on with happy memories" (quoted by Bum Tenorio). Bum says "Raquel... remembered how much her husband loved her in the past." Raquel says, "I'm very thankful to Ate Russell because she took care of Ricky. She took care of Ricky very well after our separation."

That was love interrupted. Now the interruption is final and unending. (Be careful with your love, lest it be rudely interrupted.)

And now the forgetting must begin, if it hasn't begun yet. If you cannot forget, you cannot forgive.

That is what I meant when I wrote "Notwithstanding, I want to write more about life after death, more about love after hate" ("Love hurts. Charice & Raquel Relucio & Ricky Pempengco," 03 November 2011, CHARICE pc, blogspot.com).

Some people cannot forgive. I watched on TV Charice singing to her father the song "Angel." She had been criticized for that. I don't see why.

Here are some of the lyrics of that song as sung by Sarah MacLachlan:

In the arms of an angel
Fly away from here
From this dark cold hotel room
And the endlessness that you fear
You are pulled from the wreckage
Of your silent reverie
You’re in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort there.

It's intriguing to me that the killer of Charice's father is named Angel Capili Jr, but if he were an angel, he was an avenging angel. Charice was singing for her father, not his killer, although from the lyrics, the killer could find some comfort there too.

Angels are no strangers to Charice. Ryan Murphy, the Executive Music Producer of the Fox hit TV series Glee, said of her when he accepted her to play a major role in that series, "When that girl opens her mouth, angels fly out" (see my "How was Charice cast in Glee? For Director Ryan Murphy, it was love at first sight," CHARICE pc, blogspot.com).

When she sang for peace between her Mommy Raquel and Tita Russell, Charice was just being an angel. When she sang for the peace of soul of her father, Charice was just being an angel. What's wrong with being an angel?!

Love hurts. Charice & Raquel Relucio & Ricky Pempengco

2011-11-03T17:04:00.001+08:00

MANILA - Charice's father is dead - it is very sad but it is very true. Actually, this is the 2nd time Charice lost her father; this is also the 2nd time her mother Raquel Relucio lost her husband. The 1st loss was temporary; the 2nd loss is permanent.
Ricky Pempengco was murdered at close to midnight 31 October, in his hometown of San Pedro, Laguna (Pocholo Concepcion, 01 November 2011, inquirer.net). Ricky was stabbed multiple times with an ice pick by a man identified as Angel Capili Itawat Jr (ANN, 01 November 2011, abs-cbnnews.com).

Frank H says the multiple stab wounds suggested a personal, long-standing, deep grudge. The neighbor turned out to be the enemy. There was passion in the act. We must be careful with our passion. To an artist, passion is a motivation to construct; to an avenger, passion is a motivation to destruct.

Hate hurts.

Since Charice is an international sensation as a singer, the murder of her father in a petty quarrel is an international sensation. Nobody cared about Ricky Pempengco before this. Now they do, and then they don't have to.

Notwithstanding, I want to write more about life after death, more about love after hate.

The very first time I learned about Charice was in September 2009 when my wife chanced upon Oprah's show with that episode where Oprah related the life of Charice and her family so far. I remember the scene where a neighbor was explaining that apparently under the influence of drugs, Daddy Ricky had threatened to kill Mommy Raquel with a gun, and Charice shouted and the neighbors came rushing in to save the mother from the father. The neighbors turned out to be friends. (For more on the family, see my “Pinoy Cinderella. 1: Sky falls on Little Big Star Charice,” CHARICE pc, blog.spot.com.)

The family separated after that; Raquel, Charice and young brother Carl left Ricky Pempengco to his own devices. Actually, in essence Ricky had left his family even before that incident.

As a fan of Charice, I find this a difficult story to tell. In between the first time Ricky Pempengco left in spirit his family to never return and the time he left body and spirit, there has been so much woundedness that would not heal, because of unforgiveness.

Do you think you made a mistake in loving someone? You must forgive that someone; you must forgive yourself. But that is easier said than done. Nobody's perfect. My wife puts it this way: "I am ready to forgive, but I am not yet willing!"

In the struggle against death, death almost always wins; in the struggle against unforgiveness, always only forgiveness can win.

This is a love story that started when Raquel Relucio and Ricky Pempengco got married, and continued when Raquel gave birth to Charice and Carl. The love story stopped when Charice was 3 years old when one day her father threatened to kill her mother - he was apparently high on drugs. With drugs come hell and high water.

Pocholo Concepcion: "We had a really great relationship before all the trouble started," Charice said in a tweet. "I loved him and I will still love him. He's still my dad after all."

When Daddy threatened to kill Mommy, Charice and Carl stopped loving their Daddy. One day, Mommy told her children to stop hating their father because, after all, they wouldn't be without their father. He was their Daddy after all. You can choose the ones to love, but you cannot choose your parents.

Charice said more:

Pocholo Concepcion's quote: Last night, may kasama ako pero sabi ko kamukha nya Daddy ko. Di ko alam na nagpaparamdam na pala sya. Gusto ko lang malaman nyo, na we had a really great relationship bago nangyari lahat ng gulo. Sinabi niya sa akin nung ako’y bata pa na hindi actually alam ni Mommy, gusto nya akong maging sundalo, kasi sabi niya, matapang daw ako.

Frank H's translation: Last night, someone was with me and I said he looked like Daddy. I didn't know it was only his presence, somehow telling me his person was gone. I just want you to know, that we had a really great relationship before all the mix-ups happened. He told me once when I was little, and this Mommy doesn't know, that he wanted me to become a soldier because, he said, I was a brave girl.
The father was talking and the daughter was listening. When you have to forget, remembering is sweet.

To be with her father for the last time Charice had to cancel her Singapore concert tour with David Foster & Friends and come home to the Philippines. Home is where you want to go when they have to bring your loved one home.

Charice tweeted:

I am very sorry to all my fans [in] Singapore. I am not going to be there to be part of (the) David Foster and Friends concert. I have to go back to the Philippines as soon as possible to be with my family. I hope you all understand. I love you all and I will see you next year.

Did Charice's Mommy Raquel still love her husband Ricky? The answer is yes. Raquel cried when she learned of his murder (Anya Santos, 01 November 2011, mb.com.ph). She was shocked. After all those 16 years of separation, she had forgiven him. "Matagal ko na siyang napatawad." I had forgiven him long ago. "Kung bakit masakit pa din sa akin at kung mayroon pa din bang love para sa kanya, siyempre, ama siya ng mga anak ko." Why does it hurt me and if there is still love for him, of course, he is the father of my children.

Love hurts!

Charice makes more history with Infinity album Japan release

2011-10-06T08:52:00.001+08:00

Charicemania reports that Charice's sophomore album Infinity released in Japan 05 October is #1 in iTunes Japan, Pop category, and #2 in Amazon Japan RnB top seller chart (Sofia Carrera, 05 October 2011, charicemania.com). Yesterday, the album was officially launched in Japan and Charice held a free album release concert in Tokyo at the celebrated Shinjuku Station ALTA exit. Frank H saw raincoats in front of the stage; Sofia said it was raining and cold!

I say Charice is making more musical history here. Even before the album was released, 3 of the tracks of Infinity were already being used as theme songs (zeibiz.com):

Far As The Sky for Japanese mystery crime soap "Bull Doctor"
One Day for Acuvue Contact Lenses campaign
New World for the Western version of the Final Fantasy XIII-2 game.

The concert was called "Charice One Day Acuvue Moist" Infinity album launch.

Charice’s Infinity album is now available at Amazon Japan, HMV Japan, CDJapan and YesAsia.

During the Tokyo concert, Charice first sang "Louder" and the very first lines of the song:

I'm staring out of my window
And the rain is pouring down!
When you left, I was so low
But I'm not gonna drown

were very appropriate. The weather was cooperating - it was in fact raining!

ANN says of Charice's “Louder” cut in the album Infinity (directlyrics.com):

Charice just pulled an ace up her sleeve! Who knew the Filipino balladist could also do uptempos and actually record a GREAT pop track with a dancey hook! The uplifting/catchy "Louder" … is amazing!

Charice is amazing; I learned that 2 years ago when my wife “discovered” her on TV and I began writing about her in my dedicated blog CHARICE, pinoy cinderella (pinoycinderella.com).

She sang a total of 5 songs. She next sang "One Day" while the winning group of the Acuvue One Day dance audition/contest backed her up. The next song was "New World," then "Far As The Sky." The last song was "Before It Explodes."

It was a Japanese band with Troy Laureta that backed up Charice during the concert (magnustoday.net). Troy is keyboardist and musical Director of Charice's Awesome Band.

Now then, of all the queer birds I ever did see, Philippine mass media were not paying attention to the album launch of Infinity - I suppose they can't see forever. No, not a pip from pep.ph either.

So, let me be the one to tell the mass media in my country, especially those who write about music, that sponsored by Acuvue, Charice’s Tokyo Infinity album launch concert was a raining success. The weather happened to be bad, but Charice happened to be good.

For Girls Only. One Day Charice as model for dreamers

2011-10-04T17:57:00.001+08:00

MANILA - Dreams Girls, listen! Those of you who have lots of dreams, pay attention to the lyrics as you watch this little girl perform in Charice - "One Day" Official Music Video (YouTube). One Day, this song is going to be your anthem. Anthem, which I define as a song to inspire the singer and liven the listener.

Tomorrow, 05 September 2011, Monday, Charice will release her sophomore album in Japan in an exclusive arrangement: Infinity. The Japanese love Charice!

There are 11 songs in the album:

Far As The Sky
Louder
New World
Before It Explodes
Lost The Best Thing
One Day
Never Always
Bounce Back
Lighthouse
Lesson For Life
Living It Up

But my favorite is One Day. By the time I upload this essay, I will have listened to it 100 times, each a full listen of 3 minutes & 12 seconds.

One Day
By Charice
They're not gonna keep me down
They're not gonna shut me out
They're gonna do what they do
I'll do me!

If you say, "I'll do me!" it means you're going to do your thing, come out with your talent as yourself, no lies, no false pretensions, just your bare talent, the honest-to-goodness you. "They're not gonna keep me down / They're not gonna shut me out" - don't let anyone stop you from dreaming your dream and doing your best to make it come true. Let them do what they do, while you keep true to yourself, your best self.

I’m moving against the crowd
I’m drowning out their doubt
They're gonna do what they do
I'll do something original
Be unforgettable
They're gonna know my name!

Charice is one little brave girl who has been trying with her voice to part the Red Sea of Discrimination against Asians as entertainers in America. At 4, she started as a copycat, a tiny girl singing on top of their tiny table on top of her voice Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" - and now she's an original.

Even today, she's already unforgettable. But she wants to be unforgettable in the lips of millions more of music lovers who are American, not to mention Asians. She makes me a believer.

Make you a believer!
I got this
All I need is
One day
Don’t try to tell me I can’t!

Tomorrow, she will try and shatter the glass of the music market of Japan with her sophomore album in that country, Infinity.

And now
I’m a light in the future
Right now
Won't stop, I’m a mover
You’re gonna know what I can
I will fly high and free
It’s not fate, wait and see
One day!

I have so far watched & listened to Charice - "One Day" Official Music Video at YouTube at 3 min 12 sec each for at least a full 80 times - make you a believer!

There you will find Charice the playful kid, caring, ambitious, realistic, pouring her heart out with her singing in an anthemic voice, uniquely Charice.

It is also, I predict, a song that will One Day become the anthem of the Young Women's Liberation Movement, Youw!

But where is the Youw! I'm talking about? It's not there, that's why I'm talking about it - I shall now begin trying to convince the young girls to create a movement to liberate themselves from modern superficiality, beginning with the idea of believing in themselves and their dreams. That's what Charice is a good model of.

Let us go back 41 years ago when Helen Reddy co-wrote with Ray Burton and sang "I Am Woman," and the song became "an enduring anthem for the Women's Liberation Movement" (Wikipedia).

I Am Woman
By Helen Reddy & Ray Burton
I am woman, hear me roar
In numbers too big to ignore
And I know too much to go back an' pretend
'Cause I've heard it all before
And I've been down there on the floor
No one's ever gonna keep me down again!

This anthem became Helen Reddy's 1st #1 hit single and the 1st Australian #1 song in the Billboard chart.

And therein lies a story: I Am Woman was a sleeper for 1 year; nobody paid any attention to it - and then it took off and zoomed to the top of the Billboard chart.

You can bend but never break me
'Cause it only serves to make me
More determined to achieve my final goal
And I come back even stronger
Not a novice any longer
'Cause you've deepened the conviction in my soul!

Charice's videos are all against the tide of video sensationalism, anatomical show-offs, or smart-ass masquerading as song. She is determined to show the world that good, clean fun is good, clean fun, something we have forgotten as the whole world goes gaga over the lady who insults her audience and whose audience loves her more and more in return! But, like Charice, we will let them do what they do and we will do something original.

I’ve been afraid before,
To reach for something more
But now I see that it’s mine
I’ll take it!
Just go ahead and try
You’re not gonna change my mind!
There’s no such thing as too late
Yeaaaaaahhhh!

"Maghintay Ka Lamang" (Just You Wait) by Ted Ito became the theme song of Charice and Mommy Raquel (not to mention Carl) when they were down and out, when Charice lost the Grand Prize of 1 million pesos - 1 million dollars in these parts - for ABS-CBN's Little Big Star singing contest 5 years ago, after which Charice was depressed for months. They went to pray at Quiapo Church and God answered Charice's prayer - although it took Him so long they were wondering if He was listening at all, and if His silence meant Yes?

God took 4 months to send an angel with a name that inspired doubt: FalseVoice. He uploaded Charice singing "I Will Always Love You" in Little Big Star and now she has become The Little Big Star with a little help from her fairy godmother Oprah.

Make you a believer
I got this all I need is
One day
Don’t try to tell me I can’t!
And now
I’m running the future
Won't stop, I’m a mover
You’re gonna know who I am
I will fly high and free
It’s not fate, wait and see
One Day!

Girl, you are not going to let them tell you that you can't. But in saying that, you're not just going to wait and see. You'll have to take it, you know:

New World. Lesson For Life. Lighthouse. Far As The Sky. Living It Up. Bounce Back. Louder. Before It Explodes. One Day!

Final Fantasy, Charice

2011-09-26T11:02:00.002+08:00

Final Fantasy” by Square Enix is a role-playing video game. My own Final Fantasy is for a role-playing game in management where the bottom line is not the final arbiter of success.

Charice is singing her new song “New World” in “Final Fantasy XIII-2” yet to be released. Charice describes her new song as “a very emotional, hearbreaking story” (Maureen Marie Belmonte, 20 September 2011, mb.com.ph).

Charice's “New World” is the theme song for the international version of Final Fantasy XIII-2, to be released in North American in January 2012 (Andy Swift, 23 September 2011, hollywoodlife.com).

Illuminating Charice. If you can't beat them, enjoy them!

2011-07-21T14:29:00.001+08:00

MANILA - It must be the Crabsters, those who know or do nothing but crab on the Chasters, most of all on Charice, the greatest Chaster of all - well, she invented us Chasters, didn't she?

Now then, let me illuminate the Crabsters further. With the visible four eyes I have - we'll talk about the invisible eye in just a little while - I have been seeing this bit of non-news, "Is Charice a member of the Illuminati?" or variations of the same theme. Like this one by ANN (author not named), "Charice says she's not part of Illuminati" (19 July 2011, abs-cbnnews.com). Well, people who ask such a dull question lack a brilliant imagination or, should I say, aren't bright enough.

I see that the ANN story, all 179 words of it including the headline, including that other item on the same not-news, this time by Elli Alipio (pep.ph), needs further illumination.

First, Crabsters, from Illuminati, to give you an idea what kind of luminous world you're getting into, let's have some vocabulary lessons:

Glitterati are those Beautiful People, those who are rich, or famous, or both. I point to and Charice personally knows Oprah, Celine Dion, Ellen DeGeneres, Paris Hilton and our own Loida Nicolas Lewis.

Digiterati (or digerati) are those people who are extremely knowledgeable about computers (digital technology), "the elite of the computer industry and online communities" (Wikipedia). I point to some international names: Steve Jobs & Steve Wozniak (Apple Computer), Bill Gates (Microsoft), Tim Berners-Lee (World Wide Web), Linus Torvalds (Linux), Marc Andreessen (Netscape), Bruce Bastian & Alan Ashton (WordPerfect), and JCR Licklider (earliest written idea of the Internet).

Literati are those people who read and write on literature, or intellectuals who say, can quote Shakespeare and the Bible at any time or both at the same time, "the literary intelligentsia" (American Heritage Dictionary). I point to some Filipino authors: Carlos P Romulo, Jose Garcia Villa, Nick Joaquin, Carlos Bulosan, Krip Yuson, Kerima Polotan, Gilda Cordero Fernando, and F Sionil Jose. (By the way, when I point to someone, I just remembered 3 fingers are pointing at me!)

Illuminati comes from the word illumination (state of being illuminated, spiritual or intellectual enlightenment), which comes from the word illuminate (to brighten with light, to clarify), which comes from the word lumen (Latin for light) (American Heritage Dictionary). Well, considering that Charice is a star, she indeed provides light, I mean as a model artist, she shines!

Technically, the illuminati are "1. People claiming to be unusually enlightened with regard to a subject. 2. Any of various groups claiming special religious enlightenment" (American Heritage Dictionary). Those many illuminati groups all began with the one founded by Adam Weishaupt on 01 May 1776 in Bavaria; he was a renegade Roman Catholic (Catholic Encyclopedia, newadvent.org). Well, the illumination of Charice as a musical artist started in 1994, when she was just 2 years old, when she learned to sing "Happy Birthday to You" on an unusually high note, as according to Mommy Raquel.

Terry Melanson says Weishaupt's Illuminati was called "Order of the Illumined Wise Men" (bibliotecapleyades.net), in which case Frank H says they are a group of unreconstructed fools who are not enlightened on their own vocabulary. If you are an Illumined One, you are extremely enlightened on religious or spiritual matters; you are no longer simply a Wise One but of a higher species. If you insist on being referred to as "Illumined Wise Man," then you are redundant!

Are the Masons the Illuminati? They are, according to one source: breadoflifebiblestudy.com. Well, while Charice is far from being a Mason, she may soon be in Mason, Ohio doing a concert with David Foster & Friends.

Some people believe the goal of the Illuminati is to take control of the world and establish a New World Order based on science, not faith (wisegeek.com). If that is correct, then I know they are fools because who cares to take control of the world that has always been chaotic?

And here is an illuminating surprise (Catholic Encyclopedia as cited):

After 1787, (Illuminati founder Adam Weishaupt) renounced all active connection with secret societies, and again drew near to the Church, displaying remarkable zeal in the building of the Catholic church at Gotha. He died on 18 November 1830, "reconciled with the Catholic Church, which, as a youthful professor, he had doomed to death and destruction" - as the chronicle of the Catholic parish in Gotha relates.

So, the founder of Illuminati died as a Roman Catholic. Now, is Roman Catholic Charice Illuminati? Well, now I know Charice is definitely not Illuminati, because I know she firmly believes in God and the Roman Catholic Church - God answered her prayer at the Quiapo Church in Manila, didn't He? That was after her depressing defeat in 2006 at the grand finals of the Little Big Star singing contest sponsored by ABS-CBN.

Notwithstanding, I know she is an enlightened one when she says to those who insist on asking her whether she is Illuminati or not:

"@crstinaponce ano ga yan.. bakit naman ako magiging member? porket kanta ko po'y Pyramid, member na? hehehe. pero ayon.. hindi po" (quoted by ANN, abs-cbnnews.com). Why should I be a member? Just because my song is Pyramid, I'm a member already? There you are, no Ma'm.

In one exchange of tweets, Chokoleit said, "Hello Little Ms @OfficialCharice, you just don't know how you make us proud. Madami pang mangyayari and you are just starting! Bless u more!" Many more things are bound to happen (quoted by Rowena Joy A Sanchez, 20 July 2011, mb.com.ph). And Charice tweeted back, "Thank you po. Minsan nakaka-frustrate lang po yung ibang tao. But, I keep trying to be calm. Haha! :) Kalma lang ako. :) Once in a while, you get frustrated by some people. But I stay calm.

Unenlightened, Crabsters local or foreign accuse Charice of being Illuminati because in concerts, she makes the sign of a triangle with the fingers of both hands. They just don't see the light. The "Favorite Illuminati Symbol" is not the Triangle but "The All-Seeing Eye" (jesus-is-savior.com). Well, at most you can accuse Charice of The All-Seeing Four Eyes, as Sunshine Corazon, but we all know that there's been a sunset on that one, and there is no more Glee. The Glee people are no longer illuminated by the luminous musical talent of Charice, and that's a pity. It only means Glee creator Ryan Murphy doesn’t have an all-seeing eye.

I remember a funny incident when Charice's light was similarly dimmed, and that was in Round 1 of Little Big Star when she sang her idol Regine Velasquez's song "Shine" and she got eliminated right away! In other words, the judges thought her performance wasn't luminous enough.

Today, illuminating us, not the least the viewers at the Philippine Entertainment Portal, Charice has tweeted (quoted by Elli Alipio, 20 July 2011, pep.ph):

What's up with these news and people saying about Illuminati?! Again, I am NOT part of it. So just please, get a life and grow up. Thank you.

Did I illuminate you sufficiently? If not, get a light!

Goodbye Disappointment. Goodbye Glee, Hello Charice!

2011-07-03T18:49:00.001+08:00

MANILA - Ryan Murphy, creator of the Fox hit musical comedy Glee has been reported to have said that in the show's 3rd season, there will be no celebrity guests, there will be less singing, there will be no Charice (Balitang America, 02 July 2011, abs-cbnnews.com), the old students will graduate, and new performers will come in (Angeli Sabillo, 02 July 2011, thepoc.net). They won't show Glee like they used to anymore.

Matthew Morrison and Jane Lynch will still be there (Baby Gil, 29 June 2011, philstar.com). "The only downside here is that Charice might also have to go." So, it's no fun watching Glee without Sunshine Corazon, the Filipino foreign exchange student who can out-sing them all. Glee just took out the music in me.

If truth be told, I have actually watched Glee exactly 4 times: Before Charice (BC), Episode 1 ("Audition"), Episode 17 ("Night of Neglect") and (the final) Episode 22 ("New York"). I'm not going to watch Glee ever again After Charice (AC). BC was a portent of sunshine and hearts to come; AC is not my cup of glee. Charice was the only good reason I watched Glee. Not that I love Jane Lynch less but that I love Charice more.

So you see, without Glee, it looks like I'm the one very disappointed and not only Charice. I am, yes. I know she's a Survivor of Disappointments, and I'm not.

Her biggest disappointment was in making that 1-million dollar loss in the Little Big Star singing contest of ABS-CBN on 08 April 2006. "I was depressed for months," she said.

In case you ask, I don't know Charice; we were not introduced to each other at the PICC during her Valentine's Day concert in February 2010 (see my "Charice! We were bombarded by your embrace," 16 February 2010, Pinoy Cinderella, blogspot.com), or during the David Foster & Friends show at the Araneta Coliseum in October, also last year (see my "Unggoy, di ba? Charice blows roof off Araneta Coliseum," 26 October 2010, Pinoy Cinderella, blogspot.com). I was there on both occasions, a fan. I too applauded at the PICC; I too was there when the standing ovation given her blew the roof off the Araneta Coliseum.

I'm very disappointed that Charice showed she was a star in Season 2 Episode 1 (see my "Sunshine Charice. The hidden message of Glee 2," Pinoy Cinderella, blogspot.com), and they couldn't take it. She next appeared 16 episodes later, and then 6 episodes after that (final episode). They didn't want Sunshine in Glee.

Perez Hilton asked about Charice, "It seems like you were planting seeds of Sunshine Corazon returning to McKinley?" and Brad Falchuk, Co-Creator of Glee, hemmed and hawed, and I take it he meant "Maybe" (26 May 2011, perezhilton.com). I wouldn't have taken No for an answer.

Brooke Peoples said, "I just hope there's more Charice next season!" (hollywoodlife.com). But there won't be.

So I'm the one who must learn to handle the big disappointment.

Crabster Regina said, "I actually didn't like Sunshine at all" (02 July 2011, gleekzone.com). Chaster Frank H says, "I actually did like Sunshine only." Crabster Renata said, "Her best scene on Glee was the Telephone duet (in) the bathroom and was good because Lea Michele was hilarious" (same source). Chaster Frank H says, "You're the one hilarious, Renata - it was Sunshine who was hilarious and carried all the comedy; it was Lea who was the fall guy."

Boo hoo!

So how should I handle a major disappointment like that, aside from crying my heart out? We turn to the experts in emotions:

ANN says, the "3 keys to handling disappointment" are (articlesbase.com):

1. Acknowledge that you are feeling disappointed. It doesn't help to try and fight the feelings. (Okay, okay!)

2. Look at the positives in the situation. (One, I'm positively disappointed. Two, the Chasters as positively shocked.)

3. Find someone to help. Getting our thoughts away from our own (pity) party and giving service can be a powerful catalyst in changing our emotions. (I don't want to just change the Chasters' emotions - I want to change the Glee script for Season 3!)

Hopefully, "Cowboy" Dave talks about "Handling Disappointment: Finding the Gift, Blessing and Lesson" (13 November 2008, lawofattractioncenter.com). (Thanks. This is something else. Dave, I found Charice's intended Gift: a box of chocolates of the most expensive kind, Amedei Porcelana, with the note, "Thank you for coming." The Blessing given was for a "Bon voyage!" The Lesson learned was, "You can't go home again to Glee.")

On her part, ANN says she does not handle disappointment as the reasonable adults do; instead (breathingsoftheheart.com):

I pout, feel sorry for myself, make impulsive decisions in the midst of being upset and exhibit less than mature behaviors (attractive image isn’t it). HOWEVER, I am not sure I ever want to change. The flip-side to this character flaw is that I do tend to get over “stuff” quickly and move on, so people only have to deal with my lousy attitude for a short time.

Attaboy, girl!

C Bridget behaves similarly and writes about the "Two Principles for Handling Disappointment" (theonlinechaplain.com): "Principle #1: Realize you're in good company." Like, Abraham Lincoln failed so many times you don't want to count. "Principle #2: Whine like crazy."

However, do not whine to me, not to your neighbor and certainly not to your family. If you are going to whine, whine to God. Frankly, there is quite a little bit of it in the Bible. They call it lamenting. Laments are the great "why's" of the Bible… "O Lord, Why does thou cast me off? Why does thou hide thy face from me?"

If God is with us, who can be against us? If God is not with us, time to whine like a baby.

Gary Woltal says to say this Super Phrase to handle any disappointment that comes your way (activerain.com):

"ISN'T THAT INTERESTING?"

Simple as it is, it lets you know it's no fault of your own. It is just life. Areas out of your control. Disappointment. Surprising to you? Yes. Uncomfortable? Surely. But not your responsibility. Say this phrase often when disappointed. Sometimes even laugh after saying it, because it will remind you that disappointment is not meant to be a kryptonite to you in your life. YOU are meant to be happy despite disappointment.

I think I’m feeling much better already.

Dale Carnegie said, "Success is getting what you want; happiness is wanting what you get." You can't want the destructive stuff, can you?

Charice deleted her Facebook account because she was extremely disappointed with some Chasters who turned out to be Crabsters after all. Asked by amirzmusic why she cared about those negative comments when she could simply ignore them, Charice said, "I care because they WERE Chasters. :) Of course I care. But now that I found out about it… Will forget about it" (quoted by Reyma Buan-Deveza, 08 June 2011, abs-cbnnews.com).

On that same date on Twitter, OfficialCharice had said (allvoices.com):

"Glad I deleted my Facebook. It's funny to invade some non-public pages and see other 'not so true Chasters' talk negative stuff about me."

"To all you fake people saying great stuff in front of me, backstabbers, goodluck. :) Have a mentos! The fresh maker!! boo :P"

Boo hoo!

Charice as the New Kim. Miss Saigon, The Movie In My Mind

2011-05-23T23:43:00.001+08:00

MANILA - 22 years almost since the musical Miss Saigon opened on 20 September 1989 at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane in London. The story was set in 1975 in Saigon at war with the Americans and herself. And now there's a movie to be filmed, and I heard our very own Charice is being considered for the lead role of Kim, the girl with the angelic voice, the girl who would sacrifice for her loved ones. I have just described Charice, haven't I?

As of course, uber critic Nestor Torre of Inquirer Entertainment heard of it too, from a Twitter source, if I'm not mistaken, and has asked the question expected of him: "Does Charice have what it takes to play Kim?" (undated, inquirer.net). As expected of him, his answer to his own question is obvious. After all, Mr Torre has screamed at Charice for her high notes (if you haven't heard, see my "Journeys. Charice sings, Nestor Torre screams!" 29 January 2010, pinoycinderella.com). Torre's big lack of respect for our Little Big Star dates back to 16 June 2006 when he wrote that scream; in so many words, he didn't like Charice because she was a belter. Or he didn't like Charice, period.

Well, I love Charice! I do. Miss Saigon was a mega-musical and Charice is a mega-musical artist, so what's Mr Torre's problem? Lea Salonga is our greatest musical theatre artist; Charice is our greatest musical artist. I have no problem with that.

But let us give Mr Torre the benefit of the doubt that he is not willing to grant The Most Talented Girl In The World. In his article, he admits that "Charice may be tapped to play Kim in the much awaited filmization of the hit Cameron Mackintosh musical, 'Miss Saigon.'" Mr Torre would rather coin the big word filmization when the smaller word filming fits exactly. Charice isn't big enough for him.

And then Mr Torre quite unexpectedly has kind words for our little girl:

At first, the report sounds more than just possible, because the character of Kim has to be young and Asian and needs a belting voice that can do rock and pop-rock, and Charice fits the bill on all three accounts.

He is willing to consider that there may be more to it than just rumor because Charice is young, Asian, and a belter. If you get 3 stars out of 5 from Mr Torre, you're not that bad.

Now, let's see about the other 2 stars. Mr Torre says:

However, the role has other requirements that may prove to be more problematic. For instance, as written and as played by many, many young performers, like Lea Salonga, Monique Wilson, Jenine Desiderio and Jamie Rivera, Kim is an exceptionally lovely oriental.

A minor point, but it's Janine Desiderio, Mr Torre. The major point is that Mr Torre is saying Charice is not an "exceptionally lovely Oriental" unlike those 4 Pinays who have played the role of Kim. So, Mr Torre denies Charice the 4th star.

And no, Mr Torre is not finished; we listen to him further:

More to the point, she should epitomize and vivify westerners’ perception of oriental beauty - meaning petite, small, sloe-eyed, oval-faced and delicately lovely, like a flower newly in bloom, and sensual in a soft, vulnerable sort of way.

I know, I know. That means Mr Torre denies Charice the 5th star.

Should I cry at this point? Nah, as in, I've just been vocalizing.

If you ask me, Miss Saigon is anti-war. Like I said at the very start, more than 2 decades have passed since Miss Saigon exploded upon the scene. 1989 was the year the Berlin Wall came down, in itself anti-war. Wars build walls that divide; all walls must come down, not up. So, let us Asians thank Charice for bringing down the walls of Jericho of the American music industry!

You know the world has changed much since then, and Vietnam has largely recovered from the war damages to its real properties and virtual soul. Now then, when Mr Torre considers the screenplay of Miss Saigon the same as that of the stage play, 2011 the same as 1989, he is not thinking like the acting, scriptwriting and directing genius that he is. If I may ask, "Does Nestor Torre have what it takes to rewrite Miss Saigon so that it fits Charice perfectly?" He does, I know. If asked, will he? I don't know.

He can do it - if he wants to. After all, Mr Torre deserves his awards and accolades: writer-director of stage, TV and film. He has been the Philippines Daily Inquirer's resident entertainment critic of years and years; he has his own incomparable Integrated Acting/Scriptwriting/Directing Workshop - he has everything except respect for Charice.

Should he, should we have respect for Miss Saigon? Actually, Miss Saigon is not only anti-war; it is also anti-Asian. Perhaps unmindful of the implication, The Edge of New Zealand says, "Raw and uncompromising, Miss Saigon is an intensely personal story of the losses we suffer and the sacrifices we make" (the-edge.co.nz). Why should it be only Asians who suffer the losses and make the sacrifices? In the end, Kim kills herself so that her son can enjoy the American Dream she dreamed along with her American GI, the movie in her mind:

Who'll fight for me instead
He'll keep us safe all day
So no one comes at night
To blow the dream away
Dream
The dream I have to find
The movie in my mind.

The movie in her mind was suicide. This is colonial mentality! Ziera says, "(Miss Saigon is) the greatest love story of our time - one of the most stunning theatrical spectacles ever staged" (misssaigon.co.nz). Excellent, I say. But it's time to change the story of Kim!

I mean, if Charice is going to be Kim in the movie version, why should Mr Torre assume that the story will run exactly like the stage version? I mean, why can't Kim be a modern, nerd-looking, eyeglassed lass of urban Soul, of Saigon (now modern Ho Chi Minh City), this time dreaming the Asian Dream? And why can't the new Kim have 4 different faces?

The New
Miss Saigon!

Absolutely, Mr Torre knows about redoing reviews, rewriting articles, revising scripts. He has been doing those for more years than he cares to remember. I wonder why he has forgotten? I know of course that he is a septuagenarian, as I am.

So, the question is not "Does Charice have what it takes to play Kim?" but "Does Cameron Mackintosh have what it takes to take Charice to play Kim?" Then he will have to have the role of Kim rewritten to attract new audiences all over again, gross £950 million all over the world all over again. In that case, Charice is an angel waiting in the wings.

Surely, the genius of Mr Torre can think of the need to rewrite the script of Miss Saigon to fit the genius of Charice?

(There's one scene that I would like to be retained - when Kim rejects and shoots Thuy after he tries to stab Tam, her and Chris' son, now 3 years old. Charice would love playing that part! I know Charice would like to play the role of an assassin out to eliminate the likes of Tom Cruise! Ask her.)

But never mind. Maybe, Charice will want to sing "The Telephone Song" (sung in the musical "Sure! Time To Fall In Love!") But I know Miss Saigon is not the movie in her mind. As of today, Charice wouldn't dare take the role of Kim or even Gigi. Too much love for sale.

Not even in the movies, and this will never change:

Charice's love is not for sale - it's for song.

Charice, All By Myself. A Study In Being Alone

2011-05-12T06:54:00.001+08:00

IN THE WORLD - When it comes to Charice, I'm a Frankie-come-lately, but I always thought "I Will Always Love You" was her signature song, the one that defined her, the piece that singled her out as Charice, the sensational international singer who comes from the Philippines, my beloved country. I particularly love her Vancouver cover of that song, in the last leg of the 10-City Tour with David Foster & Friends.

I've since changed my mind, or my heart, or both. Lately, I've come to think and feel that the song "All By Myself" is by all standards The Song That Is All Charice. Celeste expresses my Glee about it very well with this image from her website polyvore.com.

So Charice sang Celine Dion's version of "All By Myself," the song that was, she said, "the perfect song about neglect" (ANN, author not named, 20 April 2011, people.com). I agree, if you don't take care of yourself. Charice and Mommy Raquel both know that you have to take care of yourself when you are all by yourself, when people revile you, ridicule you. (See my "Birthday! Mommy Raquel, I'd like you to dance (Happy)," Pinoy Cinderella, blogspot.com).

Also, there is the real danger you can slide down the totem pole of success like Whitney Houston, who has yet to conquer her all-alone-by-herself-ness. The latest news is that one of her friends, Prince has banned her from attending his concerts (popeater.com). "Who can I turn to / When nobody needs me?" Ah, Whitney, you have to need yourself first.

Isn't it? In Glee, Rachel Berry wants to be on top of the world singing "All By Myself" without competition from Sunshine Corazon? That to me explains why there are several months between the 1st and 2nd appearances of Sunshine in Glee Season 2.

It's true! Sunshine Corazon says, "I'm such a better singer than everyone else, so I know how it feels. I'm all alone at the top" (ANN, ph.news.yahoo.com). "Also, I'm really short, so even when I'm in a group of people I feel like I'm wandering alone in a forest."

It's true! Charice said, "I'm gonna be singing All By Myself by the legendary Celine Dion. When I found out about the song, I freaked out. I've been singing that song since I was a kid" (quoted by Kaye Villagomez, mb.com.ph). And when last year Charice blew the roof off concert places in Asia - I was at the Araneta Coliseum in October when she thundered her "All By Myself" and we all fell in swoon - and the news was, "Charice newly crowned 'Concert Princess of Asia'" (27 October 2011, American Chronicle).

But did you know that Simon Cowell banned contestants in American Idol from singing "All By Myself" because too many of them wanted to sing it? That's according to Eric Carmen himself who wrote the lyrics of that song (ericcarmen.com). I think that was a big mistake. Instead, Simon should have allowed them and recorded the variety of interpretations the contestants gave that one single song - and produced a CD that I'm sure would have been a hit! You can't be too creative with a song.

Variety of interpretations, variety of people. Whatever we do, I think we can learn many a lesson from those 3 words alone: "All By Myself." That is because as different as the artistic interpretations of the song "All By Myself" are, so the life experiences of people as far as being all by themselves is concerned, and there are always lessons to be learned.

Thus, "All By Myself" is a phase in the life of a child learning to walk, and that can be delightful, as well as that of a surgeon learning to operate on a human body, and that can be nerve-wracking. In Season 5, Episode 10 of Grey's Anatomy, Cristina is given the honor to do the first solo surgery among the residents, "but she was banned from doing it because her interns got out of control and were caught operating one each other" (imdb.com). Charice knows this by heart by now: You really can't be all by yourself - you've got a team!

One night, Kristen Bell's Michael went out of town on business; all alone, for dinner she decided to make "Herb Crusted Salmon on top of a salad" (thegrasskirtblog.com). Why not? It makes great eating (click the link to look at what Erin had for dinner). Reminds me of Charice's old favorite sardines. "Some friends and I were talking once and they were shocked that I bother to cook whenever it is just me," Erin says. "My response was, 'I have to eat too!'” When you're all by yourself, you can make the food quite inviting to make company with.

About food, Giddy Giddy confesses, "I did, however, eat 3 of these cholesterol-laden treats in one sitting... and all by myself" (giddygiddy.com). Those were egg custards. She left "this solitary one for the kids and husband to fight over." That was a relative mistake. Lesson? "I learned my lesson: I should have just eaten it ALL to avoid conflict!" No, girl, you should have remembered you have a team!

What do you do when you're all alone at home at night and you're washing the dishes and... I'm sure Charice will like this one from ANN (yourghoststories.com):

I was home alone one night doing the dishes and turned my back for a split second to change the music on the CD player we have in the kitchen and when I turned around one of the dishes was in the air, right in front of my face, floating there. I couldn't move, I just stood there in shock. After about 20 seconds the dish dropped back into the water and I continued to just stand there and look at the sink.

Being afraid is something you do all by yourself quite easily when you feel so all alone. So? Don't feel! Know that you have a team.

If you saw something you like but tell yourself, "I don't have to buy that. I can make one all by myself," you are practicing the art of handmadeology according to Melinda Martin (handmadeology.com). But be careful, she says. In a conversation, Jennifer Hutchings told her:

Just because you CAN doesn’t mean you should! My sis and I have a joke about saying “I can do that!” We’ve spent YEARS seeing something we like, then thinking we can do it better/cheaper. OMG, the money and time I’ve spent chasing that particular tail! /lol

And this little story I'm sure will never happen to Charice but she can relate to it: Steve Brookstein is the 2004 winner of Simon Cowell's talent show "X Factor." He went on a UK tour; sad to say, he was forced to cancel a gig at a coffee shop (Caffe Nero) because nobody showed up! He was all alone by his lonesome.

Alina can brag that she's wearing a pair of "sewed-all-by-myself pants!" (Look Diary, blogspot.com). "This is what came out ;))," she says. "In these photos they rather seem to look kind of an electric blue, but they are definitely purple." I can imagine Charice being definitely green.

The rule of "All By Myself" probably also applies in politics. In a study of 193 mayoral winners in Latin America, Claudia N Avellaneda and Maria Escobar-Lemmon found that the Mayors believed that the factors that led to their victory could be ranked thus: 1st, personal characteristics, 2nd, campaign activities, and
3rd, their political party. Which means you can win an election almost all by yourself, or that political parties are the least of your worries.

What do you do when you have qualified for the 100- and 200-meter breaststroke at the NCAA National Meet in Tennessee that will happen in 6 weeks' time and you're all by yourself in the swimming pool practicing? Rory Buck says, "I sit here contemplating tomorrow morning's early practice, knowing that it will be worth it in the end, making me stronger, faster and more efficient" (Rory Buck, wordpress.com). Rory practicing to win. And Charice? Practicing to shine.

Mellissah Smith finds that being all by yourself as an entrepreneur is "a lonely existence" because there is no "business partner to share (your) highs and lows" (marketingeye.com.au). Actually, at first she had a business partner, but when the marriage of that partner broke up, the partnership did too. Then Mellissah met "this amazing group of talented businessmen who kindly encouraged me to expand my business into Sydney" and gave her not only office space but also "negotiated deals every day and were happy to share their experiences and opinions with her." Over the years, Mellissah has become one of Australia's leading marketing experts. Not all by herself.

Which all tells me that whether singing, sewing, or selling is what you do all by yourself, you are much better off with a team. Just make sure the members of your team are smart, not smart alecks.

Since I'm writing the day after the day after the night before, it's rather late to celebrate with Charice and other Chasters her 19th birthday on 10 May. Why? I forgot. Well, now you can't blame me if I celebrate that birthday late all by myself!

And yes, for Charice, I predict: Here Comes The Boom! And of course, I'm saying that all by myself.

Can't stop Charice. Can't defeat Manny Pacquiao either

2011-05-08T07:17:00.001+08:00

MANILA - That Charice is going to sing the Philippine National Anthem "Lupang Hinirang" (Land Chosen) in the Manny Pacquiao-Sugar Shane Mosley fight today, Sunday (in Manila) is not the point. It's an honor, but it's a minor point.

"Thank you Sir Manny Pacquiao for choosing me to sing the Philippine Nat'l Anthem for your fight. Feel really blessed." That's Charice. She's got a point there.

She sang the same anthem during the inauguration of President Noynoy Aquino; afterwards, Asia's songstress Regine Velasquez said, "Charice's version of the Philippine National Anthem was very nice. It was the original tempo." Well now, actually, you can't have your own version of any national anthem because if you sing it differently from the official version, it becomes pop, not national. It becomes a matter of national pride if you sing it correctly - and with feeling. That Charice will do today. Get the point?

Today, Charice and Pacquiao will do their acts professionally, and with feeling - and will come out winners, both of them.

From there, may I make one or two parallel points now? You can stop me if I put too fine a point on something or other.

One, Pacquiao is the irresistible force. Pacquiao will win this fight and that; he cannot be defeated. He's already a world champion 8 times over, and nobody can beat that record.

Two, Charice is the other irresistible force from the Philippines. Charice will triumph sooner or later; she already has broken the glass wall of Jericho - the immovable object - that surrounds the great American music industry. What's missing is a great hit, but we'll come to that point.

We are not expecting Pacquiao to make a great hit off Mosley - Mosley ain't that great. He will be knocked off, or out, but it won't be spectacular, because Mosley ain't that spectacular, from my point of view.

Forget Mosley. Today at the MGM Grand Garden arena in Las Vegas, two spectacular careers will meet, those of Charice and Pacquiao. One is a singer, the other is a zinger; one hits the high note, the other hits the high target. If you're with them, you're a winner, if I may belabor the point.

What's the last line of that Philippine National Anthem again? "Ang mamatay nang dahil sa iyo." To die for you. If Sugar Shane Mosley doesn't get hit with a thunderbolt from Charice, he'll certainly get electric jolts from Pacquiao. Either way, Mosley loses.

Mosley? No contest. From either one or two sides, he'll eat brownie points!

Charice and Pacquiao, both have competitors. Charice's competitors number by the hundred, Pacquiao's by the handful. Competition in the music industry is more subtle; competition in the muscle industry is more sadistic. But not Pacquiao. Which brings me to the point: Today, Mosley will know from the hands of Manny that he's not sadistic, but he means business, and he's out to knock the competition out. At point-blank range. To Mosley, it will be the point of no return.

Pacquiao began his boxing career running away from home; Charice began her singing career running after contests here and there. Manny returned to General Santos City buying a home for his mother Dionisia, and another for his father Rosalio. Charice returned to Manila buying a home for her Mommy Raquel. S/he who knows where s/he comes from will live to fight another day, or something.

Early in his career, Pacquiao got knocked out first by Rustico Torrecampo. It was a humiliating defeat. It knocked the cockiness out of him. Early in her career, Charice got knocked out by text votes by Little Big Star. It was a devastating defeat. It knocked the flame of hope out of her.

It took a Knight in Shining Armor to save the financial career of Pacquiao: Bob Arum. It took a Knight in Shining Armor to save the musical soul of Charice: FalseVoice. Arum's professionalism brought the honor of boxing management to Pacquiao; FalseVoice's genius brought the honor of video marketing to YouTube. In a Win-Win Situation, you’re Winners All.

Music maker David Foster says Charice is a musical genius. Reporter Greg Bishop of the New York Times says Pacquiao is a boxing genius. It takes one to know one. Note that in both cases, it was a foreigner who said a Filipino is a genius - what's the matter, Filipino geniuses can’t recognize a genius when they see one? Speak for yourself.

I have been ignoring the Pacquiao-Mosley fight because I know it's a foregone conclusion; it isn't exciting anymore. I have been neglecting to follow up the career of Charice with my own thoughts on the matter because it hasn't been exciting lately, but I know she'll hit the jackpot sooner or later.

Charice's inspiration is her Idol, Mommy Raquel. Pacquiao's inspiration is his Idol, Bruce Lee. Mommy Raquel can sing too; Bruce Lee can zing too.

All opponents of Pacquiao know how to box; they don't know how to box like him. All competitors of Charice know how to sing; they can't sing like her. That brings me to the point: Both are incomparable.

Charice's theme song is "All By Myself" if you ask me. Pacquiao's is "Fighting Pride" (Pacquiao's Theme) if you ask the Scottish-Filipino band Rag Rag. Both are pride of the Philippines, and both are one-in-a-million.

"Manny Pacquiao is not normal," Bryan Armen Graham says (sportsillustrated.cnn.com). I know Charice is not normal either. They are both paranormal - you know, "beyond the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" (American Heritage Dictionary). The voice is out of nowhere; the fists come out of nowhere.

Manny Pacquiao fights like Bruce Lee; Charice sings like Whitney Houston - so, what else is new? He fights better; she sings better.

Manny Pacquiao is a boxing wonder; Charice is a singing wonder - so, what else is new? They are both Filipinos.

Freddie Roach says, "Manny is a monster. He is the best fighter ever." Frank H says, "Charice is a monster voice. She is the best singer ever from the Philippines, from Asia."

As a child, Pacquiao had to fight just to eat. As a child, Charice had to sing just to eat.

Manny says, "Boxing isn't about killing each other. Boxing is entertainment. Entertaining people and making people happy." I imagine Charice saying, "Singing isn't about singing each other out. Singing is entertainment. Entertaining people and making people uppy."

In purple17's YouTube upload of Charice singing "I Will Always Love You" as a wild card in Little Big Star, by way of comment de170294 says of Charice, "There might be a lot of Filipino singers but they are not as melodic as Charice. She is so versatile that she sings from the lowest register to the highest and holds that high note very harmoniously with so much emotion and vocal control. And isn't it Filipino singers perform on TV and concerts? Then, they have the necessary exposure; however, that's not what makes and defines a STAR."

Frank H says of Manny, "There might be a lot of brilliant boxers but they are not as smart as Manny. He is so versatile as a boxer and a citizen of his country that he has redefined the word."

Pacquiao has been picking his fights, and he's been winning big. Charice has been picking her songs, and she's been winning, but not yet that big.

Pacquiao will win with a hit zing or two; he's so fast Mosley won't know where they came from. Charice will win with a hit song or two - except that we don't know where they're going to come from. And maybe not that fast.

Pacquiao's biggest fight is poverty; Charice's biggest fight is a big-hit acceptance by American music aficionados. Both fights are relentless. May the best of both worlds win!

Charice dreams! Knight of Rizal Pablo Trillana believes, I act?

2011-05-07T18:47:00.001+08:00

CALAMBA CITY - Here's a story of Charice as a Knight in Singing Armor, and I know I'm not dreaming. No, I'm not imagining things; I know I'm seeing with my own eyes. Blessed are those that have seen and also believed!

I am a bit shocked. I met Charice first and last 14 February 2010 at her Valentine's Day concert in Manila at the Philippine International Convention Center. Unannounced, entirely unexpected, I am meeting Charice again today, 06 May 2011, in this City, late in the afternoon, and she is singing the first-ever song she ever learned, Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On." Imagine that!

Note the lyrics of her song:

Near, far, wherever you are
I believe that the heart does go on.
Once more you open the door
And you're here in my heart
And my heart will go on and on

Forget Charice for a while. Note the word "I believe" now; note also the photo I took, which I have posterized; the flip chart says (clearly):
Belief
Action
Results

Belief followed by Action followed by Results. This is the formula for success according to the speaker - Sir Dr Pablo S Trillana III, Supreme Commander, Order of the Knights of Rizal. Now to transform the first 2 nouns into verbs; the formula for success, the flip chart says (not so clearly):
100% Believe
100% Act
100% Results.

That is, if you believe fully and act fully, you will expect full results. Doesn't that remind you of the early years in the career of Charice, and of her sweet smell of success today? (Except with a little help from a true friend, FalseVoice.) Actually, that is the idea in the mind of Trillana, this Knight in Shining Armor - his lecture shines.

We are in the last part of the 2-day "Rizal Youth Leadership Seminar and Training" sponsored by the City of Calamba headed by Mayor Joaquin M Chipeco Jr in cooperation with the Order of the Knights of Rizal and Kababaihang Rizalista (Rizalist Women). About 100 young men and women are in attendance. We are inside the LLC Auditorium of Central II Elementary School of Calamba City, just a stone's throw away from the old town hall, which is just a stone's throw away from the Rizal Shrine (House), which is next to the Roman Catholic Church along the street called Real (in Rizal's time, Calle Real, as in, Main Street). Don't forget that Jose Rizal was a Roman Catholic up to the time he graduated from the Ateneo de Manila with a Bachelor of Arts degree, Sobresaliente (Outstanding). He was a Marian, for your information.

A professor of law at San Beda College that, like Ateneo, is run by Roman Catholic men of the cloth, when Pablo Trillana III says "belief," he means both your belief in God and in yourself.

In case you didn't know, or forgot, Charice was born in the town of Cabuyao, which is next to Calamba City to the north; both are in the province of Laguna. Calamba is 54 km south of Manila. Charice being in Calamba reminds me that at a very young age she, accompanied by her Mommy Raquel of course, joined singing contests in this City and in other towns around Laguna and Batangas (FalseVoice remembers they went as far as Tarlac Province to compete).

And yes, Charice is Roman Catholic herself. And now I must admit that Charice is here with us - with these young would-be Knights of Rizal, with the Knights of Rizal in Calamba, with the KAPARIZ or Kabataang Pangarap ni Rizal (Dream Youth of Rizal) and the Rizalist Women - Charice is here in video.

It is Trillana's idea to show excerpts of a video online (try the 5-part YouTube upload by tjjt2010, starting with "Charice on Oprah pt3" and ending with "Charice on Oprah pt5" (youtube.com). Our lecturer isn't saying anything about any YouTube upload, but I know - I watched these or similar uploads last year while I was writing my book on Charice.

I am dumbfounded. Before this, my impression of Pablo Trillana III is that he is good as a thinker-writer, but I never expected a historian, a former Chair of the National Historical Institute, to be bothered with Charice, or even to use her life & career as a model for the youth going after the ideals of Rizal. Whoever's idea it was, this was genius.

What is shown in the video excerpts, among other things, is Charice revisiting (I'm guessing the year is 2008) her hometown Cabuyao, their new little home bought from her earnings in singing contests. A little child exploiting her talent, no child abuse here, I know. I've almost memorized the story:

It is Charice's idea to sing for their living. Tonight, Charice and Mommy Raquel are at the Pavilion Mall in Biñan, Laguna. There are some 80 contestants, and this is her first-ever singing contest. She is 7 years old, and she's small. Looking at her tiny girl, overwhelmed by the numbers, Mommy wants to go home and tells Daughter so. But Daughter says (my translation from the Tagalog), "Mommy, we're here already. You want to go home, go home, I stay." Child is insisting on Adult that she stay to exploit the opportunity, try her chances.

And you know what? She wins! 7,500 pesos in cash, 10,000 pesos in groceries, 1 trophy, and 1 JVC cassette player. This JVC later proves to be a godsend, as it provides the little girl with the huge voice hours and hours of sing-along practice. The world owes Charice to that JVC cassette player as it does to Mommy Raquel.

In the video, Charice is explaining that she joined at least 80 singing contests, because she wanted to help her Mom earn money for the family. She was only 7 when she started singing for the prize, like I told you. You have to dream! "Whether it was 50 dollars or 10 dollars," Charice is saying, "it was big money for us. Mom was saying 50 dollars, okay, we're gonna have food for a month." You have to believe!

Next, Charice is seen opening her dream journal and saying:

I can say this is my dream notebook. As you can see, all my drawings here, all my dreams. So this is my drawing. It's my ultimate idol, Celine Dion. The first song (I ever) learned was "My Heart Will Go On." Of course, I wanna sing with her. Soon, I wish, someday.

Charice being a guest of Oprah is already a dream come true for her. Now that Charice is here, in the next segment, Oprah warns the audience that another dream is about to come true.

Oprah then introduces Charice about to sing that signature Celine Dion song, accompanied by David Foster on the piano.

Every night in my dreams
I see you, I feel you.
This is how I know you go on.

Near, far, wherever you are
I believe that the heart does go on.
Once more, you open the door
And you're here in my heart
And my heart will go on and on.

Charice is 16 years old, and she sings like an angel, ageless.

What happens next in a little while is that Celine Dion magically appears on stage - via Skype. She is in Washington DC. Charice cries, Oprah cries, tears of joy. Celine is impressed, very much impressed.

And what happens next is that Celine Dion is asking Charice to sing a duet with her in her Madison Square Garden show. Tears of shock and joy from Charice. "Listen," Oprah says, "I knew this was gonna happen, but I'm still crying." And so am I.

And what happens next is that Celine Dion and Charice are on stage in Celine's show in Madison Square Garden singing a duet, "Because You Loved Me," dedicating the song to Mommy Raquel, who is in the audience, who is crying.

I remember that in the full video upload by Oprah could be heard several roars of approbation for the singing of this little girl:

You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith 'coz you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me.

Charice gives her all, and the audience give their all, Madison Square Garden shakes, and the roof flies off!

The point of all that is, Trillana says, first you have to dream. He holds up a piece of paper. From where I stand taking pictures, I can't see clearly, but it looks like a 500-peso bill. He repeats, "This is your dream," waving the bill. Nobody reacts. He repeats again, "This is your dream," and now a handful of girls have stood up and approaches him, hesitantly. He repeats again, "This is your dream," and one of the girls picks up the nerve to grab the opportunity - it is a 500-peso bill.

Dream
Believe
Act
Results.

Only a handful of the young participants understand that they have to dream first, that they have to make that 500-peso bill their dream, but they hesitate. He who hesitates is a loser. Only one girl dares to dream, believes, and acts according to that dream and belief. The dream becomes reality; the 500-peso bill becomes hers.

Whether the incident of that 500-peso bill is staged or not, it is drama of a high order - it is educational even to me, a teacher by training, and a tutor by design. I must congratulate the Knights of Rizal of Calamba for bringing in Trillana as the 3rd and last speaker of the seminar-training. Or the masterminds of the training module.

"Charice," Trillana says, "represents all Filipinos who believe in themselves 100%. All your dreams, will they come true?" "Yes!" The young would-be leaders shout. "Believe so," Trillana says.

He continues: "Invest your action with

L
O
V
E.

"When you're excited waking up in the morning, when you're happy doing your work, it is love that will keep you going."

"When you dream, dream the biggest, dream the hardest, dream the greatest."

"The highest potential is within you. Do not look for your dream outside you. If you do not have it within yourselves, you will not act, and therefore you will not achieve the results you want."

Trillana next considers Jose Rizal's 7 predictions of his country as embodied in his long essay, "The Philippines a Century Hence," and these are:

(1) Every country meets the fate that it deserves.
(2) The Philippines will declare independence from Spain.
(3) A country will take our independence from us.
(4) We will be at war with another country.
(5) Japan will swallow us.
(6) The Philippines will establish a federal republic.
(7) A new generation will arise; they will remember the past, and we will enter the white world of progress.

Remember Charice, he says. You have to put your dreams on paper. "Be specific in your dreams; be specific in your prayers."

He tells the story of someone who prayed to God for his father who was in the Intensive Care Unit of a hospital, "Lord, please extend the life of my father for another 2 years." And God in His infinite wisdom answered that prayer - He extended the life of that young man's father for another 2 years - all the time at the ICU. The young man forgot to give enough specifics.

When you pray, Pablo Trillana says, pray thus: "Lord, please give me greater health, greater wealth, greater happiness, and greater peace." That is complete; there are enough specifics.

To end his lecture, he tells the story of the Sand Dune and the Cloud who fell in love with the Sand Dune and stayed behind while the other Clouds went away. And the rains fell and continued to fall. After weeks and months, grass began to grow, trees. And the birds came to live on the trees. And the trees became a forest. And then men and their camels came. And then the Sand Dune looked up and could not see the Cloud. The Cloud said she could not be seen because she was already part of everything. "Why are you sad?” the Cloud said to the Sand Dune. “Don't you know that I am the roots of your trees? I am no longer a cloud; you are no longer a sand dune. You and I have become a beautiful oasis."

Trillana says, "The spirit of Rizal and the nation are so entwined as that of the Sand Dune and the Cloud."

"The future of the Philippines is bright," Supreme Commander of the Knights of Rizal Pablo S Trillana III tells us. "One day this country will be the light of the world."

Dream!
Believe!
Act!

All By Myself, Charice. All alone at the top - Sunshine Corazon

2011-04-22T13:58:00.001+08:00

MANILA - Now I love Glee again. Funny I say that knowing The Atlantic Kevin Fallon's unedifying editorial rant against Charice in that musical comedy show - later, I will show you that Fallon is funny. Here, in Season 2 Episode 17 titled "A Night of Neglect," Sunshine Corazon is singing at the top of her voice again. In a night to respect, after 7 months of neglect, before she sings to the gleeks again and especially to Rachel Berry who had led her to a nuthouse instead of the school's auditorium to audition, Sunshine says, "I'm such a better singer than everyone else, so I know how it feels. I'm all alone at the top." Nuts! So she is short. Small is beautiful again.

After Season 2 Episode 1 titled "Audition" last September, the hit musical comedy TV show Glee became to me a no-brainer, a No Show. Sunshine Corazon disappeared from sight and sound, and nothing was seen or heard from her again. I was beginning to think some bad things never end; some good things never last.

This time, it was a night not to neglect. Contrary to reports, Sunshine Corazon was not pleading with the members of the glee club New Directions at McKinley High to allow her to join their benefit performance - she was leading the original gleeks to the realization that they would be foolish not to include her in their fund-raising show. She told them to their faces: "I'm such a better singer than everyone else." Some people need to be reminded; some people need to be told.

She may not look the part, but Sunshine Corazon is really a sweet little girl, but the gleeks had provoked her to declare herself. I like this Sunshine Corazon too.

So she sang Celine Dion's version of "All By Myself," the song that was, she said, "the perfect song about neglect" (ANN, author not named, 20 April 2011, people.com).

All by myself
Don't wanna be
All by myself
Anymore.
Hard to be sure
Sometimes I feel so insecure
And love so distant and obscure
Remains the cure.

Sunshine Corazon, Filipino foreign exchange student, even as she sought "love so distant and obscure," was not new to neglect. In her country the Philippines, her father loved himself more than he loved his own little family: wife, daughter, son. Love so near and yet so far. When her father tried to kill her mother, they knew they had lost his love forever. Many years later, when Sunshine joined a million-peso singing contest, they underestimated her talent and relegated her to #3, not #1. Even those she had considered friends taunted her for losing. As a result, she sank into despair. "I was depressed for months," she said. We neglect to love when we are preoccupied with success.

And so, the "Night of Neglect" concert of the New Directions turned out to be what the gleeks called it - Sunshine Corazon had pulled out of the benefit show because her group's Vocal Adrenaline glee club Director would not permit her, so she couldn't bring along the 600 Twitter fans she promised (Katie Morgan and Jillian Mapes, 20 April 2011), and only 6 people showed up as audience anyway (ANN as cited, people.com). When you neglect quality, quantity will neglect you.

"All By Myself" was assigned by Glee for Sunshine Corazon to sing in the Season 2 Episode 17 of the show. Charice, who plays Sunshine Corazon, said, "When I found out about the song, I freaked out. I've been singing that song since I was a kid" (quoted by Kaye Villagomez, 21 April 2011, mb.com.ph).

Charice sang "All By Myself" during her first-ever solo concert titled "Charice: The Journey Begins" at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia in Manila (29 January 2010, pinoycinderella.com). It was her 19th song of the evening. I wasn't particularly impressed.

In the David Foster & Friends concert tour of Asia last October, Charice sang "All By Myself" in the Japan leg and received a standing ovation (pinoycinderella.com).

I was at the Araneta Coliseum concert in the Manila leg of the David Foster & Friends (Asian Tour) and Charice sang "All By Myself" with drama and devastating effect. Now, let me quote myself (pinoycinderella.com):

“All by myself / Don’t wanna be / All by myself / Anymore!” She wrapped up like this: She split the word "anymore" so that after she sang high the note “ANY,” she signaled for the band to stop; there was complete silence for a moment, then she burst into the highest note “MORE!” that shook the whole arena; the whole crowd roared, and that blew the roof off the Araneta Coliseum.

The American Chronicle crowned her then and there "Concert Princess of Asia" (27 October 2010, American Chronicle).

At the Singapore leg of the David Foster & Friends Asian Tour, when she sang "All By Myself," RJ Nieto said, "The Singaporean audience - the last piece of the Asian puzzle - deemed her worthy of a spontaneous, heartfelt and scream-leaden standing ovation" (29 October 2010, charicemania.com). Before that, when she sang Celine Dion’s “Power of Love,” she received only light applause. Charice's "All By Myself" was electric. RJ was moved to say, "Charice can now be officially declared as Asia’s new superstar."

I'd like to call now Sunshine Corazon "Glee's new superstar" even if I know that Kevin Fallon, writer and producer for The Atlantic's entertainment channel, says nothing positive of her (quoted by Patrick Burns, 20 April 2011, theatlantic.com):

Sunshine Corazon returned this week as well, along with her nonexistent acting skills, to sing an out-of-nowhere rendition of "All By Myself." The foreign exchange student debuted in a similar capacity during the season premiere: popping up randomly, torching a power ballad with her power belt, and then running off, never to be heard from again. Unlike Gwyneth Paltrow, who showed up again for the last of her sporadic (and ever-welcome) guest spots, Charice, the singer who plays Sunshine, is not an Oscar-winning, A-list actress. It's confusing why the show-runners would siphon air time from one of the existing characters - we wait 6 weeks and get no number performed by Lea Michele? - in order to feature a little-known artist playing a character who is almost completely irrelevant to the plot.

Fallon is funny - he is big-mouthing a little known artist whose character he says is almost completely irrelevant to the plot.

If Fallon is not fallible in pronouncing Charice's "nonexistent acting skills," then Glee's decision to accept Charice as a guest star is not infallible. Nobody's perfect. Brad Falchuk and Ryan Murphy were crazy when they added her name to the list of the sterling cast. And I am insane to say Charice has the natural acting ability Kevin Fallon cannot see it as acting. And what's this I hear from Julie Steinberg of Wall Street Journal (19 April 2011, wsj.com), that Charice is filming a movie right now with Kevin James, Salma Hayek, and Henry Winkler in 'Here Comes The Boom'?" The director of that movie, my namesake Frank Coraci, must be stupid!

In fact, I can see as I surf the Web that Kevin Fallon's favorite comment is nonexistent - if you will pardon the pun.

Fallon is right once when he says Charice is in the episode "to sing an out-of-nowhere rendition of 'All By Myself.'" Nobody nowhere can beat Charice singing that song. Doesn't Charice say with all her heart? "I'm such a better singer than everyone else, so I know how it feels. I'm all alone at the top."

Fallon puts the blame on Charice for "popping up randomly, torching a power ballad with her power belt, and then running off, never to be heard from again." I didn't know that Charice was the scriptwriter of Glee.

Fallon also puts the blame on Charice for not having won any acting award. "Unlike Gwyneth Paltrow, who showed up again for the last of her sporadic (and ever-welcome) guest spots, Charice, the singer who plays Sunshine, is not an Oscar-winning, A-list actress." Fallon is saying only Oscar-winning, A-list actresses deserve to appear in Glee. If Glee listens to Fallon, we will be left with no Glee at all!

To Fallon, "It's confusing why the show-runners would siphon air time from one of the existing characters - we wait 6 weeks and get no number performed by Lea Michele? in order to feature a little-known artist." In Fallon's world of entertainment, it looks like there is no place for little-known artists. Actually, I suspect that Big Man Kevin Fallon, Caucasian, can't stand Little Big Star Charice, Asian. I'm not surprised. Many Americans call Filipinos Flips, you know what I mean.

To Fallon, in playing Sunshine Corazon, Charice is "playing a character who is almost completely irrelevant to the plot." That convinces me that Fallon has been paying attention only to the plot of Season 2 Episode 17 and not the overall (complicated) plots of Season 1 and Season 2. Mr Fallon, if Sunshine Corazon is indeed almost completely irrelevant to the plot, why oh why do you blame it on the poor little girl and not on the plotters?

Not finished, Kevin Fallon ends his diatribe against Charice thus:

And that's not to mention that only 15 minutes after Charice hit the final note of her Celine Dion cover, her performance was already a distant memory as Amber Riley wiped the floor clean, buffed it, and spit-shined it to a glimmer with her insanely good performance of "Ain't No Way" by Aretha Franklin. While it may be annoying that Riley can't buy a continuing storyline (Mercedes's diva plot was neatly resolved by the episode's end), the 25-year-old actress sang that number with an almost unseemly amount of grit, passion, and power - providing a star moment in an otherwise forgettable episode of Glee.

As for me, I will forget that Kevin Fallon ever said all that; unlike Rachel Berry, I will not think of sending him to the nuthouse; and while I have nothing personal against his pick, I dare say:

The 18-year-old actress sang that number with an almost unseemly amount of grit, passion, and power - providing a star moment in an otherwise forgettable episode of Glee. Who was that girl?! The one who said, "I'm all alone at the top." Charice!

Thia Megia, American Idol. "So proud of my friend" - Charice

2011-03-07T11:39:00.001+08:00

MANILA - Are we in Heaven yet? We have another Charice in the making, and we can see her live on television, on Fox's hugely popular American Idol talent show on TV. Proud to be Pinoy!

The youngest ever of all American Idol contestants, on 04 March (Manila time), 15-year old Filipino-American Thia Megia climbed to the Top 10 of Season 10 of AI along with Scotty McCreery, Pia Toscano, Lauren Alaina, Karen Rodriguez, Jacob Lusk, Casey Abrams, Paul McDonald, Haley Reinhart, and James Durbin (Kaye Villagomez, 06 March 2011, mb.com.ph). Thia, Idol!

The winning song was "Out Here On My Own" (Angeli Sabillo, 05 March 2011, thepoc.net). Irene Cara sang that song in the 1980 movie Fame; the movie was a hit, and so were the songs (the other hit was the theme song, "Fame") - and all that catapulted Irene Cara to stardom (Wikipedia). Curiously, Irene was originally contracted for the film as a dancer, but when someone heard her sing, the role of Coco Hernandez was rewritten for her, and she sang those songs that made the film's soundtrack a multi-platinum album. I'll take that Wikipedia historical tidbit as a glad sign for Thia. The best is yet to come!

In the movie, when Irene Cara sang "Out Here On My Own," she accompanied herself on the piano (irenecara.com). As if to highlight the contrast of talents, this time Thia sang the same song a capella, no musical accompaniment! At the beginning, in the first 60 seconds, in the first enchanting minute. Just the naked voice. Taking after Charice? This was more daring: This was a contest. Out there on her own, Thia Megia took a calculated risk and sang her heart out, yes. She was great! No pain, no gain. No risk, no prize.

The week before this, Charice herself had been ecstatic over her. She had tweeted, “So proud of my friend, Thia being on American Idol. Good luck to you, young lady and see you here in Hollywood!” Her tweet was on 28 February, when Thia got into the Magic 24. Hollywood, here we come?

The two had met as performers in a concert of "David Foster and Friends" in California in 2009 (Rowena Joy A Sanchez, 02 March 2011, mb.com.ph), and they became friends. At that time, Charice described Thia's voice as "amazing for a 14-year old" and said she had an "awesome stage presence!" (ANN, author not named, 01 March 2011, charicemania.com).

In fact, theirs is a mutual admiration society. "I love Charice," Thia said. "She has a great voice and she is very humble" (Janet Susan R Nepales, 05 March 2011, gmanews.tv). Takes one to know one?

We Chasters already know about Charice. Now, just how good is Thia Megia really?

American Idol voice coach Michael Orland says of her: "The kid is amazing. She's 15. She's so beyond her years musically, it's insane" (quoted by Sanchez, as cited). Like Charice. She picks up a song fast, very fast. "She's unbelievable. She picked it up like that. So quick, so musical, so beautiful." Like Charice.

Did you hear? Thia has perfect pitch. Like Charice. Idol Judge Steven Tyler (of Aerosmith) said so (Sabillo, as cited):

Sometimes a person’s pitch can be so perfect it doesn’t matter what song they sing. And you just did that. I can’t believe you’re 15. We did a pretty good job judging these people this year ‘cause we picked so many talented people that are so good it’s gonna be hard for the American public to pick. But you’re making it easy for me right now. That was beautiful.

About the quality of her voice, Idol Judge Randy Jackson was reminded "so much of the late great Michael Jackson." About her performance, Jackson said, "Infectious ... It doesn't matter what age you are. This is what hot singing is about!"

Of the performance, a singing sensation herself, Idol Judge Jennifer Lopez said, “It was just so beautiful. (In) such a quiet moment in the middle of all these very big performances to come out there, stand still, with no music in the beginning and just captivate every single person in this room was really, really special.” (Villagomez, as cited).

Thia Megia is special. Proud to be Pinoy!

She is "a favorite of the judges and fans," says Samantha Stephens (03 March 2011, masslive.com). "I didn't expect the vote to go any other way. That 15-year old powerhouse is sugar, spice, and everything nice about this year’s competition."

To all those who cared to listen, Thia said, "I am the only Filipino on the Top 13, so Filipino pride!" Like Charice. (Sabillo, as cited). Thialorei "Thia" Megia's father Loreto and mother Cynthia Lising are both from Pampanga, immigrants to the US in 1968. She told her fans:

Thank you for voting for me. Thank you for all your support. You do not have any idea how happy I am and how proud I am to be Filipino.

Thia's father says she has been singing since she was 4 years old. Like Charice. She's a belter, like Charice. But he didn't say if, like Charice, small Thia also climbed up a small table to sing on top of her voice.

American Idol rules require that either parent escort a contestant who is a minor; at 15, Thia is definitely a minor. "Her mom and I will alternate," her dad says. Unlike Charice. Contest or no contest, lucky are you who have a father to escort you!

And where did Thia get her singing talent? "From her uncles from both sides of the family," her dad says. I know Charice got hers from her Mommy Raquel and her Aunt Ria, singers in a band called Souls Free. Thanks for the melodies!

Naturally, Thia's father asked her fans to continue to support her, especially the Filipino fans. "Mga kababayan, tulungan po ninyong maging tuloy-tuloy na ang success ni Thia. Salamat po!" My countrymen, please help make Thia's success a continuing one. Thank you!

Vote for Thia Megia when the time comes, yes? That will be 09 March at 2200 hours ET/PT, when the Top 13 will perform. You can now vote online. Log on to the American Idol website (americanidol.com) and you can vote via your Facebook account. You’re entitled to a max of 50 votes.

Wild about her. Thia is in the Top 13 right now, Top 10 with 3 wild cards included: Stefano Langone, Ashthon Jones and Naima Adedapo (Rowena Joy A Sanchez, 04 March 2011). Remember the Chasters' favorite wild card? Charice!

What's this I hear that President Noynoy Aquino is wild about Thia? (LBG, 05 March 2011, gmanews.tv). Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said on dzRB Radio:

Susundan natin ang magiging progress niya as the competition goes on. Marami tayong mga kababayan na nanoood ng American Idol, mas marami nakatutok dahil meron tayong kababayang kasali sa competition. We will follow her progress as the competition goes on. Many Filipinos are watching American Idol, more are watching because we have a fellow Filipino in (top) competition.

Killjoy Andrew Payne is predicting her losing already (04 March 2011, starpulse.com). He's not Filipino. He ranks her only #7 all in all (Jacob Lusk is his #1). Mentioning neither talent nor command of the stage, Payne makes much of Thia's youth and says, "She seems like the best girl right now, but eventually being (15 years old) is going to catch up with her and she’ll deliver a dud that sends her packing."

Okay, if Thia loses, what do we Filipinos do?

It is a fact that we Filipinos don't care about losers - in fact, we ridicule them, we revile them, we insult them - just like we did Charice when she lost her big dream of winning the Grand Prize of Kapamilya ABS-CBN's Little Big Star singing contest of long ago. (Thank you, Kapuso GMA 7, for welcoming Charice home, on the eve of Valentine's Day yet!)

Boy Abunda asked Charice in that SNN video interview years after that sad story: “This is a difficult question. Sa lahat ng taong nang-api sa inyo, sa lahat ng taong nang-alipusta, sa lahat ng taong nambato ng masasamang salita sa iyo, sa puso mo ba at sa puso ng Mommy, nagpatawad kayo?” Those who ridiculed you, those who reviled, those who insulted you, in your heart and Mommy’s heart, did you forgive? Charice said, “Nangingibabaw pa rin po yong pagpapatawad.” Always and above all, the forgiving.

Last but not least, let it be known that Charicemania is also rooting for Thia Megia (ANN, 01 March 2011, charicemania.com). She says, "We can't ignore the rate talent of a teenage songstress that even our own favorite diva has admitted to being a fan of - Thia Megia." So? Frank H says Chasters will rejoice with you if Thia Megia wins American Idol Season 10. Chasters will forgive her if she wins only 2nd or even merely 13th place. And Chasters will forgive you even if you don't forgive Thia for losing.

A Girl's Twirl. "I'm Your Lady" - Happy Valentine's Charice

2011-02-28T20:23:00.001+08:00

MANILA - "Cause I'm your lady!" are the very first sounds you hear from Charice in her GMA 7 TV Special Charice: Home for Valentine's aired 13 February 2011. Today, 28 February is more than a good 2 weeks later. Question: Why do I write about it only now? Answer: I can write about love anytime I want, can't I?

Also, I want to write about a subject that I am quite familiar with - I had to watch and listen many, many times; would you believe 35 times? (I chose 2009litepci's YouTube upload "Charice - Home For Valentine's TV Special" Parts 1 to 3.) Did I download? I did. I also had been using the better-looking VLC Media Player.

She calls her friends Chasters; I call her fiends Crabsters. On my 35th watch, suddenly I note that Charice has been speaking excellent, not perfect but excellent English that would make Ms Oprah Winfrey proud. She shifts from Tagalog to English to Tagalog to English without batting an eyelash. A little more, Girl, and you'll make a Chaster out of 'em!

Her first song, "The Power of Love" is by her first singing idol, Celine Dion. Note that she's in Manila; she doesn't begin the song like she usually does, with the very first line of the song; this time, she begins with the first line of the chorus - "'Cause I'm your lady!" I know Charice is a very intelligent girl; to the Filipinos she's saying "I'm all yours!" She's saying that, first to the Chasters, her avowed fans; she's saying that also to the Crabsters, her avowed foes. It takes one to know one!

'Cause I'm your lady
And you are my man
Whenever you reach for me
I'll do all that I can!

We're heading for something
Somewhere I've never been
Sometimes I'm frightened
But I'm ready to learn
Of the power of love!

At the end of the song, the voiceover says, "Welcome home, Charice!" This is not your ordinary "Welcome home, Charice." This has a double meaning. One: Welcome back to the Philippines, Charice, your home. Two: Feel at home, Charice; this is your real network home. Remember, this Valentine's TV special, her first-ever, is on GMA 7, the rival TV network of ABS-CBN, which was the sponsor of the 1-million-peso-grand-prize Little Big Star singing contest that Charice lost big (she aimed for the Star, and got the Moon instead: 3rd Place). You can say this is sweet revenge, but no, with Charice up there high in the Milky Way, she isn't thinking of Revenge; she's thinking of Redemption, you know what I mean. Revenge is vulgar; Redemption is sugar, Sugar.

At the Intro, the announcer does say, "GMA, Your 'Kapuso Network' proudly brings you international singing sensation Charice in her first-ever concert special on Philippine television, 'Charice: Home for Valentine's!'" Redemption is sweet.

She is in white, skirt high above the knee, with pleats. I like what I see! She's a lovely sight, a lovely young girl to this father of 8 daughters. Ah, the way I have been blogging about her and revising my book over and over again, my sons and daughters know that they have a new sister, and you know who.

Right after the song, she approaches her audience and says, "Chasters? Put your hands in the air!" She claps her hands up in the air. She's delighted to be here, onstage, performing for her kababayans, countrymen. She sings, "Halo."

I found a way to let you in
But I never really had a doubt
Standing in the light of your halo
I got my angel now.

Everywhere I'm looking now
I'm surrounded by your embrace
Baby, I can see your halo
You know you're my saving grace!

She's enjoying herself much, singing this song. "Baby, I can feel your halo / You know you're my saving grace."

She ends the song with a right-hand spin of her mike; I'll call that A Girl's Twirl - Charice has a new trademark. It used to be A Mike Toss, where she throws and catches her mike in the crucial middle of a line of a song. She's delighted.

"Halo! Happy Valentine's po, mga Kapuso! " Happy Valentine's, Sir and Madam, we’re Of One Heart! (Charice speaks a mix of Tagalog and English, the Manila lingua franca; from hereon, I'm translating into English and put these in italics, but will put her own exact words in quotes. While she punctuates her statements with the Tagalog "po," I'm going to avoid it, because something is lost in the translation - the politeness of it all, the honor given by a Filipino to another human being using just a simple sound.)

Charice says, It just fits, doesn't it? In this time of hearts, "there is no place like home. So join me and my special guests in this special Valentine's show from your Kapuso Network. Now, after a long wait, I can finally say, 'I'm home for Valentine's.'"

"After a long wait" of 3 months. It was November last year when she was coming home to Manila to record for "Charice: Home for Christmas" also for GMA 7, but it wasn't to be. She called in sick: dehydration from stomach flu, the doctor said.

Charice says, "Here's a heartbreak ... heartbreak, heartbreak," there I really emphasized it "song from one of my favorite composers, Bruno Mars." She sings "Grenade." (The emphasis on heartbreak is hers: "Heartbreak, talagang idiniin ko," she says. I really emphasized it.)

Gave you all I had
And you tossed it in the trash
You tossed it in the trash, you did.
To give me all your love
Is all I ever asked
Cause what you don't understand
Is
I'd catch a grenade for you...

Firebursts all around Charice at the end of the song. Knowing Charice's past as a singer, you will understand when I say the metaphor is very clear to me: Charice is singing to someone she loves with all her heart, but who has so far rejected her advances!

And who is that someone with whom Charice has had a love-hate relationship? Who else but the Filipino crabs! I call them Crabsters, after Chasters, the name Charice has given to her loyal followers. So, "Grenade" is dedicated not to the Chasters but to the Crabsters, including those who made this little girl a big loser and almost stole her big dreams from her.

"Grenade" is also dedicated to the Filipinos who are Criticasters, petty critics, and Wasters, those who are indifferent to the abilities and achievements of this international musical phenomenon, those who would not support her, those who would not be bothered to attend her concerts in the Philippines or buy her records local or international. You! Listen to Charice say, "I'd do anything for you!"

After "Grenade," Charice asks, "Sinong nasa puso n'yo?" Who's in your heart? The audience chants: "Sunshine! Sunshine! Sunshine!" She laughs, yet embarrassed that the Chasters are, unexpectedly, reminding her of her long-impending return to the Fox hit TV series Glee as "Sunshine Corazon," the Filipino exchange student who famously out-sung the lead female "Rachel Berry" (Lea Michelle) in "Audition" (Season 2, Episode 1). (Why hasn't Charice come back to Glee anytime in the last 4 months? Did someone get so alarmed they had to banish Sunshine to a virtual Limbo? Just asking.)

You know, Charice says, I have performed in many different places abroad, but here, whenever I see you, I think I'm more nervous. They say, "mas mahirap pasayahin ang Pinoy." The Pinoy is more difficult to please. I think that is really true. (I note she makes an emphasis on the words "ang Pinoy.")

She says something about her having been long an amateur singer here, and she never ever thought she would be discovered in YouTube, by foreigners, not locals, not her audience right now. As a matter of fact, as FalseVoice would know, she didn't own a computer at that time, and she never even heard of the Internet, much less YouTube.

So, she says to her audience, the locals, "Sana, makisama naman kayo sa akin." I hope you're with me this time. "Bigyan naman n'yo ako ng konting pampagana d'yan!" Give me a little appetizer, please! She laughs, but it's a nervous laugh. She is not really addressing the crowd before her; she is addressing the televiewers, her countrymen. She knows that a great many Filipinos have not given encouragement in what she's doing - conquering American music aficionados.

She introduces her next song. "As I give you 2 songs taken from my international studio album with my own name, Charice, KASAMA KO PO, kasama ko po, kasama ko po," With Me, with me, with me is the new young rap star admired by the young ones today, Elmo Magalona! Shall we give him a big hand?!

"Elmo, Elmo, Elmo, Elmo!" She sings while Elmo raps "Pyramid."

Shawty's love is like a pyramid
We stand together 'til the very end
There'll never be another love for sure
Elmo and Charice let we go.

The singing along with the rapping segues to "Reset" then ends with "Pyramid." I think Elmo is a little nervous, but he's good.

Now I'm having second thoughts about us
I think I like it like it was
I know I shut the system down
But now I wanna bring it back up
We need a reset, don't wanna regret
Not making up with you
You and I are fading from the screen
Can we prevent a freeze?

Shut down, system, back up, reset, fading, screen, freeze: That's all nerd language, of course; no wonder, as Charice is a computer nerd. No wonder "Reset," he himself tells me, is the favorite of this other computer nerd, the one who brought Charice to (YouTube) life: FalseVoice.

She thanks Elmo, and then the GMA executives. "At this point I would like to say thank you to GMA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Attorney Felipe Gozon, thank you so much. GMA President and Chief Operating Officer Mr Jimmy Duavit. President for GMA Films Ms Annette Gozon-Abrogar, thank you. GMA Senior Vice President for Entertainment TV Ms Wilma Galvante, thank you. And of course to all the GMA executives present tonight, thank you for your support and making me feel at home here at GMA 7."

She introduces a new song she has learned. "I like to experiment on different types of songs," old or new, that I can modify, put some style. "So, here's a song that was recorded by Alicia Keys called 'If I Ain't Got You,' and here to help me (sing it) for you is one of my favorite singers in our country, Ms Rachelle Ann Go."

Some people want it all
But I don't want nothing at all
If it ain't got you baby
If I ain't got you baby
Some people want diamond rings
Some just want everything
But everything means nothing
If I ain't got you.

End of song. "Ms Rachelle Ann Go! Happy Valentine's to you. Thank you." As Rachelle departs, Charice says, "Nanigas ako do'n a! Grabe talaga. Sobrang galing!" Scared me stiff there! Really great. Super talented!

"Anyway, everyone is talking about (here she makes a hand sign of L with her right forefinger and thumb) ... Glee! Yes! That's actually one of the best things (that have happened) in my career at this moment." It's the one that has given me a chance not only to sing but also to act. Actually, my role in Glee is like in real life because, when I was still in school, I used to wear (huge) eyeglasses and did auditions here and there.

She tells her audience that when she auditioned for Glee, she told them what I shall refer to here as "The Little Big Charice Story." Remember, Charice is Little, at 18 going on 19 she's only 5 feet, but her voice is Big, 5x2 decibels. She rattled officials of singing contests: Should they put her in the Big Division or the Little? When she joined the Big Division, they said she was too little. When she joined the Little Division, they said her voice was too big. Question: Where did they want her then?! Answer: They wanted her in the Out Division - they did not welcome the idea that she was going to beat the hell out of the other amateur singers! And she did, when they got her back as a Wild Card in Little Big Star. She told her Glee audience, "I've been there before, so it was okay with me."

Having said that, she sings "Listen" by Beyoncé. Listen to the lyrics:

Oh, the time has come for my dreams to be heard
They will not be pushed aside and turned
Into your own, all 'cause you won't
Listen.
Listen! I am alone at a crossroads
I'm not at home in my own home
And I've tried and tried to say what's on mind
You should have known.

Listen when Charice sings, "the time has come for my dreams to be heard." She is saying she has been true, and now all her dreams are coming true. She should have known.

Listen when Charice sings, "I'm not at home in my own home." She is saying she has not been welcome by many Filipinos in the Philippines, and it's all so true! You should have known.

She gets a standing ovation. She says, "Welcome to the Glee Club!" She's happy.

Pinoy Chaster: "Hi Charice. You're really, really so amazing. That song was awesome. I'm sure everyone in the audience was so delighted and you make each one of us very, very proud. So, I have a question for you. Everybody knows" that you struggled long "to achieve your international status." Really, you're self-made. "Could you tell us more about it?"

Charice: Super, Ma'am. I super-struggled. With my Mommy, I struggled, along with my brother. "Sobra po kasing mahigpit po ang pangangailangan namin noon." We were super-needy at that time. I joined many singing contests, not only in Cabuyao (her birthplace) in Laguna and in Batangas Province. I toured all, I think we went to all those fiestas. I was really determined to win. Once, I lost and we couldn't go home, as we didn't have money for transportation. So we slept in somebody's house. Good, the next day, there was a singing contest, and I won, and so we could go home again.

The audience shouts, "Yehey!" The fan says, "Wow!"

Charice continues her story. "Alam po naman nating lahat na hindi ako nanalo sa ibang mga malalaking amateur singing contests ho dito sa Pilipinas." All of us know that I did not win in big amateur "singing contests" in the Philippines. She says "singing contests," plural, but she is just being tactful. She really is referring to the one and only Little Big Star of ABS-CBN whose PhP 1 Million grand prize was her dream that didn't come true.

Charice continues her story. Nevertheless, I had a few fans that time who posted my performances at YouTube. Those videos were the ones seen by South Korean talent TV "Star King" and that got them to invite me to their show.

They show the video of the Star King performance. After watching herself, Charice says, I've changed much! She then turns to the audience and asks the promoters who uploaded her videos to YouTube to raise their hands to be recognized. Please raise your hands, those who promoted me, those who repeatedly posted my videos. "Talagang kasama ko sila hanggang ngayon po." They're really with me still. Camera closes up on some faces. "Kaya maraming, maraming salamat sa inyo." So, thank you very, very much. "Happy Valentine's, and I love you all." (Applause)

She sings next "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor.

First I was afraid
I was petrified (she whispers the word)
Kept thinking I could never live
without you by my side
But I spent so many nights
thinking how you did me wrong (again, she whispers the word and acts guilty)
I grew strong...

End of song. She says, the advice of Ms Oprah Winfrey to me, she told me, that time I was wearing Converse that sparkled, in a husky voice (she does an imitation of Oprah): "Nice shoes, Charice! But always remember this: Keep your feet on the ground, even if you're wearing nice shoes!" (Laughter)

That, I have remembered. Of course, there's Mommy always reminding me not to forget where I've come from, especially the time when we had nothing at home. (Let alone that they didn't have a home.) We went through a phase where we slept on the floor, with a mat borrowed from a neighbor. (Camera pans to Mommy Raquel with a big smile. Sweet memory! Sweet because they've been there before.)

Audience: "Oh!" as if they don't believe her. Charice: What "Oh!?" She laughs; she knows they believe her.

Then her face grows serious. "That time po talaga, na-feel ko na parang wala nang kinabukasan yong mga pangarap ko." That time really, I felt that my dreams had no tomorrow. Tears form in her eyes and she bows down, and only then she begins to sing. You get the feeling; the song is "All By Myself" by Celine Dion, her first favorite singer.

When I was young
I never needed anyone
And making love was just for fun.
Those days are gone
Livin' alone
I think of all the friends I've known
When I dial the telephone
Nobody's home.
All by myself
Don't wanna be
All by myself
Anymore!

Her notes in "Anymore" are high but her spirit is low; the music is sad; she sings sadly. I think I hear her voice breaks a teeny-weeny bit. Well, I'm crying a little bit too.

She ends the song with a mighty swing of her right hand with the mike. Remember, there was the time after she lost big in ABS-CBN's Little Big Star that she was depressed for so many months. So this time, she is like saying, "There, I'm done with it! I don't wanna be all by myself anymore!"

There's a change of attire; now she's a female Michael Jackson, leather jacket and jeans, except there's no hat. She says, One of my regrets is that I didn't get to perform with one of my idols, the King of Pop. But tonight, I have a chance with one of my favorites, also Michael's the name! She laughs. This is for all of you.

She opens "Billy Jean" all by herself. Everyone sways to the rhythm. In a little while, a shadow appears behind her and she smiles slowly, and then widely, then turns and shouts, "Michael V!" She's joyful.

Michael V shows his Michael J prowess, singing and dancing. After all, his "Michael " comes from "Michael Jackson," idol.

At the end of the song, she shouts, "Ladies & gentlemen, the one and only, Michael V!" They do a little act that is better heard than read.

Charice: "I would also like to acknowledge the presence of the President of GMA Sales & Marketing Ms Lizelle Maralag, and also Ms Laurie Westfall, Member of the Board of Directors, GMA Network, thank you. Thank you also for the advertisers, friends and the GMA artists present here tonight, thank you so much."

She continues: I've gone through many concerts, tours, and I've been part of David Foster & Friends, and I have joined on stage singing sensations Ms Celine Dion, Andrea Bocelli and many others. But you know, this is my most requested number wherever I go, from Whitney Houston. I wish someday I can sing with her.

Gone is the jacket. She does "The Bodyguard Medley" so-called, comprising of "I Have Nothing" and "I Will Always Love You," both by Whitney Houston.

Share my life, take me for what I am
'Cause I'll never change all my colors for you
Take my love, I'll never ask for too much
Just all that you are and everything that you do.

The song along with the singing that comes next is the one I will always love:

And I...
Will always
Love you, pooh
Will always
Love you
You
My darling you
Mm-mm

"And I ..." (shouts, cheers) "will always love you!"

Of course, every Chaster loves The Bodyguard Medley; you would too if you were me. In this little musical package, Little Musical Wonder Charice shows off her huge vocal artistry like nobody else can. Like nobody.

She then introduces another guest. "Ladies & gentlemen, please help me welcome Ogie Alcasid." Louder please! "Standing ovation."

Ogie Alcasid: Let's give a hand for Charice. (Clapping of hands) "You're amazing!" They do a longer skit, where Charice mimics, one after the other, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and a still-more-diminutive Pinoy mimic who calls herself "Mahal" (Dear). Charice says she hopes she can be a comedian too like "Sir Michael" (Michael V) and Ogie. You know, she says, I've been a fan of yours since I was little, "hanggang ngayon." That's her introduction to their duet, "Hanggang Ngayon" (Till Now). The main message of the song, I think, is in these 2 words: "ikaw lamang" (you alone). You alone I have loved till now.

At the end of the song, she says, "Happy Valentine's po, Kuya Ogie." Happy Valentine's, Big Brother. (Hug)

Pinoy Chaster: Hi Charice, how are you? I'm Pinky. Apart from your singing idols, who else inspired you? And "to whom do you really owe your success?"

Charice says she has been inspired by many. There's Ms Ellen DeGeneres who first invited her to perform in the US, Ms Oprah, Sir David, the one who posted her video at YouTube. Big Brother Dave, who is FalseVoice, Star King. "Pero, ang talagang inspirasyon ko po, ay ang Mommy ko." My true inspiration is my Mommy. What she means is that her mother is her first inspiration, and last.

She goes back to where her dreams began to take shape, truly, literally. She tells the true story where after she sings at the Oprah show and they are now on the plane revving up for takeoff to the Philippines Oprah stops the plane, gets her back to Harpo Studios, and tells Charice, "Tell me your story. I wanna help you." And Oprah calls David Foster, and Oprah makes all her dreams come true, all those sketched by her in her "Dream Journal" - singing with Celine Dion, Andrea Bocelli, Mariah, Michael Bublé, Josh Groban and others. "Para ko talaga siyang fairy godmother." She truly is like my fairy godmother. "Talagang wala rin po ako dito kundi rin po dahil sa kanya." I truly would not be here if not because of her.

She then says she takes after her mother. She is the one who taught her how to sing. She says she knows her love life, but that "pero siyempre, tayo pa rin ang magka-Valentine's." But always, we two are our own Valentine's. She dedicates her next song to Mommy Raquel, "Thank You," from her international album CHARICE. Thank you, Mommy, for all the life, "for all the love."

They said when you find love
you'd better hold on
You gotta keep it
close to you
but you gotta give love
if you gonna get love
and you will know when
love's found you.
So I just wanna thank you
all you have done.

Gave me strength
when I had none at all
Gave me hope
when I was running low
Showed me how
to make it through and
For everything
you know I thank you.
You believed when I'd no reason to
You were there when I needed you, oh!

Mommy Raquel looks at her daughter with tears in her eyes, proudly, happily. She pulls her mother and up the stage and sings to her. At the end of the song, they embrace. (Cut)

Red dress. High cut in front, above the knee, low cut at the back. Charice says, "God has been so good to me. Kung talagang para sa 'yo, ibibigay sa iyo." If it's truly yours, He will give it to you.

She sings the very first international recording that David Foster did for her, with composer Dianne Warren: "Note to God."

If I wrote a note to God
I would speak what's in my soul
I'd ask for all the hate to be swept away
For love to overflow.

Give us the strength to make it through
Help us find love, 'cause love is overdue
And it looks like we haven't got a clue.

After the song, another question from the audience. American Chaster: "Hi Charice, you have achieved so much in the past few years. What's next for Charice? Any new projects?"

Charice: Right now, I can't answer that until I get a go-signal from my managers in the States. "I do have a new song." I have recorded many new songs. Now we're looking for a new single that we can match with international songs of Rihanna, Katy Perry. So we're busy with that.

Charice shifts gear. I still don't know up to where God will take me with all that He has given me "in His own time." So, this is my advice to dreamers like me: You'll get what you wish for if you work hard for it, "at matibay po ang loob n'yo," and you have a stout heart. Just keep your faith in the Creator.

She recalls that she told her mother when she was just starting to sing in public: "Mommy, ang hirap namang abutin ang mga pangarap ko." Mommy, it's so hard to reach my dreams. "She used to tell me, 'darating din 'yon, 'wag ka lang mawalan ng pag-asa.'" They'll come, don't you lose hope. (Now, now. I can't help but note the mixed metaphors, but so what! Or mixed paradigms, if you please. Funny. Charice is talking about reaching her dreams, and Mommy Raquel is talking about her dreams reaching Charice. No matter. They're both talking about dreams becoming real, and that's the real deal.)

She bows; she cries as she sings "Maghintay Ka Lamang" (Just You Wait) by Ted Ito. Camera pans to Mommy Raquel weeping a little too, silently, while little brother Carl is stoic. He's been there before.

Kabigua'y hindi hadlang, upang tumakas ka
Huwag kang iiwas 'pag nabibigo
Dapat nga lumaban ka...

My literal translation:
Failure is not an obstacle, for you to escape.
Don't avoid when you fail
Instead, you should fight...

(I can't help it but, funny, I notice another set of mixed metaphors, this time from the composer Ted Ito: No, you don't escape from an obstacle - rather, you surmount it.)

Charice is crying. She reaches the end: "Ang pangarap mo" (she stops to stop crying) "ay makakamtan / Basta't maghintay ka lamang." Your dreams you will achieve, if you just wait.

She does another Girl's Twirl. She is saying, "There, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Or, "I liked that very much - I hope you did too."

The crowd gives her a standing ovation and calls for an encore. "More, more! More, more! More, more!"

She sings "Nothing," her own song from her self-titled international album:

Did you imagine
I'd be on fire
to feel you touch me and say my name
to hear you say it?
You wanna start over I admit
thought I'd feel the same
I hate to break it to you
now I've moved on without you.

Charice, the brilliant singer and bright host, annotates her show at the end and omits her name, nothing:

"'_______: Home for Valentine's' is a production of GMA, your Kapuso Network. Good night, mga Kapuso, and Happy Valentine's!"

"Kapuso" (Of One Heart) is GMA 7; the rival TV network, ABS-CBN is "Kapamilya" (Of One Family); Kapamilya is the one who denied Charice the grand prize of PhP 1M in its singing contest Little Big Star 4 years ago. Charice got 3rd place, which was heartache and nothing else. With Charice in Kapuso in her historic first TV special anywhere, it is as if the sound of Kapamilya has been muffled to nothing.

So now I ask you two, Musical Director Homer Flores and TV & Stage Director Louie Ignacio of Our Lady Valentine's musical special 13 February 2011 on GMA 7 Kapuso:

How can nothing feel so good
how can nothing feel so right?!

Down the rabbit hole? Why Charice disappeared from Glee

2011-02-05T21:38:00.001+08:00

MANILA - 21 September 2010, more than 4 months ago, in Season 2, Episode 1 of Fox's superhit TV series "Glee," Charice appeared as Sunshine Corazon – and then she disappeared down the rabbit hole for the succeeding many episodes. What happened? Contrast little Alice in Wonderland who willingly followed the rabbit down the hole and discovered a land more magical than that of the Wizard of Oz. Or Glee.

Charice is returning to Glee only on the 06 February right-after-the-Super-Bowl episode. Gloomy days. During those non-Sunshine episodes, I wasn't really about to bawl my eyes out, but I've been seriously thinking of any of 4 possible reasons why Charice was shut out of Glee for so long.

One, perhaps Ryan Murphy had planned all along that Sunshine Corazon was good for only 1 episode and couldn't tell anyone? But the Chasters’ continual clamor for more episodes for Charice to appear changed his mind after several episodes.

Two, Ryan Murphy realized he made a mistake in casting Charice as Sunshine Corazon - a belter, fashionista and nerd all rolled into one - so he decided to limit the number of appearances of this powerhouse? Sunshine stole the spotlight from Rachel Berry of the glee club New Directions, taking the luminescence away from her in the whole show. Rachel is The Star, not the upstart Sunshine. And Charice appeared only briefly! To my mind, the Bathroom Brawl was actually The Audition, and Sunshine Corazon passed with living colors. That was unforgettable - and therefore unforgivable.

Three, perhaps Season 2 Episode 1 didn't rate as high as expected, as the entry of a Filipina international singing sensation had promised? While we Chasters applauded Sunshine Corazon, and so did members of the New Directions, except of course Rachel, the market research showed that a critical mass (commercial segment) of viewers did not appreciate value added by Sunshine to the hit show. You can please some of the people all the time, and you can please all the people some of the time, but you can't please all the people all the time.

Four, perhaps Oprah said No? Long before this story, this fairy godmother had told her Cinderella, Enjoy yourself, child. You're a kid only once in your life! So I would not be surprised if Oprah had told Ryan Murphy: No kissing scenes, please. Polite but firm. That would mean No boyfriend to begin with. Oprah is the one who must sign either "I'm Okay" or "I'm Not Okay" for every movie offered to Charice. Ryan Murphy must have been all but flabbergasted to hear all that, and was hard put to write up any number of episodes without any kissing scene and without any boyfriend for Sunshine Corazon. I know the feeling. Writers can be creative only when people put up no borders, no boundaries, no limits. No kissing! Restrictions like that would have given Ryan Murphy a non-gleeful Writer's Block. Not to mention Writer’s Shock.

The 4th explanation is more plausible to me, a writer. And you know what? It's all okay with Charice - so it's all okay with me! "Wala pa sa isip ko ang mga bagay na 'yan," she says. I don't think of those things yet, whatever they are. Falling in love and all that. She's not ready to love someone of the opposite sex anytime soon. Love can wait, her career cannot.

And that is why Charice told the interviewer in an episode of 30 Days with Charice: "I don't wanna be 18 yet. I'm still enjoying being a kid." You're a kid only once in your life. I say, "Enjoy!" At 71, I know the feeling. I'm a kid of 17 when I'm thinking creatively, like now.

A Gift from Him (Life Story), by Charice

2011-02-01T07:33:00.001+08:00

Edited with love by Frank A Hilario. The original story, posted 26 January 2011, appeared in charicemusic.ca.

My first time singing at age 4 was a funny experience. My mom had gone to the dry market to buy food for lunch. Since I was alone in the house, I decided to climb on a table. I operated the karaoke and sang the first song that I ever learned, "My Heart Will Go On." I was in the middle of the song when my mom came in but she went straight to the kitchen. So I continued singing, wondering whether she would stop to watch me. I’d probably stop if she did because I was such a shy person. I didn’t realize that my mom went to the kitchen just to talk with my auntie, and she was giggling but proud saying, “Oh my God! Charice is singing!” The moment I saw them really happy, I suddenly got nervous and scared.

My mom started to teach me how to sing properly. She knows everything because she was a vocalist in a band. It was pretty hard to be a student of my own mom. I wasn’t sure what to do. However, at some point, I felt I had to do my best. I felt that she was really counting on me, like she was thinking that I will be the next Her. She trained me for like 2 to 3 years. She’d been so strict but it had been really worth it.

When I was 7, my mom asked me if I wanted to join some amateur singing contests here in the Philippines. I was scared but I answered Yes. She picked a song for me. I was so nervous; that was my first ever singing competition. My legs were shaking. And now, the emcee called my name. I walked up from backstage, and I saw the people were looking at me. I just closed my eyes and remembered what my mom told me, “Don’t ever look to their eyes. Just feel your song, and focus! But still, you have to act like you’re talking to them. Singing is like Acting too.” The song [minus one] started to play. I was so shocked with the reaction of the audience! They loved my performance! I was so happy that time, seeing my mom teary-eyed, like she was very, very proud. After the performance, the part I hated most: Announcing the winner! I was staring at my mom and praying at the same time. The emcee called the 3rd placer, it was not me. And now, the 2nd placer; it was me! Well not bad for a first timer! Mom was so happy. Got a lot of prizes and went back home really happy.

After that first experience, I competed in 80+ singing contests in the Philippines. To help my family. We were poor. Then one day when we were watching TV, we saw a commercial for a sort of “American Idol” singing competition in the Philippines. My mom and I decided that I join the contest. We just thought, that’s my chance to be known in the Philippines because I’ve been dreaming of being famous here in the Philippines, like forever. We went to the venue and did an audition. The judges looked so serious. I got nervous when it was my turn. I sang a Whitney Houston song. And luckily they loved it! They told me that they were going to call me up to schedule me for the final screening.

After weeks, they called me. They told us that I was going to be on the next episode of the contest. [It was Little Big Star, Grand Prize 1 million pesos.] My mom was so nervous that time. She couldn’t even say a word.

We just prepared everything that we needed for the competition, and my mom came to my room and gave me a hug. A Good Luck Hug.

The next morning, we were all ready to go to the studio for the first round of the competition. I saw the other contestants. They were looking at me like they were going to bite me or something! The director called me and told me to go to the make-up room and get done. So I did. I felt it, it was coming. A few hours later and it was finally my turn. The director saw me and we went backstage.

The host called my name finally. Number 1, Charice Pempengco. I walked on stage and started to sing. Afterwards, I was a little bit sad because I felt that I didn’t impress the judges. They gave me a score of 90. I was so shocked; that was a big score! Then the director shouted, “Cut!” I went to my mom and hugged her. And now it was number 2’s turn. He sang a big Josh Groban song. He was really awesome, but it was the saddest day of my life right after the judges revealed his score. It was 91. I lost by just a point. I was so depressed. I just thought that I couldn't help my family anymore. We went back home so sad. I lost hope and everything. Every night I was telling God that maybe He was sleeping that He couldn’t hear me. My mom was playing my favorite song almost every day just to cheer me up. But I couldn’t talk or smile.

As the months went by, I didn’t realize that God was waiting for the right time. I just thought about it now. Some stranger posted my video on YouTube, and the Producers from Sweden saw it and they invited me to go there and sing some demos. Though it was really a big opportunity, I didn’t even think about me being recognized after that. I went to Sweden and recorded some songs. Stayed for like a week and came back home. After that, as I expected, nothing happened to me. I waited for how many months. And I lost hope again.

2007, I met the guy who posted my video, Dave Dueñas is the name. (We’re friends now.) One time, a big show in Korea emailed my friend Dave and told him they wanted me to be on their show. We were so happy but we never thought about any lucky chance afterwards. I went there with my mom. And the Koreans went Gaga over my performance and I got recognized in Korea. But still, I couldn’t believe that they really believed in me. Not until Ellen DeGeneres saw my video and invited me to her show. That was such an amazing experience. My mom and I were so happy when we first went to Los Angeles. We couldn’t believe it! I got a standing ovation on Ellen’s show and she gave me an iPod. One night I talked to God, and thanked Him. Realized that He was not sleeping. LOL.

The next morning, someone called my mom. Since we weren’t good in speaking English at that time, my mom didn’t understand what they were saying. I grabbed the phone and talked to them. They asked me if I was Charice. “Yes!” I said with an excited expression. Now I was floored when they told me that Oprah Winfrey wanted me to be on her show. Oprah was my favorite talk show host! We flew in to Chicago and performed there. I got a standing ovation and Oprah cried.

I woke up early with a smile on my face. We were going back to the Philippines in a few hours! We went straight to the airport, checked in and went to the gate. Finally we were on board. But we got nervous when two policemen got in the plane and asked for Raquel Pempengco, my mom. We didn’t know what to do. We just raised our hands. They told us to get out of the plane, and so we did. They asked my mom if my mom was working for Harpo. She said No. They asked me if I’m special or famous or whatever. I said No. They asked me a one-liner question: “Then why Oprah wants to see you?” I got chills! My mom was crying and asked me, “Did you break the doll of Oprah?” I said definitely No! The Policemen guided us going to the car waiting outside the airport going back to the Harpo studio. We were nervous thinking about what’s gonna happen. Then we made it to Harpo. The staff told us to proceed to the conference room. We went in there and had some snacks. Then someone opened the door and said "Hi, sweetheart" to me. It was Oprah. She sat in front me and talked to me. I told her the story of my life. And I told her that I was losing hope. But she told me to stop and let her talk. She told me the most amazing words ever. “Don’t lose hope, I promise you, something big will happen.” Mom and I cried. We felt it. That was it. The chance we’ve been waiting for so long. Oprah gave us something [some money] we could use on our way back to the Philippines.

My mom was still in shock when we got back to the Philippines. Meanwhile me, I was looking for my “Dream Journal Drawing Book.” I love to draw. This was my drawing book with celebrities inside singing with me. I was telling myself that I could send it to Oprah. And I did. My mom did.

A few days later, Oprah’s crew called me and they told me to come to New York for some interviews and stuff. We went there and met the other people of Oprah. I was sitting while they were trying to set up the camera. Few minutes passed. Someone was calling. I couldn't answer it but they told me to pick up the phone. So I did. A big voice talked, looking for… me. It was Andrea Bocelli and he invited me to be part of his Birthday Party. I cried. And I remembered that my 1st page on my dream journal was to have a duet with Andrea Bocelli. I thought that Oprah was making my dreams come true.

After Andrea Bocelli, Oprah invited me again to her show. I sang the first song that I’ve ever learned. And it’s a Celine Dion song, My Heart Will Go On. After the song, Oprah talked and told the audience that a working mother with a seven-year old son was watching via satellite. I looked back to see Celine Dion. She invited me to her concert at Madison Square Garden. And she wanted to dedicate the song to my mom. Celine and I sang together in front of 20,000 people watching. I didn’t know what to think that time. I just gave my best. And the 20,000 people gave a standing ovation for us.

Some people who watched the concert uploaded the video Duo on YouTube and it reached 4 million views. I was the happiest! After all these, I met my other favorite singers, Justin Timberlake, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston and it was all in my Dream Journal Drawing Book. Thanks to Oprah.

After those big Gigs, we came back to the Philippines, never thinking that now every person in Manila knew me. I was like, “This is my dream, finally.” Today, I’ve got a lot of guestings on TV and everything. But still, my Family and I always have time to bond.

Last night, before I went to sleep, I talked to someone. Felt sorry in the first place that I was blaming Him. But very Thankful that He did those things to me. You know, losing hope. He gave a gift to me to use it not only for me, my family, but for all the People. Use it to inspire everyone. Now everyone’s asking me, “Where did that voice come from?” Well I guess there is only one answer:

It’s a Gift from Him.

Charice, My Funny Valentine. Louie Ignacio shoots for stars

2011-01-31T14:56:00.001+08:00

MANILA – Funny, she wasn't home in November to shoot the GMA 7 TV Special Charice: Home for Christmas; she won't be home for Valentine's Day 2011, but she will be on your screen the day before, 13 February in the TV special Home for Valentine (PEP, 30 January 2011, re-uploaded by gmanews.tv). She is my Funny Valentine - and yours.

As I write this Monday, 31 January in Manila, she must be rehearsing for shooting the TV special with her guest performers Michael V, Ogie Alcasid, Rachelle Ann Go and Elmo Magalona (Rudy Santos, 31 January 2011, philstar.com). She's going back to LA tomorrow, 01 February.

At the press conference held soon after she disembarked from her PAL plane at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport 30 January, she explained that the original special had been for Christmas but she couldn't come November last year because she had stomach flu.

She said there was a rumor that she cancelled her trip back home for the Christmas special because she did not want to proceed with it. She didn't explain, but I know what she meant. In Manila and the rest of the Philippines, GMA 7 is of course the rival station of ABS-CBN, in whose shows Charice has been featured quite a few times - never in GMA 7. Funny: Why didn't ABS-CBN think of a Christmas special? Funnier: Why didn't it think of a Valentine's Day special with Charice?

Very funny: The rival TV stations have similar slogans: for ABS-CBN, it's Kapamilya (one of the same family); for GMA 7, it's Kapuso (one of the same heart). For all intents and purposes, ABS-CBN is inclined to claim Charice as Kapamilya; so, for her to perform at GMA 7 as Kapuso is, it seems like verboten, as in, forbidden. Funny, but I remember it was the 1-million-peso singing contest of ABS-CBN called Little Big Star that denied Charice the honor of being the biggest star, #1: she was adjudged only #3. I'm not surprised. Failure to recognize a talent happens in a family. All in the family.

Charice was asked who her Valentine date this year was and she said, "Family ko po!" My family. This family knows better.

Asked if she had suitors, she said, "Meron mga umaaligid, pero hanggang aligid na lang sila!" and laughed. Some have been trying to catch my attention, but they'll remain just trying!

I know her fairy godmother Oprah has strict instructions, and she mentioned two to Raymond Gutierrez who interviewed her at GMA 7's Showbiz Central (philworldtalent, YouTube). One of these is: No boyfriends, not yet.

In the meantime, she says she's excited to be performing with Michael V (cd, 31 January 2011, starmometer.com). "Very excited ako na maka-perform with Michael V, yun talaga na-excite ako." It would be funny if she wasn't excited. Michael V is the most prolific, most versatile - in short, the best comedian in the Philippines today, bar none. Kindred souls, as he likes to mimic, just like Charice. The working title of the TV special is Charice: Home for Valentines, with the direction of Louie Ignacio; they will be taping tonight until tomorrow.

Funny that Charice is wearing those nerdy glasses as she planes in from LA. She was gorgeous with those huge glasses on her (and the fashionista clothes); she was great in that bathroom singing contest with Lea Michelle in Glee Season 2, Episode 1. I love to wear large glasses myself. What Ogie Diaz won't, I want!

Charice is a singer, actor, comedian, composer, rapper, voice artist, mimic. Funny that Michael V is one of Charice's guests. He is a comedian, actor, director, composer, singer, rapper, voice artist and parodist (Wikipedia). I've been watching Tropang Trumpo and its later incarnation Bubble Gang for years, and Michael V has stolen the thunder from all of the comedians in this country, including Dolphy. "The master comedian with a thousand faces" (igma.tv). He's funny; he's great. He likes to play video games; doesn't Charice? Charice will have a jolly good time with him around.

Funny that it is Louie Ignacio who is directing the TV special. Louie is as interesting - and as intelligent - as TV directors get. He directs movie scenes, music videos and telenovelas (ANN, 02 January 2011, Manila Bulletin, re-uploaded by findarticles.com). When I direct for TV and musical shows, he says, people can see noisy, happy movements. "Masaya siya, gumagalaw, ganoon ang gusto ko, maingay." Just like Charice? He says that in painting, you direct the colors. In a movie or TV special, you direct the flow of the show. There is composition, there is art.

No wonder Louie Ignacio is one of the most sought-after directors in the Philippines. He's a visual artist. I see he aims high; he shoots for the stars. Charice is a musical artist; she's a star. Art for art. So? So, Charice is in excellent hands in Kapuso!

Birthday! Mommy Raquel, I’d like you to dance (Happy)

2011-01-10T16:53:00.001+08:00

MANILA - Yesterday, 09 January 2011, I didn't go to Enchanted Kingdom because of the rain and, yes I missed the chance to watch our international singing sensation perform live and to greet you, mother of Charice, Happy Birthday! in advance. Well, today is the day (image from Schoeen), and I'm singing with the internationally unbeatable Beatles their "Birthday" song:

They say it's your birthday
We're gonna have a good time
I'm glad it's your birthday
Happy Birthday to you!

Mommy Raquel, I've talked to you on the phone just a little bit, asking for a face-to-face interview, if you remember, for a chapter of the book I was writing about your daughter; that's the "closest" we've met. But I think I know you, if you will pardon my saying so. You're the mother of The Most Talented Girl in the World who in turn calls you The Most Talented Mom in the World. It takes one to know one!

They say it's your birthday
It's my birthday too, yeah
They say it's your birthday
We're gonna have a good time
I'm glad it's your birthday
Happy Birthday to you!

When the Beatles sing, "It's my birthday too, yeah," they mean they're celebrating with the birthday celebrant. I'm celebrating that you're celebrating. "I'm glad it's your birthday / Happy Birthday to you!"

Yes, we're going to a party, party
Yes, we're going to a party, party
Yes, we're going to a party, party!

Mommy, you must be The Happiest Mom in the World because you are the Mom of The Happiest Girl in the World. Now you know the sweet perfume of success ("Charice" in 2 variants) that reminds you of the sweet smells of success, as well as the nice smell of cologne ("Charice" in 2 variants) that reminds you of the sweet rewards of success. Aficionado Germany Perfumes & Joel Cruz Signatures know how to honor a talent too.

You know what you've been through. I (don't) know the feeling; I can only imagine it. You've met Elsie Chua, of course. It strikes me that she told Dine Racoma that day in May last year when you met at the 30th anniversary of CDC Manufacturing: "Success is not an overnight thing. It's a profound journey with mentors, life's ups and downs, challenges and opportunities and self-mastery" (dine.racoma.ph). I first read and wrote about it 04 February 2010 ("100 Charice. Mod parables of the talents of Ming," Pinoy Cinderella); re-reading Elsie today, I thought of you and Charice (not to forget Carl).

Mommy, you know of course that David & Elsie Chua are the owners of CDC Manufacturing, makers of Melawares. You know that they were the ones who gifted Charice with a 2-bedroom condo unit in Lion's Park Residences at Parañaque, just a few minutes away from the international airport. With the Filipinos, David & Elsie were celebrating the fact that your daughter Charice had guested at Ellen DeGeneres' show and brought the house down - twice, Charice's very first 2 standing ovations. We Filipinos did not gift her those. From Americans, those standing ovations were a show of a great admiration that we Filipinos didn't show ourselves. From strangers, that condo was a show of great respect; in fact to a homegrown talent, it was homage; for you, it was home. They were very gracious; you were very grateful.

"Success is not an overnight thing. It's a profound journey with mentors, life's ups and downs, challenges and opportunities and self-mastery." There was no way she could have realized it, but in 21 words, Elsie Chua had summarized the life so far of Raquel Pempengco, her daughter Charice and her son Carl.

"Success is not an overnight thing. It's a profound journey with mentors ..." Oh yes, Mommy Raquel, you were the first mentor of Charice. Of course you remember, when she was only 2 years old, she was already singing "Happy Birthday!" in high notes that you said to yourself, My girl has a voice. She is going to be somebody in show business. Even if you were only thinking local. Years later, you began to teach her to make that dream come true, your dream. A mother can dream, can't she? Without dreams, dreams can't come true.

You know David Foster is now of course the #1 mentor of Charice. And he is without equal. And with the David Foster & Friends Asian Tour, he made Charice the "Concert Princess of Asia" (American Chronicle), didn't he? Thank you, David Foster!

You know Oprah Winfrey is now of course the #1 fairy godmother cum mentor of Charice. And she is without equal herself. Among other things, she got for Charice the #1 mentor, didn't she? Thank you, Oprah Winfrey!

"Success is not an overnight thing. It's a profound journey with mentors, life's ups and downs ..." Ah, in the beginning, in her first singing contest when she was only 7 years old, Charice won 1st prize, didn't she? It was at the Pavilion Mall in Biñan, Laguna; it was PhP 7,500 in cash (a lot of money in those days, 10 years ago), and a PhP 10,000 gift certificate. Ah! You must remember also that she almost did not win; in fact, your daughter almost did not compete - when you saw that there were so many contestants, 80 of them, when you looked down at your little girl, you wanted to back out. And that little girl had more grit than you had, and told you, Mommy, we're here already. If you want to go home, go home. I'm staying! And she stayed, and you stayed. And she won! It was heart. You have to give credit to little girls with big hearts. And then what? In her 2nd contest, Charice lost! You remember she sang the same song: "Ikaw Ang Aking Daigdig" (a Tagalog version of "You're My World"). That was when you realized that she couldn't win forever with just 1 song, no matter how good the mentor, no matter the mastery of performance, no matter how divine the voice of the singer.

"Success is not an overnight thing. It's a profound journey with mentors, life's ups and downs, challenges ..." Mommy, the most challenging of all in your journey so far with your daughter after you lost your husband Ricky and she lost her father, must have been when she lost in Little Big Star, that big/little singing contest of ABS-CBN of 4-5 years ago. She didn't actually lose, did she? She placed 3rd. But you know of course Charice sang for 1st, not 2nd, and certainly not 3rd - and she felt, she knew, and so did you, that she won 1st place. Judges Ai-Ai de las Alas, Louie Ocampo and Kuh Ledesma told her, didn't they, that she lost because she had the lowest text votes. They broke her heart, they broke your heart, didn't they? They can't put the blame on the text votes.

That loss almost broke your daughter's mind, didn't it? "I was depressed for months," Charice had been heard as saying. This time, I know the feeling. I had been (mildly) depressed for years, would you believe for 20 years, until 10 years ago? Actually, when you're depressed, you're depressed; you don't feel a little less depressed this time, a little bit more depressed next time, much more depressed some other time. You're depressed; you're not quite normal.

"Success is not an overnight thing. It's a profound journey with mentors, life's ups and downs, challenges and opportunities ..." You must have been depressed yourself, seeing your daughter depressed. But, thank God, you didn't give up! You remember Charice, Carl and you went to Quiapo Church to pray to God for a miracle, big or small, preferably big!? And God, in all His wisdom, didn't answer right away and made you wait. Not days, not weeks - with fingers crossed, you didn't know if God did answer prayers, you had to wait for months. Only your faith sustained you.

God answers the prayers of those who can wait, doesn't He? One day, with God's knowledge but without yours, a young man with a heart that was true and calling himself FalseVoice uploaded to YouTube your little daughter singing "I Will Always Love You" while competing at Little Big Star yet! In bowling language, that was a Spare. And then FalseVoice uploaded another music video, this time showing a "Face-Off: Bianca Vs Charice" where Bianca Ryan sang "And I Am Telling You (I'm Not Going)" and Charice sang "I Will Always Love You." You remember who won, of course. Not just 1 but 2 winners. Bianca went on to win "America's Got Talent," didn't she? And that Face-Off music video had 1 million hits in no time at all. That was a Strike, wasn't it? Charice went on to win, first, the YouTube world, and later the entertainment world. And the Filipinos have been winners since then, haven't we, Chasters? Including the Crabsters, even if they don't acknowledge it, even if they refuse to admit it. Mommy, Charice's triumph is your own - and ours.

"Success is not an overnight thing. It's a profound journey with mentors, life's ups and downs, challenges and opportunities and self-mastery." Ah yes, there remains self-mastery, doesn't it? On that note, thank you, Mommy Raquel, thank you, for keeping Charice ever so humble. That Good Housekeeping article by Bubbles Salvador (Xmas issue) shows that you are a good housekeeper of Charice and Carl. If mothers don't support their daughters' dreams, those dreams can die.

Not that you're asking, but you're almost half the age that I am, having turned 70 last September and, not that I'm counting, I still find the great need for self-control: Quick to anger, slow to praise and so on. You know what? Paul McCartney mostly wrote "Birthday" at the EMI Abbey Road Studios in September 1968 on the 18th - missed my birthday by 1 day! - and the Beatles recorded it as they were composing the whole of it (Wikipedia). They were masters of their art. You know one has to master one's art. As a computer nerd, I myself have mastered a lot of extreme things, like turning Microsoft Word 2002 (and now Word 2010) into a personal desktop publishing software, but I know self-mastery is the last thing I will ever master.

But don't let me spoil the celebration with remembrances of things past. Today, for you I sing along quite a few times to an unbeatable beat with the Beatles (I just bought me an inexpensive CD-R King Spark multi-media speaker system to help me, and I'm playing airrick321's Beatles upload "Happy Birthday" (YouTube), just sounds and faces of Paul, Ringo, George and John:

I would like you to dance (Birthday)
Take a cha-cha-cha-chance (Birthday)
I would like you to dance (Birthday)
Oh dance! Dance!

Charice vocabulary - "Variants"

2011-01-08T13:17:00.001+08:00

charicemusic.ca announces today, 08 January 2010 by email the "January 8 - charice '1@1' concert" saying that:

The event is the venue for the formal launch of Charice as Aficionado Germany Perfumes and Joel Cruz Signatures International newest endorsers. ¶ The event will also feature other star endorsers of Aficionado Germany Perfumes and Joel Cruz Signatures. Charice will have variants of patented scents made especially for her.

That's the whole post, 49 words (I inserted the sign ¶ to signify a paragraph break just to make the news item look like a whole paragraph and read a bit less newsy.) Too short. Now I will show you that brevity is not always the soul of wit.

It says endorsers, plural. It forgets to mention Gary V as the other new endorser.

Note also that it says "Charice will have variants of patented scents" but the item does not say what are those variants. I'm showing here the images that appeared on that post, and I notice that the 4 images in fact define for us visually what makes a variant a variant: There are 4 different fonts (designs) used for the name "Charice" - that's variants. (If you click here to go to the original URL, you can see the images more clearly.)

Are those different Charices intentional variants? I don't know. What I know, as a copywriter, is that you don't play around with a brand name, and that is what "Charice" is in this occasion. 4 different looks for one and the same name - either they are trying to confuse the buyers (unintentional) or trying to amuse them (intentional), which is what perfumes and scents are all about anyway.

It's amusing to me because the variants of Charice do reflect an entertainer that you cannot nail down (pardon the expression) in a single category or talent. She's versatile. She's Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Beyoncé, Justin Bieber; a Walking Karaoke; a piano player; a guitarist; a rapper, a composer; an actress; a fan; a daughter. At any one time, Charice is a variant of Charice - and I love everyone of her!

Charice & Raquel. Something old, something new

2011-01-04T06:18:00.001+08:00

MANILA - 2011, Year of the Rabbit. In Chinese horoscope, the Rabbit "signifies calm, diplomacy, sensitivity and consideration for others" (squidoo.com). Reading that, I think of 2010 backwards: mostly of Charice, mother Raquel, and brother Carl; the Pempengcos are mostly calm, diplomatic, sensitive, and considerate of others. Hey, nobody's perfect, no year either!

Charice and Mommy Raquel are the cover girls for the Christmas 2010 issue of Good Housekeeping Philippines. Jointly, their smiles are as radiant as any Christmas tree lit in New York's Rockefeller Center in any December. Good Housekeeping, you're perfect!

The GHP cover story is well-written, by Bubbles Salvador, and she is right in presenting it as a combined Charice & Raquel story, as you can’t have one without the other.

I thank Bubbles Salvador for telling us an old/new story that she tried to tell differently, and largely succeeded. Specifically, Frank H can thank her for these bits of information mostly new to him:

(1) Fame & fortune - Rich & famous? Mommy Raquel is the one who is keeping Charice’s head from rising above the clouds. Not that easy. She says, “Pinapaisip ko sa kanya na di siya sikat; kilala lang, parang natural lang, parang kilala ka lang sa Gulod, kung saan kami nakatira dati. Natural lang, di ilalagay sa ulo.” I keep her thinking that she is not famous, just known; just act naturally, just as you are known in humble Gulod, where we lived before. Just act naturally, not put it in your head. Mother knows best!

It’s the attitude. GH asks how Charice feels about being “super famous” anyway? Charice says, “Masaya!” Happy! And “Overwhelmed.” About Charice’s feet being firmly planted on the ground, “thanks to her mom Raquel,” Bubbles says. Frank H says, in great measure, we also ought to give “thanks to Oprah,” who as fairy godmother with her magic wand hovering above the little girl, has a standing advice to Charice: “Keep your feet on the ground, even when you’re wearing high-heeled shoes.” From one of the wealthiest women in America, that's very expensive advice, not to taken cheaply.

(2) Contests & mothers - Bubbles says Charice won about 80% of the 100 singing contests she joined. That's 4 out of 5. Frank H says, I suppose that's a very good record, but it must be nerve-wracking to join so many singing contests, and you're a tiny girl at that! I know she started when she was 7. Bubbles says Charice says, one reason she joined so many contests was because she didn't want her mother to work. Frank H says, I suppose Charice knew she would win enough of the contests to be able to support her little family. Think of winning, not losing. You call that self-confidence.

(3) Noodles & Samaritans - There was the time when someone stole all the money they had: PhP 3,000. In the meal that followed, they had 1 pack of ready-to-cook noodles, pancit canton - literally, noodles from Canton, China; popular in the Philippines, in cheap little packs - and along with rice, these noodles from 1 pack they shared among themselves: mother, daughter and son. Poor as a rat. (Scene's familiar; Frank H says, my own not-so-little family went through that noodle phase too.) Then they heard of a singing contest in Batangas. Some kind soul lent them an expensive watch - not to tell the time or kill, but to pawn for whatever it was worth; Raquel got PhP 1,000 for that one, and off they went to the contest. That was a very expensive watch. 1 for the money, 2 for the show! Charice won this one, PhP 8,000. Debt paid immediately, along with gratitude paid profusely. Faith restored in Samaritans, faith restored in oneself. "Yan si Lord," Charice says, smiling. That's the Lord. That's how God works. Frank H says, that's how people should act.

(4) Character & sabotages - Bubbles thinks about what all those contests did to Charice and says, "Those singing contests were not just a source of income for the Pempengcos - one could say they were character-forming as well. How else would Charice emerge this strong-willed if it weren't for those who would try to sabotage her performances?" Well, Frank H the teacher says, if you're willing to learn, you will.

So, Charice tells GHP in so many words, as in show business, some people become your enemies. One time, someone complained that Charice was already 20 years old, not 14 as she had claimed. At another time, someone unplugged the microphone while Charice was singing - no, that didn't stop her. "Sing pa rin ako," Charice says. Never mind; sing is what I did. No one can stop Charice from singing! Singing is what she does. "She's a Walking Karaoke," FalseVoice told Frank H during an interview last year. The Philippines has The Walking Karaoke of the World!

(5) Time & things - When she didn't win the 1-million-peso Grand Prize of Little Big Star, Charice told her mother she never wanted to sing ever again. But Mommy Raquel told her, "Everything happens for a reason." Charice says she realizes that now, not before. There really is a "time for everything." Yes. "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven" (Ecclesiastes 3: 1, NRSV Catholic Edition).

(6) Mothers & Daughters - Charice is willingly still under the influence of her mother Raquel. "In fact, may ipon po akong puwede ko nang galawin dahil 18 na ako, pero hindi ko pa rin po kinukuha kay Mommy," Charice says. In fact, I have savings that I can now touch because now I'm 18, but I have not taken it from Mommy. Mommy remains to be a treasurer Mommy as well as a treasured Best Friend.

(7) Charice & Raquel - Mommy Raquel says she had been busy with other things last year that she could not be with Charice for 2 months especially during the David Foster & Friends Asian Tour in October. Then there was that mild food poisoning in Singapore. Raquel says it could not have happened if she was with Charice. Frank H says, well, all manners of mothers will say that!

(8) Talking & singing - There was an audition for Glee that was unlike any other audition for any other TV series - Frank H says, well, because Charice is unlike any other performer. From Bubbles:

"Nung audition, sobrang serious and mukha nila. Natakot ako! Pero sobrang ready ako. May dala pa po akong laptop," Charice begins. "Pinakuwento nila sa akin ang buhay ko, tapos di nila ako pinakanta. Ako pa ang nag-offer, 'Can I sing?'" (Frank H's translation: At the audition, their faces were over-serious. I got scared! But I was over-ready. I even brought a laptop. They asked me to tell my life story, after which they did not bother to ask me to sing. I was the one who offered, "Can I sing?")

Frank H's interpretation of that scene is that those who were there already knew that Charice was "in" Glee if unofficially. They didn't bother to ask her to sing because they already saw and heard her in the Oprah show - and they already had listened to her 1st international album self-titled CHARICE - they just wanted to hear her talk in person. (Laptop noted.)

So: Thanks Good Housekeeping Philippines for the Charice & Mommy Raquel cover photo, and thanks Bubbles Salvador for the cover story "When Dreams Come True." That one is 2,455 words, just a handful of words longer than this one in text. The Chasters are much obliged.

Still, Frank H feels that Bubble's piece could have been double the value if it had been titled "How Dreams Come True" and/or written with that in mind. Emphasis on the process, on how Charice started singing at age 7 to help bring food to the table, on how she dreamed her little and big dreams, how Charice lost her father and almost lost her mother, how she took her loss in a 1-million-peso singing contest, and how her mother had always stood by her side.

Thinking all that, this Chaster has 2 little, specific complaints:

One, that Bubbles wrote "Having come from a painful past, Charice sometimes feels it's all a dream," but forgot the details of that personal story. I know now that part of that painful past is that her father Ricky, drug-induced, tried to kill her mother Raquel when Charice was only 3 years old; that was 15 years ago, and that little family has been broken ever since. Happy now, but still not whole. Not to forget the recent past, when her grandmother Tess Relucio in public cried wolf quite a few times, and in private tried to tell Oprah. There was no wolf, and she knew that.

Two, that Bubbles glossed over something crucial to the musical story of Charice by simply saying, "By a twist of fate thereafter, Charice found herself guesting on Ellen (DeGeneres) talk show, and then on Oprah." Saying that immediately after pointing out that Charice lost in Little Big Star is too big a jump in the story. Something is lost in the levitation.

As far as I'm concerned, that "twist of fate" must be told in no uncertain terms, in some detail. What's missing in the Bubbles Salvador piece Charice herself intimates in this quote from the GHP article:

Charice sometimes feels it’s all a dream. “Especially bago ako matulog, iniisip ko yung past, tapos natatawa ako kasi unexpected lahat. Dahil lang sa YouTube!” she says unbelievingly. (Frank H's translation: Especially before I sleep, I think of the past, then I laugh because it has been all unexpected. Just because of YouTube!)

Just because of YouTube. Having researched the life of Charice since September 2009, checked and rechecked, and now with my 250-page book on her ready to go to press, I know that the "twist of fate" happens to be FalseVoice and YouTube. This young man happened to have witnessed and recorded from television to personal computer the Little Big Star performances of Charice, and to have become an instant fan. On TV and on the PC, he had been awestruck that so tiny a girl had so big a voice, and how lovely!

Twist of fate. From my long interview with FalseVoice March 2010, I know that on 2006 January, his family finally was able to buy him a PC, as well as pay for an Internet connection. He was soon surfing the Web; he was soon into YouTube, this free video site that was new at that time. As FalseVoice was enamored with watching concerts live or on TV, he had been watching the ABS-CBN singing contest called Little Big Star. In 2006 April, the Grand Finals of Little Big Star was held, and Charice lost her dream of the Grand Prize of 1 million pesos - she was ranked #3, not #1, not even #2. FalseVoice had it all in his mind, if not on video. Encouraging as well as discouraging thoughts.

Frank H knows Charice's loss in Little Big Star was bigger than the cash prize: it was psychological. That this loss broke Mommy Raquel’s heart was bad enough; that this wish did not come true broke Charice’s spirit. She went on a depression, and these lasted hours that lasted into days that lasted into weeks that lasted into months. At some points, even Mommy Raquel could not reach her at where she was hiding herself from reality, strumming her guitar as if to drown the silent voices that kept whispering loudly into her ears:
You are ugly.
You don't have enough talent.
You don’t have star quality.
You don’t have a future in the entertainment industry.
And those words kept repeating themselves.
It was the beast of times; it was the worst of times.

Oblivious to all that but remembering the little girl with the big voice, in 2006 August, FalseVoice uploaded a music video with Charice singing “I Will Always Love You” in Little Big Star. He nurtured that upload of his by commenting on the video uploads of others and linking them to his YouTube channel, truly named FalseVoice. One day, he noticed YouTube comments comparing Filipino teenager Charice with American teenager Bianca Ryan who had sang "And I Am Telling You (I'm Not Going)" for her audition for that year's America's Got Talent search.

Conversant in music and suddenly infused with an insight, FalseVoice created probably the very first singing comparison video in the Web. He gave it the name "Face-Off: Bianca Vs Charice" and where Bianca sang "And I Am Telling You (I'm Not Going)" and Charice sang "I Will Always Love You." That was Loser (the Philippine's Little Big Star) Versus Winner (America's Got Talent). The video won. It became a YouTube hit right away, FalseVoice says. The YouTube viewers knew a winner when they saw one.

And that has made all the difference in the life of Charice, who never forgets she owes a deep debt to FalseVoice for her international - and sensational - music career. With YouTube came, over time, Star King, Ellen DeGeneres, Oprah, and David Foster; with that music career came last year the recurring role as Sunshine Corazon in the Fox hit TV series "Glee." Big dreams come true to little girls when they remain true to themselves - and can wait.

Charice's is the story of a mother who discovered her daughter could sing, and of the daughter who asked the mother if she could teach her how to sing, and of the mother who taught the daughter even as she began joining singing contests, so that by the time she had done 100 and won 80 competitions, she was ready for the big time - but the big time wasn’t ready for her, and rejected her mightily: She placed 3rd in the Grand Finals of the ABS-CBN’s 1-million-peso Little Big Star singing contest in April 2006. But all is well even if that didn't end well.

Charice today is the Pop Princess of American mainstream music, according to the New York Post; she is the Concert Princess of Asia according to the American Chronicle. And she is the one that brought more sparkle and more heart as Sunshine Corazon to the popular American TV series Glee. Watch the next episode! And the next, and the next.

Looking at those 2 hale & hearty lovely ladies on the cover of Good Housekeeping, I dream of food. 2011. I dream:

These are the yeast of times, the wurst of times.

The Siomai Lesson. Charice, OPM & Jovit Baldivino

2010-12-27T19:10:00.001+08:00

MANILA - Jovit Baldivino is the latest singing sensation in the Philippines, not from. A lesson in idiomatic expression. But that’s only your clue as to where my essay is really going.

I have just revisited the phenomenon of the siomai vendor from Batangas south of Manila who was Grand Winner of the very first Pilipinas Got Talent contest held in the middle of 2010: Jovit Baldivino. A YouTube sensation, his name has become a household word in the Philippines. Again, it was a singing talent contest by ABS-CBN.

Remember Little Big Star? That’s the ABS-CBN singing contest where Charice was #3 and somebody else got the top prize of PhP 1 million. And again, the winner was declared by text votes. This time, the top prize was PhP 2 million; this time, by the album sales that Jovit enjoyed afterwards, the texters seemed to have picked a deserving winner. Yet, learning from Charice, I still don’t like the tyranny of text votes.

No mistake about it: Jovit Baldivino has a great voice. Is that how he sold a lot of siomai to get him through school at the University of Batangas? In case anyone doubts it, I love siomai too, that fast-food delicacy in the Philippines that is of Chinese origin, being steamed dumplings, usually filled with pork (tagaloglang.com).

Jovit’s voice, you might say, is as delicious as the best siomai you can find. A lesson in siomai is what I find, and it is this: The best siomai has never been packaged for sale abroad. Just like our singing talents - they have never been packaged for listening abroad. Local lang kayo, hindi kayo Stateside! You’re just local, you’re not Stateside! Blame it on your manager.

Nick Joaquin said we Filipinos have a talent for smallness - he did not mean that as a compliment. I know that for a fact. In the small street where we live, we have 10 tiny stores in a stretch of 200 meters and you just know that they don’t have plans of getting bigger. And lately, siomai spots have been sprouting like mushrooms all over town and, no, nobody here is dreaming of bringing local siomai abroad.

Positively stated, The Siomai Lesson is that our talents should aim beyond the shores of this country. With your narrow view, agingga ka laeng ditoy Pilipinas, gayyem; hanggang dito ka lang sa Pilipinas, kaibigan; you’re stuck in the Philippines, my friend.

Just like Charice, we have to learn good English. Even smart English. Like, Jovitnatics as the name for fans of Jovit Baldivino is promdi, provincial; Chasters for fans of Charice is inventive, sensational. We have to rise above low class if we want to sell ourselves abroad.

So, this is turning out to be not simply a lesson in grammar but in nourishing a talent. This is not simply nourishing a talent but cultivating a country.

The problem with the Filipino trying to compete with the rest of the world is that he remains provincial. He insists on using his national language and yet wants to sell himself abroad. In language, you have to think globally and speak globally - if you want to be a winner.

What happened to Charice? She had to unlearn her provincial English and imbibe contemporary talk.

So what if Jovit is double, triple, quadruple Platinum in one album after another? That’s local success. It’s small. The Philippines is beautiful, but it’s a small country, and you’re limiting your dreams if your dream is only within the boundaries of the Philippine archipelago. To make yourself a bigger success, be peninsular, not simply insular. You cannot fight globalization, so embrace it! Act locally but think globally.

Japan is a big country; it is #2 in terms of the market base in music compared to the United States. Now Charice is in Japan promoting her songs - is she singing Japanese? Singing what she does best, singing English songs.

Learning from Charice, Jovit should set his sights beyond Manila and its narrow confines. That goes for other Filipino singing talents. Pinoy music cannot get bigger because it has confined itself to Filipinos, and the Filipinos are great music lovers but not great in buying records. Why limit your target to great music lovers who are stingy even in their standing ovations?

Stop thinking like Freddie Aguilar! He says, “Charice, mas bibilib ako sa iyo kung ang kakantahin mo ay sariling atin.” Charice, I will believe in you more if you sing Filipino (Tagalog) songs. Frank H says, You’re not going anywhere but here with your Tagalog songs. You want to sing in Madison Square Garden to sing Tagalog songs?

Jovit is another belter. Does he know that Nestor Torre belts with words belting singers? He doesn’t like Charice either.

Jovit launched his first album, produced by Star Records and Sony Music, with 5 English songs and 1 Tagalog song - this one being “a special request from ABS-CBN management” (coolbuster.net). What’s the matter, ABS-CBN doesn’t want Jovit to forget he is Filipino, or thinks that he is not Filipino if he doesn’t sing a Tagalog song? Just like Freddie Aguilar. The 2nd album, I’d Do Anything For Love, has 7 Tagalog songs out of 15 - its target buyers are more Filipinos and less non-Filipinos; they are selling Filipino songs, not a Filipino singing talent.

I also remember that it was Star Records that came out with 2 albums of Charice: CHARICE and My Inspiration. Neither was designed to sell Charice to other than Filipinos, and they did not. Sayang. Pity.

Jovit’s songs in his debut album are: Faithfully, Too Much Love Will Kill You, I’ll Be The One, Always. Jovit has an alternate version of I’ll Be The One with an alternate version, to make 6 songs in all; the Tagalog song is Paano? (starmometer.com). How?

“Ini-expect ko po na parang mamahalin po ang kanta ko ng mga Filipino,” Jovit said, and that “Ini-expect ko din po na hindi po nila malilimutan ang kanta ko” (Reyma Buan-Deveza, 16 July 2010, abs-cbnnews.com). I expect Filipinos like, to love my songs. I expect them not to forget my songs. (Faithfully reached Platinum status on 05 December 2010.) From the same source:

Baldivino bared he would also like to work with Charice and admitted he also wants to reach the success that Charice has achieved right now.

Then he should learn from Charice. All talent managers should learn from Charice. Given the talent and given that you are Filipino:

(1) Your dream should be to conquer the United States, not the Philippines.

(2) Staying in the US is not required but good English is.

You are limiting your dreams if you dream only of conquering the Philippines, a land of a million islands and a hundred thousand buyers of records. So don’t wonder that Manila is the City where an album is declared Gold for selling 10,000 copies, Platinum for 20,000 copies.

Ask Charice. With a world-class voice, you can’t sing Tagalog songs, award-winning OPM songs and conquer the United States - otherwise, earlier many other Filipinos could have done it, including Gary V, Ogie Alcasid, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Celeste Legaspi, Dulce, Eva Eugenio, Freddie Aguilar, Sampaguita, Martin Nievera, Pops Fernandez, Sarah Geronimo ...

And you have to speak correct English (not necessarily pronounce) - to show that you have breeding even if you don’t have the skin color, black or white.

While we’re at it, we might as well cultivate not only the talents in the Philippines but cultivate the whole country. The reason we Filipinos don’t speak and write good English is that we are not being taught in school, because of the mentality that we are better off if we cultivate the national language Filipino (which in reality is virtually Tagalog). How can we ever be internationally competitive if we insist on being intelligent with Tagalog but not with English? We are almost #1 in call centers and yet we insist on being blind and continue to cultivate Tagalog. We could employ millions right in Metro Manila if we went into serious business of teaching English from the ground (Grade School) up (University).

Here are today’s (26 December 2010) examples of our modern everyday Filipino English, and they are from bloggers who should know better. Can you spot the errors before I point them out to you?

Example A: “Jovit Baldivino - Faithfully” is a Star Records release which composed of 6 revival songs and 6 minus ones.

Missing verb: “which is composed ...” Missing patience: If he did some research, he would have known that those are not revival songs, as 2 are original songs (Reyma Buan-Deveza): “Paano” and “I’ll Be The One.” I have noticed that when writing in Tagalog, we are not very careful with our research, if we do any research at all, and this habit shows clearly when we write in English.

Example B: Jovit’s album is a classic slow rock album inspired from his audition song Faithfully.

Wrong preposition: “inspired from” should be “inspired by” - and yet, if he checked the dictionary meaning of “inspired,” he would have known that to title your album Faithfully based on your audition piece in Pilipinas Got Talent is not “inspired by” but “derived from the title of your audition song, Faithfully.

Example C: Pilipinas Got Talent first grand winner Jovit Baldivino is very much happy with all the blessings he received since he joined the talent-reality show. But a bigger blessing is coming on his way with his debut album entitled “Faithfully” soon to be launched on the Pinoy You Got It Concert Tour.

It looks like this paragraph is a translation of thoughts originally done in Filipino (Tagalog), the wrong way to write in English. “Masayang-masaya” is literally “very much happy” but I’m not happy with that; it should only be “very happy” or “extremely happy” or, Charice-like, “super happy.” And it should be “with all the blessings he has received ...” And it is not “a bigger blessing is coming on his way.” Correct: “is coming his way.” Come on! If you check out the meaning of the idiom “coming on,” you might be embarrassed.

Example D: Sobrang saya kasi first time magkaka-album, tapos solo pa po. Original po ‘yang (dalawa). Favorite ko lahat ng mga nandiyan, at hindi ko kakantahin ‘yan kung hindi ko gusto.

That was the statement from Jovit. That’s the problem with Tagalog - you can’t immediately see the inconsistency or what sounds like yabang (boasting). I will now translate and you will see what I mean:

Super happy because this is the first time I’m having an album, and it’s solo yet. Two (songs) are original. All of them are my favorites, and I will not sing them if I don’t like them.

You get it? “I will not sing them if I don’t like them.” That’s the boasting part. If Jovit spoke in English originally, I don’t think he would have said that - except in jest. He probably thought that saying “Hindi ko kakantahin ‘yan kung hindi ko gusto” was harmless.

The reporter did not comment on those remarks. In other words, Tagalog allows you to be careless, while English teaches you to be careful. Give me English anytime! I’d welcome some siomai too.

Black-Eyed Charice?

2010-12-25T10:00:00.001+08:00

I'm beginning to like the idea already. Allan Pineda Lindo Jr, who is Apl.de.ap of the hit-filled Black-Eyed Peas, says, "I'd like to work with Charice" (ANN, 21 December 2010, zeibiz.com). He is Filipino American. That looks like dynamite to me. He is from Pampanga; Charice's Mommy Raquel is from Pampanga; now they're talking a common language: music.

Charice lives in the Philippines but is spending Christmas outside the country - force of duty, as she has to promote her album and new song in Japan; Allan lives in the US but is spending Christmas in the Philippines - force of habit. Allan says:

I like to be with my family for Christmas. It's just Christmas is different in the Philippines. It's just so festive and I like Simbang Gabi, bumibili ng puto bumbong, kutsinta, bibingka, that's my favorite. I like the Xmas masses, buying rice cake in bamboo, those other rice cakes.

His family has a tradition that every year they make packages, pack canned goods for the aborigines, the Aetas at his village of Sapang Bato in Angeles City, Pampanga, where his family lives. "That's why I like coming home for Christmas."

Proud to be Pinoy! He says:

You can't really go forward if you don't know where you came from. I'm proud of my culture. I think Filipinos are hard-working, nice people, a lot of love and the family will stick together. And I think God gave me the motivation and the drive to make it to the music business and you know I'm just proud to be Pinoy.

He migrated to the US through the sponsorship of the Pearl S Buck Foundation (Joy A Sanchez, 22 December 2010, mb.com.ph). He is in the Philippines to spend the Christmas season with his family.

He is also busy with his charity tour, with the Pearl S Buck Foundation, Rotary Club of Rizal West and the Philippine General Hospital as beneficiaries. Already, he has donated $25,000 cash from his own pocket to those 3.

Allan paid a courtesy call on President Noynoy Aquino on Thursday, 23 December, when he gave Noynoy a CD of the Black Eyed Peas latest album The Beginning (Jam L Sisante, 23 December 2010, gmanews.tv). He then proposed several charity projects in the Philippines. After that, Noynoy announced that one of the projects Allan proposed was the "Second Room Program," that is, more classrooms will be built through his APL Foundation in cooperation with the private sector.

And Charice? Proud to be Pinoy! Her album was #1 in Japan in July 2010, Amazon Japan, where Lady Gaga was #3, Michael Jackson was #5, and Miley Cyrus was #10 (sunsetfountain, YouTube). She is in Japan promoting her new song "Wherever You Are," which is actually a duet and packaged as Unique Zayas featuring Charice (Alison Nadaud, examiner.com).

Charice appeared in Japan's Mezamashi TV (21 December 2010, charicemania.com). Some of the tweets after the morning show: "I want Charice CD! It's quite rare for me to want to listen to (non-Japanese) music." "I cried after hearing her sing Happy Christmas." That is John Lennon's "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)." "There was a kid named Charice in this morning's Mezamashi TV. I checked her out and now I like her." "I was listening to Charice and I forgot about my cooking!" (Eve & Moofin translations)

Charice is in Japan also as an important part of radio station J-Wave’s winter campaign, as her version of Lennon’s song has been selected as the theme for the campaign (charicemania.com). She will appear again on J-Wave’s “Curious” program on 30 December.

Only in the movies. 51 Interesting things about Charice

2010-12-24T01:56:00.001+08:00

MANILA - Someone wrote a list of "50 interesting things about Charice" and none of the 50 was interesting to me at all. I was bored to death. So you'll excuse me if I want to amuse myself and put one over that one. Here’s my 51:

(1) Q: Charice is only 5 feet, not at all tall. Would you know when she can be taller than that? A: When she sings at 10 decibels like no one else, she stands 10 feet tall!

(2) Q: Why did they give a jewel-studded microphone to Charice as a gift? A: To match her 24-carat voice.

(3) Q: Is Charice Sunshine Corazon? A: Only in the movies.

(4) Q: Do you know that Charice wants to murder the American superstar Tom Cruise? A: I know. Only in the movies.

(5) Q: Who is Charice's foster father? A: David Foster of course.

(6) Charice was born in Cabuyao. Now I know of only 2 very popular singers from Laguna; Eva Eugenio from Los Baños and Charice.

(7) Q: She could have graduated Valedictorian from high school in Gulod, Cabuyao, Laguna if she didn't skip classes. A1: Bad girl? A2: No. She was busy joining singing contests here and there, sometimes several provinces away. Q: Was her singing more important than her studies? A: They needed the money. Her singing helped bring food to the table, not luxury.

(8) She has a father and a mother with Raquel Relucio. But Charice must miss her father, someone to talk to and be a little girl with, no matter what happened before. (You girl: Unlike Charice, you're lucky to have a father to sweet-talk to about something you want, so thank God!)

(9) Has Charice forgiven her father Ricky for stealing from her the joy of her childhood and almost stealing from her his wife who is her mother? I'm sure she has. She says sometimes she wonders if he's thinking of her, if he's happy with what's happening to her. I can feel that she wants him to simply say "Hello." That would be a good 2nd beginning.

(10) Q: You know of course there was this incident in Singapore where David Foster & Friends ate in a restaurant after the first performance and they all had a bum stomach. They brought Charice on a wheelchair to the hospital. That evening, she sang in the scheduled 2nd show good as new. How did she explain her amazing performance? A: She said, "Sushi come, sushi go."

(11) In a plurk, Mommy Raquel says they are putting up a restaurant somewhere in Quezon City if I remember right. I have only one thing to say: Mommy, please be careful not to serve sushi to people who have a picky stomach like Charice.

(12) Q: How did Charice convince Ryan Murphy to write in a role for her in "Glee?" A: She opened her mouth. Ryan simply couldn't resist; he said, "When Charice opens her mouth, angels fly out."

(13) Q: Was there ever a time when Charice forgot the lyrics of a song she was singing? A: Yes, that was when she was practicing.

(14) Q: How many singing contests did Charice say she joined? A: 100. Q: How do you know she didn't forget to count the 200 ones where she lost? Just kidding.

(15) Q: In another plurk, somebody says Charice should do a blog. A: She can't do that. Look at the comments in her Pyramid viral video. 10% of the comments will be terrific and 90% will be terrible.

(16) Q: Why is no one else writing much about Charice? Frank H's A: Because some people run out of words. I don't run.

(17) Q: How come Charice has remained so humble? A: Raquel doesn't like to brag, but credit that to the mother.

(18) Q: Why do you say Charice is more mature than her grandmother Tess Relucio, whom she fondly calls "Inay?" A: One time, in the middle of that controversy, when Boy Abunda asked Charice if she would like to say something to her grandmother, she said: "Inay, 'wag kayong mag-isip ng kung anu-ano. Ang kabutihan lamang ng pamilya natin ang isipin n'yo." Lola, stop thinking about anything. What you should be thinking of is for the good of our family.

(19) Someone asked Frank H what material things he was getting for writing so much about Charice. He said, "Nothing." It didn't make sense, but he wasn't even earning from his Google AdSense. But "Nothing" was not entirely true. What Frank H was getting was the treasure of pleasure.

(20) You remember the first memorable song Charice sang? It was "My Heart Will Go On" and she sang it on top of their table. You remember the memorable song Celine Dion sang for a movie? She sang "My Heart Will Go On" on top of the Titanic. Sort of.

(21) Q: How can Charice go to the US when she doesn't buy any plane ticket at all? A1: She takes the boat? A2: No, somebody buys the plane ticket for her.

(22) Q: Why do you think Charice wants to be a lawyer? A: So that when the District Attorney cross-examines her witness and she refuses to sing, Charice can tell her witness in front of the jury without fear or favor: "You have the right to remain silent."

(23) Q: Suppose she is now a practicing lawyer and when she cross-examines a witness, she forgets that she is in a courtroom and begins to sing; what do you suppose she will say by way of apology? A: "You'll have to excuse me, I was just practicing."

(24) Q: When someone said to her face she couldn't see a future for her in the entertainment industry, what happened to Charice? A: She cried. She couldn’t see the future herself.

(25) Q: When someone said to her face that she was ugly, what happened to Charice? A: She was very hurt. She cried. Some people could be very ugly.

(26) Q: When someone said to her face she didn't have star quality, what happened to Charice? A: She saw stars.

(27) When she lost in Little Big Star - placing only #3 - she went blank for 1 to 2 weeks - "Mga 1 to 2 weeks akong tulala," she told Boy Abunda. She was empty-headed, unthinking. All she remembers is that she was playing her guitar, just strumming, strumming, strumming. The hurt was deep. Thank God she rose again from the deep.

(28) Q: Why do you say that Charice is a crazy kind of farmer? A: She cultivates her gifts. She has many gifts, and I don’t mean Christmas gifts.

(29) Q: When Ellen DeGeneres personally called and invited her to her show, why didn't Charice recognize her? A: Never watched her show. They were so poor they probably couldn't afford a TV set.

(30) Q: Why did Charice lose in the Grand Finals of Little Big Star? A: She had the lowest text votes. (Frank H calls that the Tyranny of the Text Votes, a legacy from American Idol, a colonial thing. Little Big Star didn't know any better.)

(31) Q: Charice's 1st major solo concert, "The Journey Begins," held 27 June 2009 at the SMX Convention Center at the Mall of Asia with Manila Bay in sight, was hugely ignored by Philippine mass media. Why do you think the 3 biggest Manila dailies - Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star, Manila Bulletin - said nothing about it? A1: They didn't know what was going on? A2: They hadn't heard the news!

(32) Q: What did Charice say when she met FalseVoice for the first time? A1: You're so true? A2: No. She said, "Thank you!"

(33) Q: Do you know how old Charice was when she joined her first singing contest accompanied by Mommy Raquel and Auntie Ria? A: Seven. Q: Wasn't that exploitation of a minor? A: Exploitation of a minor by a minor, yes. Charice was exploiting her talent for the good of her family. It was her idea to join singing contests to help put food on their table.

(34) Q: How come Oprah became Charice's fairy godmother when she hardly knew her at all? A1: Oprah was enchanted. A2: Oprah was charmed. A3: Oprah was bewitched!

(35) Q: How could Charice imitate the Chipmunks? A: She's always imitating somebody: Celine Dion, Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Justin Bieber etc. So why not the Chipmunks? It's only make-believe. It's only in the movies.

(36) Q: Frank H said it was a scream when Nestor Torre did berate Charice's birit style of singing. Why? A1: Torre didn't like her? A2: And Frank H didn't like Torre either.

(37) Q: When Charice did her 1st solo in America at the Big E, wasn't she afraid? A: She was. Q: Then why did she do it? A: She was afraid she wouldn't find the courage to do it ever again if she didn't take the chance that came her way the first time.

(38) Q: Mommy Raquel was afraid for her at that time, wasn't she? A: I heard Boy Abunda say on TV when he was interviewing Charice that for a mother or a manager, it is a different kind of afraid: You're afraid she will not hit the right note, you're afraid she'll miss a cue etcetera.

(39) Q: Charice held a Valentine's Day Concert this year at the PICC with Ryan Cayabyab and his singers, Ogie Alcasid, Christian Bautista, and George Yang. In one word, how do you describe that concert? A1: Great! A2: Love. Q: How about 3 words? A1: Glad to come! A2: Embraced by love.

(40) Q: In the Studio Version of the music video for "Pyramid" as sung by Charice (featuring Iyaz) , why were there no props, no computer-generated images, no fancy cars, no naked bodies rolling over? A1: Tight budget? A2: Tight schedule? A3: They wanted the impact of simplicity. The pyramid as a metaphor for love was difficult enough to grasp.

(41) Q: If you visit YouTube, you will see there are many more Crabsters against Charice than Chasters for Charice. If you crab against the crabs, you become a crab, don't you? A: No, you become a fool.

(42) Q: You know of course that Mommy Raquel supports Charice. Did you know that Charice herself supports her mother? A1: No. A2: She does. When Raquel feels disheartened, she turns to Charice, and she comforts her mother, makes her laugh. That reminds me: Carl supports both girls, and they all love each other. So I'll call it The Love Triangle of Charice.

(43) Q: Why is Charice being presented by some as a model for young talents, especially Filipinos, when she's not perfect? A1: They're sadly mistaken? A2: They're right! Nobody's perfect. If Charice were perfect, nobody could imitate her, right?

(44) Q: Frank H was the man who was throwing his vocabulary at YouTube Charice, wasn't he? Why did he stop replying with humor, wit, even sweetness? A: He found out he was throwing good honey after bad.

(45) Q: In trying to help Charice get the attention of the world to her true talent, FalseVoice reinvented YouTube. A: He also reinvented Charice. Without him, Charice would not have found her hope back, her song back. She owes him her career now.

(46) Q: When Charice was singing "Note to God" in the Oprah show, what was she thinking? A: She was wondering if God would watch YouTube when Oprah uploads that video of that debut of a song. And: How could she email God when she didn't know His email address?!

(47) Q: When they thought "Pyramid" was perfect for Charice, what were they thinking? A: They probably were thinking of being very different. Remember, the pyramids are from African civilization, not American. Charice is not American, and the closest thing to being Asian was being associated with African.

(48) Q: When Freddie Aguilar was angry and (nearly) damned Charice for being a copycat, he was only copying what Mariah Carey had said about Filipino singers: monkeys. A1: But somebody said Mariah actually didn't say anything like that. A2: If so, then Freddie Aguilar was making an original fool of himself.

(49) Q: It was Charice herself who asked her mother to teach her how to sing. A: Yes. She had no idea that little girl of hers was going to outshine her as a singer and performer one day. Q: If she knew that, would she have taught her? A: You know mothers. They love their children too much to give them their future if they could.

(50) The 1st contest piece Charice sang was a Tagalog song, "Ikaw Ang Aking Daigdig" (Tagalog version of "You're My World") . She won P7,500 in cash and P10,000 worth of a gift certificate. The 2nd contest piece was the same song - she lost! How can you win again if you knew only 1 song?

(51) In those days when Charice was joining singing contests at a very young age, starting when she was 7, the competition would last till morning; unfortunately, Charice would feel sleepy towards midnight and her voice would disappear! If she was called at that time, she was a loser. That's why her competitors gladly called her "Cinderella." That young, she had reinvented the Cinderella story. So, early in her life, Charice already made history by being the first poor girl who when she became Cinderella, became a loser!

It's Charice! The sweet smell of success

2010-12-22T00:23:00.001+08:00

It was in fact Sexy Mom (Dine Racoma) in her blog The D Spot (dine.racoma.com.ph) who first said something about a Charice pabango (perfume) and a body mist:

Charice (had) wished for a "Charice" label for a "pabango." Elsie arranged for a body mist named "Charice" which closely suits Charice's taste and preference. It will be launched very soon.

The date when Sexy Mom wrote that? 08 May 2009. Dine didn't say the perfume wish was granted though. According to Sexy Mom, it was David & Elsie Chua of Melawares who had gifted Charice with a condominium "when she was just starting to become very popular (after her guesting with Ellen DeGeneres and before her first stint with Oprah)" - a 2-bedroom affair in Lion's Park, a few minutes away from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Here comes the news that Charice will be coming out with new scents Charice Perfume for Women and Charice Unisex Perfume as well as a man's cologne, to be launched on 08 January 2011 at the Mall of Asia concert grounds (ANN, abs-cbnnews.com). The scents and cologne are by Aficionado Germany Perfumes. (Image by WebScribes, charicemania.com)

Charice, Gary Valenciano and John Lloyd Cruz are in fact launching their own new perfumes with Aficionado at a big fashion show-concert entitled "1@11" at the same time at the Mall of Asia. The name puzzles me, and it wasn't explained, but I guess they wanted people to be surprised when they attend the launch-concert. If it means "January 2011" I still don't get it. What’s in it for me?

Joel Cruz of Aficionado says he has been coordinating with Charice for more than a year for those products. I don't know if this was arranged by Elsie Chua, but I rather think scents by Charice are a good idea. Now I will be able to listen to Charice with her divine voice reaching for heaven and imagine her earthly perfume wafting in the air chasing after the notes. What a lovely thought!

Asian Charice, Wherever You Are, Unique Zayas

2010-12-16T07:58:00.001+08:00

I'm looking at Unique Zayas and I imagine I'm looking at Michael Jackson. Well, Unique Zayas is a Black American R&B singer who was born in 1989 (wikibin.org), making him 3 years older than Charice, who is 18. Unique and Charice have just recorded a duet, "Wherever You Are" that is now available at iTunes Japan (charicemania.com).

Remember, one of Charice's idols is MJ. Does it look like Charice prefers to work with Black Americans who look like MJ? It may be so, but I think this is just Charice trying out duets, looking for somebody (or somebodies) whom she can make musical magic with.

In the interview by HMV Japan translated for Charicemania by Mooffin (source: http://www.hmv.co.jp), it is mentioned by both that they met a year ago when she was rehearsing for an Oprah show. Which means Oprah is really important in the life of Charice as a performer. But once the door is opened, it's really all up to Charice to get in - or look for another door.

Unique Zayas is from Brooklyn, New York. In the HMV interview, we can see that Charice knows exactly what she's looking for in someone she wants to work with. She says about Unique:

He's a wonderful person. I've met him once before but we never had the chance to work together, so it's really great that we were able to collaborate now. It's important to me to work with people who are able to say that they are good. I don't think I want to work with people who think that they aren't good. That's the important thing for me.

In other words, Charice wants to work with people who are confident with their art, with their own ability to perform. In other words, Charice is confident with herself.

Unique returns the compliment and says, "She's a really cool girl and talented too. She has a mature, wonderful voice. I think we were able to create a very good song."

They recorded the duet in Los Angeles, California. Claude Kelly and Unique co-wrote the song. Unique says, "I want to create timeless songs that people of all ages can relate to. It's a song that, when you close your eyes, makes you feel close to a person you want to be with even though you aren't together all the time."

Works fine with Charice! She wants to be close to family and friends in the Philippines but she can't always be, physically. The lyrics of a song must have meaning to her or she can't sing her heart out.

The song is produced by Jeff Miyahara, Japan's #1 producer. "I think we were able to create a powerful song," Unique says. Asian Charice, Asian Jeff, Black American Unique, song recorded in the US, aimed at the Japanese market - let's see how it will work out. The song is available right now only on iTunes Japan; meanwhile, you can buy Unique's CD From Brooklyn To You which has "Wherever You Are."

Unique and Charice sign off the interview with both of them saying, "Peace out! Love you!" If you're a Chaster, you know where the line "Love you!" comes from and, so you know where the line "Peace out!" comes from.

Love you!

Charice vocabulary - "Recurring snafu"

2010-12-14T06:27:00.001+08:00

On 26 November 2010, Neil Ramos of Manila Bulletin came out with a news item entitled "Charice defers work anew due to bum stomach" and said in the very first sentence, "In what seems to be a recurring snafu, singer Charice Pempengco has cancelled a scheduled appearance due to a stomach problem" (mb.com.ph).

In the same news item, Neil quoted a source (Grace Mendoza, Charice's manager in the Philippines) as saying that Charice was "suffering from dehydration caused by a recent stomach flu (incident)" and said, "Recall that last month, the singer also deferred an appearance at a press conference for a concert in Singapore due to a bum stomach." Then Neil said, in his last sentence, "Pempengco recovered fast enough to sing as scheduled in the concert."

The word "snafu" is acronym for "situation normal: all fucked up" - a joke and a fact, meaning that everything's a mess and nobody can explain anything, so let's leave it at that. That's what I'm saying.

The word "recurring" means simply, "reoccurring" (it happens again), and that reminds me that since officially (Ryan Murphy said so) Charice has a recurring role in Glee, why hasn't she appeared after Episode 1? The answer: Snafu. Meaning, nobody knows, so don't tell me!

Same, same with Neil Ramos equating what he calls a "bum stomach" with "stomach flu." I'm not a doctor, but I know they're not the same, so don't tell me! Neil's last sentence implies that a bum stomach doesn't stop Charice if she doesn't want to be stopped. Well, Neil, try stomach flu!

Neil wondered if this was "a ruse of sorts after the singer was seen performing live only a few days later, Nov 30, at NBC's Christmas Special at the Rockefeller Center with mentor David Foster." Well, Neil, the non-arrival of Charice was announced 26 November; the Christmas Special was done 30 November - you don't expect Charice to have recovered from dehydration within 5 days?

You can't equate the upset stomach in Singapore (from the sushi) with the stomach flu in the States (from something else). Stomach flu, according to Wikipedia, is gastroenteritis, where you have the stomach and the small intestine inflamed, resulting in acute diarrhea. It could have been caused by some food, virus, bacteria, toxin or medication. If you have stomach flu, you can't go anywhere but there!

Here comes Neil with another story, "Critics question Charice's protracted US stay" (13 December 2010, mb.com.ph). Well, Neil, your "critics" are not critics at all; they are talk show hosts Cristy Fermin, Mo Twister, and Ruffa Gutierrez. If you have Cristy Fermin on board, what do you have as the "storyline" except Intrigue? Their show is called "Paparazzi" and they are on TV5, which is running #3 to GMA 7 and ABS-CBN. In other words, they're trying to get noticed. Nagpapapansin. Hayaan mo sila. They want to be noticed, but the name of their show is not memorable; it's not even original.

What Mo Twister said seems reasonable, explaining that if celebrities choose to go to a bigger engagement, "we'll just say 'I'm not feeling very well.'" But it's speculation. It's all speculation, and you're not helping the career of Charice by speculating like that.

"Protracted US stay" - it seems that Neil is complaining Charice is staying too long in the States. If it's good for her career, let her be! Truth to tell, except for the quirk of the Araneta Coliseum concert, where we (those who attended – I was there: were you?) gave her a standing ovation for every song she sang, we Filipinos don't love Charice that much - we are not buying her records by the hundreds of thousands. I dare anyone to comment on that!

Charice singing on crutches? No, but the show must go on

2010-12-10T17:13:00.001+08:00

The news was that Charice “performed on crutches at a sold-out show for Q102’s Jingle Ball in New Jersey on Wednesday night,” Thursday in Manila (ANN, 10 December 2010, abs-cbnnews.com). But the same news item says she “she belted out songs like ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ and Katy Perry’s ‘California Girls’ from a seated position on stage.” That was because she was suffering from severe muscle cramps. You can sing with muscle cramps, but you can’t sing leaning on your crutches.

So, she did not perform on her crutches - she performed seated on the chair. If you know Charice, she can belt out a song even while sitting, no practice necessary, no ahems either. Bravo! That’s my girl.

In fact, while seated, she did a medley of songs: Katy Perry’s “California Gurls,” then Tao Cruz’s “Dynamite,” then Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance,” and Usher’s “DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love Again” (Alison Nadaud, 09 December 2010, examiner.com).

She explained those leg cramps this way: She was wearing high heels and dancing one day; the next day she was playing basketball; and the next day she had those cramps (Alison Nadaud, 09 December 2010, examiner.com). The lesson there is: Charice, stick to playing Sunshine Corazon, not playing Michael Jordan!

Charice lights up New York. The sound of one man clapping

2010-12-02T17:37:00.001+08:00

MANILA - About New York’s Rockefeller Center annual extravaganza, I would like to report glitzes, glimpses, and gladnesses. You celebrate what you can; you cerebrate what you have to.

Last night, 01 December, Wednesday in Manila, they lighted the world’s most famous Christmas tree in New York City at the Rockefeller Center. I’m glad there’s Christmas to celebrate at least once a year; if you don’t believe in Christmas, I don’t believe in you.

Charice was there for that occasion, and the BBC wasn’t. So, all it could report was this, exactly 84 words (bbc.co.uk), which I could have written myself from thousands of miles away:

The lighting of the Christmas tree at New York's Rockefeller Center has taken place watched by a crowd of tens of thousands of people. ¶ Sheryl Crow was one of the artists who performed for the crowd. ¶ The 74-foot (22.5m) Norway spruce was donated by firefighter Peter Acton and his wife Stephanie, of Mahopac, New York State. ¶ Mr Acton, a firefighter and rescue worker on 11 September 2001, said providing the tree was his way of saying thank you to the City of New York.

Why report on Sheryl Crow only as the invited artist? And BBC didn’t even mention what she did. What’s the matter, the BBC can’t be bothered with Christmas?

And CNN? I must say the report too was rushed to publication. JoyfulGypsy says (cnn.com), “The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree was officially lit Tuesday night, Nov 31, 2010, before a crowd of thousands. ¶ The 74ft spruce is lit by 30,000 environmentally friendly LED lights strung together using 5 miles of wire and topped with a sparkling Swarovski crystal star.” (Quoted as of 1600 hours 02 December in Manila)

Which tells me that being joyful as well as gypsy doesn’t exempt you from data error - there is no 31 November ever. And that reminds you that there is weakness in numbers.

LED is the acronym for light-emitting diodes. A diode emits low-intensity light, that’s why they need 30,000 of those to light up that tree. And that reminds you that there is strength in numbers.

But thank you CNN for mentioning Swarovski. Do you know what kind of personal microphone Charice has? A Sennheiser mic that is studded with Swarovski crystals, which this Christmas season New York City and Charice have something in common. And on that New York occasion, Charice was there to sing “A Grown-Up Christmas Wish List” and “Jingle Bell Rock” with mentor David Foster on the piano. Did Charice bring her Swarovski crystals? I’m sure Charice brought her crystal-clear voice.

Ricky Lo wasn’t there but Funfare correspondent Felix Manuel was (02 December 2010, philstar.com), and Felix reports about 1 million people gathered at the Rockefeller Center for the annual ceremony. So we learn that “Charice sang her 1st number, ‘My Grown-Up Christmas List,’ so beautifully touching that many in the audience were seen wiping tears even as they gave her an ear-splitting applause.” David Foster, who accompanied Charice on the piano, composed that song himself. What’s the sound of one man clapping? Here’s my applause for Charice and David Foster.

The BBC can report only Sheryl Crow as a performer during that ceremony; Ricky Lo reports Josh Groban, Mariah Carey, Susan Boyle, Kylie Minogue, Jessica Simpson, Sheryl Crow and Katherine Jenkins. Perhaps the BBC knows only Sheryl Crow. For the finale, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg helped turn on the lights that adorn the Christmas Tree. To that list, ANN adds Jackie Evancho, Annie Lennox, and the Radio City Rockettes (author not named, 01 December 2010, abs-cbn.com).

Charice was about to sing her 2nd number “Jingle Bell Rock” but the music wasn’t ready; in fact, it was wrong - it was the soundtrack of the Boyz II Men singing! (usatoday.com). Thus, it was found out in public that those boys had been lip-synching! Their voices were there but at the same time weren’t there. Well, boys will always be boys. During the glitz, man! David Foster was quick to the draw, as he took the mike and shouted, “There ain’t nothing like live TV, here in New York City. We’re going to get this right in the next 15 seconds. Hang on.” That’s my man! And Charice did get it wonderfully right. Here’s another sound of one-man clapping, same man.

The live performance was part of NBC’s 13th Annual “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” Special (ANN, source cited). I say, Charice is special, and so is David Foster.

Charice Vocabulary - “Breakthrough”

2010-11-30T09:21:00.001+08:00

In his news item regarding Charice winning a BPInoy Award (I have my own story in Pinoy Cinderella), Joel Ferreras says, “At seven years old, the young Charice was already competing in local singing contests. She then joined a local TV talent show, Little Big Star, where she got her breakthrough. A fan of hers posted a video of her performances on YouTube, leading to her appearance at a South Korean talent show, Star King, where she awed the audience with her powerful performance” (27 November 2010, thepoc.net).

Sorry Joel, Charice did not get any breakthrough from Little Big Star - in fact, what she did was get a broken heart.

You can correct the use of that big word if you say something like this: “She then joined a local TV talent show, Little Big Star, where she lost. She was greatly saddened by that, and lost hope that her dream of an international singing career will ever get fulfilled. She got her string of breakthroughs after a fan of hers ...”

Literally, “breakthrough” means “a breaking through” - that is, if you achieve a breakthrough, you have forced your way through a big obstacle or overcome or great difficulty. In other words, great success! In LBS, in Round 1, she was booted out; then she was reinstated as a “wild card” and that’s when you can say this was the beginning of a breakthrough - “she broke through the winning circle” because she went on to win the monthly eliminations up to the Grand Finals, where the breakthrough stops.

What Joel fails to say is that after Little Big Star, because of her big loss which they said was because of her low text votes, Charice became depressed. “I was depressed for months,” she said.

I say, talent shows are for discovering talents, not for counting text votes; she felt, and I believe her, that her Little Big Star loss was a denial of her talent. You can say that the advent of text voting in talent competitions was a breakthrough - it broke through the dominance of talent judges. Do I like that breakthrough? Not at all. If you override talent by text votes, you are lowering the value of talent; I say, it’s the tyranny of text votes.

Using that big word, we can say Charice got her breakthrough starting when FalseVoice posted a music video showing her competing in Little Big Star singing “I Will Always Love You” and started a chain of events that culminated in her being discovered by Oprah, who became her fairy godmother. That was the start of several breakthroughs for Charice.

Here are 2 Charice breakthroughs: She became the first Filipino and first Asian to release an international album (CHARICE) that peaked at #8 in the Billboard 200 Album Chart. She broke through the racial barrier, in other words, and twice. Before her, no Filipino or Asian ever had that kind of achievement in the United States of America. First time.

Frank H says, “Charice broke through the racial barrier of the mainstream American music industry.” Many people say something like this: “Charice broke through the glass ceiling ...” That is good grammar but bad English, bad metaphor. If at all the American music industry has a glass ceiling, when you break through a ceiling, what do you find? You find yourself either in an unfriendly territory – for God’s sake! Why couldn’t you just use the stairs? - or you find yourself in an attic, or out in the cold night air!

Now, can you tell me at least one of Charice’s other breakthroughs?

Charice & Dr Manny. Big Bank, Big Head, Big Voice & Big C

2010-11-27T23:41:00.001+08:00

Revised at 0500 hours 28 November 2010

MANILA - Bigness is the story of the day, 26 November 2010. The big bank is the Bank of the Philippine Islands, BPI “whose leadership is unassailed” as BPI President & CEO Aurelio Montinola III puts it today – it is the 3rd largest in the country, the largest in terms of market capitalization, and the most profitable (Wikipedia). The big head belongs to Dr Manuel “Manny” Cacdac; the big voice belongs to Charice. The big head, hydrocephalus, is the field of interest of Dr Manny, a Filipino neurosurgeon from Rosario, La Union in northern Luzon but who is based in Indiana, USA. The big voice is for belting melodies, the field of choice of Charice, a Filipino singer from Cabuyao, Laguna in southern Luzon but who is now based in California, USA.

The Big 3 in BPI’s history are met today in Makati Shangri-La along Ayala Avenue corner Makati Avenue as Charice and Dr Manny are the only 2 recipients of the BPInoy Awards 2010. I am attending as a guest of Dr Manny care of our common friend Dr Antonio Oposa Sr who is with his wife Bella.

And so, entertainment is also the story of the day. Charice entertains you with her voice and acting. Dr Manny entertains the hopes of families for their children with hydrocephalus to be able to lead normal lives and dream their own dreams, no matter how small they may seem; otherwise, in 2-3 years, they will wither and die.

Charice’s BPInoy Award (Arts & Media) is for breaking the Great Wall of Color that bars the entry of Filipinos and other Asians into the mainstream American music industry - and sharing unselfishly her achievements with other Filipinos, including sharing her treasures with unfortunate children in the US and in the Philippines.

Dr Manny’s BPInoy Award (Science) is for breaking the barrier of excellence in neurosurgery by a Filipino doctor in America - and sharing his moments and means with hydrocephalus children in the Philippines.

The BPInoy Awards, in any of the fields of Arts & Media, Sports, Business, Science & Technology, is a 3-prong project of BPI: (1) to encourage nationalism among Filipinos abroad, (2) to communicate the bank’s commitment to excellence in the service of Filipinos abroad, and (3) to generate awareness on the bank’s efforts to support overseas Filipinos via the Expat Pinoy Program. “Through the BPInoy Awards, we are creating an avenue for Filipinos all over the world to connect, inspire and celebrate distinct nationalistic pride in everyone,” Ms Teresita Tan, Executive Vice President and Head of Overseas Banking and Channels Services Group of BPI says. “BPI recognizes our deserving countrymen, whose stories attest to the world that we, Filipinos, are globally competitive.”

This is the 5th year of BPInoy Awards. (For previous awardees, see “Charice wins BPInoy award for honor earned for country,” 22 November 2010, Pinoy Cinderella.) In his brief remarks during the awarding ceremonies, Montinola says the Bank of Philippine Islands recognizes “remarkable Filipinos who have made us proud to be Pinoys.” It is the “inherent Pinoy values that serve them in good stead while abroad.” It’s all about excellence, he says:

The works of our honorees provide shining examples of world-class excellence. In honoring them, we value their marks of good works and excellence. We are encouraged, inspired by their achievements to strive and emulate their examples. We are proud of you. You are icons who continue to believe in what the Filipino can do.

BPInoy is all about the “ability of Filipinos to achieve world-class excellence.”

As to excellence in banking, “the BPI has always set the pace in banking,” Montinola says. The BPI knows that it is into nation-building and is committed to inspire progress, “to make a difference in the lives of our customers.” The BPInoy Awards is part of that commitment.

In 2007, when Aria Clemente was 11 years old, she competed in the 11th World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA), and was declared a double champion, the 2007 Overall Grand Champion of the World (Junior Division, as well as Grand Champion Junior Vocalist of the World, in Hollywood (Oliver Oliveros, 10 August 2007, pep.ph). Indeed, the Filipino is world-class. In the BPInoy Awards ceremonies, now 14 years old, this WCOPA 2-title champion sings for the 2 awardees “Tagumpay Nating Lahat” by Gary Granada. I quote some lines of the song:

Tagumpay Nating Lahat
Sama-sama nating abutin
Pinakamatayog na bituin
At ang aking tagumpay
Tagumpay ng aking lahi
Tagumpay ng aking lipi.
At ang tanging minimithi at hinahangad
Hangad ko’y tagumpay nating lahat
Hangad ko’y tagumpay nating lahat.

My free translation:
The Success of All
Together, let’s touch
The highest star
And my success is
The success of my race
The success of my tribe.
And my only desire and wish
I wish for the success of all of us
I wish for the success of all of us.

With that, I say that, in other words, the 2 BPInoy Awardees for 2010 in 2 different fields are singing the same song: “The Success of All.” They have reached the highest star even as they credit their triumph as the triumph of their race. To give back to their country, they give assistance to the less fortunate, because they know that if they help the least of their brethren, they have done it to the rest of their countrymen.

Dr Manny is Chairman of the Board of the Hydrocephalus Foundation of the Philippines, which was set up this year. 10 May 2010 is the official birthday of this foundation, when it was approved by the SEC. When I heard the date, I said, Oh my God, that’s the birthday of Charice! After the ceremonies, I tell Dr Manny that his favorite foundation share the exact same birthdate as the other honoree, Charice, who turned 18 this year.

While they have not met each other yet, Charice and Dr Manny share more than a very meaningful 10 May 2010. They are both Roman Catholic. And they do practice their faith, even loudly proclaim it if they have to. On 22 May this year, with the mass media’s awareness, Charice and her brother Carl received the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation in Manila, with Oprah and David Foster as godparents, as well as many media personalities in the Philippines.

With their being Catholics, Charice and Dr Manny also share the blessings of their faith, 1 little miracle each, 2 years apart.

The miracle of Charice - On 08 April 2006, the Grand Finals of ABS-CBN’s 1-million-peso talent show “Little Big Star” for early teeners were held. Before that day, Charice had been consistent 1st Honors in the monthly eliminations; however, on that final date, she lost. She was heartbroken and lost hope that her singing career would ever soar on an eagle’s wings. Sometime in late April or early May, Mommy Raquel heard mass with her children Charice and Carl at Quiapo Church in Manila, where Charice prayed to God for His will, but let it be that she could achieve what they were saying she could not. About 4 months later, a stranger who called himself FalseVoice uploaded to YouTube a music video of Charice singing “I Will Always Love You” while competing at “Little Big Star.” This gesture was highly suspicious because Charice had lost in that contest, placing only 3rd place, if you didn’t know that FalseVoice didn’t consider Charice a loser but a winner. Quite a few other YouTube uploads later, our Cinderella was discovered by her fairy godmother, whom I call “The Most Talented Host In The World,” Oprah Winfrey, who has since moved heaven and earth to help Charice, whom she calls “The Most Talented Girl In The World.’ FalseVoice had given back Charice not only her hope but her door to the future as an international singing superstar. Charice then went on to release her self-titled single CHARICE which peaked at the Billboard 200 Chart at #8, the first Filipino and Asian to have done that, and her 2nd single “Pyramid” landed #1 at the Billboard Dance Chart, another Filipino and Asian double records. Recently, Charice won a recurring role in the Fox superhit TV series “Glee” on sheer singing talent. It pays not to lose even an ounce of your faith in God.

The miracle of Dr Manny - In his brief acceptance speech, I hear him say something about his having had cancer and that he has been cancer-free for 2 years. Afterwards, I ask him about it and he tells me it was the kind of colon cancer that Philippine President Cory Aquino had and that which killed her. Then you must be rich, I tell him, because I think only the rich have it. Not really he says. “I was lucky,” he says, “because it was discovered early.” I ask him how, and he tells me. It is Sunday, and he suggests to his wife Fe that they hear mass at the nearby church of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in Terre Haute, Indiana. While there, a little voice told Dr Manny, in so many words, to have his physical health examined, and the next day, Monday, he submitted a sample of his stool at the lab and it was found positive for microscopic-size bloodstains. Something was leaking blood in minute amounts. They traced it to an abnormal growth in the colon, not too big, only about 1.25 cm, and he had surgery at the first opportunity, and later chemotherapy. I point to the lush growth of hair even if it was showing gray, and he says, “God is good. He didn’t allow my hair to fall.” With faith, you can move mountains, as in defeat the Big C. It pays to put your complete trust in God.

In the meantime, we have to put our trust in men. Winning any of the BPInoy Awards categories entitles the recipient to a PhP 100,000 gift to a charity of the awardee’s choice; naturally, Dr Manny chooses the Hydrocephalus Foundation. “What’s a shunt?” I ask him, and he says each hydrocephalus case needs a shunt for draining the fluid from the brain; this is implanted in the body, and it costs about US$1000. Knowing of the desire of his foundation to raise more funds, I tell him that now you have more than a connection with Charice. Yes, he says, I was hoping she would be here to receive the award, and I could meet her and ask her if she would be willing to sing for a cause. (Charice is not here; she has been advised by her doctor to rest for a few days due to dehydration from stomach flu, so she is accepting the award for her, her Philippine manager Grace Mendoza tells us, and shows us a video of Charice apologizing.) I tell Dr Manny that if you look into the heart of Charice, if I know her at all, having been researching and writing about her for a year and now on the brink of releasing a book on this girl wonder (watch out at amazon.com next month!), you will see the heart of Charice is with the children, especially the less fortunate.

Just as Dr Manny will operate for nothing, Charice will sing for love.

If you wish to help the
Hydrocephalus Foundation of the Philippines,
email Dr Manny Cacdac at info@hydrocephalusfoundation.org
or www.hydrocephalusfoundation.org

It’s attitude. Charice shares her music, not body

2010-11-25T10:22:00.001+08:00

You can provoke David Foster, or Charice, but you can’t get away with murder. It’s attitude - yours and theirs.

October provocation

In the press conference before the 23 October Manila concert of Hitman: David Foster & Friends at the Araneta Coliseum, someone asked Charice, now that she herself has a starring role, if she was willing to follow the examples of her “Glee” co-stars Dianna Agron and Lea Michelle who had posed sexy for the magazine GQ (abs-cbnnews.com), and “Foster grabbed Pempengco by the shoulder and simply said, ‘Whoa, time to go. Salamat po’,” abruptly ending that presscon (23 November 2010, Neil Ramos, mb.com.ph). “You can’t do this to my daughter.” That’s the attitude, David! Thank you. To whoever asked the question, that’s not the attitude, boy; either you’re trying to seduce Charice, or you’re posing a leading question, which is not very bright of you. More intelligent questions, please!

November provocation

On 18 November 2010, ZEibiz has this news item, “Charice is extraordinary Hot!” (Zeibiz.com), quoting Gin Blossoms lead vocalist Robin Wilson as saying in their press conference before their concerts in the Philippines, “She’s extraordinary hot and we look forward to her Maxim magazine cover.” A provocative statement, no doubt. Well, some boys will always be boys. And there’s error in there; it should be “She’s extraordinarily hot...” I’m just correcting the grammar, not stating or suggesting a fact. (Read my “Vocabulary Charice - “Extraordinary hot” if you like, 19 November 2010, Pinoy Cinderella.) If you can’t join them, twit them?

November response

On 23 November 2010, Charice reacts to Robin Wilson and says (Neil Ramos as cited):

Hindi ko alam kung seryoso sila sa sinasabi nila. Pero kung seryoso, salamat. Pero kung insulto man yun, it’s also fine by me. I don’t know if they’re serious about what they’re saying. If serious, thanks. But if that happens to be an insult, it’s also fine by me.

Charice doesn’t need to expose her body to get noticed by more to sell more records. She’s got more talent than that. She’s already “Pop Princess,” remember? And “Concert Princess of Asia.”

I say: Puede ba, ibahin n’yo si Charice! Please, boys, treat Charice otherwise, because she is different. And for good reasons. She’s intelligent, if you didn’t know. She finished Salutatorian in high school and would have finished Valedictorian were it not for her absences in school - for joining singing contests to help put food on the table for her family. It’s attitude.

In the press conference before she and Cody Simpson lit the Christmas tree and launched the “Toys for Tots” at The Citadel just outside Los Angeles last Saturday, Charice says (Steve Angeles, 22 November, abs-cbnnews.com):

Pareho kaming busy. We still have time to help other people by sharing our music by singing for them, and by calling the people to help them. Talagang gusto ko, ganoon. We’re both busy. What I really like is, that.

What Charice really likes is singing for you and me, sharing her talent, and especially for children who are disadvantaged. Advantage Charice. I say to those who can, help! I say to those boys who are taking advantage of her youth and innocence: Get lost! Or, for all your getting, get understanding.

Charice covers Xmas. John Lennon discovers Christmas

2010-11-23T18:44:00.001+08:00

MANILA - The Beatles are now on iTunes and all’s right with the (music) world! Charice is now singing the Beatles and all’s right with my world. Charice now has a golden Japanese album, which means the Japanese have discovered their Asianness faster than the Filipinos have; Charice has recorded exclusively for Japan’s J-Wave Radio the theme song for the station’s winter campaign called “Love and Peace Wishes Come True” (charicemania.com). The Japanese are rediscovering peace for the world; what took them so long?

Actually, Charice is singing (only) John Lennon’s “Happy Christmas (War Is Over)” that he composed after he had gone solo, with Yoko Ono - after he had he gone loco? No, John had gone over to the other side of the Vietnam War, and so had hundreds of thousands of others, including me. John Lennon was the Brains of the Beatles Revolution, and this song shows his simple genius; Charice is Brains and Beauty and is bringing about what I should like to call a Sunshine Corazon Revolution, a simple genius of a paradigm shift towards bright and heart-felt songs, that which actually started with “Pyramid” and continues with ”Happy Christmas (War Is Over)” - the war is over for more of the same, like displaying CGI-generated images and flesh-baring females instead of baring talent. Charice is bringing mountains-and-valleys waves of fresh wind into the world’s unhealthy music scenes.

Charice has recorded for J-Wave Radio John’s composition, the song that “shows his desire for love and peace (charicemania.com). Charice’s cover of the song will be aired exclusively on J-Wave from 26 November.

I can imagine one of the reasons “Happy Christmas (War Is Over)” was chosen for Charice is that “it features soaring, heavily echoed vocals, and a sing-along chorus” (Wikipedia). The vocals are perfect for Charice; the chorus is perfect for people she identifies with, especially the young.

I can’t wait for Charice’s version. Not that I have ever listened to this song. 45 years ago, I was about 25 when the Beatles burst into the scene and my ears, and I learned to like them later - my nephew Santy Llamas did love them instantly - he had a band in school singing the Beatles. Since then, he has been collecting his Beatles like I have been collecting my thoughts. To each his own love.

Meanwhile, here’s one I can easily relate to, someone who became famous in my generation, Tom Jones” (samuelapa, YouTube). Well, the age shows; while the title is incorrect as is, and the video shows “Tom Jones - So this is christmas,” Tom Jones singing while looking at the lyrics as he sings - the song, the place, and the people are correct; the occasion is the Vatican Christmas Concert 2003. In fact, at 70, Tom Jones has reinvented himself (tomjones.com). What else can I say? I’m 70, and so is Tom Jones; I’m a reinvented Roman Catholic, and so is Charice. In fact, Tom and I and Charice have reinvented ourselves in more ways than one.

Age doesn’t matter; it’s the spirit that counts!

I’ll listen to John Lennon singing his song (with the Harlem Community Choir, showing the children singing along) for 50 times before this essay is over - click here to listen to “Happy Christmas (War Is Over)” (upload by bgarens, YouTube). They don’t make songs like John Lennon used to. I’m waiting for the release of Charice’s version, and 30 November is not so far away (charicemusic.ca); click here for MP3 download (amazon.com). I haven’t heard this one, of course, but I know they don’t sing songs like Charice is used to.

They say “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” is a protest song against the Vietnam War, those who wrote and edited the Wikipedia entry at least. That is neither here nor there. “Protest” is the activist’s language, and we don’t have activists around here, do we? I was, but the Vietnam War’s over, and so did the brashness of my youth. The youth have all the answers, even while they don’t even have all the questions.

I’m 70, for God’s sake. The song’s as old as I am, or almost. And why would Charice be singing a protest song of the Vietnam War 42 years later?!

If you examine the lyrics, it’s a happy song actually; it has become some sort of a Christmas standard and appeared in several albums (Wikipedia), and I daresay it is in keeping with the spirit of the most celebrated birthday in the world. It begins thus (words mostly from mp3lyrics.com):

Happy Christmas (War Is Over)
By John Lennon & Yoko Ono
(featuring the Harlem Community Choir)

So, this is Christmas
So, what have you done?
Another year over
And a new one just begun.

It’s time to look over last year - So, what did you do? How did you do? Me, I can certainly say I finished my final draft of my book on Charice; only the images remain: Princess Charice! And that’s what Charice did this year, along with the Filipinos who finally learned to appreciate her for what she is, and what she became this year: “Concert Princess of Asia,” which is only a reaffirmation of what she became last year: the little big “Pop Princess” of the lovers of mainstream American music.

And so, this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear ones
The old and the young.

Here, the composer John Lennon is himself affirming the value of Christmas. Actually, the original title has the word “Xmas” and not “Christmas” - “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” - the distinction is crucial to the meaning of the song; Wikipedia has it correct.

On one hand, in John’s original title, “Christmas” is replaced by “Xmas” and looks like John doesn’t really mean what he’s saying, what he’s singing. Style guides of the New York Times, The Times, The Guardian and BBC censure the use of “Xmas” and Vogue’s Book of Etiquette says never to use it; evangelist Franklin Graham and CNN journalist Roland Martin are both against its use (Wikipedia). So I say, Merry Christmas!

A very Merry Christmas
And a Happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear.

On the other hand, the X in Xmas really represents Christ; if you look at the X, it’s a cross, reminding you of The One Who Suffered For You - if you are a Christian, or even if you’re not, as I a Roman Catholic do believe. Anyway, I don’t believe in old-fashioned style guides for journalism or preaching, sorry. So, I say Merry Xmas!

So, I’m going to continue to listen to John’s song by the YouTube upload of “Melissa Etheridge - Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” by Pasquerel (here Melissa sings to me like Arnel Pineda, I believe). “Xmas” is “Xmas” - You don’t tamper with a masterpiece, or any intellectual property for that matter.

I googled for “happy xmas (war is over)” all lower case including the quotes and got 222,000 results; for “happy christmas (war is over)” I got 776,000 results (both with strict filtering, English pages only). That means that out of every 10 people, 2 will opt for “Xmas” and 8 for “Christmas.” In other words, in 8 out of 10 occasions, Christians will say naturally “Christmas” and not “Xmas.” But “Christmas” in the title of his song is a disrespect for the originality of John Lennon and, dare I say it? against any style guide on fidelity to the original.

I’m very happy to note that Charice’s “Grown-Up Christmas List EP” has it all right, the song titles listed being:

1. Grown-Up Christmas List
2. Jingle Bell Rock
3. Happy Xmas (War Is Over).

In any case, in the body of the song, John Lennon uses the word “Christmas” over and over so that you don’t misunderstand what it’s all about. And that leads me to “The Corrs - Happy Christmas (War Is Over)” singing over at Good Morning America (dektoo, YouTube), and I find that this is the one I like best of all (I’m a fan of The Corrs in any case). The host mentions that it’s the anniversary of John’s death, which suggests that the day was 08 December 2000. The song was composed 41 years ago this year, 2010.

And so, this is Christmas
For weak and for strong
For rich and the poor ones
The war is so long.

“The war is so long” - this is the line that refers to the Vietnam War. In another site, the line reads “The world is so wrong.” It is true unless we stop the war, any war.

And so, Happy Christmas
For black and for white
Let's stop all the fight
For yellow and red ones.

For everyone, whatever your color, creed, church, or countenance. Peace to all mankind! At least:

A very Merry Christmas
And a Happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear.

At least without any fear. The minimum of peace is the absence of the fear factor.

sebagol71 says, “This has to be the best Christmas song ever” (Pasquerel, as cited). It may as well be, as it is for all; it includes wishes for the weak along with for the strong, the rich as well as the poor; the black as well as the white, and the yellow and red; the near and dear ones, the old and the young.

And so, this is Christmas
And what have we done
Another year over
And a new one just begun.
And so, Happy Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear ones
The old and the young.

I like that part that says, “the old and the young.” Not just the Young, who will inherit the Earth, but the Old, who will or will not take care of the Earth for the Young. You wish them all a Happy Christmas.

Pavarotti, Domingo and Carreras sang it December 1999 with the lustfulness you expect (varzabarza, YouTube), but they, Celine Dion and all the other singers don’t sing the last part that The Corrs sing, as everyone should:

War is over
If you want it
War is over
Now!

I love The Corrs, but the way they sing this one makes it a sad song, as do the other singers, not a Happy Christmas but an Unmerry Xmas, but I forgive the Corrs - for singing those last lines.

I don’t know if Charice’s version includes it, but Charicemania says when John Lennon sings “War is over, if you want it,” it “shows his desire for love and peace.” Perhaps love, perhaps peace; that is the hidden message, I should think. And yet I believe the major, major message of John in this song is not hidden at all but stated so clearly: “If you want it.” We must want something to happen for it to happen.

“War is over / If you want it” - That would make the happiest Christmas of all, wouldn’t it? John Lennon’s song was prompted, inspired by his feelings and thoughts about the Vietnam War, but the song wasn’t meant only to end the American war in Vietnam - it was meant to end all wars.

All wars. In this song, John Lennon shows he has discovered the true Christmas spirit: “Let’s stop all the fight” between weak & strong, rich & poor, blacks & whites, yellows & reds, near & dear ones, old & young ones. And yes, he has discovered how we can put an end to all the wars in the world, in 3 words: To want to. They are the 3 most important words in the world today. And I’m glad they have chosen to carry the message the voice of an angel: Charice.

To win against any war, we need more politics, not less. Note, however, that in the Higher Hierarchy of Desire, Want is greater than Will. John Lennon is telling us, differently:

We need less Political Will and more Political Want.

Kapuso hearts Charice for Christmas 2010 - Mommy Raquel

2010-11-22T23:59:00.001+08:00

MANILA – This early, GMA 7 scores a Christmas scoop over ABS-CBN and TV5; Kapuso wins over both Kapamilya and Kapatid in bringing out the rays of celebration this Yuletide 2010 in rainy Philippines. The scoop is Charice, Solo. It will certainly be an unforgettable performance, all sunshine and all heart by Fox’s popular Glee’s Sunshine Corazon, aka Charice.

This exciting event could have been the exclusive of any of the major Manila TV stations, who have adopted terms of endearment for themselves, their special ways of distinguishing their target audiences. Thus, GMA 7 is Kapuso, implying that they’re as close as being your heartmates; ABS-CBN is Kapamilya, as close as being part of your family; and TV5 is Kapatid, as close as being your own siblings. This Christmas in Manila, in the struggle to win over hundreds of thousands of televiewers, and millions from advertisers, it looks like it is the heart that will win over the family and the siblings. GMA 7, still #1!

The scene has been as quiet as a house with no mouse. There has not been any fanfare. Charice, solo? The best sign is Mommy Raquel being in Manila, here to arrange with everyone’s Kapuso for a Christmas 2010 show starring the international singing sensation Charice, who is her daughter. Mommy Raquel is her daughter’s best friend and alter ego.

The best proof is that MommyRaq plurked last night that she is here to discuss with officials of GMA 7 for Charice to do a solo Christmas presentation. Details are to be discussed in earnest, as they should be. Mommy Raquel and Charice know that excellence is in the details, and if you want it done right, you have to do it yourself.

With Charice, the Kapuso management wants the people to know that the countdown to Christmas Day 2010 continues at GMA 7, your heartmate, and that the station is leaving no stone unturned to make this Christmas season the most heartwarming.

Why didn’t the ABS-CBN brains think of it? Charice has always been lurking in their minds since 2006, since that 1-million Little Big Star search for a singing star. Perhaps they didn’t think they needed to be cheered up by Charice. Why didn’t TV5 itself think of presenting someone with international star quality to entertain Filipinos and gain a bigger audience share? Perhaps they didn’t think they needed Charice to make their hearts warmer this cold Christmas.

You can’t have enough sunshine, you can’t have enough heart. How can GMA 7 go wrong with Charice, Solo?

With Charice, there is unbeatable drama. There is much to sympathize with. This little girl’s story is a little like that of a baby boy born in a stable and laid in a manger more than 2000 years ago. He was born poor; so was she. While he was still young, he was already discussing the laws of God with adults, going about God’s business; while she was very young, she was already singing, going about her family’s business of caring for itself, singing to bring food to the little family table. The people reviled him for claiming he was Christ; the people mocked her for claiming by her participation in a million-peso singing contest that she was as good a singer as any of them. He lost his life, most willingly, suffering for the redemption of mankind; she almost lost her mind, most unwillingly, suffering because of the sins of commission and omission of others against her.

With Charice, there is unparalleled talent. There is much to wonder about. With a most beautiful voice, as described by Josh Groban, her self-titled album CHARICE peaked at #8 in the Billboard 200 Albums Chart, and her single “Pyramid” at #1 in the Billboard Dance Chart - a double record as the first Filipino and the first Asian to have achieved those. She was crowned last year by the New York Post as “Pop Princess” of mainstream American music. She was acknowledged this year by the American Chronicle as the Concert Princess of Asia arising from the highly successful Hitman: David Foster & Friends Asian Tour of which she was undoubtedly the star. Oprah’s Most Talented Girl in the World is showing them all.

Now then, it was a flash of genius for some Kapuso mind to think of having Charice do a Christmas presentation at GMA 7; it would be a lot of sunshine for the Kapuso audience to watch Charice go as a one-girl show, and do it with a lot of heart, corazon. That little girl can command a huge stage like it was her playground.

I heart Charice. I heart GMA 7, Kapuso.

Charice wins BPInoy award for honor earned for country

2010-11-22T06:55:00.001+08:00

Revised at 1140 hours Monday, 22 November in Manila

MANILA - Fernando Zobel de Ayala and Aurelio R Montinola III of the Bank of the Philippine Islands, BPI have jointly announced that on Friday, 26 November, Charice will receive 1 of only 2 awards for 2010 for Filipinos who have worked abroad, have become known for their outstanding abilities and qualities, and have shared with their fellow Filipinos anywhere what they know and what they have achieved. This is the BPInoy Awards, dedicated to the ideal Pinoy, especially the modern Filipino working abroad. The awarding ceremonies will be held at the Makati Shangri-La along Ayala Avenue corner Makati Avenue in Makati City. It is not known whether or not Charice will be able to attend, as she is abroad right now.

BPI has been known for 157 years in the Philippines as “a beacon of financial confidence.” The BPInoy Awards is on its 5th year, being “in recognition of the outstanding achievements of Filipinos who have given their country honor and pride by excelling in their chosen fields of endeavor abroad” (mybpimg.com). The previous awardees make a distinguished list of Who’s Who in the Philippines: in 2006, Lea Salonga (musical theater artist) and Diosdado Banatao (technology entrepreneur); in 2007, Monique Lhuillier (fashion designer) and Dr Jorge Garcia (heart surgeon); in 2008, Josie Natori (fashion designer & entrepreneur) and Rico Hizon (BBC anchor); and in 2009, Cristeta Comerford (White House Executive Chief), Eli Remolona (economist), and Anita Magsaysay-Ho (painter).

Charice and the other 2010 winner, Dr Manuel A Cacdac, a neuro-surgeon in Los Angeles, are described by the BPI in the invitation letter as:

Two outstanding and truly inspiring world-class Filipinos who have accomplished so much in their respective fields and have shown a desire to share their knowledge and success with fellow Filipinos.

Dr Cacdac is a well-known and respected surgeon in Indiana, USA. He has served as Chief of Surgery and Chief of Staff at The Terre Haute Regional Hospital in that state. He and his wife Fe Joson have been heavily involved in raising funds for united cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy, as well as for the homeless in the Philippines, being very much involved in Gawad Kalinga, the village-building brainchild of genius Tony Meloto and his GK Team.

As with Dr Cacdac, no doubt Charice’s heart is with the poor and helpless children. She performs for fund-raising concerts and parties here and abroad, and financially supports disadvantaged children.

Still, it is in her rise from poverty and depression to “Pop Princess” of the American music industry that Charice has electrified the world. The voice is divine; the rise is heavenly.

It will be recalled that Charice is the little girl with the big voice who was grabbed from her Little Big Star-crossed musical career by an Internet denizen who called himself FalseVoice and who uploaded to YouTube a video of her singing at Little Big Star the song “I Will Always Love You.” This started the chain of events that led to a guesting at the Oprah Winfrey Show and Oprah becoming Charice’s fairy godmother. She has won a cameo role at the animated film “Alvin & The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel,” appeared as herself with her real name singing “No One” (by Alicia Keys). She is the first Filipino to have a solo album, self-titled CHARICE, produced, released and distributed in Hollywood; subsequently, she became the first Filipino, and the first Asian, to have her album land at the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart, at #8, and her single “Pyramid” at #1 on the Billboard Dance Chart. Recently, she became the first Filipino, and the first Asian, to win a recurring role in a Hollywood hit TV series, in this case the record-smashing Fox TV show “Glee” as Sunshine Corazon, who is a computer nerd and a singer with “killer vocals.”

Dr Mandac and Charice do the Philippines proud.

Vocabulary Charice - “Extraordinary hot”

2010-11-19T10:54:00.001+08:00

MANILA - Newly crowned Concert Princess of Asia by the American Chronicle, Charice is getting to be noticed by those who would like to be noticed more in the Philippines where she was born and in the United States where she is currently making mountain-and-valley musical waves outside of Fox’s hit TV series “Glee” where she has a recurring role as Sunshine Corazon, the diva rival of Lea Michele’s Rachel Berry. Sounds good.

Well! As far as Charice is concerned, there is good news & bad news, and good & bad English grammar & composition, and this is as good a time as any to point them out. Whether English is your 1st or 2nd language, building your vocabulary should be both helpful and delightful, and since I’m a teacher by profession - Retired, but not Retiring - it’s no surprise that I thought of this. Now then, Frank H says:

(1) Watch out!

On 18 November at 0300 hours, ZEibiz said in a post: “Charice is extraordinary Hot!” (zeibiz.com). Well, as a Chaster, blogger and an editor, I can tell you that that statement is loaded, as in loaded question. It’s “heavy with meaning” (American Heritage Dictionary). This one is a guided missile - it’s trying to tell Charice, “You’re Hot!” It is heavy with intention - it is trying to plant into the mind of Charice, as well as the minds of Chasters, that she can pose sexy and there’s nothing to it but fame for her, or more popularity, and that’s good for her. That’s what that statement is trying to say. In short, it’s a mental trap.

Well! In the first place, “extraordinary hot” is grammatically wrong. It should read, “extraordinarily hot” because the first word describes the second.

Extraordinary - As it applies to Charice, “extraordinary” is a statement of fact. If you ask me, Charice is extraordinary, as in positively outstanding, way-out, wonderful, remarkable, exceptional, one in a million; that’s why it’s not extraordinary that I am writing a 250-page book on her, Princess Charice (coming out before the year is over).

Hot - Used on Charice, “hot” is not a statement of fact but a suggestion, a psychological implantation of an idea - that she is sexy and therefore she can pose for the cover of Maxim to her advantage.

Sorry, but the word “hot” does not yet describe Charice; you can use that word on her if she sold, say, 1 million copies of her self-titled album CHARICE or that album hit #1 in a Billboard chart.

“Charice can pose sexy for Maxim magazine! A surprising statement from Gin Blossoms lead vocalist Robin Wilson on their press conference for the upcoming concerts in the Philippines,” ZEibiz said.

In short, nagpapapansin. Trying to catch your attention, folks! Especially those in the Philippines, where Gin Blossoms will be doing a concert or two.

(2) I repeat: Watch out!

And abs-cbnNEWS.com has come out with the news, “US band’s vocalist calls Charice ‘extraordinarily hot’ (ANN, author not named, 17 November 2010 ‘updated’ as of 18 November 2010 at 1256 hours). My editor’s eyes notes instantly that ‘extraordinarily hot’ is incorrect, for 2 counts:

(1) The original is this, exactly, without the quotes: “extraordinary Hot!” Note that it is “extraordinary” and not “extraordinarily” - the rule is that if you want to correct something, you should put parentheses (or something), like this: “(extraordinarily) hot.”

(2) And the original is “Hot!” and not “hot” simply without the interjection. The capital H is important because it is itself an emphasis on the word, aside from the interjection, intended for double emphasis by the author/blogger ZEibiz.

But I like the image abs-cbnNEWS.com used, so that’s what I used here.

ANN says there was this press conference for Hitman: David Foster & Friends Asian Tour in Manila last October and somebody asked if Charice would pose sexy for the magazine GQ, “but before she could answer, her mentor, David Foster, abruptly ended the presscon.” And Charice said, “Okay, that’s the answer, sorry. Salamat po.” Thank you. Charice said that “lightheartedly,” ANN says. Frank H says:

Last October: Wrong question, wrong girl, wrong mentor, wrong place. This November, and about all of the above: Wrong grammar & composition.

Vocabulary Charice - “Recurring role”

2010-11-18T16:47:00.001+08:00

Here’s vocabulary lesson for those who doubt that Charice will return to “Glee” after Season 2 Episode 1: The answer is that Charice has a “recurring role” in the TV show.

Andrea Reiher says (20 June 2010, imdb.com), “Charice, or Charmaine Clarice Relucio Pempengco, the internationally known pop star from the Philippines, will be joining the ‘Glee’ kids of McKinley High in a recurring guest role in Season2, Fox confirms to Zap2it.”

Michael Ausiello & Andy Patrick say (21 June 2010, insidetv.ew.com), “Sources confirm to me exclusively that the international pop star is signed, sealed, and delivered to recur next season as a foreign exchange student whose killer vocals get Rachel (Lea Michele) contemplating murder.”

According to Mommy Raquel, Charice will appear in Glee in 10 out of 20 episodes of Season 2 (Capofret & Eve, 19 July 2010, charicemania.com).

Kaye Villagomez says (23 September 2010, mb.com.ph), “Charice’s recurring role on ‘Glee’ is a first for any Filipino.”

In an interview with Tina Monzon-Palma on ANC’s The World Tonight about Glee, Charice says (29 September 2010, abs-cbnnews.com), “Yes po, babalik pa po ako sa iba pang episodes, kaya po nandito pa po ako hanggang ngayon, kasi nagshu-shoot pa po ako.” Yes, Ma’am, I will return in other episodes, that is why I’m still here because my scenes are still being shot.

If you haven’t grasped the meaning yet, here’s the Wikipedia definition of the term:

A recurring character is a fictional character, usually in a prime time TV series, who appears from time to time during the series’ run. Recurring characters often play major roles in an episode, sometimes being the main focus. The character’s return is based on popularity.

You ask: And so what if Charice has landed a recurring role in Glee? I answer: Watch out!

Justin Bieber has landed a recurring role in the hit TV series “CSI” (MissTilaOMG, 23 July 2010, misstilaomg.com). The announcement came with this statement from the producers of the show:

Every 20 years, a phenomenon like Justin Bieber graces our world. We’d like to believe that the phenomenon of CSI has had the same impact on popular culture. The opportunity to bring them together in the premiere is a great treat for our audience and all of its new viewers. This will be true event television. We’re looking forward to Justin’s dramatic star turn, not only in the premiere, but in a continuing seasonal arc.

That is extreme praise for Justin Bieber. It wouldn’t be extreme praise for Charice. Now, to correct the situation, to level the playing field, you watch Frank H wave his magic wand and see what happens in an instant:

Every 100 years, a phenomenon like Charice graces our world. We’d like to believe that the phenomenon of Glee has had the same impact on popular culture. The opportunity to bring them together in the premiere is a great treat for our audience and all of its new viewers. This will be true event television. We’re looking forward to Charice’s dramatic star turn, not only in the premiere, but in a continuing seasonal arc.

Vocabulary Charice - “Copycat”

2010-11-17T07:26:00.001+08:00

I’m starting this series today, Wednesday, 17 November in Manila. Actually, this is less a study in vocabulary and more as another approach on how to enjoy the Cinderella story of this small Pinoy, this tiny Asian singer named Charice.

Remember Charice was accused of being merely a copycat (unggoy or monkey, gaya-gaya or ape) by another Filipino, singer-composer Freddie Aguilar? Before I comment on it, follow me as I explore the shades of meaning of the word “copycat” and, in so doing, you will see how and why I enjoy building my vocabulary, not to mention increasing my knowledge and appreciation of other aspects of life. To be a good writer, even a good teacher, lecturer, speaker, or preacher, you need a wide range of information at your fingertips. And where do you get it instantly? The Internet.

“Copycat” was a 1995 American psychological thriller of a serial killer who imitated the modus operandi of previous other serial killers (Wikipedia). A copycat copies the methods of others.

“Copycat” in Marvel Comics is a mutant who “can duplicate another being down to the cellular level” (Wikipedia). A copycat is also one who merely duplicates exactly another person’s behavior and has no identity of her own.

Richard Wray of The Guardian writes (11 August 2010, guardian.co.uk): “Apple’s iPad bonanza triggers race to launch copycat tablets.” Google may be working on its own tablet device, Motorola too. BlackBerry may also be planning an iPad rival, and HP, and Lenovo, and Acer, and Asus, and Toshiba. Copycats are cashing in on the popularity of the iPad, another genius device invented by Apple under the headship of Steve Jobs, one of my idols. Copycat iPads are electronic tablets that are look-alike, work-alike.

Danny Wong writes of “the pitfalls of copycat marketing” (11 June 2010, thenextweb.com):

Copying another business’ marketing strategy is silly. It doesn’t allow you to innovate with your marketing campaigns and if you are following a competitor’s strategy, you can be sure they will always be ahead of you. You have to outsmart and outthink your competition.

It is foolish to think that you can do exactly what they are doing and overtake them in growth, revenue or sales because while you are executing Marketing Campaign A’ (which is a derivative or copy of their main marketing strategy, Campaign A), they will have moved onto Marketing Campaign B, so you will always be falling behind.

Meaning, in marketing, you cannot be a copycat and win. In marketing your product (such as talent), you have to be original; original or not, you have to discover how your product differs from the others, or a market niche for it, and that’s what you focus your marketing on. That’s what is called Blue Ocean Strategy. If you use BOS, you cannot be a copycat.

A copycat, according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is “one that closely imitates or mimics another.” Why did Freddie Aguilar attack Charice in public for being a copycat? He did not realize that Charice was a different kind of copycat, that while Charice was copying the individual artistries of such popular performers as Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Lady Gaga and Michael Jackson, she was in fact trying to improve on them. That is what the best copycatting is about - if you know what you’re doing.

I used to be a copycat. That was when I was starting to learn, all by myself, how to write creatively. You need to be a copycat first before you can start out on your own, stepping first on your best foot forward. I used to consciously copy the style of Ernest Hemingway, Ray Bradbury, Rudolf Flesch, Norman Mailer and Nick Joaquin. When I discovered Edward De Bono, the creative thinking genius, I started improving on copycat me. Today, I joke that I’m so original I cannot copy myself.

So you see, copycatting is not something to be ashamed of. Plagiarizing is.

“For I was a stranger, and you took me in”

2010-11-12T17:34:00.001+08:00

When 2 strangers meet, who should take who in? When you lose 1 million pesos, how do you recover?

I’m stuck myself; I can’t move on. I’m on page 204 in my final (?) proofreading of the manuscript for my 250-page book on Charice (book title Princess Charice, Chapter 16, “The Charice Advantage”). I don’t quite know what to say as I relive the Grand Finals of the ABS-CBN singing talent search called Little Big Star that happened some 5-6 years ago. Everybody knows that this singing contest had a big prize at stake: 1 million pesos. Charice knew she was good enough for PhP 1 million. So she dreamed and went after the big prize.

A little Charice story of Little Big Star:

Round #1: Charice sings her song #1 and she loses, by 1 pt, 92 to 91. Round 1 and the little girl gets 1 Big Heartache.

Limbo: Charice goes into a stupor and cannot be spoken to. She is just strumming and strumming her guitar. Day in and day out.

Wild card: After an eternity, Charice is called back as a “wild card” - a maybe-good-enough-for-a-second-chance contestant, a perhaps winner. She proves that she is more than good enough - she reaches the last rounds.

Grand Finals: While she is “a consistent top scorer in the final rounds, she only (finishes) third place based on text voting” (Wikipedia). That is, she places 2nd runner-up, not 1st place, not 2nd place. She is told that 2 other contestants, the 1st and 2nd placers, have higher text votes than she has. What else is there to say?

Heartbreak: This heartache is too much it turns into heartbreak. What do you do when the sky falls on you? You crumble. All the lights suddenly go out and you grope in the dark, trying to locate yourself.

Can you describe heartbreak? Can you put down in words angst? Can you tell the story of despair? Can you recover the 1 million pesos you lost? Can’t, can’t, can’t, can’t!

“I was depressed for months,” Charice later tells a reporter. Not weeks: months.

It was FalseVoice who rescued Charice from the depths of her gloom and thereby freed her to rise to the zenith of her phenomenal talent. She was a stranger, and he was a stranger, and he took her in. Thank God for strangers who turn out to be Good Samaritans. May their tribe increase!

Paul O'Grady first or Oprah?

2010-11-12T09:17:00.001+08:00

Oh, I just found my VECO Steno Notebook, intact, on which I find that I wrote on 20 March 2010 what I could of my conversations with FalseVoice in Manila. An 8-month old notebook whose pages I didn’t finish writing all sides of. No, my notebook doesn’t contain questions I ask of people I interview or want to talk with, only quick cuts of what people tell me as we talk. I don’t call it a proper interview, because I ask only what comes to my mind at the moment, except of course that beforehand, I make sure I know many things about the subject and the other person - but no, I don’t ask questions to imply that I know a lot, except if it comes up in the exchange.

Of the words I can read of my own handwriting for 20 March, there are these entries: Paul O'Grady 08 April 2008 and Oprah 05 April 2008. Is that correct? FalseVoice assures me that the dates are correct. These dates are important to history. FalseVoice tells me that for O'Grady, 08 April is the date Charice appeared on his show; for Oprah, 05 April is the date they taped with Charice and that particular episode was in fact aired not in April but the next month, May. So, it was not that Paul O'Grady “discovered” Charice before Oprah did. In fact, Oprah probably financed Charice’s trip to London to guest at Paul’s show. What are fairy godmothers for if not for their wands? Wand for the money, 2 for the show: Charice and Mommy Raquel.

Charice, 1st Asian Breakout Artist - RepublikaMaharlika

2010-11-11T21:03:00.001+08:00

In early March 2010 or late February, 2 months before the self-titled international album CHARICE was released, in YouTube Charice, where the viral video of “Pyramid” is playing, RepublikaMaharlika predicts what will happen to Charice while watching her perform, and says:

You’re looking at the 1st Asian Breakout Artist that will (break) the “glass ceiling” of the (American) mainstream music industry. Not an Asian-American, or even lives not in America. A full-blooded Pinoy will (break) that very ceiling that prevented a lot of Asians and Asian-Americans crashing into the mainstream US industry. Mabuhay ka, Charice!

I quoted RepublikaMaharlika’s comment and published it along with others on 08 March 2010 (see my “Poetry in Motion. Charice sings her age, Pyramid!” Pinoy Cinderella). But I did not really take much notice of it. I’m now copyreading my final manuscript of my 250-page book on Charice (new working title: Princess Charice); I’m on page 157 as laid out, and the words “1st Asian Breakout Artist” now grab my attention. While such a title is in fact a prediction, and American Chronicle’s title of “Concert Princess of Asia” is acknowledgement of the fact, the two titles strongly support and strengthen each other. Charice was the 1st Asian breakout artist in the Billboard charts with her album CHARICE and her single Pyramid, while on last month’s Asian tour, Charice charmed even her countrymen, who were known to be cold and unappreciative of her arts (singing, dancing, rapping, acting), that they gave her a standing ovation for each of her 5 songs. Filipinos never did that to anybody, foreign or local artist, and so Charice and her Filipino fans made musical history in their own country on the night of 23 October 2010 at the Araneta Coliseum (“American Chronicle crowns Charice Asia’s Concert Princess,” 28 October, Pinoy Cinderella). My own congratulations, Pinoys – finally, you have good taste for music!

“Concert Princess of Asia” - whose credit is it?

2010-11-10T08:57:00.001+08:00

Google that if you have to. Now that thousands are talking about Charice as the “Concert Princess of Asia,” it’s fair to ask:

Whom do we give credit to?

Aside: If you follow the old grammar rule, you would say, “To whom do we give credit?” because the old rule tells you not to put a preposition at the end of any sentence. Sorry, but I didn’t get this far following silly old rules of grammar! Now, I’m reminded of eminent British statesman & warrior Winston Churchill’s tongue-in-cheek put-down of that rule when he said:

“This is the kind of arrant pedantry up with which I will not put.”

Back to our Concert Princess of Asia. Now then, direct credit for the much-earned honor goes to?

David Foster, of course. If you will note, David did say, emphatically, during the Manila concert on 23 October 2010, when he introduced Charice, and I quote: “Tonight, it’s kind of about me, but it’s also about her. Here she is - Charice!” Which tells you that it was David’s plan all along. Actually, all the nights of the whole Hitman: David Foster & Friends Asian Tour were kind of about David, but also kind of about Charice. (This whole thing all started with Oprah, of course. After all, it was Oprah who convinced David to be the fairy godfather of our Cinderella.)

Charice, of course. The song without the singer is just a piece of paper. I mean, it’s the interpretation that counts, the delivery - on stage, it’s the sound and the show. And that’s where Charice excels. And the fans (and non-fans) of Tokyo in Japan, Manila in the Philippines, Bangkok in Thailand, Jakarta in Indonesia and Singapore City in Singapore heard and saw with their own ears and eyes that Charice reigns supreme in Asia as a total performer when it comes to Asian young singers.

Don’t forget Mommy Raquel. Mother and Daughter, they’re more than a team. They’re a tandem. They support each other.

My favorite “Try It On My Own” by Charice

2010-11-10T05:31:00.001+08:00

I’m watching it right now, again and again - it is uncad2’s YouTube upload with this long title, “(2)BOY & KRIS W/Charice [Try It On My Own](10/06/08)” - this is my favorite Charice singing of this song by Whitney Houston (2003) - she is sweet 16 at this time. She is wearing a butterfly hairpiece. She is singing in the Boy & Kris show 06 October 2008 (with FalseVoice behind her, to the right). On this occasion too, Boy Abunda tells Charice (my translation), “So early in the morning and you still sing that well!?” She must have been more inspired by the presence of FalseVoice, whom she owes her fame to. Here, Charice tears the song to pieces:

I’m wiser now
I’m not the foolish girl you used to know
So long ago
I’m stronger now
I’ve learned from my mistakes which way to go.

“Try it on my own” is an idiomatic expression that means to start to do things by oneself; equivalent idioms are “strike out on one’s own” and “set out on one’s own” (thefreedictionary.com). I like how Wendy the Weaver (Wendy Bialek) uses the idiomatic expression: “The ingredients of a Weaving for Wellness experience might include: * Guided discussion about creativity, and the steps one can take to set out on one’s own creative voyage” (wendytheweaver.com). That’s what Charice has done, isn’t it?

More & Less about our Concert Princess of Asia

2010-11-09T04:25:00.001+08:00

“Concert Princess of Asia” – isn’t the title awesome? It’s also very true.

In any case, Frank H has a new blog dedicated to Charice: Asia’s Rising Superstar. The difference is that Pinoy Cinderella has the longer essays and this new one has stories that are short - a little longer than this one - as short as someone we know. Click this link if you want to go there now. In that new blog, I am going to tell you the news & views from others even as I tell you what I know of Charmaine Clarice “Charice” Relucio Pempengco byte by byte even as I finish proof-reading page by page my 250-page book on her that I began to write in 2009 September yet. (By the way, whatever happened to the awesome band? I thought it was such an excellent idea.)

Saturday Night Live in Singapore with Charice

2010-11-03T06:57:00.001+08:00

If you thought Charice didn’t disappoint people in Singapore in those 2 days and 2 nights in celebration of the Singapore Sun Festival, actually she did disappoint more than 50 people who were waiting for her in a ballroom at the Ritz-Carlton Saturday afternoon, 30 October (Juliana June Rasul, 02 October 2010, asiaone.com). No, she did not appear.

The guests who waited in vain for Charice were from the Singapore’s Children’s Society, Asian Women’s Welfare Association and The Little Arts Academy. She was supposed to sing for them and “talk about how she overcame adversity to become the first Asian artiste to make it to the top 10 in the Billboard 200 albums chart.” That would have been nice, if not perfect.

Yes, but you must remember that the night before, she and the rest of the Hitman: David Foster & Friends in their 5-City Asian tour, had eaten bad sushi at a restaurant and had all been stricken ill, including David. Charice was reported to have been vomiting when she was rushed to the hospital. She decided to rest for the evening’s concert and cancelled her appearance with the children – that was simply following Natalie Cole’s advice to her about taking care of her voice: Save some for yourself. Ruben Studdard (American Idol Season 2 winner) and Clifton Murray (Canadian Tenors) took her place. They were good. (What are friends for?)

During the evening’s concert, David Foster wanted to omit one song, “To Love You More,” but Charice said she was all right, and she sang it, and I imagine hitting the low and high notes perfectly. “Even David was amazed,” Filipino fan Selena Martine said (quoted by Juliana). Ikaw na si Charice. You be Charice. Charice got 2 standing ovations, for “All By Myself” and “The Bodyguard Medley.”

In that case, she gets 1 standing ovation from me!

I can’t recall any 17 July incident. Forgotten is forgiven

2010-11-02T20:20:00.001+08:00

MANILA - My Cinderella Charice book is now 13 months in the making. I began writing it September 2009; it’s November 2010 already. A writer’s job is never done until he decides that it’s done.

At about 1400 hours today, 02 November 2010, I printed out on my HP Laser Jet 1020 my 250-page book on Charice, Asia's rising superstar, the little girl with the big voice, whom Oprah calls the most talented girl in the world. I shall simply call my book here Cinderella Charice (not my final choice of title, although I like that one too). And oh yes, it’s complete; it’s wholly laid out, including running footers plus page number, with section breaks, all 19 chapters of it, each of the chapters beginning on an odd page, all chapters introduced with quotes, the last long chapter highlighting the Hitman: David Foster & Friends Asian Tour of 5 cities: Tokyo, Manila, Bangkok, Jakarta, Singapore. It’s a biography, so it deals with the past as well as the present, as up-to-date as possible, as the Internet permits.

Middle of this year, I had planned to finish that book in time for 10 May 2010, some sort of a gift for the debut of our little Cinderella, but I didn’t finish it. That’s because I decided to delete 2 chapters, about 50 pages already laid out, because while they were delightful to read, they were obviously written at the expense of the ones I had learned to call Crabsters, fiends, as opposed to Chasters, friends and fans of Charice. Those chapters were counter-comments on the negative comments on YouTube Charice, for the music video of Pyramid (Studio Version, now called Viral Video). I love satire; I’m hilarious, but you wouldn’t like to read it again it if I did it on you, especially on print. And to be honest about it, I also deleted those offending essays in my blog Pinoy Cinderella and in the American Chronicle.

Then the 17 July 2010 incident intruded on everyone’s sensibilities, but it didn’t bother me. 2 weeks passed, I said nothing. But since after 2 weeks the brouhaha hadn’t died down, I wrote 3 separate passionate essays on it and decided to include them all in the book. That was, I thought, to make sure that the lesson was going to be learned.

Then, in either late August or early September 2010, I deleted all those 3 chapters. At least 30 pages of desktopped material. That is because I remembered to practice what I was preaching, about Flips, Filipinos who love & inspire positively. What was that 17 July 2010 Manila incident again? I have already forgotten. Forgotten is forgiven.

Which means I have had to write a total of 5 new chapters of my book to replace the 5 I deleted because they were now offending my sensibilities!

All is well that ends well. So, the book I printed out today, Cinderella Charice, is like a child who has been purged of worms eating his insides. Now I totally love this book, if I may be allowed to say it myself, because, yes, it’s full of love.

With this printout, I shall be reading one more time and word for word the whole thing, all 95,346 words of it, and that’s it. Before the month ends, or the year, Cinderella Charice should be out for your orders via CreateSpace, a new subsidiary of amazon.com.

*****
By the way, maybe you can suggest a title for my book, our book? Put any suggestion in your comment to this post.Take your time, until I ask for any last-minute suggestion. I’m planning for a few Christmas surprises for those who submit the best suggestion(s). What’s the basis for saying “the best?” you may ask. It’s gut feel.

Charice: “Talagang pang-Filipino food ako”

2010-11-02T13:37:00.001+08:00

It must have been the sushi. All members of the Hitman: David Foster & Friends group in Singapore were reported to have suffered from something like food poisoning after eating in a restaurant in the city after the 29 October performance. In a hospital, they had themselves checked and nothing dreadful resulted from the sushi experience. In fact, they performed superbly in the 30 October concert, their 2nd in the same City.

Returning home 31 October, Sunday, Charice was asked if she will sue the restaurant over “the food poisoning incident” and she said no (ANN, author not named, abs-cbnnews.com):

Hindi. Tao lang din sila, wala namang napahamak, hindi naman sobra ‘yong nangyari, so wala naman po.” No. They’re after all human. Not much harm had resulted anyway, so it’s okay.

She is not taking any legal action against the management of that Singapore restaurant. Frank H knows a country where the “victim” would have sued for compensation first thing in the morning. Not in Asia.

But, “Ayoko na,” she said. “Talagang pang-Filipino food lang ako.” No more. I’m really just good for Filipino food.

Not really. It will be noted that all the Friends became slightly ill from the same food incident as reported the next morning. So, it wasn’t any choosy stomach, or the choice of restaurant - it could have been the choice of fish.

David Foster introducing Charice in Manila: “Tonight, it’s about me, it’s also about her”

2010-11-02T12:21:00.001+08:00

At the Araneta Coliseum, evening of 23 October 2010, in introducing her, David Foster says, “Tonight, it’s kind of about me, but it’s also about her. Here she is - Charice!”

Don’t forget that this is the Hitman: David Foster & Friends Asian Tour, 19-30 October - the billing is David Foster first, he who is a 15-time Grammy awardee; stars as they are in their own right, the rest are simply Friends: The Canadian Tenors, Ruben Studdard, Natalie Cole, Peter Cetera, Charice. It is a 5-City tour, in this order: Tokyo, Manila, Bangkok, Jakarta, Singapore City.

So, what does David Foster really mean when he says, “Tonight, it’s kind of about me, but it’s also about her. Here she is - Charice!” It is of course his tour, but the main reason he is on tour this time is not to remind music lovers that he is the great David Foster but that he is here as godfather to Charice, literally and figuratively. The Friends are worth listening to individually, but in this tour, they really complement and compliment Charice’s performance. They complement her, as they provide contrast and relationship in their songs. They compliment her by the fact that they joined the tour and accepted her and show that they are happy she is a part of it.

Actually, Charice’s touring with David Foster started in May 2008; he is, after all, trying to help Charice become “the first true Asian world superstar.” And this Asian tour 2010 has shown us that she is well on her way to the summit.

To the top, baby!

Asia’s Concert Princess. Charice shines 2x in Singapore Sun Festival

2010-10-31T02:52:00.001+08:00

SINGAPORE (30 October) - We are in the Lion City. The City’s symbol is the merlion, a creature of myth, with the head of a lion and the body of a fish, suggesting that it has its head above the water. A survivor. In fact, Singapore is more than just a survivor; it has triumphed over historical adversities the sizes of which are much bigger than its land area of 693 sq km (mongabay.com).

Wellness is one of the disciplines of the Singapore Sun Festival 2010 (ANN, author not named, ubs.com). Wellness happens to the best, unwellness too, unfortunately. Well, it happens to the bests, plural: the Singapore Sun Festival, David Foster and Friends, with special mention Charice. The sun dimmed a little when Charice & others of the David Foster and Friends group were reported with stomach ache from a sushi meal taken in the Green Dome last Friday; they checked in at a hospital as safety precaution, but all now are feeling well enough and the Saturday (30 October) concert will push through, according to the latest word from Mommy Raquel (ANN, 30 October 2010, abs-cbnnews.com). All is well that ends well.

“UBS is proud to be the Presenting Sponsor of the Singapore Sun Festival 2010,” the website says (ubs.com). With offices in 50 countries, UBS AG is a global financial services company, #2 in the world as manager of private wealth (Wikipedia). In Singapore, UBS is, among other things, into Wealth Management. IMG Artists own and manage the Singapore Sun Festival, as it does the Tuscany (Italy) Sun Festival and the Napa Valley (USA) Sun Festival. Already, the Singapore festival offers the biggest in numbers of events and attracts the biggest attendances of the 3 festivals (Wikipedia).

As the Green Sushi incident shows, Ralph Waldo Emerson was right when he said, “The first wealth is health.” Now then, Health Management should really be a first priority for everyone, including UBS and IMG Artists.

And that I think is exactly why the Singapore Sun Festival, now on its 4th year, makes merry the “Art of Living Well” (yoursingapore.com). “Since the inaugural Festival in 2007,” UBS says, “the Singapore Sun Festival has strived to promote the arts and ‘the Art of Living Well,’ and has provided a holistic experience through various integrated events as well as a range of events at the highest international level” (ubs.com).

Holistic. That is why you have a complete array of these disciplines for the festival: Music, Visual Arts, Literature, Film, Wine, Food, and Wellness. I say that ensures that the Sun Festival experience is holistic, knowing that you can’t have one without the others. And that is why the Sun Festival runs more than 1 week, from 29 October to 07 November.

“The Festival brings top international and regional artists to Singapore every year, including world premieres and exclusive performances by stars from all over the world” (UBS as cited). This year, aside from David Foster and Friends (The Canadian Tenors, Natalie Cole, Peter Cetera and Charice), the Festival features world-famous tenor Jose Carreras, visual artists Jimmy Ong and Diana Francis, as well as Michelin star chef Carlo Cracco and celebrity chef Curtis Stone. The menu is complete.

I’m glad Music is #1 in the list. Music is what David Foster and Friends brought with them. Singapore is a little country; Charice is a little country girl with music in her lips and in her heart. The match is made in heaven.

Last night, 29 October, at the Esplanade Theatre, there was trepidation that Charice could wow the “very poised” and “stoic audience” by her singing, as her initial song, Celine Dion’s “Power of Love” received only polite applause (RJ Nieto, 29 October 2010, charicemania.com). The audience response warmed up a bit with the next Celine Dion’s song, “To Love You More.” Then her Singapore audience “were petrified in disbelief” when she sang “The Bodyguard Medley” as arranged by David Foster, realizing “that what they were (witnessing) was pure, heavenly talent” (Nieto as cited). When she sang another Celine Dion hit, “All By Myself,” bam! “The Singaporean audience - the last piece of the Asian puzzle - deemed her worthy of a spontaneous, heartfelt and scream-laden standing ovation,” Nieto says. “Charice can now be officially declared as Asia’s new superstar.” That would be great, wouldn’t it?

With no news online coming up on the 30 October performance, I am writing these lines after 0033 hours 31 October, and I’m in Charicemania listening in to the chat:

kk: The concert was awesome, extended by 45 minutes with Happy Birthday song to David Foster, with cake. With a solo piano performance by David.
tiramisu: I’m back from the last DFF concert. :) amazing!
Luvkcha09: The Singapore crowd was shouting, “We want more, More! More!”

kk: Charice moment was the wildest. I like Ruben Studdard’s moment too.

kk: Peter was very good, Natalie very sleepy.
Yugi: I like “Miss You Like Crazy.”
Bibbo: Natalie’s songs are for senior citizens.
kk: But I like the “Fever” song.

Localoca: Charice’s vocals are stunning, getting deeper and powerful as she ages. And that is scary.

kk: Charice was very cute in the concert.
Luvkcha09: She wore pants and flat shoes.
artemis gibran: See Charice is wearing flat shoes and look at her ... she owns the stage again. Like it is her playground. She still owns it when in high heels but ... it’s nice to see her glide again on stage.

Luvkcha09: Singapore is clean but eating sushi-raw food sometimes not always advisable.
Yugi: There is always news of food poisoning in Singapore.
Frank H: Small world.

artemis gibran: Charice can still sing like a force of nature even after suffering from food poisoning.

All that shows to me that the crown of “Concert Princess of Asia” belongs to her, as according to the American Chronicle (cited in 28 October, Pinoy Cinderella). What she needs to become truly “Asia’s new superstar” (RJ Nieto) is for Chasters to buy her albums and singles by the hundreds of thousands, maybe a million or two copies. What she needs to be “the first true Asian world superstar” (David Foster) is for Chasters to buy her albums and singles by the tens of millions of copies.

Meanwhile, at the Charicemania chat at about 0130 hours this morning, this stands out:

lola-elrem: a Jakarta Chaster said that Charice will be known by “All By Myself” more than “The Bodyguard Medley.”

I just love Charice singing “The Bodyguard Medley” in the last stop, at Vancouver, of the David Foster & Friends 10-City Tour last year. She was divine. In any case, I say now: “All By Myself” is also perfect for her. “All by myself, don’t wanna be / All by myself, anymore. / All by myself / Don’t wanna live, all by myself anymore.”

Following Charice example in the song “And I Am Telling You (I’m Not Going)” that was a watershed for her, in the line “You’re the best mom I’ve ever known,” I’ll just change 1 word in this other song and you’ll get the message:

All by myself
Don’t wanna be, all by myself anymore
All by myself
Don’t wanna love, all by myself anymore!

Remember when after Little Big Star, 4 years ago, she was left all alone, depressed for months, essentially living only for herself? Thanks to FalseVoice, thanks to Star King, Ellen DeGeneres, Oprah, David Foster and Chasters, not to forget Mommy Raquel and Carl, she no longer lives all by herself, no longer loving all by herself.

The love of Charice for us is in her songs, in her singing. She loves us all. And it shows best in a concert. We can show our love best by buying millions of her records and thereby making her the first true Asian world superstar!

American Chronicle crowns Charice Asia's Concert Princess

2010-10-28T23:09:00.001+08:00

MANILA - The American Chronicle reports that Asians have crowned Charice “Concert Princess of Asia” in a feature article (27 October 2010, americanchronicle.com). It was the talent, the voice, the performance, and the pride of Asians identifying with her that brought about the sell-out crowds in Tokyo in Japan, Manila in the Philippines, Bangkok in Thailand, and Jakarta in Indonesia. And it was the first-ever standing ovations the Filipinos gave their very own Charice, one standing ovation each for the 5 songs she sang that unforgettable night of 23 October at the Araneta Coliseum that stamped the royal seal. The Filipinos are niggardly when it comes to standing ovations; that fabulous night, they overwhelmed their kababayan Charice, their compatriot.

It will be recalled that Charice had been earlier:

dubbed “newly crowned Pop Princess” (Ryan Brockington, New York Post)
named “Next Great Pop Diva” (Ian Drew, Us Weekly Magazine, quoted in charicemania.com)
baptized as “Voice of a New Generation” (GRAE New York)
singled out as "Prodigy" (FalseVoice, personal communication)
christened as "Break-Out Artist" (DJ Booker)
titled "The Most Talented Girl in the World" (Oprah)
referred to as "one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard" (Josh Groban).

About 5 months ago, noting that Charice had been considered the "Best Live Performer of Her Generation" by some Chasters of Miami, Florida, as reported by Ho1ywe11s, a YouTube Charice viewer, having done his own research on Charice, Frank H pointed out that live performances were indeed Charice’s best suit (“The Charice Advantage,” 21 May 2010, Pinoy Cinderella). Being crowned “Concert Princess of Asia” should therefore be not surprising at all; the tribute was hard-earned and well-deserved. All that would point to a great many more concerts this year and next year. When you've got it, flaunt it!

The Godfather David Foster may be largely credited with this smashing Asian tour success of Charice. With Hitman: David Foster and Friends, he has assembled an array of talents that complemented and complimented the little big star’s own:

The Canadian Tenors, for singing out loud (like Hallelujah!)
Natalie Cole, for the good old times (Miss You Like Crazy)
Ruben Studdard, for a new winning voice, American Idol Season 2 (I’ll Be There)
Peter Cetera, for the old gold talents, singing & songwriting (You’re My Inspiration), and
David Foster, for the fabulous arrangements & songs (The Bodyguard Medley) accompanied with a grand piano, a Yamaha, backed by a 5-all-male band.

At the Araneta Coliseum on the Manila leg of the Hitman: David Foster and Friends Asian Tour, Foster had intimated early his feeling that the evening was going to be extraordinary. This was even before any of his Friends had sung, and after playing on piano his own instrumental hits, first with “The Love Theme from St Elmo’s Fire,” followed by “Winter Games.”

“Good evening, Manila!” Foster said. “I’ve waited such a long time to come here. It is such a fabulous place. You know what I love in the Philippines the most? You have such a great love of music.” Charice may be said to be an extreme example of such a love.

After The Canadian Tenors had sung, after Ruben Studdard, after Natalie Cole, after Peter Cetera, with the atmosphere already “electric” as Pocholo Concepcion felt it (25 October 2010, inquirer.net):

When Foster called Charice, the Big Dome shook with applause. Foster looked overwhelmed.

Charice, in a short fuchsia dress and sporting a curly, light brown hair, projected the image of a young woman confidently dealing with all the possibilities the entertainment world could offer.

Her reputation zooming even more following her stint in the TV series “Glee,” Charice couldn’t do anything wrong—even as she, in the first few minutes, seemed detached from her wildly screaming fans.

When she began to sing, everyone momentarily froze.

Whether interpreting Celine Dion or Whitney Houston, Charice seemed in control of everything, tackling the high notes like she had the biggest pair of lungs in the planet, but showing sensitivity when she approached the soft stanzas.

RJ Nieto reported that “the Manila crowd at the Araneta Coliseum went wild after seeing their favorite stars sing their all-time favorite songs without cheating a single note” (24 October 2010, charicemania.com). As for Charice, Rowena Joy A Sanchez, quoted her later as saying in Filipino, “Binigyan ako ng standing ovation sa buong performance, sa lahat-lahat ng kinanta ko last night; sobrang kakaiba ‘yong feeling” (26 October 2010, mb.com.ph). Frank H’s free translation: I got a standing ovation all throughout the performance, for every song I sang last night; the feeling was super extraordinary. Frank H knows Filipinos don’t give standing ovations to talents who are Filipinos singing all foreign songs; they consider that un-Filipino. This is the first time. Frank H was there when the Filipinos gave her a half-hearted standing ovation when she sang 8 months ago at her Valentine’s Day concert at the Philippine International Convention Center 14 February 2010, with a repertoire of foreign and local songs. That half-homage was a sharp contrast to Charice's performance - she gave her full heart to every song.

This time Ricardo F Lo reported that “Charice got the Big Dome all shook up!” (25 October 2010, philstar.com):

As the finale among the five performers (including The Canadian Tenors, Natalie Cole, Ruben Studdard and Peter Cetera) in the Hitman: David Foster and Friends (Asian Tour), staged to a likewise SRO audience last week in Japan, Charice sang four songs, hitting the high notes with such amazing ease (no effort at all, see!) that the audience responded with a standing ovation each time, starting with “Power of Love,” followed by “Pyramid” (from her hit debut album), a medley of “I Have Nothing” and “I Will Always Love You” (both Foster (arrangements for) the movie The Bodyguard, starring Foster talent Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner), and “All By Myself.”

To the Philippine Star's list, the American Chronicle would need to add a 5th song, "To Love You More," also receiving a standing ovation. The Chronicle noted that when Charice sang “All By Myself,” she did it with drama. “All by myself / Don’t wanna be / All by myself / Anymore!” She wrapped up like this: She split the word "anymore" so that after she sang high the note “ANY,” she signaled for the band to stop; there was complete silence for a moment, then she burst into the highest note “MORE!” that shook the whole arena; the whole crowd roared, and that blew the roof off the Araneta Coliseum.

The Concert Princess of Asia stood, surveyed her kingdom, and saw that it was good. Remember, that kingdom is not the Philippines only but all of Asia. Last night, 27 October in Jakarta, RJ Nieto reported that Charice "stunned the audience as they gasped in awe" (28 October 2010, charicemania.com). "The audience, composed mainly of the prominent figures in Indonesian society, were absolutely stupefied." There were 4 standing ovations during that concert: 1 for Ruben Studdard and 3 for Charice.

Tomorrow, Charice conquers Singapore.

FaQs about Charice – Charice 101

2010-10-28T10:04:00.001+08:00

Today begins this series, where FaQs means Facts and Questions.

Birthday. 10 May 1992. When they were questioning her age, Mommy Raquel presented her birth certificate.

Age. How do you calculate the age? Like this. Like, 25 December 2010 becomes 2010 12 25 and 10 May 1992 becomes 1992 05 10, so:
2010 12 25 minus
1992 05 10 and you can get the exact age to the day.

People and her age. People adjust my age, Charice said (Jocelyn Dimaculangan, telebisyon.net). When I was 9, they said I was 12. When I was 12, they said I was 15. Now that I’m 17, they say I’m 22.

Birthplace. If you know, you tell me. Gulod in Cabuyao is where they moved when she was 7 years old, according to Bum A Tenorio, one of Charice’s Ninong sa Binyag at Kumpirma.

First time. She was 7 years old when she first competed in a singing contest. Mommy Raquel, seeing so many contestants, 80 of them, was intimidated, so she decided to just go home because her little girl could not have had any chance at all of winning. And what did the 7-year-old girl say to the 35-year-old girl, her mother? Mommy, if you want to go home, go home. I stay. And you know what? She won! She won PhP 7,500 pesos in cash, PhP 10,000 pesos worth of groceries, 1 trophy, and 1 JVC cassette player. Do you know what happened to that cassette player? I don’t. You tell me and I’ll put it here with your name on it.

Trophy taller than Charice. It was in Calamba City, when it was not yet a City, that Charice won a trophy taller than she was. She was excited to win the trophy just because it was taller than her. Now she’s taller than the trophy - and today, believe it or not, she stands even taller than any other singing sensation in the Philippines.

More to come!

Unggoy, di ba? Charice blows roof off Araneta Coliseum

2010-10-26T20:12:00.001+08:00

MANILA - I know; I was there. Ask wower31, she saw me. 23 October 2010: Charice sang “All By Myself” all by herself, did a vocal dramatic act with “ANY” ... MORE!” and the crowd roared, I heard thunder, and the roof was blown off the Araneta Coliseum. I wish you were there.

All by myself, I was sitting at LB207, taking notes quietly - and exulting with the rest of them. I heard the fellow seating next to me say to his girl companion, “Galing talaga.” Delivery was very good, really.

I love music even if I sing off-time, not off-key, and no, I don’t need autotune - and that night the world was witness that Charice doesn’t need autotune either. Not only that - Charice has no equal in her class, business class, under 21. Billboard’s “21 Under 21: Music’s Hottest Minors” is potential; what we were witnessing was actual, baby. What was delivered was very good, really.

That evening, I wasn’t thinking of Asia-known singer-composer Freddie “Ka Freddie” Aguilar, or of arch critic Nestor Torre, both Filipinos like me. Now I am thinking of them. What would they say now? They are both detractors of Charice, and they have criticized her in their own robust language - Ka Freddie in tough Tagalog (Filipino) and Mr Torre in learned English. They attacked the same defenseless little girl. Who would be amused?

If they haven’t heard yet, now I have news for them. I am a good 70 years old, and I have never heard of any Filipino singer blowing the roof off the Araneta Coliseum singing foreign songs. A Filipino singing all Filipino songs, maybe. A foreigner singing all foreign songs, certainly. But a Filipino singing all English songs? Not until now. What would half of the scholars and thinkers of the University of the Philippines say? Aye, there’s the rub.

Remember the Unggoy Uproar that Ka Freddie raised when he chastised Charice and Arnel Pineda for being unggoy (ape), gaya-gaya (copycat), but especially Charice as copycat, for singing only foreign songs? That was last year.

I didn’t know Charice before this, but in her defense, I wrote “Unggoy, Ka Freddie. Aguilar must decrease, Charice must increase” and uploaded it 10 September 2009 (Pinoy Cinderella). Ka Freddie’s outburst happened August 2009; I wrote my delayed response the next month; it was my very first essay on Charice and it happened to be a bold statement of offense and defense: the Filipinos were offended, and I was defending Charice’s choice of foreign songs, mostly American. I admired the entertainer Ka Freddie before this.

And remember the Birit Brouhaha that uber critic Nestor Torre started when he castigated Charice for singing birit (belting) songs, for being capable of only birit and no art? Mr Torre was Editor of the Philippine Daily Inquirer Entertainment Section at that time. As Editor, he was good.

In defense, I wrote “Journeys. Charice sings, Nestor Torre screams!” 29 January 2010 (Pinoy Cinderella). It was also a delayed response; Mr Torre had written his scathing piece in the Philippine Daily Inquirer 16 June 2008 yet, but I didn’t know - and didn’t care - until sometime in August 2009 after I came across the YouTube & Oprah phenomenon called Charice, decided to write a book about her, and was doing my research. I was an admirer of Mr Torre as a writer, actor, director, columnist before this.

I had to muster enough logic and courage to reply to the two, as it happened, independently, in 2 separate years:
To summarize my 2009 muster-piece reply to Freddie Aguilar: Get a life!
To summarize my 2010 muster-piece reply to Nestor Torre: Get real!

And now this, the news that Charice blew the roof off the Araneta Coliseum singing, take note, Ka Freddie, all foreign songs and singing, take note, Mr Torre, all at the top of her voice. Wala kayong bilib sa iba. You have no faith in others. The Doubting Thomases that both of you are, to put it kindly, I urge you to read my account of the night: “Hitman David Foster & Charice in Manila. So, was it a night?” (25 October 2010, Pinoy Cinderella). And take note, Charice blew the roof off the national symbol of entertainment stardom in her own country singing songs not of her own country. I thought you should be alarmed.

And when she did that that wonderful Saturday night, I stood up in ovation as did the rest of the Araneta Coliseum crowd. I felt history was being made that night, and I was elated I was part of it.

Mr Torre, you should have been there when Charice sang “All By Myself” all by herself:
“All by myself / Don’t wanna be / All by myself / Anymore!”
And she ended like this: She stops after singing “ANY” and signals the band to stop even as she does - there is complete silence for a moment - then she lets out a to-the-roof “MORE!” The crowd responds by letting out an enormous roar, and off goes the roof of the Araneta Coliseum. Typhoon Intensity IV: Very strong winds.

Ka Freddie, you should have been listening. Charice sang only foreign songs, all 6 of them:
“The Power of Love” (sung before by Canadian Celine Dion; she wouldn’t sing a Pinoy song, would she?)
“Pyramid” (composed by Swedish songwriter David Jassy and American R&B singer Lyrica Anderson)
“To Love You More” (words & music by American Junior Miles & Canadian David Foster)
“The Bodyguard Medley” - “I Have Nothing” (David Foster & Linda Thompson), and “I Will Always Love You” (singer-composer, Dolly Parton)
“All By Myself” (composed by American Eric Carmen).

For singing all those foreign songs, and divinely, I love her so.

Charice is unggoy, di ba? Copycat, isn’t she? Singing only foreign songs, copying the style of the artists who sang them. Of course, copycat. But I already said that copying is a stage in the life of an artist; from being a copycat, the best artist emerges sooner or later; and I already said Charice is now coming into her own (see “Unggoy Ka, Freddie” as cited).

Ka Freddie, if you knew me, you wouldn’t be surprised. I have always been a non-believer in what I call tongue-tied nationalism, I mean, people tie nationalism with the tongue - if you don’t speak Tagalog (Filipino), you are not a nationalist. Okay, I’m an Ilocano.

I was a different kind of activist in college; even after college, whenever I spoke in a gathering of activists, as the speaker I always began, in English of course, “You have to forgive me, because I too am a victim of colonial education.” That was a play of words; I just love wordplay - I never did equate love of country with love of language. In other words, I have been writing in English for the last 35 years at least, 50 years if you begin counting from college.

So, Frank H is also unggoy, di ba? And yes, I believe that English is to the Filipino’s advantage in the world. That is why I have no admiration for those who insist on using Tagalog (Filipino) in speaking even to the non-Tagalogs, even in teaching by using Taglish in college even in English courses. I know that happens within the University of the Philippines System.

So that Ka Freddie will know where I’m coming from, I say this: I want English to be the national language of the Philippines! Give me English anytime. English is our comparative advantage, if you know your economics. Like, it is Charice’s advantage - she has mastery of the vocabulary of song in English, which is exceptional. Like, I have mastery of the vocabulary of creative writing in English, which is remarkable - you can remark on it after this.

Mr Torre, to belt or not to belt, that is not the question. The question is: “Can you sing?” Borrowing from David Foster during that Araneta concert of Hitman: David Foster & Friends, I say, “You have 30 seconds to prove that you can sing.” If you can’t sing, just sit on the box and listen!

Our very own Charice came and went, singing all English songs to her heart’s content, and to me and the rest of her audience at the Araneta Coliseum. Last year, Ka Freddie chided Charice and said something like she was already there, in Oprah’s show, why didn’t she sing a Filipino song? “Charice, mas bibilib ako sa ‘yo,” Ka Freddie said on YouTube, “kung kakanta ka ng sariling atin.” Charice, I will believe in you more if you sing our own songs. Now the terrible thing has happened: Charice was already there, in her own country, within the confines of the national symbol of stardom in the Philippines, but she didn’t sing any Filipino song! How un-Filipino can Charice get?

So far, I have not heard a whimper from those who favor Original Pinoy Music, OPM over and above English songs. What happened to you, tongue-tied nationalists: Cat got your tongue?