By Nickie Wang

These days, only few local music artists can fill up the Big Dome. One of them is Sarah Geronimo who can now comfortably sit in the Concert Queen throne after staging her fourth full house concert last Nov. 7.

Everything about the concert was huge: the number of attendees; the video walls, one of them served as the backdrop of the stage; Sarah’s voice (partly); and the expectations of thousands of fans that flocked to the Araneta Coliseum to see Sarah’s concert called Record Breaker.

As early as 5 p.m., concertgoers started queuing up at the box office and gates to buy tickets and to see if there’s a chance to take their seats early. But just like any other local concerts, Sarah didn’t take the center stage exactly on time as indicated on the ticket.

Five minutes before 9 p.m., a one-minute countdown signaled the entrance of the Pop Princess. It was even made more exciting when violinist Jay Cayuca played an electrifying piece.

Sarah, flocked by ecstatic dancers, started the show with her current single “Record Breaker” and completed the first part of the program with her a la Lady Gaga sing and dance routine with “Love Game,” Kat de Luna’s “Unstoppable,” and Black Eyed Peas’s mammoth hit “I Gotta Feeling.”

After these numbers, she thanked her fans (popsters in particular) and sang “Right Here Waiting” then called up Christian Bautista to go onto the stage.

Support acts

Four support acts were featured in Sarah’s concert. Asia’s Romantic Balladeer Christian was the first. The crooner took the chance to promote his now platinum Romance Revisited, a tribute to Jose Mari Chan. Some of Christian’s followers were obviously present at the venue as they cheered loudly while the balladeer sang “Beautiful Girl,” “Tell Me Your Name,” “Can We Just Stop And Talk Awhile,” and a duet with Sarah entitled “Please Be Careful With My Heart.”

There’s also this Wonder Girls wannabe (copycat) called Pop Girls that promoted its single entitled “Crazy Crazy.” Sarah did a little interview portion with the girl group (which is very unnecessary) after they performed “Nobody, Nobody But You” a hit song popularized by the South Korean pop sensation.

Kanto Boys, composed of Vhong Navarro, Billy Crawford and Luis Manzano (John Lloyd Cruz was out of the country), treated the audience with some good laughs with their crazy antics while doing a Backstreet Boys medley. Sarah acted as a replacement to John Lloyd, and that initially made the crowd shout at the top of their lungs.

Meanwhile, the real delight among the concert’s invited guests was Charlie Green. The young talent who was first discovered in the talent show Britain’s Got Talent charmed the crowd with his rendition of classic Pinoy ballad, “Dahil Sa ‘Yo.” He sang it without any trace of Brit accent.

Sarah is a gold mine

Sarah is currently the biggest pop star on the local music scene and she can safely secure that position in the years to come because of her ability and power to stay relevant.

When she did the rearranged version of “Sa Iyo,” a track lifted from her debut album, we instantly saw how she matured right before our eyes. The 21-year-old singer did a quite sexy version of the song, which was initially intended or dedicated to tween audience.

After performing several songs, Sarah proved that she is a talent in a complete package. Off stage she can fairly act, and on stage she is a total performer. As a testimony of her being the Box-office Queen she sang “A Very Special Love” and “You Changed My Life,” the theme songs of the movies of the same name that broke local box-office records, with the latter being the top-grossing local film of all time.

One of the peculiar parts of the Record Breaker concert was when Sarah extended her gratitude to all the concert’s sponsors and supporters. She even went down the stage and greeted them with handshakes (that alone consumed about 15 minutes of the time).

Where in the world can you see an artist singing all the jingles of her endorsements in one concert? Yes, only here in the Philippines !

More than 30 minutes of the whole concert was dedicated (or committed) to singing the recognizable television commercial jingles that Sarah has recorded for a pawnshop, a sanitary napkin, a shampoo, a fast-food chain and so on. On the other hand, it served as a reminder how big Sarah is with numerous endorsements under her belt.

To think that she has more than a dozen of endorsements, Viva Concert failed to stage a world-class concert for its most priced jewel. The stage was unadorned, it was too plain that even young kids present at the venue said: “Ang pangit ng stage! [the stage is unattractive.]” Viva Concert didn’t also invest in the sound system. You can barely hear Sarah’s words when she sang. There’s too much bass when all needed was a balanced treble. Even the lighting system was unimpressive.

Viva has found a gold mine and yet it does not share what is due to the public— the best concert that Sarah can definitely deliver.

Musical summation

The concert was disinclined to live up to the real sense of the phrase “Record Breaker.” There was nothing really record-breaking about it except that Sarah proved her talent as a total performer. The whole concert didn’t have a clear concept. For the first part, Sarah was a dancing Diva, and then she became like Michael Jackson, and finally went back to her old familiar image singing power ballads.

The audience expected some high-flying actions, probably see Sarah on a harness or perhaps in an explosive number complete with acrobatic dancers, but G-Force was the only backup group Viva Concert can afford, or should we say designated to be in the show.

The second to the last number that Sarah did was anticlimactic. After a VTR, featuring the young Sarah being interviewed for Star For A Night, the Pop Princess sang a medley of her hits like “Forever’s Not Enough,” “To Love You More,” and “How Could You Say You Love.” And just when everybody thought that it was the last number to end the concert, she sang Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb” while wearing a psychedelic dress that looked like a lantern. Good thing she sang a Christmas ditty, which is included in a Christmas album due in December.

The whole concert undeniably highlighted Sarah Geronimo’s enviable talent. Even Regine Velasquez probably saw Sarah as the next (only) big female artist in the industry. Regine gave her a pearl necklace (immunity necklace), which could possibly the sign that the Songbird has found the perfect artist to take her place.

As the concert emphasized what Sarah can do, it also underscored what local concert producers cannot do to be at par with concerts being staged by foreign acts.

The 23rd Philippine Movie Press Club (PMPC) Star Awards for TV was held on Nov. 29, at the PAGCOR Grand Theater in Paranaque City. The Kapamilya Network once again bagged most of the awards given out including the most coveted (controversial) Best TV Station (which is actually given alternately to ABSCBN and GMA, wake up PMPC!).

Here is the list of winners:

Best Primetime TV Series

May Bukas Pa (ABS-CBN)

Best Drama Actor

Coco Martin (Tayong Dalawa, ABS-CBN)

Best Drama Actress

Gina Pareño (Tayong Dalawa, ABS-CBN)

Best Single Performance by an Actor

Joross Gamboa (Maalaala Mo Kaya: “Bisikleta” episode, ABS-CBN)

Best Single Performance by an Actress (or actresses)

Gretchen Barretto (Maalaala Mo Kaya: “Salamin” episode, ABS-CBN)
Sunshine Dizon (Obra Presents: Sunshine Dizon, “Butch” episode, GMA-7)

Best Children Show

Art Angel (GMA-7)

Best Children Show Host

Pia Arcangel, Tonipet Gaba, and Krystal Reyes (Art Angel, GMA-7)

Best Educational Program

Matanglawin (ABS-CBN)

Best Educational Program Host

Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr. (Kap’s Amazing Stories, GMA-7)

Best Travel Show

Balik-Bayan (Q 11)

Best Travel Show Host

Drew Arellano (Balik-Bayan, Q 11)

Best Reality Program

Dare Duo (Q 11)

Best Reality Program Host

Paolo Bediones (Survivor Philippines, GMA-7)

Best Lifestyle Show

Events Incorporated (Q 11)

Best Lifestyle Show Host

Tim Yap and Sam Oh (Events Incorporated, Q 11)

Best Morning Show

Umagang Kay Ganda (ABS-CBN)

Best Morning Show Host[s]

Edu Manzano, Pinky Webb, Bernadette Sembrano, Rica Peralejo, Donita Rose, Kim Atienza, Alex Santos, Anthony Taberna, Winnie Cordero, and Ginger Conejero (Umagang Kay Ganda, ABS-CBN)

Best Public Affairs Program

Probe Profiles (ABS-CBN)

Best Public Affairs Program Host

Cheche Lazaro (Probe Profiles, ABS-CBN)

Best Magazine Show

Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (GMA-7)

Best Magazine Show Host

Jessica Soho (Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho, GMA-7)

Best Public Service Program

Imbestigador (GMA-7)

Best Public Service Program Host [eto ang hall of famer]

Ben Tulfo (Bitag Live, UNTV 37)

Best News Program

TV Patrol World (ABS-CBN)

Best Male Newscaster

Julius Babao (TV Patrol World, ABS-CBN)

Best Female Newscaster

Karen Davila (TV Patrol World, ABS-CBN)

Best Youth-Oriented Program

Ka-Blog (GMA-7)

Best Talent Search Program

Talentadong Pinoy (TV 5) (na ginagaya ng GMA at ABS)

Best Talent Search Program Host

Ryan Agoncillo (Talentadong Pinoy, TV 5)

Best New Male TV Personality

Zaijian Jaranilla (May Bukas Pa, ABS-CBN)

Best New Female TV Personality

Maricar Reyes (Precious Hearts Romance Presents Presents: Bud Brothers, ABS-CBN) (and Hayden Kho)

Best Celebrity Talk Show

Sis (GMA-7)

Best Celebrity Talk Show Host

Janice de Belen (Spoon, Net 25) (YEHEY!!!)

Best Variety/Game Show

Wowowee (ABS-CBN)

Best Game Show Host

Richard Gomez (Family Feud, GMA-7)

Best Gag Show

Banana Split (ABS-CBN)
Bubble Gang (GMA-7)

Best Showbiz-Oriented Show

SNN: Showbiz News Ngayon (ABS-CBN)

Best Male Showbiz-Oriented Show Host

Boy Abunda (SNN: Showbiz News Ngayon, ABS-CBN)

Best Female Showbiz-Oriented Show Host

Toni Gonzaga (Entertainment Live, ABS-CBN)

Best Comedy Show

Ful Haus (GMA-7)

Best Comedy Actor

Pooh (Banana Split, ABS-CBN)

Best Comedy Actress

Rufa Mae Quinto (Bubble Gang, GMA-7)

Best Daytime Drama Series

Pieta (ABS-CBN)

Best Drama Mini-Series

Your Song Presents: My Only Hope (ABS-CBN)

Best Drama Anthology

Maalaala Mo Kaya (ABS-CBN)

Best Musical Variety Show

ASAP ‘08 (ABS-CBN)

Best Male TV Host

Luis Manzano (ASAP ‘08, ABS-CBN)

Best Female TV Host

Valerie Concepcion (Wowowee, ABS-CBN)

Face[s] of the Night:( they are not contented with star alone so dapat may face din!)

John Lloyd Cruz
Sunshine Dizon

Star[s] of the Night:

Anne Curtis
Piolo Pascual

Claudine Barreto has just signed a two-year contract with GMA 7 earlier today. After several months of no visible exposure in her mother network, the optimum star decided to shift loyalty.

It can be recalled that last month, Claudine signed a two-movie contract with Viva films. Eventhough she was still part of the Star Magic Concert earlier this month, the actress does not appear in ABSCBN Christmas station ID.

Her planned teleserye project with Gretchen is now shelved, but her project with husband Raymart will push through of course, because it will air on Kapuso channel.

To whatever triggered Claudine to transfer to ABSCBN’s rival station is yet to be revealed in the upcoming days!

As of October 4, 2009, the top-grossing  film in the Philippines is Sarah Geronimo and John Lloyd Cruz starrer, You Changed My Life. Based on the data released by Box Office Mojo, the movie has earned more than 4.7 million US dollars in Metro Manila alone.

Here is the list of top-grossing local films of 2009:

1. You Changed My Life              Star Cinema/Viva  Php 230.44 million

2. In My Life                                    Star Cinema                        117.96 million

3. BFF (Best Friends Forever)  Star Cinema                       107.69 million

4. Tenement 2                                 Star Cinema                         86.45 million

5. Kimmy Dora                               Spring Films                        77.36 million

6. Love Me Again                          Star Cinema                         67.07 million

7. When I Met U                            GMA Films                           64.29 million

8. And I Love You So                  Star Cinema                         54.09 million

9. Villa Estrella                              Star Cinema                         50.08 million

10. Sundo                                         GMA Films                           47.18 million

…and the losers as of  October 4, 2009 are:

11. Yaya & Angelina                     GMA Films                          46.24 million

12. OMG (Oh, My Girl!)                Regal Films                         22.45 million

13. Tarot                                           Regal Films                         18.14 million

14. LOL (Love on Line)            OctoArts Films/APT          14.70 million

15. Status: Single                       Viva Film                                 11.47 million

16. Ded na si Lolo                      APT Entertainment               6.11 million

17. Nandito ako…Nagmamahal sa ‘yo    Regal Films         3.45 million

18. Manila                                    Star Cinema                                 .68 million

19. Sumpa                                                                                              .26 million

International Emmys winners were announced  Monday night, Nov. 23 at the Hilton New York.

Emmy Awards nominee Angel Locsin wearing the 1 million-peso gown designed by Michael Cinco, the same designer who made Miss Earth First Runner Up Sandra Seifert's evening gown.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR

Ben Whishaw
Criminal Justice
BBC, United Kingdom

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS

Julie Walters
A Short Stay in Switzerland
BBC, United Kingdom

COMEDY

Hoshi Shinichi’s Short Shorts
Telecom Staff for NHK in association with NHK Enterprises, Japan

DRAMA SERIES

The Protectors
Danish Broadcasting Corporation in association with ZDF / NRK / SVT
Denmark

TELENOVELA

India – A Love Story
TV Globo, Brazil

CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE

Dustbin Baby
United Kingdom

ARTS PROGRAMMING

The Mona Lisa Curse
United Kingdom

DOCUMENTARY

The Ascent of Money
United Kingdom

NON-SCRIPTED ENTERTAINMENT

The Phone
The Netherlands

By Nickie Wang

Aliw's Entertainer of the Year Regine Velasquez

A combination of big and virtually unfamiliar names in the world of live entertainment were recognized by the Aliw Awards Foundation Inc. in the 22nd edition of the annual awards presentation held on Nov. 17 at Mega Tent in Pasig City.

Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez was the big winner of the night bagging three major awards including Entertainer of the Year, Best Major Concert (female category), and Best Collaboration in a major concert, which she also shared with contemporaries Pops Fernandez, Kuh Ledesma, and Zsa Zsa Padilla. The four singers did a concert in December last year called Divas 4 Divas.

Regine was not able to attend the awarding ceremony because she’s currently engaged with the shooting of a movie with Aga Muhlach at the moment. Her boyfriend Ogie Alcasid, who was bestowed with Hall of Fame award that night, accepted the three trophies on her behalf.

Ogie made everyone laugh when he said, “I’m not Regine Velasquez, but I love her,” and continued with some thank you messages, which according to him the Songbird wanted to extend.

Best Major Concert for the male category went to Gary Valenciano for the Gary Live @ 25 concert, but Mr. Pure Energy was a no show at the venue. According to award presenter Boots Anson-Roa, Gary, at that time, is on his sickbed. His son Gab, who won Best New Artist (Male), was there to accept his own award but didn’t stay longer at the Mega Tent to receive the award for his father.

Meanwhile, the Best New Artist plum went to unknown singer who goes by the name Christine Love. After googling her name, we found out that she is the voice behind the single “Isang Halik Mo Lang.”

Like Christine, four-year-old Gabby Bautista was another “no name“to receive an Aliw trophy. The tyke who is a part of the musical entitled Ako Si Ninoy bested other nominees like Little Big Star finalist Mika Roi Torre and WCOPA gold medalist in five different categories Rhap Salazar.

Aliw gives the award to which the recognition is due, and these particular triumphs of Christine and Gabby could be a statement that Aliw has seen something in them that mainstream entertainment and audiences have been ignoring all along. In the acceptance speech delivered by Ako Si Ninoy director Vince Tañada, he said: “We are practically unknown but we are fortunate that Aliw recognizes talents like us. It motivates us to entertain more people.”

Tañada was awarded with Best Stage Director for a Musical. The young director went up on stage twice to also accept the Best Musical Production award.

The Best Emcee recognition went to Iya Villania and Ryan Agoncillo. Ryan was one of the segment hosts of the event.

Franco Laurel and Ayen Munji were both recipients of Aliw recognition. Franco won Best Stage Actor (Musical) for Isang Panaginip na Fili, while Ayen received the Best Stage Actress (Musical) for the musical Atang, about local vaudeville star Atang dela Rama.

Stand-up comedians Beverly Salviejo and Chokoleit and stage actor Lou Veloso were among the people who perked up the crowd. The two comedians received the award for Best Stand Up Comedy Act, female and male categories, respectively, while Veloso was awarded with Best Stage Actor (Non-Musical) for his performance in Hiblang Abo.

The rest of the 22nd Aliw Award trophies were awarded to: UP Concert Chorus (Best Choral Group); Halili-Cruz Dance Company (Best Dance Company for Classical Folk category); Bugkos Palay (Best Dance Company for Modern category);  Sining Kadidilimudan from Maguindanao (Best Cultural Group); guitarist Nonoy Libanan (Best Instrumentalist); Dondie Ong and Camile Lopez- Molina (Male and Female Best Classical Performer); Liezl Batucan (Best Stage Actress for Non-Musical category); Jose Mari Avellana (Best Stage Director for Non-Musical); Dula’ta (Best Non-Musical Production ); and Yang Klasik director Lemuel de la Cruz (Best Musical Director).

Other winners were: Rico J. Puno/Ai-Ai delas Alas/Pilita Corrales (Best Collaboration in a Small Concert) for Love & Laughter on Valentine’s Day; Rico J. and jazz singer Olivia (Best Performer in Hotels, Music Lounges and Bars, male and female categories); RetroSPECT (Best Performer in Hotels, Music Lounges and Bars, group category); Nyoy Volante and Claire de la Fuente (Best Performance in a small concert, male and female categories), and classical group The Angelos (Best Performance in a small concert, group category).

By Nickie Wang

There have been debates whether the Australian film industry still needs the control and support of the government or not. The cinema of Australia can thrive without any assistance and the industry can do more in terms of global competitiveness if it is not controlled by the government’s funding body, Screen Australia.

The Black Balloon director Elissa Down

The films from Down Under have done more in making people around the world become aware of the country, thanks mainly to the success of actors like Nicole Kidman, Mel Gibson, Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman, Eric Bana, Geoffrey Rush, Guy Pearce, Naomi Watts and Cate Blanchett who have become synonymous to modern filmmaking.

Australia’s world-class facilities, state-of-the art digital and visual effects production services, acclaimed cast and crew and spectacular locations also make it a sought-after location for foreign films including Superman Returns, Matrix Trilogy, Charlotte’s Web, Ghost Rider and The Ruins. It is, of course, something that our local cinema lacks.

This month, six critically-acclaimed films from Australia are going the rounds of cinemas in Manila and Cebu as the Australian Embassy presents the 7th Australian Film Festival. It runs until Nov. 14, and the last leg is the Ayala Centre Cebu.

“The embassy is pleased to continue its tradition of providing Filipino moviegoers the opportunity to experience Australian film excellence and learn more about Australian popular culture, history and contemporary values,” Australian ambassador to the Philippines Rod Smith said at the opening of the festival.

The festival is opened by visiting Australian director Elissa Down with the premiere of her film The Black Balloon. The Los Angeles-based director arrived in Manila for the screening of the film and to conduct master classes at the University of the Philippines Film Institute and Mowelfund Institute.

“Down’s visit will further strengthen ties between the Australian and Filipino film industries which have developed through the film festival and Cinemanila during the past few years, through workshops for student film producers and directors conducted by visiting Australian actors and directors,” Ambassador Smith said.

The Black Balloon, starring Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning actress Toni Collette (Sixth Sense, About A Boy), follows the story of 15-year-old Thomas (Rhys Wakefield) who tries to fit in his new life as his family moves to a new home while taking care of his autistic older brother Charlie (Luke Ford, The Mummy-Tomb of the Dragon Emperor) and nurturing a budding romance with new girlfriend Jackie (Australian supermodel and actress Gemma Ward). Charlie takes Thomas on an emotional journey in a story that is funny, confronting and ultimately heart-warming.

“This film is about unconditional love. It’s a dramady [drama-comedy] inspired from the story of my own family,” Down told Standard Today. “I’ve got two brothers who have autism so if you could imagine, growing up with them was a little crazy. Making this movie was really a therapy on my part.”

Down, who also co-wrote and co-produced The Black Balloon, said that the film was awarded by the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival Crystal Bear for Best Feature-Length film last year. Back in her hometown, it received the Australian Film Institute awards for Best Direction, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Film, Best Screenplay, and Best Editing.

“It won numerous awards abroad and it’s inspiring in a way that it motivates me to write stories and make more films that talk about families, real people. The Black Balloon, as I’ve said, talks about love that knows no limit and everyone can relate most especially to the lead character,” the director said.

Also featured in this year’s festival are Unfinished Sky, a romantic drama about the nature of loss and the language of love; The Bank, a political thriller set in the world of high finance; the romantic comedy Danny Deckchair; Garage Days, a story about a teenager’s dream to be a rock star; and The Hard Word starring Guy Pearce (Memento, The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, LA Confidential) and Golden Globe winner Rachel Griffiths (Six Feet Under, Brothers and Sisters).

By Nickie Wang

Listening to the music of Italian pop star Patrizio Buanne is like drinking the finest wines in Italy. The experience is sweet, romantic and can go as far as intoxicating if you let yourself be in a trance with his elegant and captivating voice.

Patrizio is an Italian baritone who is making a name for himself as an international entertainer with numerous sold-out shows across Europe. He has just sold his one millionth record through the help of his growing fan base in Australia, United States, UK, South Africa, and in some parts of Asia. He has performed before prominent people like United States President George W. Bush and Pope John Paul II.

“It’s a dream, yes, but it is something that I’ve been doing ever since. I keep on doing it because the applause of the audience inspires me. It gives me a unique feeling,” the 31-year-old crooner told Standard Today in a phone interview.

As soon as he heard our voice he said “Let’s rock and roll” in a very enthusiastic manner. Patrizio instantly showed his humorous side by telling us “I’m not calling you, you’re the one who is calling me” and greeted us again as if he was welcoming someone to his hometown.

“I’m right here in my hometown, Napoli [Naples],” he said pronouncing every single English word with his unmistakably Italian accent and gave us a little lesson in pronouncing his name (pronounced as PA-TRIT-SIO).

We had a casual conversation with Patrizio. The singer told us his whole activity for the day. We asked him if he ever gets tired doing those things and he gave us a very interesting reply that pronounces his unique passion and tireless devotion.

“I’m busy but I like it that way because it gives me an idea that there are people who want me and interested in me as an artist. If you’re not busy then it means you’re not productive.”

Patrizio is one of the classic examples of talent and good looks but it is also the reason why some people doubt his singing flair. But the “voice of romance” also had to convince his audience that he is not just some dashing artist who poses at the center stage and holds the microphone.

At the age of 11, Patrizio had the first of his many appearances in talent contests. With the conviction at such an early age to, ultimately, become a singer and actor, he ended up winning all the competitions he ever participated in.

“My real ambition is to become an international recording artist that’s why I’m investing my own money to approach record companies and international concert promoters. So if you could make a suggestion and tell Ricky [Reyes] to bring me to Manila then that would be great,” the singer said and revealed that Ricky Reyes is a friend of his and that the TV host and beauty expert hosted a dinner party for him sometime in October 2006.

His multicultural upbringing allows him to communicate with different nationalities and at the same time introduce his music. He speaks fluent Italian, German, English, French and Spanish. His aptitude for languages is admirable that he can also converse in Slavic language and Polish.

“Because of that, I’m a very open-minded. My upbringing allows me to know and associate with more people. As a matter of fact, I can sing Freddie Aguillar’s ‘Anak.’ I learned that song when I visited the Philippines in 2006,” Patrizio’s another interesting revelation.

The charming crooner is more popularly known for the Italian version of Robbie Williams’ “Angels”, which became his first radio hit in the United States. It is part of the second album called Forever Begins Tonight. On the other hand, his first album entitled The Italian reached platinum status in many different parts of the world and produced several hits that furthered Patrizio’s status as a certified international entertainer in spite of not having professional music management.

Now, as he finds Warner Music as his home, he recorded another album with a vision of reaching a much wider audience. In the third album simply called Patrizio, the pop star collaborated with legendary music producer, Humberto Gatica.

“People know I’m an Italian and with my new album, I want to introduce myself—a person, an artist, who is more mature in all sense of the word—ready to accept bigger responsibilities and challenges,” he said.

Patrizio ended our conversation saying that he would love to visit the Philippines again so he could personally introduce the album that he considers very close to his heart.

“It talks about me and how I emerged or developed as an artist. This is a part of me that I can share with people who find my music interesting. I create songs that are timeless and romantic. My music reflects a good heart. And I believe that having a good heart is the richest thing in this world,” Patrizio said before he humbly bade goodbye.

By Nickie Wang

For the modern-day Filipino language, “Noche Pacifica” does not sound very local. But nobody could dismiss the idea that it is still very Filipino in a sense that even average people can understand the meaning of it and sure American pianist Jim Brickman couldn’t think of any other phrase to describe his impression of the country.

“Noche Pacifica” is one of the title tracks included in Jim Brickman’s latest work entitled Beautiful World, an album for Universal Records.

According to the American pianist, the song “Noche Pacifica” (Peaceful Night) is inspired by his visit in the country five years ago. While touring the Philippines, he was comforted by the distinct Filipino hospitality offered in a cruise ship that took him to Cebu, Palawan and Boracay.

“I’ve had concert tours here in the Philippines and the idea of peaceful night came about when I met some really good Filipino friends who were cruising with me,” Brickman shared when asked about the song during a press conference held at Eastwood Mall.

Brickman, who revolutionized the sound of adult contemporary music with his pop-style solo piano, was here in the country to stage a one-night concert at the Eastwood Mall Open on Oct. 28.

The romantic musical event is part of Brickman’s 75-city Beautiful World Concert Tour that aims to promote the latest album that contains 21 tracks including a collaboration with Asia’s Romantic Balladeer Christian Bautista (the track is available only in the Philippine edition of the CD).

Respect for Filipino talent

Jim Brickman is always been attracted to the Philippines. According to him, he pays high respect and admiration to local singers most especially with the people whom he has worked with like Lea Salonga, Sharon Cuneta, Pops Fernandez, Erik Santos (who is embarking on a Asia-wide tour to promote The Jim Brickman Songbook) Martin Nievera, Agot Isidro and Ariel Rivera.

“I’ve said this before that everybody in the Philippines can sing. It’s not just plain singing but really good singing,” the pianist affirmed and continued that if given a chance, he would want to collaborate with Regine Velasquez.“I heard her singing my songs and I would love to work with her.”

Brickman considers ballad hits “Valentine,” “The Gift,” and “Destiny” as his career highlights. Little did he know that for most hopeless romantic Filipinos, these songs practically serve as part of their life as well. This is one of the reasons why his songs are oftentimes being performed by local artists.

“One of the reasons why my music finds success is because my music is intended to be shared with people. And there are so many people who can easily relate with the message of the songs I compose,” the Cleveland native responded when asked about his sentiment when people sing his songs.

Beautiful World

The new album is inspired by Jim’s unique gift of bridging borders and cultural divides through his music.

“It takes inspiration to the places where I travel,” Brickman explained, “I had released 20 albums and this one is very special because it tells about the wonderful opportunities I get from traveling around the world.”

The Grammy-nominated artist is ecstatic with the new album. He even said that he is proud to promote the album because of the universal messages it convey. Among the tracks in the CD, “Free To Fly” is his personal favorite.

“The message is simple, it’s about being free to take whatever path you want to take in your life,” he said.

The new CD showcases the brand-new song “Beautiful World [We’re All Here]” interpreted by Adam Crossley. It also features the all-star collaboration of the artist with Jon Secada, Melinda Doolittle, Orla Fallon, Mark Masri and Anne Cochran in “What The World Needs Now Is Love.”

Brickman has been known for working together with gifted vocal talents like Martina McBride, Michael W. Smith, Michael Bolton, Lady Antebellum, Carly Simon, Donny Osmond and others.

By Nickie Wang

Brillante Mendoza has directed nine films since he started making movies in 2005. Three of these films (Tirador, Foster Child, Masahista) were exhibited at the Cannes Film Festival, and two others (Serbis and Kinatay) were part of the main competition.

To win best director award at Cannes Film Festival, which is considered as one of the oldest and most prestigious film festivals in the world, is not an ordinary achievement. The honor puts his name alongside the best filmmakers in the world like Quentin Tarantino and Ang Lee.

Recently, Brillante’s film Kinatay received two more awards at the Sitges International Film Festival in Spain. The director wanted to receive the Best Director and Best Original Soundtrack trophies but he was in Paris on the day of the awards night. He was having a meeting with a big film outfit that is willing to distribute his film Kinatay commercially.

Up to this day, Brillante’s works still receive mixed reviews. But isn’t it called a success when a film elicited different reactions from critics and viewers because it made them think?

At the moment, Brillante’s goal is to continue making movies that attract viewers. After Lola, a film about two elderly women coping with the harsh realities of life, his next project might be about the Abu Sayyaf.

“What is important for me right now is to generate audience for independent films. We all know that indies have limited audience so my goal is to encourage people to watch them,” Brillante said at the launching of MyDSL Watchpad.

Watchpad, according to PDLT officials, is a broadband innovation that allows MyDSL subscribers to watch some of the hottest channels and TV shows for free, surf the Net, play online games, and update Facebook, Multiply and Twitter accounts, all in one page (without closing any of the applications).

Brillante’s films are highlighted at the launching of the streaming technology featured on Watchpad called myFlicks. Some of the films that are shown on Watchpad are Serbis, Twilight Dancers, Masahista, Manoro and Foster Child.

For the question of censorship, Dan Ibarra, head of retail business group of PLDT, said that these films are shown based on the approval of Movie and Television Review and Classification Board. He added that since Watchpad employs streaming technology, downloading or pirating these featured movies can be prohibited.

Soon, other highly-acclaimed films from more of the country’s premier filmmakers and directors will be featured on Watchpad.

Aside from this streaming feature, there are also about 15 cable channels available on Watchpad. Some of them are MTV, Voom HDTV, Go Channel, PBO, CNBC, CNN, Animax, Cartoon Network, National Geographic, among others. Indeed, there’s something for everyone.

“Watchpad has a very rich content and it marks our entry to the realm of multimedia. We are providing our subscribers access to multimedia because we would like to give them unique experience. And that sets us apart from our competitors. Our vision is to showcase quality works. We are always partner with brilliance,” Ibarra expressed.

Along with the launch of Watchpad, PLDT also announces another news from PLDT Budget Card. Subscribers who use Budget Card can now enjoy reduced call rate to US and Canada. From P3, call rate has been reduced by 50 percent to P1.50 per minute.