Talk of the town: Rhian Ramos goes topless

People

…are talking about

Rhian Ramos

How to stand out among four leading ladies, how is she supposed to leave an unforgettable impression while being compared to the likes of Solenn Heussaf, Lovi Poe, and Eugene Domingo? Rhian is among the four leading ladies of Richard Gutierrez in a Valentine movie and she promises that everyone most especially men would leave the movie houses mesmerized by her. How? A little teaser – she’s going topless in one scene. Is the thought of it already sweltering hot? Indeed, it will make cold February feels like summer.

Rachelle Ann reaffirms the title ‘ultimate champion’

By NICKIE WANG/ Manila Standard Today

At the Music Museum on Jan. 31, Rachelle Ann Go held a coming-of-age performance as she brought down the house and showed the audience why she is called the “Ultimate Champion.”

Although it didn’t start right on time, the two-hour concert opened with a loud bang as Rachelle appeared at the center of the stage in a skimpy shorts singing “Womanizer,” “Supergirl,” and “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).” After the bouncy opening number, the medley was then followed by Rachelle plugging a new album Falling In Love, which was coincidentally the same title of her second major solo concert.

As the plugging continued, she sang the carrier single of the album, “This Time I Will Be Sweeter,” and announced that the album was just officially launched on Asap a couple of weeks back. She sang two more samples from the latest album like covers of Bread’s “If” and Dennis Lambert’s “Of All the Things.”

Special guests

The second day of Rachelle’s solo concert was graced by artists who have always been supportive of her whenever she had a performance. Mark Bautista shared the stage with her and sang an unfamiliar song while Rachelle was at the backstage changing her wardrobe.

When Rachelle reappeared, she indulged the audience with a sexy performance singing Shontelle’s “T-shirt,” Leona Lewis’ “Bleeding Love,” and Pussycat Doll’s “I Hate This Part Right Here.”

One of the loudest cheers from the jam-packed Music Museum was for the appearance of Christian Bautista who collaborated with Rachelle in an awe-inspiring rendition of Beyoncé’s “If I Were A Boy.” Christian was singing, “If I were a girl.” Although it was obvious that the former lovers just did it for the show, the act clicked to the screaming audience.

Christian gave an entertaining performance while Rachelle was at the dressing room for another change outfit. The crooner serenaded the crowd with Joe Cocker hit “You Are So Beautiful” and another similar song popularized by Joshua Kadison (“Beautiful In My Eyes”).

While some people thought Christian was the big treat, Gab Valenciano blasted the stage in a production of Chris Brown’s chart topper “Superhuman.”  After the dance number, that saw Rachelle and Gab in an intimate lifting stunts, Gab caressed the keyboard as her rumored girlfriend sang a love ditty.

Total performer

Proving that she is a versatile performer, every time she reappeared on stage she splashed elaborate production numbers complete with hippie and giddy choreography. She bounced her body and sang like she didn’t even catch her breath, and still pitch-perfect.

In the middle of the concert, the singer admitted that she lost her voice after the first day of the concert and that she was so thankful she got her voice back right before the concert’s final day. Ogie Alcasid, who was the last special guest, said that her vocal problem was not evident for she sang every song perfectly.

The singer songwriter covered Rachelle, who had her third costume change, and sang several of the songs he penned like “Kailangan Kita” and “Kailangan Ko’y Ikaw.”

Songs of her life

For every costume change (a total of four costume changes) and whenever she reappeared on stage, Rachelle would always let the audience know the importance of every song she was about to sing. She performed classics that have been part of her life, contemporary music she enjoys listening to, songs that complete her day, and songs that have always been associated to her rise as a popular young diva.

She made heartwarming versions of Barbara Streisand’s “All I Ask of You” and a gospel song entitled “Jesus Loves Me.”

For every transition, she also shifted singing songs of different genres. From pop and R&B during the first parts of the concert, she geared toward singing music from the ’70s and ’80s like “September,” “A Night to Remember,” “I Love the Nightlife (Disco ‘Round),” “I Will Survive,” and “Let’s Dance (Tonight).”

For the finale, Rachelle sang the only Filipino song in the entire concert (except for the ones Alcasid performed) “Bakit.” Then it was followed by Mariah Carey’s “Through the Rain,” the ultimate song she sang during the finals of Search for a Star, and Melissa Manchester original “Don’t Cry Out Loud,” which was her first-ever known hit coming from the self-titled album that went double platinum.

Off on a tangent

The concert was supposed to be a pre-Valentine offering of Rachelle Ann Go. With the lineup of songs she performed, and the redundant spiels she dropped when she conversed with the audience, the concert just sounded like an outline or a gist of her career that spans over five years.

She certainly proved that her talent is a great delight to someone looking for an impressive entertainment experience but she needs more original materials and a couple more hits to bring her natural talent to a bigger venue like the Big Dome. If she did that, she will no longer have to ask support from other artists to back her up so her concert would draw more audiences.

Ramielle Malubay comes home for a concert

By NICKIE WANG

American Idol finalist Ramielle Malubay.

She made every Filipino proud when she belted out Aretha Franklin’s Natural Woman during her audition for the seventh season of American Idol television series. Although she was voted off earlier than most people expected, she earned praises and admiration from the talent show’s judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson.

Ramielle Malubay, famed for being ‘the small adorable Idol with a big voice,’ is here in Manila to celebrate Christmas and to be part of a concert dubbed “Ogie Sings with the Idols” slated on Dec. 20 to 21 at the Aliw Theater in Pasay City .

Ramielle will be singing together with no less than ultimate singer and song writer Ogie Alcasid. Included in the concert are GMA 7’s Pinoy Idol  top 3, Ram Chavez, Jayann Bautista and Gretchen Espina, the other 9 Pinoy Idol finalists will have a special participation in the two-night concert. The front act will be an indie rock band called Menaya.

Ramielle, who was born in Dammam , Saudi Arabia and practically grew up in Miramar , Florida , speaks fluent Tagalog. She’s very proud of her roots being a big fan of Regine Velasquez and Lani Misalucha. Besides those local artists she considers Aretha Franklin and Mariah Carey as her major influences in music.

Idol Experience

When fellow Filipino-Americans Jasmine Trias and Camille Velasco made it to AI Season 3, Ramiele became inspired to join and audition to the world’s most successful talent search. She first auditioned for AI Season 5 but did not make it. She was sixteen years old then.

“I was eager, first in line, first in the first group to audition. Kumanta ako, three words came out of my mouth and they said next,” Ramielle recalled.

She was discouraged initially but continued to sing and win contests in Florida . She focused with her school. She took up BS Nursing at the Broward Community College and on her third year, she tried to audition again, and her dreams found its realization.

“It’s a really weird feeling, but when I made it I was just so excited because I realized I went through all the people in that line. Many people gave up their jobs. They sacrificed so much just for that show. So just to pass that round and be actually part of the show, it’s already a big accomplishment for me,” the determined singer related.

Controversies are part of the limelight. During Ramielle’s stint in American Idol, some of her photos were scrapped from her Facebook account. While David Hernandez, her fellow AI finalist, was discovered to be a former stripper in a night club that caters to gay clienteles through pictures on the internet, Ramielle was tagged lesbian.

“Oh sexy,” she chuckled when asked about the infamous photos that once became hot items on the internet. “But I was worried about kung ano ang sasabihin nila Mommy, how will they handle it. Okay lang kasi yung mga kasama ko dun mga best friends ko. They are like my sisters already. Loko-loko lang yun. It’s not a big deal to us. Nang nakita ko yung picture tapos binasa ko yung sinulat nila sabi ko: ‘My God, anong nangyari? How did it turn around like this?”

First Christmas in the Philippines

Ramielle arrived in the country on Dec. 12. She is going to stay in the here for three months to do shows while spending some time with her relatives. Her mother Alicia is originally from Zamboanga and her father Roger is from Quezon province. She already visited her relatives on her mother side.

“Three months ako right now, pero kung kailangang i-prolong, why not?” said the singer who stands at 4’11. “This is my first trip here in the Philippines na for work, pero as trip for vacation hindi.”

As her first Christmas in the Philippines , she is looking forward to seeing how the yuletide season being celebrated by most Filipinos in the country.

“Pag dating ko dito, wow andaming ilaw. Everybody tells me, yung mga kaibigan kong nagbabakasyon dito for Christmas na it’s different kahit maiinit or walang snow. Talagang iba daw ang feeling ng Christmas dito,” 20 year-old Ramielle enthused.

Aside from visiting her relatives in Quezon and Zamboanga, she will also visit Pampanga where her boyfriend Austin Torres’ family lives. She met Austin in a Goldilocks store in California .

“Yung Mommy and Daddy ko, they treat me sabi nila:‘Punta tayo sa Goldilocks, kain tayo, family lunch.’ Tapos ‘pag dating ko dun ang daming tao tapos may caremas. Tapos sabi nila:‘Ay nasabi ko ata sa owner na pupunta ka dun.”

On that day, Austin, who never knew who she was, was picking up some enseymada for his mother.

“Akala ko artista siya or something, basta familiar yung mukha niya. Sabi ko sa Mommy ko, ‘Mom, ang guwapo niya.’ Ang Mommy ko naman, ‘Quiet ka diyan!’ Galit siya! Tapos after that we met again,” she giggled. “He’s my first real boyfriend,”

Bubbly Pinay

When asked where her voice is coming from considering her very small frame, she answered: “My Mommy said my voice comes from my pata (thigh).”

Unlike other Filipinos who grew up in the States, Ramielle is proud of her language and speaks it fluent. In an interview with the press at Danny’s Grill Restaurant on Dec. 15 to promote her homecoming concert with Ogie, Ramielle answered all questions in Tagalog.

“Well, si Daddy kasi, nagalit dahil noong second time na nagbakasyon kami dito, nag-i-english kaming magkapatid. Tinanggal ni Daddy yung cable sa bahay for months. Ang naiwan lang, Filipino Channel,” she recalled and added: “Sa bahay pag hindi nagta-Tagalog talagang papaluin ni Daddy.”

Aside from The Filipino Channel, their home in Florida has GMA Pinoy TV as well. Is she planning to be a Kapuso or Kapamilya?

“As of right now, hindi pa ko in-offeran ng anything ng GMA or whatever. But binigyan nila ako ng opportunity. It was an honor na binigyan nila ako ng spot doon [SOP]. Hindi lang po isang kanta, they gave a very good exposure. Pag inofferan nila ako, I would think about it,” the petite singer told.

Ramielle was awestruck when she guested in SOP and saw her idol Regine, Ogie’s real-life sweetheart.

Other projects

Ramielle’s contract with American Idol ended last August but she is busy doing projects with Disney Channel. Amidst the huge opportunity that awaits her in the States, she puts on hold her Disney projects to treat her Filipino fans.

“Yung Disney Channel doon, that’s very big. Gusto kong bumalik doon. Pero inuna ko muna yung concert dito. You know, this is my home. No matter where I stay, Florida , California , American Idol, dito ako,” she ended.

“Ogie Sings with the Idols” is being produced by TheUnderGround Studio, Inc (TUGS) under the supervision of Brian Sombero, vocalist/ guitarist of the band Menaya.