Pacquiao returns to GMA-7

By Nickie Wang/ Manila Standard Today

After announcing that his much-awaited fight against Ricky Hatton will be aired on ABS-CBN, Pacquiao made an apologetic announcement honoring the exclusive rights of GMA-7 and Solar Sports to broadcast his May 2 title bout.

It’s a mission accomplished for GMA Network vice president for entertainment Wilma Galvante, who personally flew to Los Angeles to have a serious talk with the boxing champ. In a text message sent by the executive, she said, “God is good and Manny Pacquiao will remain a Kapuso.”

Pacquiao, who is part of the series Totoy Bato that also stars Robin Padilla and Regine Velasquez, is having his rigid training in the States to prepare for his fight scheduled in May. He made a controversial announcement that surprised both GMA Network and Solar Sports.

“We were very very surprised and at the same time very disappointed because we looked at all angles and we felt that wasn’t a smart decision,” Solar Sports’ vice president for sales and marketing Jude Turcuaco told Standard Today last week.

Solar Sports immediately held a press conference to discuss the matter with the media and to answer questions hounding the issue. According to Turcuaco, the network’s president and chief executive Wilson Tieng and chief operating officer Peter Chanliong flew to Los Angeles to talk to Pacquiao.

The major development happened after the executive had a thorough discussion with the boxing champ and convinced him not to rescind his contract with Solar Sports because it’s binding and valid.

Meanwhile at the same press conference, the lawyers who are handling the issue stated that Manny Pacquiao’s announcement and attempt to cancel the license agreement was based on the misinterpretation of facts. They added that Pacquiao may have been misled or misguided that Solar Entertainment has committed a breach of contract, but the fact is that Solar has complied with the agreement.

The sports cable channel signed a block-time agreement with GMA-7 to telecast all the fights of Pacquiao until May 2011.

The controversy started when Solar Sports apparently didn’t fulfill its financial obligation to Pacman who was supposed to receive 25 percent of the payment 10 days after the fight contract was signed last January. The boxer made a decision to rescind his contract to Solar Sports and chose ABS-CBN to cover his bout with Hatton and his three remaining fights scheduled within the next two years.

It was reported that Pacquiao also chose ABS-CBN because it can give better coverage and bigger exposure in helping him for his bid for the elections in 2010.

Solar Sports, however, denied that it was negligent to its financial obligation to the boxing icon. But the cable channel apparently deposited the money, which Pacquiao was asking in advance, only last March 17.

The sports cable channel executive Turcuaco stated that legal means are its last option, the initially prepared P150-million lawsuit against Pacquiao was supposed to protect all parties involved in the contract. Now that Pacquiao has decided to cooperate with Solar Sports and GMA-7, everything is well and all parties are back at work.

On the latest development, ABS-CBN made an announcement that it respects the decision of Manny Pacquiao to reconsider his contract to GMA and Solar Sports. The network made this decision to ease things out and avoid for the matter to reach the courtroom.

Cesar Montano: Intertwined life in the movies and politics

By Nickie Wang/ Manila Standard Today

Is Cesar Montano going to run for a political post again? Well, the right person to answer this question is no other than Cesar himself.

The actor plunged into politics when he made a sudden decision to join the Senate slate in the 2007 elections under the administration’s TEAM Unity. Critics said it was an immature and bad decision. Apart from the fact that actors are no longer popular in winning the elections, Cesar’s senatorial bid was unexpected and his platform was too limited to arts and culture development, relatively unpopular among voters.

“No regrets at all. I learned a lot of things from that experience,” said Cesar during a short talk with the press after the launch of Western Union Gold Card at Teatrino in Greenhills recently.

Cesar is challenged by a clamor asking him to enter politics again. This time, Boholanos are asking him to run as a governor in his hometown.

“I’m almost considering it,” said the 46-year-old actor and occasional movie director. “What delay my decision are questions that I need to answer like, ‘Can I live there for five days and stay here in Manila for just two days to check on my kids?’ Or ‘Can I just transfer my kids there to study, what about my shows and shooting?’ And there are more questions that I need to discuss with my wife,” Cesar explained.

The actor is considering other matters that do not just involve his family but also the people and the province he would be serving in case he’d be voted for a government position. He mentioned that his presence in Bohol would be greatly needed as the father of the province.

The finality of his answer also depends on the decision of his wife, Sunshine Cruz. The Singing Bee host said he is consulting Sunshine and that they are both going to decide on the matter.

“We’ve talked about this thing but I told her that there’s no need to hurry deciding on it. I told her that we could decide later on, maybe on the last quarter of the year,” the actor said, noting the sentiments of his wife and family.

Once final with his decision, Cesar would be up against congressmen from the province who are in their last terms. There is also a strong possibility that the incumbent vice governor of the province would be his strong rival. When asked about the qualifications that suits him for the position, the award-winning actor exclaimed, “The island of Bohol is a tourist zone, I’m in [the] film business. Movie is a great and a very powerful medium to elevate the tourism of an island. I’m saying that because na-prove ko na ’yan with Panaghoy Sa Suba that won 37 awards from abroad. I was able to introduce Loboc River through the film, and dumagsa ang mga tourists sa lugar after that.”

Panaghoy Sa Suba, also referred as Cry of the River, is a 2004 film that earned different accolades here and abroad. Cesar produced, directed and starred the film.

Cesar is excited about a new project that he is willing to do this year even if he wouldn’t get any support from any big film outfits.

“I’m interested to do the [movie on] Francisco Dagohoy, kasi talagang taga-Bohol ’yun. Si Francisco Dagohoy, led the longest revolt in the Philippines, his story is part of our history. Another one is Eskaya, parang alibata ’yan… Alibata [a pre-Spanish writing system] from Luzon, Eskaya from the south,” Cesar discussed.

Eskaya, which Cesar is very excited about, is actually a name of an indigenous group found in the mountainous area of Bohol. Its language Eskayan interestingly has no clear relationship with any known language.

“Many people think that early Filipinos were illiterate. They didn’t know that Filipinos could communicate, we could write, we could read already, even before, way before the Spanish came to the Philippines. We need to share this to the world. I’m thinking of doing it this year, kahit indie I will do it, the Philippines has to do it,” the determined actor said.

Cesar added that he is in regular talk with his Hollywood contacts that would be instrumental in introducing Bohol as good place for location shoot for international movies.

“Two weeks ago, I was in the US. Kausap ko ’yung nag-produce ng The Great Raid [Cesar’s first Hollywood film] and Titanic. I meet people and I gather stories suited for international release. ’Yung mga stories na pwedeng gamitan ng 70 percent na salitang Ingles para maging American picture, parang Slumdog [Millionaire]. We don’t lack talents, we only need to be aggressive, and we need contacts,” the actor related.

He already foresees the project that he might get involved with once elected. To the question that connects him to running as a governor of Bohol in the elections next year, “I’m 70 percent sure,” was his answer.

“Isa pa ’yan na pwede kong gawin sa Bohol . But if I can prove to our Hollywood connections that Bohol is one of the safest places to shoot a movie, then with just one film, ang tourism ay aangat,” he ended and coined the word Bohollywood.

Animax animates the ‘Laminated Woman’

By Nickie Wang/ Manila Standard Today

LaMB premieres 8 p.m. tonight. It is the first multi-platform, multi-disciplinary, and multi-media production for online, mobile and television produced by Animax.

This $6-million animated film, the biggest Animax original production, is also the channel’s first production in High Definition to be broadcast across several countries. The story is inspired by the script submitted by Filipino amateur writer Carmelo Juinio to the Animax Awards 2007 pan-Asia scriptwriting contest.

Juinio’s entry entitled Laminated Woman: To the Sand Planet Cerra, won in the Philippine leg of the competition and was sent to the regional competition in Japan where it won second prize.

“I lost in the finals in Japan. I massively missed on the fact that I do not have a strong child character in the script. I think all animés should have a strong child character even if it is just a sidekick. Most animés are really about kids,” Carmelo Junio told us before the special screening of the full-length animated movie.

Laminated Woman lost out to the competition winner Takane’s Bike written by Hayato Takamaga from Japan.

According to Animax, Juinio’s script impressed Japanese industry experts with its dark beauty and soulful depth, and was accorded a Special Award recognition for his amazing talent. Handpicked from over 3,000 entries across Asia, LaMB is centered on the life of a woman in a laminated suit.

“Japanese people have a peculiar way of shortening long words. So from laminated, they made it lamb,” the amateur writer said explaining how the title became LaMB from the original “Laminated Woman,” adding also that lamination is a system of virtual slavery that punishes convicts yet still makes them productive members of the society.

The writer’s meme

LaMB revolves around the story of two protagonists named Eve, a laminated woman or simply a LaMB, and Jack, a scientist who is on a mission to turn the unforgiving landscape of planet Cerra green.

“The real-life inspiration would be two people sitting in the same room, probably colleagues at work, they’re seated right across each other but they don’t communicate. It is the same thing here, but it is more extreme,” Juinio conveyed.

He added that a laminated person can barely speak nor make his own decisions. So the two protagonists are practically in the same room but they are not communicating until they discover something which is very Filipino, a communication tool which is equivalent to text messaging.

“My ideas are accidental; it’s opportunistic in the sense that for example the dinosaurs became extinct and the little furry creatures at that time evolved into large mammals and eventually into us, humans. So I guess it’s opportunism in a grand scale, mine is opportunism in a smaller scale,” the writer related.

Juinio seemed awestricken seeing the animated film for the very first time. He believes that there were changes made in the script to adapt the story to other Asian audiences.

“I tried to control my emotional level because it’s bad for the health, it causes ulcer and all, you know. My excitement is actually gradual; it’s like gradually a rising hill. I’m not overly excited,” Juinio said before the screening.

Juinio, who proclaimed himself as a professional bum (a creative bum that is), said that the idea of the story has been with him all along. Something came to him at the turn of the century but it was only when the contest came around that he took opportunity to evolve the idea into something concrete.

“It came about through evolution, it was a very germ of an idea, I can’t remember what precisely it was but it was a very simple idea like a song in the night, I have this vision of two people holding hands and not touching,” Juinio concluded.

LaMB will have special encores on March 25 to 29 for the Part 1, and Part 2 will be broadcast on March 30. The animated movie also features French-Canadian band Simple Plan and the American band The Click Five. Both bands produced songs that serve as title tracks of the movie. Meanwhile, Hong Kong actress Josie Ho and Taiwan’s heartthrob Van Ness Wu are also part of the animated movie as voice actors of the main characters, Eve and Jack.

Richard Gutierrez relives the Legend of Zorro

By Nickie Wang/ Manila Standard Today

This year’s most anticipated and ambitious program to be produced on primetime television is the first and official localized version of the story of a fictional character created in the early 20th century.

Zorro, GMA Network’s latest addition to its strong Telebabad block, will be headlined by Richard Gutierrez playing the role of Antonio Pelaez, a nobleman and master swordsman living in the Spanish colonial era.

Gutierrez is set to charm three of the television’s hottest and equally talented young actresses: Rhian Ramos as Lolita, the ladylove of Zorro; Bianca King as Cara; and Michelle Madrigal as Juana.

According to GMA vice president for entertainment Wilma Galvante, this world-class series is shot entirely in the picturesque and Spanish-inspired location in Bagac, Bataan. She added that viewers will have a visual trip into the past with the presence of grand old-style houses, cobblestones pathways and fortifications. The scenes that feature gypsies, carnivals, circus actors, courtesans and pirates are few of the main attractions that will give the series an authentic Spanish-era feel.

Directed by distinguished directors who have helmed numerous top-rating programs in GMA: Mark Reyes, the man behind successful series Encantadia and Codename: Asero; and Dominic Zapata, the virtuoso director whose projects include Mulawin and Captain Barbell, are out to transform the Legend of Zorro into a moving tale that will captivate local audience starting today.

The masked hero

At the grand launch of the series, which was indeed a grandiose event, Richard entered the newly built state-of-the-art Studio 7 of GMA hovering across the venue through a harness connected to a cable. He then gave the entertainment press a peek of what kind of action viewers can expect from the action-packed made-for-television program.

“Our main goal is not to surpass what the original Zorro did. We just want him to look like a Pinoy. With the help and cooperation of the whole team, I think we are on the right track,” Richard related when he was flanked by the press.

Richard will be seen carrying a long, slender, two-edged sword throughout the series, as he reprises the role of the masked hero.

According to the actor, although he knows how to ride a horse, he had to undergo training in horseback riding to prepare for the role. Just like the whole cast, he also had Spanish lessons to prepare his tongue in pronouncing foreign words included in the script. As part of the preparation, the actor even studied fencing that primed him for difficult skirmishing stunts.

The blazing ‘Z’ mark

The original Zorro is famous for branding his tyrants on the chest with a blazing “Z” mark. Will this new series make another mark to GMA’s primetime block?

Zorro is Richard’s seventh collaboration with the station after Mulawin, Sugo, Captain Barbell, Lupin, Kamandag, and Codename: Asero. All of these top-rating programs gave Richard the moniker “Primetime King.” Aside from the established connection the actor has made with the loyal Kapuso viewers, the series’ powerhouse cast is also one of the program’s main attractions.

The star-studded cast are Eddie Gutirrez as Governor Luis Argon, Mark Gil as Capt. Horacio Pelaez, TJ Trinidad as Ramon Pelaez, Jomari Yllana as Diego dela Vega, Sandy Andolong as Maria, Pinky Marquez as Doña Catalina Pulido, Leo Martinez as Don Carlos Pulido, Bobby Andrews as Sgt. Pedro Gonzales, Ricky Davao as Padre Felipe, Sheena Halili as Lena, Bubbles Paraiso as Magda, Maureen Larazabal as Bella, Robert Villar as Pepe, Antonio Aquitania as Bernardo, Elvis Gutierrez as Silverio, Epi Quizon as Shishong, Bodie Cruz as Agustin Manalo, Paloma as Paquita, Shiela Marie as Liza, and Gloria Sevilla as Nana Zita.

The program that also boasts lavish production design and exceptional visual effects tells a story of a skilled horseman who becomes the champion of the masses. Abandoned by his courtesan mother (Marcela, to be played by Lani Meracdo) at a young age, Antonio (Richard Gutierrez) was raised under the care of the well-off haciendero Don Roberto Pelaez (Joel Torre) and his wife Doña Chiquita (Jacklyn Jose).

Amidst being raised by an affluent family, Antonio builds close ties with the commoners called Indios and empathizes with their plight. The romance, on the other hand, starts when Antonio meets the hardheaded Lolita (Rhian Ramos), during his search for his mother.

“I’m excited about this. Even though I didn’t audition, I’m still happy that I got the part,” Rhian revealed. “I’m so happy to be with a leading man I’m comfortable working with.”

The young actress said that because of her busy schedule during the casting of the series, she wasn’t able to audition for the plum role, but it was anyway her intention to be part of the much awaited series. Zorro is the third onscreen tandem of Rhian and Richard after Captain Barbell and Lupin.

Rock band restarts journey with Arnel Pineda

By Nickie Wang/ Manila Standard Today

Our old pals can still rock, and the inclusion of Filipino rocker Arnel Pineda provided new energy to the band that has been entertaining fans across the globe for more than three decades now.

Last Saturday at exactly 8:30 p.m., rock aficionados had a dynamic auditory and visual experience. It’s a kind of concert that some Filipinos have been missing all these years because it was the Journey’s first-ever concert in the country. The Philippine concert was also the band’s first pit stop in Asia to promote the new album Revelation.

Before the band hit the stage, there was an announcement that the concert is being filmed for a special DVD. The cooperation of 20,000 people was needed to show how the band was received in the hometown of its new lead vocalist.

Right after the announcement, the band composed of Neal Schon (guitars), Jonathan Cain (keyboards), Ross Valory (bass), Deen Castronovo (drums), and Pineda immediately started the show with the upbeat “Never Walk Away.” Pineda moved like a torpedo on the concert platform as if he was trying to familiarize himself with the stage while belting “Only The Young.”

The opening salvo and the succeeding few songs were ripped from the band’s latest album. Indeed, the concert served as a launch pad to introduce the band’s latest offering that features Pineda as its new vocalist. Pineda had crowd stand up with the rock ballad “After All These Years.” It was enough to keep the crowd standing in the succeeding numbers “Change For The Better and “Where Did I Lose Your Love.”

The spirit was high until the five-piece band performed the classic records “Ask The Lonely,” “Stone In Love,” and “Separate Ways.”

For not so avid followers of the band, some of the songs appeared to be unfamiliar. When Pineda went backstage and changed his outfit, the pint-size rocker dished hard rocking performance of hits the band is known for. As Pineda reappeared on the stage, majority of the audience stood up and sang along with him as he belted “Open Arms,” which was introduced by a genius play of the piano. Pineda furthered with “Faithfully” and dedicated the song to all the women present at the concert ground, including his wife.

Did the band live up to the expectation of the audience?

There was no element of surprise in the three-hour rock concert but it was long enough to squeeze in all the songs that the band wanted to share to its audience. Unfortunately, that was the very downside of the whole show. Not everybody who visited the Journey at the Mall of Asia concert ground was a die-hard supporter.

Although the band has established its sound and can brag about numerous hits tucked under its belt, most of its songs do have the same melody. If you would just close your eyes, you wouldn’t be able to distinguish if the band had started performing the next song. It was also noticeable that the band wanted to leave an impression that its musical talent is beyond outstanding. Every number was actually a showcase of each member’s musical flair. Most performances were prolonged to give way for the drummer to do a little exhibition and for the six-string master to do complicated guitar.

Majority of the concert attendees packed tightly onto the standing-only Silver and Bronze areas and the more affluent concertgoers with Gold and VIP tickets sat comfortably fronting the stage seeing the band in action. But these people seemed to have enough of the long performance that the encore appeared to be bland and people started moving to the exit not minding what Pineda would have to say.

One discernable showcase in the concert was the way technical staff played with the lights. The professional and creative lighting system excitingly transformed the stage and the whole venue in producing different visual treats. But the real spectacle in the concert was Pineda who has been fronting the band for two years now.

Pineda, who frequently shouted “Proud to be Pinoy” and waved small Philippine flag throughout the concert, earned some loud cheers from the audiences, which did not just include his countrymen because there were ample numbers of expatriates among the crowd.

If people would ask if Pineda sounded like Steve Perry (Journey’s best-known lead vocalist), the answer is yes. In fact, his genuine energy was outshined by the similarity of vocals to Perry’s.

Final set throws fans into hysterical frenzy

By Nickie Wang/ Manila Standard Today

It’s around 10:30 in the evening, what emotion would you feel if the iconic “Ang Huling El Bimbo” was being performed by the greatest local band, and you were in the middle of one hundred thousand people who are practically singing the song through their hearts, and the sky was just perfectly lit up by magnificent fireworks display?

To Eraserheads fans, and to anyone who would have the firsthand experience of it, the feeling would be a surreal mix of emotions, if not a four-minute escape from reality.

On March 7, as early as 3 p.m., the E-heads fans (the generation of Pinoy Rock lovers who are generally in the age group of early 20s and early 30s) queued up at the SM Mall of Asia concert grounds to watch the landmark concert, The Final Set.

The critically acclaimed quartet of Ely Buendia, Raimund Marasigan, Buddy Zabala, and Marcus Adoro was back onstage to follow-up the last year’s concert that was prematurely cut-off due to Buendia’s health condition.

When the sun went down on the horizon of Manila Bay, the production staff started testing the lighting system on the stage; the entire setup was as high as a seven-story building. It was a trip down memory lane when an audiovisual presentation of one of the country’s most important rock bands was shown on widescreen monitors and video walls, four of them were suspended more than 20 feet above the stage.

The AVP showcased old videos and interviews of the band. It was immediately followed by a countdown that started with the letter Z and ended with the letter E. As the last letter flashed on video walls, the Eraserheads made a grand entrance to play the first song of the night, “Magasin,” which was complemented by fireworks that briefly gushed around the stage.

The first set saw the band’s performance of the songs “Walang Nagbago,” “Maling Akala,” “Maskara,” “Poor Man’s Grave,” “Waiting for the Bus,” “Huwag Mo Nang Itanong” (with Marcus giving it a reggae twist), “Slow/Slo Mo,” “Alkohol,” “Insomia,” and “Torpedo.”

A 25-minute break gave the fans a new feeling of great anticipation waiting for the E-heads to dish out another set of songs that give definition to what 90s OPM rock is all about.

More relaxed and more connected with the mammoth audience, the four music geniuses went back onstage for the second set doing the acoustic versions of their international hit “Julie Tearjerky.” Even though it was an open-air venue, the sound system neatly fit the acoustic versions of the other hits like “Tikman,” “Wishing Wells,” “Fine Time,” “Pare Ko,” and “Kailan.” They went rocking again by reliving the other colossal hits “Back2Me,” “Trip To Jerusalem,” “Spolarium,” and “Overdrive.”

Tribute to Francis M.

The Eraserheads paid tribute to Philippine rap icon Francis Magalona, who died a day before the event of multiple organ failure due to leukemia. The Master Rapper was scheduled to appear as a special guest at the concert and since the demise of the rapper made a big impact across the local music world, the band instead dedicated the concert to the late musician.

November last year, Ely and Francis decided to do a collaboration by coming up with an album called The Sickos Project. The idea came about when both musicians were confined at the hospital with Ely recuperating from a heart surgery and Francis under treatment due to the illness that recently claimed his life. The slated appearance of Francis at the concert is said to be in line with the promotion of the album.

It was during the encore when Ely said, “Sumigaw tayo para kay Francis,” and played the song “Superproxy” ripped from the band’s third and best-selling album, Cutterpillow. It was followed by the performance of “Alapaap.” The band ended the song with “Kaleidoscope World” with its more recognizable lyric.

The final set

The encore witnessed the euphoric performance of “Ang Huling El Bimbo.” The song was accompanied by a genius play of lighting and a boastful surge of gold confetti complemented further by fireworks display. It was a four-minute emotion-filled finale where Ely had to burn the piano they used to render the anthemic ditty; it was the same piano that appeared on the CD cover of Sticker Happy, the band’s fifth album. He even smashed the musical instrument to complete the fiery stunt.

“Group hug, group hug,” yelled the one-tenth of a million number of audience asking the band to give each other an embrace.

Instead of giving its fans the last treat, the quartet just put their arms across each other’s shoulders, bowed, and bade goodbye. And as the exit areas were clogged by people who thought the show was over, Raimund Marasigan went back onstage and asked the audience, “Gusto n’yo pa?”

Raimund said for the last time, “Hindi ’to kasama sa Set List ah,” and Ely followed with “Here’s three for the road.”

As part of the (second) encore, the quartet gave its audience the final treat for the night singing the songs “Ligaya,” “Sem Break,” and the catchy and nostalgic “Toyang.”

The Eraserheads staged a milestone concert, and yes, Edsa was congested three hours even after the concert. Indeed, it is safe to say that The Final Set was the concert of the year. It attracted a number of audiences who were gathered by the same fascination and admiration for the band that made an indelible mark in the history of Pinoy Music.

The performance of the band itself was already predictable, but seeing the members together for the last time made all the difference. The songs played at the concert, and the way the crowd reacted and religiously sang along with them, greatly defined the influence of the Eraserheads’ music, not to mention its successful attempt to bridge the generation gap in musical taste.

Saying ‘I do’ for the nest egg

By Nickie Wang/ Manila Standard Today

We were invited to an event that launched ETC Entertainment Central’s newest program, Here Come the Newlyweds. Bonifacio High Street was an apt location for a launch that was attended by chatty disc jockeys from top FM radio stations and some energetic and young scribes from magazines and dailies.

Right smack in the middle of the posh location, ETC set up a huge projection monitor and a couple of LCD screen monitors around the venue. While having sumptuous dinner, the program’s first episode was shown on the screens.

The first installment of the 12-episode show (the US version was actually six episodes and ETC decided to divide each episode into two) introduced seven just-married couples. The fresh-from-the-altar couples are diverse, sexy and competitive, including such pairings as high school sweethearts, couples who fell in love at first sight, an arranged marriage, an interracial couple, and two divorcees who are hoping the fourth time is the charm.

As the seven couples met for the first time, each husband was blindfolded and was asked to choose which kiss belongs to his wife. A sex therapist also gave the couples some interesting advice.

All of us had a hard laugh and some didn’t even mind to stand up from their seats to queue at the buffet table because of the show’s interesting kick-starter. The couples, in the episode entitled My Wife the Backseat Driver, were asked to maneuver, drive, and properly park a car, the husbands were blindfolded and the wives were in the passenger seat giving the instruction (imagine motorists doing that on Edsa).

Because couples can’t live on love alone, the couple that earned immunity on the first task took the money offered by the host, Canadian writer and comedian Pat Bullard. Amidst the couple’s willingness to stay in the reality competition, they were subsequently voted off.

Every other week (make it each week for the original version), one couple will be sent home after every competition. Every challenge requires the couples to compete for a nest egg worth hundreds of thousands of dollars by accomplishing a variety of mental and physical challenges together. The idea is to test their love and passion for one another while completing the tasks, which are not so far from the challenges they encounter in real life.

After watching the first episode, we were asked to go back to our designated tables, and then the host of the evening, Karen Pamintuan, told everyone that the program is not yet over. It was our turn now to have a dip on the exhilarating experience the newlyweds had by joining our assigned team to race and go for egg hunting with a twist. Though we had just finished dinner, we agreed to go for the challenge.

There were seven pit stops, where we had to accomplish a task to get one egg that contained another direction that led us to another pit stop. The challenge tested our endurance as we ran from Rox to Fully Booked, then to The Spa, to Topshop, VMV, and practically around Bonifacio High Street before finally getting to the final pit stop, Coffee Bean. The winning team’s four members each received an egg that contains a three-day vacation package for two in Boracay. The other six non-winning teams didn’t go home empty-handed for they were given gift packs that were quite good enough for a consolation.

When the game was over, some of us quipped that if the Here Come the Newlyweds will showcase the same adrenaline rush we had, the show must be good and an exciting one to watch out for.

Catch the show on ETC every Friday at 8 p.m.; ETC is available on SBN 21, SkyCable channel 16, Destiny Cable channel 30, and CableLink 48.

Karylle unravels a story through music

By Nickie Wang/ Manila Standard Today

Karylle’s reconstructed heart, figuratively we mean, is amazingly strong for she just throws unpretentious smiles when asked about her failed relationship with actor Dingdong Dantes.

Instead of letting herself be doomed to frustration and heartbreak, she comes up with a project that serves as an avenue of her creativity. Truly, people cannot just find love nor depend happiness on other people alone.

Certain that she is in the moving-on phase, Karylle is vocal on how she deals with people asking how she’s doing. She has learned how to be sincere to people she meets and who subsequently seek her advice on how to cope with failed relationships.

“Even though I would rather be quiet about this whole situation, I guess it’s time to speak up and share what I’ve learned to [sic] other people,” Karylle told writers at the launch of Time For Letting Go.

The songs in the album basically show the stages of moving on. The CD comes with a booklet that contains the lyric of the songs plus an explanation of the stages of her life during her troubled times. The 11-track album is a collection of her most favorite songs, including eight covers and three originals. The album showcases a duet with Martin Nievera (“The Best of Me”) and collaboration with mother Zsa Zsa Padilla (“I Live For Your Love”).

Denial and anger

“Denial is when you keep on saying ‘I’m okay’ even when you’re not.”

Although she doesn’t have a song selected to define denial, Karylle explained that in the beginning, she chose to believe that everything was fine even if something wrong was really happening. When she finally realized the truth, her anger was released through rock songs, loud angry songs. For the album, nonetheless, she chose to cover a Regine Velasquez original “You’ve Made Me Stronger” and a Sheena Easton ballad, “Almost Over You.”

Anger is the emotional state that inhibited Karylle to have a sound and clear thinking. As her depression was tough, she relates to the song “I’ll Never Get Over You, Getting Over Me,” the album’s kick-off single borrowed from the ’80s vocal group, Exposé. It is her outlet to express what she felt at the height of her much publicized breakup with Dingdong.

Depression and bargaining

Right after the denial stage, Karylle had to comprehend reality pushing her to write songs and include them in the album like “Minamahal Kita,” and “Hulog ng Langit.” She revealed that “Wala Na Ba Ang Lahat” is actually a song that she co-wrote with former boyfriend three years ago when their relationship was still sunny.

“I asked for his [Dingdong] permission, I don’t remember if I called him up or simply sent a text, but I told him that I’m going to use to the song for the new album. When I recorded for the album that I also produced before, ’di ko siya sinama dahil malas kasi siya, now is the right time,” Karylle said in a very teasing tone.

Sense of peace and calm

“These are some things that I have come to accept and appreciate that after everything that happened, and being so open to everyone, we’ve reached a certain level of friendship. This is my way of saying to other people na kaya niyo rin ’yan,” Karylle said.

As she accepts reality, the songs “Something New In My Life,” and “Leaving Yesterday Behind” are musical tales that narrate her being brave in facing the new promising chapter of her life. Just like what the songs speak of, she begins to find a new purpose and meaning to her existence.

“It was hard in the beginning when they told me about the concept [of the album], when they gave me the list, it was the whole list of top 100 breakup songs. It was another emotional journey, all the emotions were involved but we tried to find a way around it by listing the stages in my life, na kapag may mapulot ka naman something dito, and if you think of it that way if, ‘eto na yun,” she said in reference to the question about the hardest and easiest part of recording the album.

As the album launch concluded, Karylle said some inspiring words about what she had learned while going through all the trials she had of late.

“In every opportunity that is presented to you in life it’s really how you handle it. I think it just so happened because it was so publicized. Had I handled it the different way, I don’t think that the result could have been the same. I consulted so many people and prayed so hard,” she ended.

Karylle had two albums recorded in 2001 and 2005, Time To Shine and You Make Me Sing, respectively. Both CDs were released under Universal Records. Her latest offering Time For Letting Go under Polyeast Records is now available at all record bars.

Francis M. raps no more

After eight months of treatment and four excruciating chemotherapies, actor and Philippine rap icon Francis Magalona (Francis M. to his fans and Kiko to his friends), succumbed to leukemia yesterday, 12 noon at The Medical City on Ortigas Avenue in Pasig.

The news of the death of the 44-year-old rap star was heard across the Philippines when Vic Sotto announced it in Eat Bulaga. Magalona used to be one of the hosts of the popular noontime show until August last year, after he was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia. The illness is the most common form of leukemia and is a fast- growing cancer that attack the blood and bone marrow. It was after the Eat Bulaga show in the United States when Francis, complaining of fever and body pains, went to a specialist and found out about his condition. From then on, it was a series of medication and chemotherapy until he was finally declared clinically dead at 12 noon yesterday.

Francis was the youngest son of 1950s legendary actors and celebrity couple Pancho Magalona and Tita Duran. In 1984, he was launched in the teen movie Bagets 2 along with Ramon Christopher and the late Jon Hernandez.

Magalona seemed to have found his calling in music—rap in particular. He started doing rap and became the first to successfully cross over to mainstream music. He became an advocate of Pinoy Rap and encouraged, as he inspired, upstarts in the genre to pursue their rap ambitions. His first album entitled Rap Is FrancisM was released in 1992 and immediately became solid gold. It produced numerous hits like “Mga Praning” (Paranoids), “Halalan” (Elections), and “Tayo’y Mga Pinoy” (We Are Filipinos). Many of the young generation would associate Francis M with the anthemic “Tayo’y Mga Pinoy,” a song that has been largely used in many Filipino-themed events here and abroad.

His songs, while sounding too eclectic for the general audience, were like modern poetry that dealt mainly with the ills of Philippine society.

Throughout his career, he was always with wife Pia Arroyo who also served as his manager. He has adopted Pia’s children by a previous relationship, Unna and Nicolo, when they got married. Francis bore Pia five children, Francis Jr., Elmo, Arkin, Clara, Saab and the most popular among them all, Maxene, who was last seen in Una Kang Naging Akin.

His last project was a collaboration with another music icon, Ely Buendia. Dubbed as The Sickos Project, the album features various artists on the local music scene. The progress of the project was detailed in his blog called “A Free Mind.” It’s on the same blog where Francis posted entries that detailed his battle against leukemia and how he did with chemotherapies.

In the last entry posted on Jan. 14, the prolific rapper said:

“I look forward to the pain as I know my journey is on full speed ahead. I will not be bold to say that without asking a favor from you all. Please pray for me as I undergo treatment. Your prayers, as always, have sustained me. And am sure the Lord will listen to all our prayers. To His will I submit myself.”

Francis Magalona’s wake is at the Christ The King church in Green Meadows.

‘Unforgettable’ singer in Manila

By Nickie Wang

Manila Standard Today

American singer-songwriter Natalie Cole is on a mission to fill up the Araneta Coliseum on March 11 crooning the most beloved ballads and R&B classics that catapulted her as a hot R&B star of the ’80s.

The 59 year-old singer, who popularized the Grammy Award-winning songs “Unforgettable,” “When I Fall In Love,” “This Will Be,” and other hits like “Inseparable” and “Miss You Like Crazy,” will relive her songs in a concert called An Unforgettable Evening with Natalie Cole.

“I’m pulling a lot of stuff from way, way back,” Cole said. “When you have 25 years of great stuff in your catalog, you want to give them as much as you can, especially an audience that has been with you for all of it.”

Natalie’s first-ever concert in the country promises great entertainment as she pays tribute to her musical influences like her legendary father, Nat King Cole, and Frank Sinatra.

She started and achieved early success as an R&B singer in the ’70s. Over the years, most especially in the ’90s, she gradually shifted her genre to a more jazzy musical style and even released singles that are pop standard-oriented. Her change of musical style is evident when she recorded the album Take A Look (1993), When I Fall In Love (1996), and Snowfall on the Sahara (1999).

The American chanteuse, who is behind 10 Grammy Awards and more than 30 million record sales worldwide, first released an album in 1975 (Inseparable) followed by a self-titled album in 1976. Almost every year from 1970 to 1991, Natalie came up with high-profiled materials that endeared her to legions of fans across the globe.

One of the most remarkable feats of her luminous career is the successful remake of her father’s classic, “Unforgettable,” which she recorded in 1991. With a little help of technology, Natalie had a duet with her father Nat King Cole, who had passed on by that time. The late legendary R&B singer’s vocal from the original recording was spliced into the new track to recreate the single. The album that included that track peaked at the US Billboard Pop Chart at no. 1 for five weeks. It also received eight times platinum certification from RIAA selling more than seven million copies in the United States alone.

At the height of her career, Natalie had to deal with the prize that came together with her overwhelming success. She had to battle a growing addiction to illegal drugs while being in and out of bad marriages (she has been married three times). In an autobiography released in 2000, Natalie admitted that she was addicted to heroin and crack cocaine. In 2008, she was diagnosed with hepatitis C, which the doctors believed she contracted from sharing needles during her rampant addiction to heroin.

“I’ve had my share of doing things that I really wish I hadn’t done,” Cole stated. “It doesn’t mean I’m not going to make mistakes again, but don’t let it be in the studio. Let that be at least one place where I can kinda get it right.”

Natalie’s illness doesn’t stop her from doing the things she loves. The international multi-platinum diva continues to tour the world to do concert and promote her music. With a career that spans four decades, Natalie continues to produce great hits.

Last year, she released an album entitled Still Unforgettable. The pop-jazz album earned Natalie her 10th Grammy trophy and an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Artist. These just prove that Natalie Cole and her music are one, that’s why she is called an international artist; she has an impeccable talent that makes her an optimum songstress whose recognizable voice produced unforgettable classic hits that have touched millions of fans all over the world.