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"'Louder' ~ a feel-good summer anthem!" (DJ Brian Cua Q&A)

This post is one I owe my subject for quite a while and because the Philippines is still feeling the heat of summer (with temperatures nearing 40°F in past April days despite intermittent afternoon rains with the coming of May), therefore – much as I hate the cliché – it's "high time" it goes public.

[ ↓ Jump to Brian Cua Q & A ]

1st quarter 2010 and 2011: first, a rewind

"Louder" was one of 5 singles released by Warner-143/Reprise on iTunes back in April-May 2011 as part of early promos for Charice's sophomore album Infinity. "Louder" is an infectious tune, one which I believe connected to a diverse market instantaneously.

It may not be as monumental as "Pyramid" (rel. February and May 2010) in musical range and execution specifically towards the last bars of the song (though "Louder" pretty much ends in a similar way like in the "Whooa-oh-oooh, dance right through the rain!..." overlays and counterpoints, reminiscent of "Pee-ra-meeee-ee-eeed!") – "Louder" is also shorter than "Pyramid" by about 50 seconds.

Nonetheless, the melody and performance of "Louder" rubs off a feeling of liberation on the listener which is manifest in the music video that came out shortly thereafter.

Danceable remixes, sung live

As it was the remix version/s of "Pyramid" (U.S./ February 2010) that first placed Charice on the top charts of iTunes, Amazon and the Billboard Hot Dance/Club charts in May 2010 – there were 9 tracks, then 6, in her Pyramid EP released on iTunes and Amazon (depending on region) created by top American club DJs Dave Audé, and Barry Harris – the album version launched on The Oprah Show three months after the EP didn't fail expectations either.

2010 had 18-year old Charice actually singing her "Pyramid" (and "I Love You") remix versions live, multiple times in bars and radio promo tours across the U.S., including as Patti LaBelle's opening act at the Milwaukee PrideFest in June.

There are probably more similarities than differences between "Pyramid" and "Louder" despite different sets of songwriters for each, and being dance/danceable tunes stands out as the most obvious.

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Filed under // Barry Harris Bed Manila Billboard Charts Bootlegs Brian Cua Charice Dance Charice Live Remix Charice on Glee Club music DJs Dance Dave Audé Gleemixes Louder Music of Glee Patti LaBelle Pyramid Pyramid Remix Remixes Toy Armada

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Charice on X Factor Philippines [2] - The Judge-Mentors: Pilita Corrales

[LAST UPDATE - 07 May 2012]

The final list of X Factor Philippines 2012 judges and mentors have been announced by ABS-CBN on May 4, 2012, with Pilita Corrales completing the line-up.

Those who were at the first David Foster and Friends: The Hitman concert at the Araneta Coliseum in 2010 may remember her as the one picked by David Foster in the audience to serenade him the classic "Dahil Sa Iyo*" (Because Of You), a Filipino love song in Tagalog composed in 1937 by Miguel "Mike" Velarde Jr (not the televangelist) with lyrics by Dominador Santiago. "Dahil Sa Iyo" was included in Corrales' repertoire as a track in her 1973 LP "Philippine Love Songs Vol. 1" and in a later compilation album in 1974.

[PHOTO: Appin Pinkihan/2010. More images here.]

As a side note, "Dahil Sa Iyo" was sung by Natalie Cole's father, the legendary Nat King Cole, in the same venue in his Manila concert in 1961. Natalie Cole was among the artitsts featured with David Foster when Pilita and the audience sang to Foster.

Pilita Corrales: Looking back and down under

Being a former U.S. colony with very strong American influences to this day, there's little the Philippines knows about the Australian showbiz industry beyond Olivia Newton-John, the Bee Gees, Little River Band, Air Supply (a frequent Manila performer) and pop diva Kylie Minouge – okay, throw in AC/DC for rock, INXS and Men At Work for New Wave, Savage Garden for the 90s and Helen Reddy for the golden boomers – so it's a little strange to have to look within the Philippines' immediate neighbors southward instead of west across the globe through the rear-view mirror.

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Filed under // Jaya "Asia's Queen of Songs" ABS-CBN Astor Records Australia Batang Kampeon Contests David Foster Philippine TV Pilita Corrales Pilita and Charice Reality TV X Factor Philippines

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Charice on X Factor Philippines [1] : A Pre-show open season

[Image composite by the author. NOTE this is not an official X Factor Philippines promo material, image or merchandise.]

I admit I wasn't too thrilled about the news Charice herself confirmed in an interview in February of her being part of Philippine franchise of X Factor in 2012 for a number of reasons.

First, considering how tight and notoriously counter-productive to a vast majority of Filipino talents and performers the Philippine TV network wars have become, I thought that the timing of her announcement was "off" when she initially dropped the news because it was going to associate her yet again with a particular network, in this case, ABS-CBN which holds the Philippine X Factor franchise.

As such, the much-needed multi-media, multi-platform support for her Infinity Asian Tour in her home country in March would mean that the other networks would shy away from ever mentioning it in terms of promotions – already dismal at that late stage to say the least, if not for Charice's army of supporters belatedly coming up with novel ways to get the word out about her concerts happening in Manila and Cebu.

This, on top of many other international and local acts who have had a head start with promotions months before Charice's confirmed Manila and Cebu dates certainly meant that work was cut out for her fan base doing their damnedest to promote her concert in whatever way they can, coming off from a series of events they have all had to attend, make their presence felt or support in some other way starting in October 2011 with David Foster and Friends: The Hitman Returns Asian tour series, supporting her in her times of sorrow in the midst of that tour, being at the Christmas Special taping in December for TV5 and attending the pre-taped Valentine TV Special for GMA7.

The tickets for Charice's Infinity concert in Manila carried a hefty price, too, one of the most expensive in the 7-country, 10-venue concert tour, something many were not too happy about. The good news was her Manila concert turned out well-attended despite late promos and pricey tickets. Her Cebu audience attendance, on the other hand, should serve as a lesson on how her PHL management must deal with events as this in the future.

Second, prior to and after her Infinity Asian Tour, Charice was reportedly back in the recording studios in the U.S. for new tracks to be included in Infinity meant for the American market, an edition of which was released in mid-2011 in Japan, the rest of Asia and globally with a different set of songs (see purchase info at the bottom).

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Filed under // Jaya ABS-CBN Apl D Ap Arnel Pineda Billy Crawford Bobby Enriquez Charmaine Clamor Contests Gary V Gary Valenciano Joey Santiago KC Concepcion Lea Salonga Martin Nievera Reality TV X Factor Philippines

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Charice nominated/wins in "Favorite Asian Act" on Nickelodeon's 2012 Kids' Choice Awards [UPDATED]

[ UPDATE 03 April 2012 » WINS first-ever Favourite Asian Act Award category]

"Over 6 million votes" ~ Hollywoodlife.com / video courtesy of @ChariceSing

[ ↓ Jump to Nominees | ↓ Read why it is an important 3-in-one market category ]

[ What's current » WATCH Charice's 10-city "Infinity" Asian Tour MARCH 2012 LIVE
Watch her with Iyaz in Manila | see the official posters]

Image composite by the author. Charice's photo courtesy of Harry Clark / @twistinharry

Nickelodeon holds its 25th Annual Kids' Choice Awards (2012) with a new category for its viewers in Asia, "Favourite Asian Act," through an open online voting that will start on February 24, 2012 and Charice is in it.
[Cast your votes here.]

The nominees were first announced on February 16, 2012 with names as Tim Allen and Ty Burrell for "Favorite TV Actor," Miranda Cosgrove and Selena Gomez ("Favorite TV Actress"), Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber ("Favorite Male Singer") and Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift ("Favorite Female Singer") among many other names and categories.

Also nominated are Victoria Justice and Big Time Rush who Charice performed with in August 2010 at the Macy's End of Summer Blow Out and Fashion Show in Macy's Herald Square in New York City. [See full list of 2012 nominees here.]

Voting culminates with the Awards show on March 31, 2012 to be hosted by Will Smith.

First appearance: "Favourite Asian Act"

The "Favourite Asian Act" category – notice the British English spelling – debuts this year at the KCA Awards in recognition of Nickelodeon's wide viewership in Asia (Nickelodeon Southeast Asia is headquartered in Singapore). There were country-specific Asian KCAs held previously like the Indonesia Kids Choice Awards and Nickelodeon Philippines Kids' Choice Awards.

Charice, representing the Philippines for the "Favourite Asian Act," is joined by fellow performers Agnes Monica (Indonesia), Yuna (Malaysia) and the Wonder Girls (Korea).

...the "Favorite Asian Act" category will be a very tight race among the nominees as all have proven track records... it is important in many ways, not just for the nominees but for the countries they represent...

Needless to say, the "Favorite Asian Act" category will be a very tight race among the nominees as all have proven track records not just in their home countries and abroad; each is unique in their own way. They all have their own niches and are successful in their respective genres.

Charice is among known and emerging fellow Asians...the select few drawn from a pool rich with talent whose biggest dreams are to make it "big" internationally...[and] in competition with organized systematic support as what the Wonder Girls have...

The "Favourite Asian Act" category nomination is one of those rare times that her fellow Filipinos need to show her support.

This category, therefore, is important in many ways, not just for the nominees but for the countries they represent come Awards day.

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Filed under // 25th KCA Awards 2012 Agnes Monica Asia Awards Billboard Hot 100 Claude Kelly Favorite Asian Act K-pop Kids TV Kids' Choice Awards Nickelodeon Nominations Philippines Viacom Wonder Girls Yuna

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One Day, children with leukemia will be healed: the Move 4 L.I.F.E. Flashmob

[ What's current » WATCH Charice's 10-city "Infinity" Asian Tour MARCH 2012 LIVE
Watch her with Iyaz in Manila | see the official posters]

Future FIlipino doctors are dancing to help save the lives of indigent children afflicted with leukemia by staging a flashmob to Charice's "One Day," at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City, the Philippines.

Youth power turned compassion into action on February 11, 2012 at 2:05 in the afternoon with students and members of organizations from the premiere University of the Philippines College of Medicine at the launch of its multi-org project, MOVE 4 L.I.F.E.

The objective of the project, according to its website, is to raise public awareness about the plight of indigent patients with leukemia, and raise funds for the Leukemic Indigents Fund Endowment Foundation (L.I.F.E. Foundation). L.I.F.E. Foundation is a non-stock, non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to help children with leukemia acquire valuable treatment and support.

The choice to use "One Day," a cut from Charice's latest album Infinity, couldn't have been more worthy.

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Filed under // Causes Charice second album Dan Muckala Flashmob Jason Ingram Leukemia MOVE 4 L.I.F.E. Nick Jonas One Day SM Mall of Asia St. Louis Community College UPMSS

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Hello, Asia! - The 2012 Infinity Asian Tour (Dubai added)/Iyaz in Manila

[ ↓ Jump to Tour Calendar | ↓ See the official posters] [LAST UPDATE - 18 Feb. 2012]

Artwork by the author. Note: This is NOT the official concert poster.

March 2012 will have Charice and her band swinging by the Middle East and Asia for a 3-week tour to promote her second Warner Music album ∞ Infinity (インフィニティ).

Three Asian venues in this tour, each having its own significance — Seoul (Korea), Hong Kong (Kowloon) and Cebu City (Philippines) — are in this March calendar.

[Added] First, Charice makes a stop in Dubai City in the United Arab Emirates to finally fulfill a concert there previously scheduled but cancelled in October 2011. Last seen in the City in 2010, Charice will be performing at the Dubai Festival City, dubbed "a city within a city," a premiere creek-side mixed-use development which currently stands as the Middle East's largest development center built in 2003.

The Dubai Festival City has Festival Centre at its core. It is an outdoor venue estimated to hold more than 10,000 people and has hosted major concerts by the world's best entertainers from Carlos Santana (2008) to Chris Brown (2011).

Charice's Infinity concert in Dubai is presented by 321 Events JLT. Tickets now available via platinumlist.ae.

First stop (Asia): Singapore

When the unfortunate incident of Charice's dad's passing happened in December 2011, she had to cut short her participation for the rest of Hitman Returns: David Foster and Friends Asian tour and fly back to Manila which meant not being on the Singapore stage as scheduled.

Charice was last seen in the Singapore live circuit in October as one of featured solo artists during the Formula 1 (F1) Grand prix 2011 night races and in which she had a well-attended 2-day gig.

Charice's ∞ Infinity (インフィニティ) show will be at the recently-renovated 1,800-seater Kallang Theater, Singapore's new "Asian Arts and Culture hub."

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Filed under // AX-Korea Aichi Prefectural Arts Theater Araneta Coliseum Asian Tour Cebu Cebu Waterfront Hotel Charice Band Charice second album Concert Venues Concerts Dubai Dubai Festival Centre Infinity Iyaz KITEC Kallang Theater Singapore Kowloon International Trading and Exhibitions Center Shibuya Public Hall Smart Araneta Coliseum Tennis Indoor Jakarta ชารีส インフィニティシャリース夏芮絲 채리스

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Transforming Charice - Preview 2012 and other issues

Happy New Year!

(CREDITS: Photography - Mark Nicdao, Make-up - Juan Sarte, Hair - Buern Rodriguez/Tony Galvez Salon, Nails - Regie Palencia/Nail Spa, Art Direction - Vince Uy, Styling - Liz Uy, Wardrobe - Xernan Orticio. View the Behind the Scenes stills on stylebible.ph here.)

Try as she might to remain quiet or be under the radar, Charice just seems to be a natural magnet for attention and that whatever this girl does—or does NOT do—merits a second look and opinion.

In the coveted January-February issue of Philippine fashion mag Preview for 2012 on which Charice is cover girl for the first time, multiple shades of opinions were thrown from all over, splitting hairs ad nauseum over good/bad Photoshop use vs. make-up/alleged pricey reconstructive surgery et al. since a teaser about this issue's cover was posted on Twitter as early as evening of 29 December 2010 by Preview.

We'll start 2012 with a bang: a few more hours till we unveil our explosive Jan-Feb cover girl! She's a star who makes us proud to be Pinoy!
— Preview Magazine (@previewmag) December 29, 2011

That post became a sort of guessing game which pre-empted Preview to follow-up posts of a picture of the cover—as if to confirm the guesses—and of what looks like raw images of her pictorials on a computer screen, ahead of what probably would have been Preview's New Year SNS surprise blast.

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Filed under // Branding Image Isola Kawaii TV Magazines Make-over Make-up Mega Magazine Nora Aunor Preview Magazine Publication Covers Style Bible Summit Media Timelines Tomoko Okada

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Not for myself, but for the world...

Wishing all a meaningful, hopeful Christmas and thank you for your time, views, comments, shares.

Grown-up Christmas List
(David Foster/Linda Thompson-Jenner / 1990)
David Foster feat. Charice,
NBC 2010 Christmas in Rockefeller Center, NYC / Nov. 30, 2010
Lyrics as performed

Do you remember me?
I sat upon your knee
I wrote to you with childhood fantasies
Well I'm all grown up now
Can you still help somehow?
I'm not a child but my heart still can dream

So here's my lifelong wish
My grown up Christmas List
Not for myself
But for a world in need

No more lives torn apart
That wars will never start
And time would heal all hearts

And every man would have a friend
That right would always win
And love would never end
This is my grown up Christmas List

What is this illusion called the innocence of youth?
Maybe only in our blind belief can we ever find the truth
Not for myself
But for the world.

There'd be...

No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
Every man would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end
This is my grown up Christmas List

This is my only life long wish
This is my grown up Christmas List

Some notes on "My Grown-up Christmas List"

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Filed under // 2010 Amy Grant Charice Christmas Classic David Foster Giving Grown Up Christmas List Lea Salonga Linda Thompson Jenner NBC OPM Rachelle Ann Go Regine Velasquez Rockeffeller Center Sendong Washi World's deadliest storm

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Network-hopping in December with Charice...

[This is a long post with accompanying graphics.]
[ ↓ Jump to ...internationalization and network hopping ]

She came to international attention through YouTube by her recorded performances on the boob tube.

Five years hence, Charice has become synonymous to "YouTube"—"a sensation," many would call her—but what many overlook is the fact that it is television that puts her in the minds of the public and initially gave her national exposure. Now a contract talent of Warner Music in the US which requires her months of stay there, her performances on Philippine TV is still what her followers eagerly await for whenever she is in her home country.

Since her release from "exclusivity" binding Charice to Philippine TV network ABS-CBN and its affiliate, Star Records, sometime in 2010, she has had the freedom to appear in all the major VHF television networks (or "free TV") operating in the Philippines, which is just as well.

A generation of difference

Since its inception, TV is still undeniably the most instant and accessible medium by a majority of households worldwide. Even in the digital economy, its viewership is still the measure by which income and celebrity and consumer power is set, notwithstanding YouTube's more than 100million streams a day worldwide. YouTube and the Internet simply made recorded performances effortless, enough to "Broadcast Yourself" in one click and make "You," the "content," "shareable."

That said, the difference between TV and YouTube isn't just the era but the transfer of power this technology has given the viewer: whereas the old medium rendered viewers passive, new media made them active and participatory which wasn't possible with TV until recently. Traditional TV networks still hold control over viewers; the Internet freed them from all constraints — with a few limitations, of course. On the Internet, the best networks can do to control is slam consumers with infringement issues and content-sharing sites like YouTube only need to comply.

At any rate, Charice, the quintessential millenial, has become producer, consumer and product of today's technologies as have her followers, always ready and on hand to record, translate (when needed) and be first to hit "Upload Video" of TV clips of hers on YouTube.

The result is Charice becoming one of the most successful new media products to date. Not bad for someone whose start was joining singing contests on TV as a child, some, in short-lived programs in the Philippines that are difficult to search for even in the Internet's deep cache of archives.

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Filed under // "Father of Philippine TV" ABC 5 ABS-CBN Anna Coren Arnel Pineda Associated Broadcasting Company Charice on ASAP Chino Roces DWLS-FM Eugenio Lopez FoxTV GMA 7 Inc. James Lindenberg MERALCO Manuel Pangilinan Martial Law Media MediaQuest Holdings Millenial Oprah PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund Philippine TV RAI Uno Rico Hizon Robert La Rue Stewart TV Asahi TV5 Television Thai TV 4 Timelines Uncle Bob Warner Music YouTube tmgtwlitepci

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Christmas 2011: Charice at the Newport Performing Arts Theatre (NPAT)

Christmas comes early with Charice at the Newport Performing Arts Theater (NPAT). Titled Christmas with Charice, it is among the events lined up for Resorts World Manila's Grand Fiesta Manila 2011: The Grandest Revelry program.

The confirmed show with Charice happens on December 2, 2011 (Friday) at the swanky NPAT of the Resorts World Manila in Pasay City across the international airport Terminal 3. Sponsored by ABC Development Corporation's TV5 Network, Christmas with Charice has a scheduled telecast on December 11, 2011 on the sponsor's channel.

There are three things going for this show that's different from other shows Charice has done before, namely: its theme (Christmas — though I hope songs from her second album Infinity may be included in the set somewhere), singing with her band in Manila and performing in this first-rate, limited-capacity venue. Let's start with the band and the venue.

[ ↓ Jump to Christmas]

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Filed under // A2C ABS-CBN APIDA 2011 Canyon Woods Charice Band Chris Wrate Christmas Concert Venues Concerts Grown Up Christmas List Infinity J-Wave 81.3 Joseph Sy and Associates Kapatid Network LaRoi Larkin Lance Tolbert NPAT Newport LED screen Newport Performing Arts Theater O Holy Night Perspective Awards 2011 Resorts World Manila TV5 Troy Laureta

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"'Louder' ~ a feel-good summer anthem!" (DJ Brian Cua Q&A)

Charice on X Factor Philippines [2] - The Judge-Mentors: Pilita Corrales

Charice on X Factor Philippines [1] : A Pre-show open season

Charice nominated/wins in "Favorite Asian Act" on Nickelodeon's 2012 Kids' Choice Awards [UPDATED]

One Day, children with leukemia will be healed: the Move 4 L.I.F.E. Flashmob

Hello, Asia! - The 2012 Infinity Asian Tour (Dubai added)/Iyaz in Manila

Transforming Charice - Preview 2012 and other issues

Not for myself, but for the world...

Network-hopping in December with Charice...

Christmas 2011: Charice at the Newport Performing Arts Theatre (NPAT)

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