Charice - Reaching out to her fans

In January 2011, Charice had a mini concert at Enchanted Kingdom in the province of Laguna. It was my first time to see her upclose. I took the photo below, saved it on my computer and labeled it "Reaching Out."

We usually see fans run to their idols for handshakes, autographs, and photographs. It is heartwarming, though, when the celebrities themselves go to their fans. Charice has her way of reaching out to her fans. It is evident in some videos that are uploaded on the Net. Let me cite a few of them.

March 19, 2012 - Hong Kong Infinity Tour

While singing Heartbreak Survivor, Charice went down the stage to be near her fans. The security people had to carry her so that she could go from one spot to the next. I suppose this was not planned as she did not use any stairs to go down and to go back on the stage. Check out from 1:18 mark of the video.

May 9, 2009 - David Foster and Friends, Mandalay Bay

That Hong Kong video reminded me of a DFF video. Again, her going to the audience might not be planned because she just jumped down from the stage. She also had to be lifted up to be able to go back to where David Foster was. Check out from 2:50 mark of the video.

September 28, 2013 - Power of Two, Araneta Coliseum

After singing Titanium with Aiza Seguerra, Charice bowed, waved, and shook hands with the fans. When one of those near the stage spread her arms and requested for a hug, Charice knelt down (not minding that she was wearing an all-white outfit) and let those arms wrap her for some good seconds. Before finally leaving the stage, Charice gave her a loving pat on the head. Check out from 3:48 mark of the video.

October 11, 2013 - Chapter 10 Promo Tour, Koronadal City

After singing Yakap, Charice reached out to two fans in the audience. She verbalized her concern for the safety of one of them, as if she (Charice) was in a secure position. She was even apologetic for not being able to go to those who were far from the stage. Instead of reading what happened, please watch a clip from Manette153's video below. [For the full video, please click here.]

These are just a few of Charice's visible gestures of reaching out to her fans—her Chasters. And these are just a few of the reasons why Chasters love her.

Charice’s reminder to herself - Maghintay Ka Lamang

For those who have been following the career and real lifestory of Charice, the song Maghintay Ka Lamang comes as a reminder of the singer’s struggles and triumphs as an artist in the music industry. The song is full of encouraging words about hoping for a better tomorrow, facing challenges with a strong heart, realizing that life is not all failures and sufferings, and being patient in achieving one’s dreams.

In a number of interviews and shows, both Charice and her mother shared the significance of the song in making the former bounce back from her low moments caused by her failures in getting a break into a singing career. Her mother said that she would play the song for Charice to hear in the hope that her daughter would imbibe its message. The singer must have put the message into her heart and it did work for her.

In her Valentine’s Special for GMA Network in 2011, before her emotional singing of Maghintay Ka Lamang, Charice shared the encouraging words from her mother: that the fulfillment of her dreams would come and all that she (Charice) should do was to keep her hope alive. This particular number brought tears to many in the studio audience, including her mother. Charice herself had to hold back her tears until the end of the song. More than the singing, I believe, the audience applauded the message of the song and how Charice had learned from it with her mother's help.

In my humble opinion, Charice has not only learned the message of the song. Maghintay Ka Lamang is and will always be a part of her being as it is her mother who has inculcated in her the song’s message of hope and patience. But how do the teacher and the learner handle a situation when the latter applies the learning to their relationship?

It is common knowledge that Charice is now ‘out and proud.’ Her being homosexual, however, has not been totally accepted by her mother. In her recent concert with Aiza Seguerra titled Power of Two, Charice sang Maghintay Ka Lamang. Who would have thought that the same message would be repeated in a concert; although from a different perspective, yet, with the same intensity, if not more? This time, it would be Charice’s (not her mother’s) reminder to herself. A message—that has encouraged Charice to continue dreaming and to have hope that someday, people will accept her as a singer—is the same message that she clings to and that has fervently comforted her that someday, her mother will unconditionally accept the person that she is.

There are people from all walks of life who are in similar situations of non-acceptance. It doesn’t have to be about homosexuality. It can be anything from social status to personal preferences like careers, religions, fashion styles, and so on. How many of us are trapped in being somebody we are not just because our real selves are not within the so-called norm that our society dictates? Do we all have the courage to fight for that somebody who longs to come out from us? There could even be those who do not realize that there is a much better inner being within them waiting to be discovered but are not because of the seemingly easier path that is presented to them.

As we journey into the world of adulthood, we bring with us the influences of our family, peers, elders, authorities, and those others that we encounter along the way. Most of us carry a big slice of the influence pie from our parents and elders. All of us have parents and all of us are children. But before being parents or being children, we are, first and foremost, human beings. What we become in our professional life and/or social life is only in the peripherals of our being. What we really are is in the innermost core of our being which is unique and is God-given.

Kahlil Gibran wrote beautiful thoughts on children in his book The Prophet:

And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said, Speak to us of Children.

And he said: 

Your children are not your children. 

They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself. 

They come through you but not from you, 

And though they are with you yet they belong not to you. 

You may give them your love but not your thoughts, 

For they have their own thoughts. 

You may house their bodies but not their souls, 

For their souls dwell in the house of to-morrow, which you cannot visit, not  even in  your  dreams. 

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you. 

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday. 

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth. 

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with

His  might that His arrows may go swift and far. 

Let your bending in the Archer's hand be for gladness; 

For even as he loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.

Charice singing "Maghintay Ka Lamang" - Power of Two Concert

(Photos captured from a video by Live Music Experience)

In the Power of Two concert, which had 'Acceptance' as one of its messages, before singing Maghintay Ka Lamang, Charice said in part, “I understand that we are in a transition, as a family, to become stronger and more accepting of each other.”

I was at that concert and I was teary-eyed in the duration of this number. Charice could not hold back her tears, unlike in the 2011 Valentine’s Special. Tears started running down her cheeks before she could finish the song. The reason behind those tears, after all, is of much higher importance and value than her career which she referred to in 2011. It is about her inner being. It is about the person that she is. Add to that, it is not the music fans she is hoping for total acceptance to come from. It is her family; it is her mother.

I believe everyone in the audience could feel that Charice was hurting so much that one could hear her controlled sobbing in between notes toward the end of the song. Like in other similar situations, it is, for me, not just a matter of acceptance or non-acceptance. It is more of a matter of giving happiness to or being the source of sadness of a child; a matter of being the reason for completeness or incompleteness of a person. If only all parents and elders could listen to what exactly the hearts of the children are screaming about... If we all could only look beyond what our eyes could see... As the secret revealed by the fox to The Little Prince of Antoine de Saint Exupery goes, "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."

As I expressed earlier, the message of Maghintay Ka Lamang would always be a part of Charice's being as it was inculcated in her by her mother. I also agree to what many say about teaching and learning: we cannot teach what we do not know; we constantly learn from what we teach others. So, yes, Charice. Maghintay ka lamang.

Charice Launches Chapter 10 Album

Charice’s 3^rd Philippine album titled Chapter 10 has been launched! After the digital release of the album, Charice and Chasters were together at the Atrium Events Center of Robinson’s Place Manila on Sunday, September 15, 2013 for the official launching of the hard CD copies of the album. I was one of the Chasters who braved the heavy rain and strong wind on that Sunday not only to have a special moment with Charice but also to get hold of the Chapter 10 CD.

I arrived at the venue with the lower part of my jeans, the upper part of my black t-shirt, and my sling bag wet from the rain. The rainwater was dripping from my foldable umbrella when I finally reached the entrance of the mall. It was thoughtful of the mall management to make plastic bags available for wet umbrellas. I put mine in one and carefully placed it inside my sling bag so that it would not be a disturbance when I roam around to meet old and new Chasters.

It was not difficult to find the Atrium Events Center because I could hear Charice music from the entrance. Titanium got louder and louder as I approached the cordoned area where four or five people were manning a table full of the Chapter 10 CDs. I was excitedly staring at the cover photo of the album as if trying to memorize its every detail. I barely understood what one lady was asking me about. When I realized what the question was, I said, “Yes!” Of course, I wanted to have a copy! I handed her my payment and she handed me my new treasure.

Chapter 10 has a total of 13 tracks. The one original song, Unexpected Love, is the first in the list. Charice said in an interview that it would be the first track because of its importance to her. Nine songs are covers. The album also has three bonus tracks. Two are Titanium club mixes by Brian Cua. The third is Yakap which is originally in the soundtrack album of "Muling Buksan Ang Puso." Yakap has been charting in the Top 20 Soundtrack Songs of iTunes PH for seven weeks now, peaking at #1.

Here is the list of the songs in Chapter 10:

Before the album launching at the mall, I had already heard all the songs. Based on the iTunes PH tracks sales, Charice’s version of Titanium is the favorite in the album. For me, however, the one that really got me was When You Say Nothing At All. I cannot pinpoint what really made me wear a big smile the first time I heard Charice’s cover of this song. Maybe because I am familiar with the original and its previous covers so that hearing a different arrangement and vocal tones, which to me made the song light and sexy, my heart and mind jumped with excitement and just played it on repeat the first night I got its digital copy.

In the middle of the album launch show, Charice requested for a chair to be placed on the stage. She then asked for a volunteer to join her. A young lady, who was standing near the stage taking a video of Charice, agreed to be the volunteer. Then, the instrumental intro of When You Say Nothing At All played and I was so happy to know that the chance to hear Charice sing my favorite live would happen very soon. I think I was more excited than the young lady on the stage.

The following day, I went out and arrived home past ten in the evening. The first thing I did was to check the iTunes PH ranking of Chapter 10, which had been 2^nd for the past three days. The Chapter 10 cover photo—the one I stared at the night before—revealed itself as I scrolled down the iTunes PH page. Wow! Chapter 10 topped all other albums in the Pop category! I was very excited to post the good news on Twitter and Facebook for Charice, her Team, and Chasters to see.

I found it ironic that topping the iTunes PH chart happened a day after Charice ended her album launch telling the audience to forget about the gold or platinum album status, although she recognized its importance. More than the sales status, she wanted people to get the album and be able to relate to it and be inspired. She also shared that she invested so much emotion into the album.

Listening to the album, I have no doubt that Charice indeed put her all, talent and emotion, into the album. I could hear them. I also agree to what she said regarding 'gold or platinum.' When You Say Nothing At All is not topping the charts but still it is my favorite in Chapter 10. It is a song that is now close to my heart. Thank you for sharing your music, Charice!

Here is a video I made to show the precious moments of some Chasters with Charice:

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CD copies of Chapter 10 are available at the PH record stores. For digital downloads from iTunes PH, please click here. Chapter 10 is also available at iTunes of other countries.

Charice - not alone in singing covers

Years ago when there were the overlapping presence of two audio formats—CD and cassette tape—and the absence of the one-click-of-the-mouse technology, I had the need to transfer a personal selection of songs from CD’s to one cassette tape. It was a trend at that time and the sound system then was called ‘component’ which had the ability to play a CD and record any song from it on a blank cassette tape. While browsing through the CD’s at home, I noticed that “Beautiful” was included in three different albums by three different artists. I got curious and I wanted to find out if they were different songs with the same title or the same song sung by different artists. So, I played the one by Barbra Streisand, one of my favorite artists. Then, I listened to the two others—by Carole King and Richard Marx. They were all the same song and they were all great versions.

After that, I got curious and went on to check out if there were other songs that had more than one version in the available CD’s. I found several more.

At that time, I did not know the term cover, cover song, or cover version. Dictionaries define it as a version of a previously recorded song that is either performed or recorded by a different artist. I was more familiar with the term revival which, at that time in my own culture at least, referred to a song that had almost been forgotten and brought back to life with a more contemporary beat, usually a danceable one.

Fast forward

In 2011, Charice was invited as a guest performer at the 8^th Annual Woman’s Day Red Dress Awards in New York. Charice sang “The Bodyguard Medley”—“I Have Nothing” and “I Will Always Love You” medley—and “I Will Survive.” Yes, they were covers. Some who viewed her performance at the event on YouTube reacted negatively (with a hint of frustration) and wondered why she had to sing covers and not her own songs. It was not the first time that they reacted that way. It was not the last time either. No matter what explanation Charice shared, like she needed to sing their requested songs, those viewers would not stop firing their negative views on her singing covers.

Charice has not stopped singing covers. Last year, in her solo concerts in different countries in Asia and Hawaii, dubbed Infinity Tour (to promote her Infinity album), she sang her own songs from the new album and her international self-titled debut album. She also sang covers like Someone Like You, Saving All My Life For You, Faithfully, The One That Got Away, Moves Like Jagger, and Run The World.

This year, for the past two months, Charice has guested in a number of shows of different Philippine TV stations. Although she sang her singles Pyramid, Louder, and Before It Explodes in some shows, she also did covers. There were shows that she guested in for the main purpose of giving interviews, but she would be requested to sing, usually songs that had special meanings to her. She would then sing songs with messages that she treasured. Among them were Titanium and Perfect.

Charice covers an OPM song "Kisapmata" 

on a Philippine morning TV show - Unang Hirit

Other covers she did on TV were collaborations with other Filipino artists. They were Skyscraper with a successful comedian-singer Vice Ganda, It Will Rain with one of the coaches of The Voice of the Philippines Bamboo Manalac, and Defying Gravity with another The Voice of the Philppines coach and Tony awardee Lea Salonga. She has also recently recorded covers of two OPM (Original Pilipino Music) songs, "Yakap" and "Give Me A Chance," for use in two soaps of a Philippine TV station.

After two years of listening to Charice covers, I wonder if those who had negative views on her singing “The Bodyguard Medley” and “I Will Survive” back in 2011 Red Dress Awards ceremony still have the same views today. I wonder if their number has remained the same or increased or lessened. I wonder what they think about an album with mostly cover songs.

Chapter 10 is 90% cover songs

Charice will release her 3^rd Philippine album on September 10, 2013. Charice chose the title Chapter 10 for the album because she wanted it to be like a book of her life. She has revealed that the album includes one original song and nine covers.

Yes, it is 90% cover songs. For barely two months in the making, it is a welcome surprise that she has included an original song in it. Did you know that the self-titled debut album of Michael Buble is 100% cover songs? He started recording in 2001 and the album got released in 2003.

Just to name a few

Many great artists have included cover songs in their albums. Eric Carmen’s “All By Myself” has been covered by Celine Dion and Frank Sinatra. Carole King’s “You’ve Got A Friend” is considered as one of the most covered English songs. The most popular version is James Taylor’s which was released simultaneously with Carole King’s in 1971. The song was later covered by Michael Jackson and Barbra Streisand.

In her new millennium concert Timeless, Barbra Streisand shared a funny anecdote before singing her next song in the set list. She told the audience, “One day, a number of years ago, I was in a cab on my way to a recording studio and the radio was on. I heard this girl singing and I thought, ‘What a pretty song! Why haven't I recorded that?’ So, when I arrived at the studio, I called the station…I wanted to know who the girl was. And they said it was me! I actually forgot that I recorded that one. It's one of the most beautiful movie themes that I've ever heard.” Barbra was referring to the song “Alfie” which was originally sung by Cecilia Black, but the one used in the movie of the same title was Cher’s version.

Like many artists, Barbra wants to record songs she loves. Lea Salonga is one such artist. In an interview during the height of the movie Evita, she commented that she was envious of Madonna because the latter got to record “You Must Love Me.” In that interview, Lea insinuated that she wanted to record the song.

Mistaken as originals

One commonly mistaken as the original version is Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.” It was used in her movie with Kevin Costner, The Bodyguard. Kevin successfully achieved his aim to make a movie with a song that would be a great hit and be at the top of the music charts.

The song was written and first sung by Dolly Parton almost 20 years before the 1992 screening of The Bodyguard. It was originally a country song and it topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs when Dolly released it in 1974. This country song was also used in a Dolly Parton-Burt Reynolds movie Best Little Whorehouse in Texas in 1982. It was, however, became part of a soundtrack for the first time in Martin Scorsese's film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore.

Great songs are covered by many great artists. It is inevitable that some covers may be mistaken as the originals. This is evident in the many seasons of American Idol. In its Season 10, for example, finalist Thia Megia referred to Michael Jackson as the original singer of her contest piece "Smile." She was corrected by her coach who said that it was a Charlie Chaplin's. The AI coach, however, failed to explain that although Chaplin composed the music and made it the theme of his 1936 silent film Modern Times, it was Nat King Cole who first sang the song, the lyrics of which had not been written until 1954 by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons.

Other artists have covered "Smile." Charice covered the song in 2009 for Operation Smile, an international charity for children that she has been supporting. Her relatively more upbeat cover was used in the Operation Smile 2009 Year in Review video. I knew that “Smile” was not her original. I did not know, however, that “Note To God” was first recorded by Jojo. I first heard the song on Oprah when Charice sang and promoted it as her first international single. Her undeniably great rendition of the song triggered my cravings for more of her music, be it original or cover.

Do I mind her singing cover songs?

I love Charice’s versions of songs by other singers. When she sings, I hear not only the notes and lyrics but also her feelings. It is the heart of the listener that she communicates with. Charice, like many great artists, adds the fitting emotions for the benefit of the soul.

In the earlier mentioned concert Timeless, Barbra Streisand, before singing “Something Wonderful” from the Broadway musical The King and I, said, “The test of a great song, in my opinion, is not whether it went to number one but... Did it touch people's lives? and... Did it stand the test of time?”

A great song touches people’s lives. A great song needs great singers to bring it forward to future generations. So, do I mind Charice singing cover songs? No, not at all.

A Peek Into Charice’s Forthcoming Album

Back in 2010, Charice’s self-titled international debut album landed 8^th in the US Billboard 200 Chart.  The year before that, Charice was invited to sing The Star-Spangled Banner at the opening ceremony of Major League Baseball at the Los Angeles Dodgers Stadium.  She wore a jersey with number 8.  Chasters knew back then that her favorite number was 8.  In the description of the video of this event on her YouTube channel, Charice explained the reason for that number 8—“that means infinity.”  In 2011, she released the album Infinity in Japan and in other Asian countries.  Included in the cover of the album is the infinity sign which is 8 written sideways.

In February this year, it was mentioned on Twitter that Charice’s favorite number was 10.  “Oh, I thought it was 8,” I heard myself say.  Well, I am one of those whose favorites change over the years…be it number, color, book, food, movie, etc.  Sometimes, I retain my old favorites and just add new ones.  Other times, I cannot decide or it depends on my mood.  But that tweet was very specific—10.

The significance of 10

In June, days after her ‘coming out’ on The Buzz, Charice announced that she would make an album specially for her fans in the Philippines.  (Let me add here that her international fans are excited to get this album via whatever means possible.)  Later on, she revealed the title of the album—Chapter 10.  I wondered then what the significance of 10 was.

During her guesting on the TV talk show Showbiz Inside Report (SIR) which aired on July 13, Charice briefly explained the significance of 10—her birthday (May 10), her mom’s birthday (January 10), and their (her and girlfriend Alyssa Quijano’s) anniversary.  She added that there had been so much happening associated with the number 10 in her life.  She wanted the album to be like a book of her life which, to my thinking, was the reason for the word “chapter” in the title.  So, Chapter 10 it is!

About the songs in the album

Aside from the significance of 10, Charice also revealed in Tagalog on SIR, “What you will hear from the album are songs that are close to my heart.”  On Bandila, a late night news program which aired on July 11, part of Boy Abunda’s Tagalog report went, “Alyssa Quijano, Charice’s girlfriend, has a special participation in the album.  There are also songs that Charice dedicates to her mom.”

It is inevitable that there are those who wonder if Chapter 10 has songs with belted notes.  One fan of “Charice, the belter” tweeted Troy Laureta, Charice’s musical director and part of the team making the album, asking if Charice did some belting in the album or just soft tones all the way.  It was Charice who replied in Tagalog, “When the album comes out, don’t wait and search for the belting.  Just feel and listen to it instead.”  With that reply, I can surmise that Charice wants her listeners to focus, not on her belting (if ever there is in the album) but rather, on the messages of the songs and the feelings that she has put into singing them.  And rightly so because it is a book of her life and not something about belting notes. I don’t think Ms. Lea Salonga was in the vicinity of belting avenue when she wrote in her column, “If she [Charice] must tell the world her whole story, I’d rather hear it sung.”

Probably

Troy had been updating the Chasters on the progress of Chapter 10 on Twitter. In one such update he tweeted, “These Charice records are coming out beautifully! #InTheStudio #CharicePHAlbum #UnexpectedLove”

Unexpected Love is the title of a song that Cheesa and Charice wrote together. Cheesa, who is Troy’s sister, a good friend of Charice, and an artist in her own right, tweeted, “Excited and honored for Charice to record one of the songs we wrote together! I miss you @officialccrp! Kill it!!!! #unexpectedlove”

I have not come across any information from Charice Team regarding the specific songs that are included in the album. Based on the above tweets, however, Unexpected Love will most probably be part of it. I think other songs that may be included are those that she has sung in her TV guestings lately, like Perfect, Titanium, and Skyscraper. I have heard her versions of these songs and I consider my experience in listening to them as a peek into her forthcoming album.

How many songs will be in the album? Maybe 10? More than 10, of course, will be most welcome. Less than 10 will not lessen its value. But I think 10 songs will be perfect because…

In 2008, drama anthology “Maalaala Mo Kaya” featured the earlier life story of Charice. Part of it showed her frustration in not winning the grand title of Little Big Star and this made her think that she did some mistakes while singing If I Were You in the final round. A couple of months after the contest, producers from a music publishing company in Sweden saw her videos that were uploaded by FalseVoice on YouTube. Aside from giving Charice the very first opportunity to go abroad, their invitation to a demo-recording in June 2007 paved the way for Charice to gain back her confidence in singing. The name of that company was Ten Songs/Productions.

Anticipation

I cannot wait to get hold of Charice’s Chapter 10 album which will be released this coming September. Before discovering Charice, I would usually listen to songs and appreciate their rhythms, beats, and harmonies without so much minding of their lyrics, their messages. I did not even hear the feelings of the singers. It was their melodies that mostly got stored in my memory. Well, not anymore and definitely not this time. That is not going happen when I listen to the songs in Chapter 10.

 Fan-made layout by Yojan17

Fly, Charice, Fly!

“I feel free as a bird.”

“I’m able to express myself better now.”

“I have come to accept the real me.”

“I have come to love the real me.”

“I now celebrate the real me.”

How many of us have uttered the above quotes? How many of us have encouraged another to say them? How many of us have helped someone to be himself or herself so that those words would come out honestly and spontaneously? How many of us dream to say them?

Charice did say them. Yes, she did to Mr. Bum Tenorio during their private moment as godparent-godchild before Charice performed for her guests during her 21^st birthday (May 10) celebration, some details of which Mr. Tenorio shared with his readers through his article.

“[Charice] intimated to me that her party was her ‘coming out’ of sorts,” wrote Mr. Tenorio. According to his article, there were 67 guests, most of whom were her childhood friends. Charice had come out to those close to her before going public on June 2^nd  through an interview with host Boy Abunda of The Buzz, a Philippine TV entertainment talk show, which was also seen by viewers from other parts of the world. It was indeed a coming out as a lesbian publicly.

Charice tweeted a few minutes after the airing of her interview: “Still reading your tweets. Too good to be true. Umpisa pa lang to. [This is just the beginning.] Umpisa ULIT ito. [This is a beginning AGAIN.] I love you all.”

Charice was referring to the posts of people who generously expressed their support and praises to her on Twitter. And as I am writing this, the news about her coming out and follow-up stories and interviews are still spreading on social media, online news, blogs, radio and TV programs in and out of the Philippines. Known personalities and netizens have been giving their reactions/opinions, the positive ones of which, I observe, have been tipping the scale.

Not for LGBT only

I believe that the quotes from Charice (in the beginning of this blog) are relevant not only to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender or LGBT community. They are definitely not only for celebrities and public figures. Her quotes are for everyone. They are beautiful words that anyone should be able to say without hesitation, fear, or self-doubt. Who are we? What are we? What are our dreams and how do we want to achieve them? Do we go by the dictates of other people, our families, our friends, our traditions, our religions, the media, and the global society?

How many people, knowingly or unknowingly, lose their individualities because they are not in line with what is common and accepted by others? How many heterosexual couples who can legally get married but do not because of their social status, religions, or family traditions? How many of the students take up courses that are their own choices? How should we react when we know of law or medical students, who, instead of reading their books, are just staring out the window and imagining themselves building skyscrapers or dancing on stages? What should we say to parents, who, upon knowing that their young children have special gifts, push their little ones to enter chess competitions or play musical instruments instead of allowing them to run around in the playground?

What percentage of the workforce pie represents people who are earning money from jobs that they truly enjoy doing? Do all party-goers get out of their houses with smiles on their faces because they know their friends shall welcome their presence more than their fashion styles? How many people are ready to accept themselves and others, no matter who and what they really are?

Ms. Lea Salonga on Charice

One of the celebrities who sent a tweet to Charice was Ms. Lea Salonga. In 2010, Ms. Lea had a forum with young aspiring performing artists in Malaysia. After discussing about what kind of physical attributes were accepted in the Philippine showbusiness, she said of Charice, “What sets her apart is that she’s just so insanely talented. And she has this voice. I’m really hoping for the best for this young woman because I really believe, at the end of the day, if you’re just so insanely talented, you cannot be ignored. The world would be stupid to ignore you.”

Ms. Lea has been consistent with her comment on Charice’s talent and with her (Ms. Lea) not giving focus on one's physical appearance. Last month, she guested on Martin Late @ Night, a late-night talk show on Philippine TV. Host Martin Nievera put Ms. Lea on the spot to say something about a hashtag (a term referring to a topic preceded by “#” on Twitter ) that he would mention. For “#Charice" (Mr. Martin offered "her new look” to be more specific), Ms. Lea said, "Extremely talented, very young. Girl, when you find your way, everything will be alright." Although Mr. Martin added her new look, Ms. Lea’s answer was on Charice’s talent...and one more—when you find your way, everything will be alright.

The following morning after her interview on The Buzz, Charice received a tweet from Ms. Lea—“Dear @OfficialCharice have you any idea how many young people you inspired today? More power, blessings and love to you!!!”  Ms. Lea’s words, this time, pass over Charice’s talent. They instead focus on the many young people who, for whatever reasons, have been inspired by Charice’s brave act of honestly telling the world who and what she really is. Her tweet seems to summarize an observation of the effects of the overall interview—what Charice said and did and the real person that she presented to the public—on the many young people (and perhaps, the older ones, too) who may have suddenly been in reflection of who they really are, of whether they are more accepting of themselves and of others, and if they are happy or not.

A new beginning

Yes, Charice, this is a new beginning, a new chapter of your life. You have invited your supporters, your fans, your Chasters to enjoy the ride. Remember in 2010, after you had released your single Pyramid, you shared the motto “At the Top, Baby!” with your Chasters? At the top of the pyramid. But why stay at the top of the pyramid when you can go over it? You are now free as a bird. You can fly! As you fly, those—who believe in your talent without longing for somebody you are not—are willing to be part of the wind beneath your wings so you can fly high. And when the time comes when those—who you want to accept and love you for who you really are—become part of that wind, you will fly higher.

Fly, Charice, fly!

On Charice and PH Media

A number of news items were posted online and aired on TV by the Philippine media about Charice these past few months. Most of them were centered on her boyish looks, sexual preference, family feud, career and finances. And, of course, these became so sensational and controversial that netizens jumped in and fired their (thoughtless) tweets and posts online. Anything about Charice seems interesting for many regardless of what topic it is. If there isn’t any topic or news coming from Charice or her management, netizens and the PH media are ready to make one. Oh, these people really “love” talking about her!

Wait. Let me make a correction. It’s not really “regardless of what topic” because many have chosen to ignore Charice’s participation in the United Nations Women’s theme song titled “One Woman” and I have been wondering why. If I am not mistaken, only Rappler picked it up and wrote an informative article about it and Charice’s representing her dear country. This blogger tweeted the links to the UN press releases about the inspiring song for women to the Philippine media outfits like ABS-CBN News and GMA7 News but NADA!

Even if they missed my tweets, I didn’t think they missed the many tweets of Chasters about it that went on for at least two weeks. If they could get photos of Charice’s new looks from Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, they could have gotten the photo, videos and news feeds of Charice singing “One Woman” with other international singers. I thought the Philippines is a proud member of the United Nations and a staunch proponent of women’s rights. Was I mistaken? Or, maybe, our media are telling us the kinds of news that are worthy of announcing to the public. I can actually hear them say, “Let’s go for sensationalism and controversies because they sell; because they grab online traffic.”

These were what the PH media (except Rappler) missed to pick up as worthy to share with the public:

UN Women's tweet with Charice's photo

Charice’s screen shot is even used as thumbnail for UN Women's video on the making of their theme song.

Yet, the PH media did pick up these photos:

  

The PH media even wrongly reported (or at least insinuated) that the girl in the above photo was Charice’s girlfriend which triggered laughs from those who knew better. Where has the practice of verifying information before broadcasting gone? I have yet to read or hear apologies from those who published the wrong information.

And here’s something funny…

The photo above was cited as one of Charice’s “new” look which some online media immediately picked up. Some netizens even added that they miss the “old” Charice as caption for this photo. What’s funny is that I have seen this photo way before Charice graced the cover of the Preview Magazine in their January-February 2012 issue.

Regarding the “new” but actually "old" photo of Charice, some netizens might resort to the Mr. Ricky Lo “how-would-we-know” attitude. In his article “Go ahead, Charice, be yourself!” which was posted on March 13, 2012, Mr. Lo referred to Ms. Courtney Blooding, Charice's former manager, as Canadian. On September 25, 2012, he posted another article entitled “Where’s Charice’s manager coming from?” In this article, he wrote, “[Ms. Blooding’s] the same woman who once dismissed the Philippine media as ‘irresponsible’ for not knowing what her nationality is. How would we know when nobody even knows her?”

Ms. Blooding is an American. If only Mr. Lo did a good enough research, he would not make the mistake of referring to her as Canadian. And I thought Mr. Lo already realized his mistake. He, again, referred to Ms. Blooding as Canadian in his article “Charice listens to nobody but her heart” which was dated May 21, 2013. It seems that one year is not enough time to find out about Ms. Blooding’s nationality. Or is Mr. Lo just being stubborn and not willing to correct his mistake? Yet, he insinuates that Charice is being stubborn with the title that he gave his article. Somebody should knock some sense into Mr. Lo’s style of journalism.

Mr. Lo also has referred to Charice as his inaanak or that he is her godfather not only in his articles but also in some TV shows. Now, I ask him these—“What have you done for Charice as a godparent? What have you not done for her that you should have? Are your articles your way of helping and guiding your inaanak?"

What is interesting is that Mr. Lo is a columnist of The Philippine Star, the same paper where Mr. Bum Tenorio, another Charice’s godparent, runs a column. Mr. Tenorio posted an article dated May 28, 2013 entitled “You’re the man, Charice!” Please pardon me. I cannot help but compare the works of the two godparent-columnists. Both of them referred to Charice as their inaanak in their articles. Mr. Tenorio, however, has respect and love for Charice that any reader, Chaster or not, would feel in every word that he wrote. To Mr. Bum Tenorio, I say, “You’re the man!” 

Charice in UN Women’s “One Woman”

One thing I admire about Charice is her being supportive of charitable institutions and inspiring programs. She is one artist who contributes her time and talent to valuable projects. A most recent of which is “One Woman: a song for UN Women.”

“One Woman” is written by Beth Blatt, Graham Lyle, and Fahan Hassan. According to the official website of the song, it is written for UN Women, the global champion for women and girls, to celebrate its mission and work to improve women’s lives around the world. It aims to become the rallying cry that inspires listeners to join the drive for women’s empowerment and gender equality.

The following video from the UN Women YouTube Channel tells the story behind the song.

“One Woman” was  initially performed during the launching of UN Women in the UN General Assembly Hall in 2011. The song, however, will be officially launched on the International Women’s Day this year. The song features 25 artists from 20 countries. Charice is one of them and is representing the Philippines. Please see the other artists and the full credits and lyrics of the song in the bottom part of their website.

The track will be available for download on March 8^th (EST 7 March, 12 noon) on the same website and on Amazon and iTunes for $0.99. All proceeds go directly to UN Women in support of its programs to empower women.

Let’s support this important and inspiring project by downloading “One Woman” and by singing the song together with Charice, the other artists, and all the women around the world. Let’s make “One Woman” a rallying cry indeed!

Click on the image below for the lyrics and sing along with the artists!

March 8, 2013 Update:

I logged on to Twitter and I was happy to see these tweets with pictures of Charice made by the UN Women  in English, Spanish, and French.

And here's the full music video of "One Woman: A Song for UN Women" from the UN Women YouTube Channel.

Also, please check out the other photos and videos on the UN Women Facebook account.

Thank you, Charice!

If Chaster Janine asked for your phone number, how would you react?

For those who don’t know yet, Janine has made a number of Chasters very happy by bridging them to Charice by way of phone calls. If she asked for your number, she would try her best to let you have a moment with Charice on a personal level. Isn’t that a welcome treat? Isn’t that wonderful? It’s unbelievable what this angel does for Chasters! Again, thank you, Janine!

Now, how did I react?

It was in the afternoon of Wednesday, January 30^th,  when Janine tweeted me asking about my number. Suddenly, my hands were sweating and I kept on hitting the wrong keys on my computer. The feeling was unexplainable. Excited crazy!
I couldn’t believe it, yet I was looking forward to the call, but I knew I had to be patient and should trust that that call would come. When exactly? I didn’t know. It was supposed to be a surprise. Oh, how does one handle the thought of a forthcoming great surprise?

I tried to calm myself. I walked around the house. I went upstairs, then, downstairs again. I went out for fresh air. Of course, the phone was with me all the time. Then, maybe I was already back to my senses because I thought of preparing for the call.

How did I prepare?

The phone. I recently changed my phone and I could not use the same ringing tone from my old phone. There had been an incident that I missed a call because my ears were conditioned to the old sound. That shouldn’t happen again. Not this time! Be familiar with that tone! I even asked someone to give me a call for testing. Just to make sure my phone can receive calls…or was that the Obsessive-Compulsive in me manifesting?

The power bank. What use is a phone without a charged battery? It was good that I had a power bank (portable charger). Phone and power bank should always be together!

What to say to Charice. This was the hardest part. Really! So, I got a pen and paper and jotted down everything that came to my mind. Knowing the call experiences of other Chasters helped me a lot. Like, it was fine to request for a song so, I wrote Lighthouse. But the first on my list was “Thank u!” because I really wanted to thank her for a number of things, the call included.

It was already late in the evening and I was restless in bed. I couldn’t sleep. I got my phone and browsed for some Charice videos. Then, I saw Pusong Bato from KrisTV and ting! I would sing to Charice! I got up, got a pen and paper and modified the lyrics of the chorus of Pusong Bato for her. But…I don’t really sing! Then, I heard a voice from unknown somewhere say, “It’s not the tune. It’s the thought that counts!” So, I inserted “SING FOR CHA” (yes, all caps) in my list.

The following day, Thursday, January 31^st, I was more relaxed. I did my daily routine and I practiced my song for Charice many times. I also went over the list which was now in the pocket of my phone case together with the lyrics of the song. I was imagining receiving the call when I thought of a few “what if” situations. I had to come up with resolutions.

Contingency plans.

1) What if I get a call from someone else? — Make the call as short as possible; send text messages instead.

2) What if I am in a jeepney (a public transportation) — Tell the driver to pull over. Get off quickly. It's noisy there! Then, run to a building with a quiet place like a bank. Or be in a less noisy area of the sidewalk.

3) What if I am in a mall? — Run to a quiet place! Where could that be? Well, just don't go to malls!

4) What if I am at home? — Easy. Go to the bedroom upstairs where there is peace and quiet.

It was already after dinner. No call yet. For some reason, I was not really expecting the call that day. Maybe, it would be on Saturday. But just the same, I practiced the song and read my list again. By this time, I had already memorized them. Then, I thought of modifying the lyrics of the whole song Pusong Bato just for fun. And it was really fun doing it!

Panic Mode

It was after lunch on Friday, February 1^st and guess what? I had to go to the mall. I know! It was not a good idea to go to malls! Before leaving the house, I made sure I had everything—gadgets and notes—with me. The phone was in my hand—so not me! While in the moving jeepney, I looked out for possible quiet enough places. No call yet. In the mall, I looked around for possible spots of refuge from the noise. Oh, it was hard! No call yet. In the jeepney going back home, looking out again. No call yet. Sigh of relief…

Late in the afternoon, I logged on to Twitter, read some and had an exchange of a few tweets. It was already past six when I decided to walk our two small dogs. Of course, I had my phone and all with me. It was almost seven when we were back home. I turned on the TV to watch the news. Everything was normal until I heard a “beep!” coming from where my phone was—on a counter near the main door. I placed it there when I unleashed the dogs. No, it was not the ringing tone, but it was a warning tone that my phone was running low on battery!

There was a quick flash of two options:

1) Connect the phone to the power bank which was beside it.

2) Get the regular charger upstairs and charge the phone the normal way.

I opted for the second because I was reserving the power bank for emergencies. So, I went upstairs. I opened the door to the bedroom and walked to a shelf where the charger was. I hadn’t gotten hold of the charger when I heard the now familiar sound—my phone downstairs was ringing!!! Oh, no!!! I quickly went downstairs to where my phone was. I was still in the panic mode, but most probably, I smiled when I checked who was calling. There was no name, just a number on the screen of my phone. This must be it! And it was!

The Call

I cannot recall everything that transpired during the call so, I am writing only what I can remember.

The caller asked for “Tita”—that’s me. It was Janine on the other line. I could hear other people talking in the background, but not comprehensible. I mentioned about me needing to charge my phone. I was talking with her while I was connecting my phone to the power bank and going upstairs to the bedroom. Then, I heard something like "Kamusta naman ang Twitter?" (So, how is Twitter?)

I asked if it was Charice I was talking to because I was a little confused—their voices seemed to sound similar.

When I was already in the bedroom, where there was peace and quiet, I heard that familiar voice. It was Charice indeed! Her speaking voice was like that of a playful child. She was bubbly. I think I said “Thank you” a number of times to her but I was not able to say why I was thankful. We must have had some small talk and then, I didn’t know what else to say. This was the time when I thought about my notes—the list and lyrics. I didn’t know where they were. I just tried to recall what I wrote on the paper.

I requested her to sing a song. She asked me what song. I said, “Lighthouse.” She right away started singing it—without any warning like "okay" or clearing of her throat. She was more ready to sing than I was ready to listen. For a second, I could not believe that it was happening. And I was just there standing frozen and listening to her with my eyes closed. Magical!

Then, I said I’d like to sing for her. That was when I sang my song to the tune of the chorus of Pusong Bato:

                                                                                  

    Di mo alam dahil sa ‘yo                             

    Ako’y di makakain                                 

    Di rin makatulog                                       

    Buhat mag-DM si Janine                           

    Kung phone ko’y muling mag-ri-ring         

    Sana sya’y isang katulad mo                   

    O kaya’y ikaw na lang mismo              

    Translation:
    You don't know because of you
    I cannot eat
    I cannot sleep, either
    Since Janine sent me a DM
    If my phone would ring again
    I wish s/he'd be like you
    Or perhaps, it would be you instead

After singing, I didn’t hear her reaction. [The following day, Chaster Lysa, who was with them, tweeted something that sent me to heaven. Lysa said that Charice liked it and that when I finished singing, she was like “Ohhhh” while smiling.]

I also remember that Charice asked me if I had eaten. When I said no, she offered some spaghetti and french fries. I heard the others offering me the same. Since we were talking about food, I asked if she liked eating ube jam. She said yes. I told her I wanted to cook some for her but didn’t know how I could give it to her. She told me to coordinate with Janine. Before talking to Janine, I was able to say “Thank you” repeatedly and “I love you, Cha!”

Then, it was Janine on the phone. Honestly, my mind was blank after talking to Charice. I was not able to make it clear with Janine about the coordination. I’m really sorry about that. But I think I told her to have fun in the party with Charice and the Chasters present there and thanked her for the call.

Bloopers

1) After some minutes of being in the state of nothingness after the call, I saw the note pads with the list and lyrics on my bed. Why did I not see them earlier?

2) After sending tweets to Charice and Janine that night, I decided to use the computer instead of the phone for easy typing. But I could not log on to Twitter because I forgot my password! I tried for maybe six times. The CAPTCHA box appeared more than once.

3) Later that night, I checked on the time of the call again. It was then that I realized there were two call logs for the number. Huh?! One was for outgoing call. Oh, no! How embarrassing! I must have accidentally pressed something on the phone. Sorry....

My thoughts

I don’t think one can ever be ready for that kind of call. No amount of preparation will be sufficient. It is hard to have a good enough presence of mind in that kind of situation.

Even now, I can still feel the elation and joy I had while on the phone with Charice. It is one experience that I will surely cherish for the rest of my life.

If I am not mistaken, what I said to her the most was “Thank you.” I guess it’s because I am really thankful to her for many reasons.

Thank you, Charice!

Here Comes The (Boom) Call From Charice

Saturday morning. January 26^th in the Philippines. Checking tweets of Chasters. Boom! No Boom?!

There were tweets of Chasters (including those from outside of the Philippines—really sweet Chasters) asking for the showing of Here Comes The Boom in the Philippine cinemas. Then, I was sad, sad, sad. I saw a tweet from Chaster Maria saying the HCTB director Frank Coraci himself “tried (to) get HCTB in PH but still a no go!” As of this writing, only three Asian countries have release dates of the movie.

Last year, I put the link to the release dates of HCTB on my Twitter profile when the Philippines was still in the Asia Pacific listing. And I’m leaving that link there until HCTB showing is over, hoping that those who come across my profile page will know about it…and I’m still hoping that one day, I’ll see the name of my country there again. Whether it will be shown or not on the big screen here, I’m buying the DVD of HCTB once it is released in February.

Still the same Saturday. Afternoon now. Checking tweets of Chasters again. Then, I was happy, happy, happy. Very happy! I did not mind the “all caps tweets” of Chasters. Go, hit that Caps Lock on your keyboard! Sweet chaos on my timeline! Why? The Charice spoke to one, two, three, four (were there more?) Chasters on the phone! Reading those screaming tweets of excitement, pouring tears of joy, shortness of breath, elation, hyperventilation, palpitation, “heart attacks!”, laughters, smiles, ecstasy—Such Gleeful Moment! Just reading them made me sooooo happy I forgot all about my sadness regarding the HCTB movie because the Real Boom spoke to Chasters! Then, a thought came to me. What if Charice called me? How would I react? What would I say to her? Should I request her to sing? What song? I stopped thinking about it. I just couldn’t handle it.

Hooray for the Chasters who got the dream calls from Charice! Hooray for all the Chasters who shared in the jubilation and celebration!

For the details of the call experiences, please go to ChariceTVCrew. Thank you, CTVC!

P.S.   

While writing this article, I had the chance to tweet with Chaster Janine, the one who made the phone calls possible. She’s such a darling and selfless in making many Chasters happy. Thank you, Janine, for your effort. It’s very much appreciated. Thank you also for all the other Chasters who were the “partners in crime” of Janine.

And of course, thank you, Charice for fulfilling the dreams of the Chasters. You called four Chasters and made them very, very happy. Multiply that number a hundred or even thousands of times and that’s the number of Chasters that actually became very, very happy.

To Charice & Chasters, Cheers! LabyoMucho! =))