After a grueling 13 years in Sweden, OPM artist Zelle is back in the country for new music, a new perspective with empowerment, her truth and the process of healing. Her single "Martir" talks about the trials and tribulations of love and the complexities of relationships.
This resurgence didn't come easy as it stemmed from her own life experiences which happened recently, a matter that compelled her to go back to the country.
She admits experiencing depression, but realized how she could use music as an expression. It was something that she knew was important, to use it to heal. Her gift is now being used with intention and fervor, which is why her music feels more genuine than ever. A way to show her truth, and strength which she hopes to also inspire other women.
Love certainly is still part of her songs creative process, but says she uses a more psychological aspect in writing about it. She shares how one shouldn't lose their identity while experiencing love. That's a pretty strong statement!
She now is doing gigs and tours with a dependable band. With John Abiathar De Leon on drums, Archie Salvador on guitar, Chester Ventura on violin, and Jing Gonzales on bass plus a few more people in charge of production, she's ready to perform in different stages, here or elsewhere. She's also preparing a release for another single "Liberate Me" which she's doing soon. In the meantime, listen download and stream "Martir" on all streaming platforms and take that awesome healing and feisty journey with Zelle.
In this day and age, people in the Philippines often do not get work in places across the country. To find a better life for them and their families, Filipinos venture out at sea and become seafarers. It's not easy to be away from family and remain in the deep blue ocean for weeks, months, some even years. Some fall prey to unscrupulous individuals who wouldn't bat an eyelash to not give them what's due them especially if they need government help, or lawyers to protect their rights (maritime or others) even if they are not in the country.
They need help, and this is where GOLD Foundation and maritime organizations come in. They just announced a concert for a cause called ALON Pagibig, Pangarap at Pagasa, slated this June 28th 6pm at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila. This is headlined by one of the most popular bands in the country BEN&BEN, talented singer John Mark Saga and lovely female PPOP Group CALISTA.
Seafarer Cecilia Giron tells us about her experience at work and says "This is a very humbling type of work, I was a bit hesitant at first, but I was able to perform the job. When I went home, I was so thin and didn't encourage me to go back . 13 years in a cruise ship, and a few years more, fooled by our love story, but I didn't want to end my dream. I had to work for my daughter, and later asked to do the same work now. It only took 5 months to finish it."
Jebsen Gamido an awareness advocate in the maritime sector told us about those experiencing not just abuse, but even mental health concerns for those who are working on ships. There are tons of seafarers who are in the same shoes and hopefully it will also be highlighted at the ALON concert.
Cadet Jerimy Orquiza shared how he didn't want to become a seafarer, but since he worked in a maritime school, he was inspired about their stories and got interested with their lives, even if it means being away from their families so they could provide for their loved ones.
Marville Espagob of ISWAN shared how he had a great career, but it was hard for him mentally. The ALON concert is intended to help folks like him, and he will have a chance to talk about it in the show. They provide free helplines to understand them and their stories."
Ms. Lala Tolentino of The Mission to Seafarers adds "There has been no event that is like this to remind ourselves of love, welfare and hope. We support the family and seafarers around the world, no matter what the nationality, race or trust. We are recognizing them, they carry 90 percent of what you are wearing today. They are hidden workers, unseen, and this will make them be on the spotlight. Because they want to help their families, they set aside personal happiness because no matter what it seems, they deserve our recognition. The benefit concert will go to fund the mission for the seafarers and their families."
Gelo Ruiz who's directing the concert says "ALON will be a tribute born out of love. There are about 3 Million out there, and this is very personal for me because I am a son of a seafarer. This will be about their Stories, their Advocacies, and how we have better lives with their sacrifice. We are making ways to inspire people, and our program contains Ben&Ben, Kelvin Miranda, Calista, and John Mark Saga who will sing for one night. Every artist have their own story, it gives people hope. Calista will also showcase women empowerment with their numbers, and John Mark has real seafarer family members. We hope you get to support us on June 28th!"
Expecting a whopping 7000 attendees, they are still looking for partners, you may reach them on their social channels and email too. Tickets available at ticket2me.net and it will be held at the Ninoy Aquino stadium in Manila. Make sure you bring along your seafarer family members, friends and everyone.
John Mark Saga is a seafarer's son and says even the poster tells a lot about growing up without his father on his side. He got to pursue his dreams because of his father's sacrifice which he wasn't able to do in the past.
Calista says "It's an honor to be part of this big movement about seafarers and their families, it's a responsibility to represent the women and we have been advocating empowerment even those who are on board. With ALON, and our music, we hope it touches hearts for those who work in the industry. We will support them, and their dreams as seafarers too."
Calista had their concert years back to help frontliners and medical professionals, this time they're doing it for seafarers which is a very noble thing to do.
It's an important advocacy, for the seafarers and their families. If you want to do the same, go support them in the concert. Tickets will surely sell out fast because concerts like this cost more on a normal day. They plan to give the proceeds to organizations that help seafarers with legal, medical and mental needs. Get tickets via Ticket2Me.net and watch the event at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium because it's going to be one fun night!
Filipinos can't deny their affinity for something that soaks them in love, hope, hurt and a lot of melancholy. We met with Seb Pajarillo and Jeniffer Maravilla a few days ago and listened to two new singles they've released, and it was quite interesting.
First off, as individuals, they're very different than what I thought they would be. I've met Jennifer during a workshop a couple months ago, and her serious quiet looking facade could fool anyone who's going to meet her the first time. She's very bubbly, quite fun to talk to, a person who you can strike a conversation with.. or initiates it (which I absolutely like about her). She's also a fierce singer, one that could read a phone book and belt it out like the powerful divas we watch on Philippine television.
Seb on the other hand, felt like a young classy gentleman. He's not the type that super imposes his good looks, but the one that takes time to do things and makes you fall for his charm. His voice is much of a crooner, someone who could do good with the classics but instead delved into more emotional type OPM told into stories. He's also a very nice guy, which will be quite a huge addition to his attractiveness and the ability to sing.
With the folks from GMA Playlist, they're releasing individual singles. Seb sang for us his latest one called "Dati Pa" which is about enjoying the feeling of being in love, and about losing it. Jennifer on the other hand sang "Di Na Pwede", which is about getting hurt, and asking for a chance for her questions to be answered.
I asked them a bit about their previous relationships, on how they fell in love with the person, and what they learned from it. They answered honestly.. and Seb says "I think I fell in love with her because I saw that I would really learn a lot from her. Growing up, I was used to being very dependent with my parents and I had a hard time being independent. I kinda felt that I'd be experiencing things with her that would lead me to learn stuff. She was smart, very independent, and I did learn a lot, but I also learned that loving someone means I need to equip and love myself first."
Jen adds "For me, I don't think you could tell that you will fall in love with a person. I couldn't tell the specific time, but now that I'm dating again, I realized that you need to qualify who you are going to be with for the rest of your life. You can definitely start with your preferences, that's where I'm starting again so far. Yes, I was hurt from that last relationship, no, more of devastated. Though I learned from it, it was almost half of my life. I never really thought it would end. I only learned to let go of the hurt when I started to love my self. That's when I began seeing things clearly, on what my preferences were, what I deserve, and what I want. I realized I also needed to go through that because it has really strengthened me."
Here's the rest of the interview on video:
"Dati Pa" and "Di Na Pwede" is out now on streaming sites. Go listen to them today and make your love a lesson too. This is under GMA Playlist of GMA Music. Follow Seb and Jennifer on their social channels too because from the looks of it, this is just the start of their music and acting careers, and did good.
Thank you to Sparkle for letting us interview these two talented singers!
If you're a fan of OPM songs, you're bound to listen to one of the most talented singer-songwriters of the 90's and 2000's... and his name is April Boy Regino. He's made remarkable achievements during his time, and made the title IDOL resonate with the masses. This 2024, a movie will be done telling his story under Water Plus Productions. It's called "IDOL (The April Boy Regino Story)", and we got to watch it earlier at the press screening.
This film stars John Arcenas who plays April Boy Regino and Kate Yalung to play the role of his wife Madelyn. I've seen John do several projects in the past, and he's quite a spirited singer doing the classics. He's also an architecture graduate, and managed by star maker Tyrone Escalante (both of them). John has bested 27 people in the auditions, and it was obvious, he's got the voice and mannerisms secured. He studied quite extensively using April Boy's previous movies and TV appearances which he took to work while filming. This is also directed by Efren Reyes Jr. who quipped how much they had to work on finishing this film even before the pandemic. Kate on the other hand is no stranger to films, modeling, commercials and stage. They look lovely on screen, and you could tell, the camera loves them.
Making this film was no walk in the park. They had to dish out production budget for the songs they needed to secure prior to filming. But it was producer Madame Marynette Gamboa's promise to him, before he passed... and they knew, they just had to do it.
Here's the media conference which was done after the screening, please enjoy!
The film really had a very colorful story line. While this is a biopic, it's being told from the eyes of April Boy Regino. His sadness stemmed from a lot of things including getting sick thrice, and the challenges of life was no joke. It also mirrors the crazy life of a celebrity in a Philippine setting, and where he succeeded, got to help his wife and kids, his community, and ultimately be loved. This is something that you would see in the film, and I'm telling you, there were a few members of the press that cried in the dark corners of that theater.
You will learn how to cherish every moment with your family after watching it. If you feel that's something you would like to feel, it comes out in theaters this November 27th. It's also rated PG so you can take your whole family to watch it.
Gian Magdangal and Lara Maigue have been certainly turning heads with their various covers on YouTube. My personal favorite is their version of "Last Night of the World" from popular musical Miss Saigon (which will be staged in Manila soon btw). Before they turned into lovers, they've been good friends and just went over that line with good intentions.
Lara is a very talented classical singer (a Soprano) educated from UP College of Music, and has gone in different places across the globe to promote Filipino talent and music. Gian on the other hand has been seen in the musical theater arena, always takes lead roles for obvious reasons. Both are actors, performers in live and on television shows too. On November 10, they'll be performing at the Teatrino Promenade in Greenhills, San Juan City. They properly call the show "The Greatest Duets goes BROADWAY" which is produced by GL Productions (their own production company). The premise is to take you to best Broadway musicals through the songs they personally hand picked to do duets with. I wouldn't want to pre-empt, but as far as skills go, these two are practically the most equipped to do that on stage and this intimate venue. As Gian states in previous interviews, one reason he got hooked with Lara is her natural ability to mesmerize anyone who would hear her sing. He on the other hand has exceptional singing and acting prowess, which he puts to good use.
According to Lara "It's the first time we are working on something together and it is a way to showcase our love for Broadway. My dream used to be with a full orchestra in Carnegie Hall, while he wanted to do it in The Sphere in Las Vegas. The new generation should know how relevant music is now. The magic of collaborating, we love seeing that. We are fans of Broadway musicals, it was a natural idea to come up with and we want people to enjoy it with us."
Gian adds "The first challenge is to do both hats as producer and performer. The team, the business, it's just the start and we plan to do something big next year. We want to make work happen, a lot of give and take, it's a part of learning together. "
"Our goal is to package this as two individuals doing shows, and perhaps, just showcase all duets. There are going to be few solos but it's seamlessly going to be a duet too so you are not going to be umay from it."
Tickets are sold at Teatrino Promenade via 09175130909 or GL Productions via 09663890156 or Ticketworld.com.ph. Go get them now as I'm sure it'll run out fast!
If you haven't caught their videos yet, you must go and check SKYGARDEN on YouTube to see how these 3 Japanese guys (Ryo, Iwa and Hiro) ended up in the Philippines. Today, they announced signing with GMA's altG Records (an arm of GMA Music) and will be releasing their first single called KOKOA in digital platforms this coming September 1st. They've been doing a lot of covers on YouTube, Facebook and social channels . They have been also gaining attention in recent months because of their hit long form videos about pranks, their efforts in doing Fiilipino things, and also pretending to be BTS in some of their videos which has gained millions of views.
SKYGARDEN signs with GMA's altG Records and releasing their first single KOKOA
I've met them this afternoon and they're a pretty fun bunch of guys. During the pandemic, Ryo saw his 2 best friends who lost their jobs and struggled with their mental state in Japan. It was then when he bought two tickets for them to bring them to the Philippines so they could experience the culture, and how it is to live here. They ended up adoring Filipinos, their couldn't believe how some of the people they met were generous, welcoming and kind despite their economic stature. This is just one of many reasons why they now choose to live here, and now they're not just content creators, and chose to make their brand of music.
If you get to listen to KOKOA, you'll see how it is a bit of a JRock experience, with the choice of using Filipino for the lyrics. So in a nutshell, it's a combination with Japanese rock with OPM. It'll remind you of those intros and outros of anime shows you've been watching online. It's something they are heavily influenced with. With their success, they plan to actually put it to good use and do a lunch movement, it'll be like CSR programs to feed those who can't by adopting schools. Aside from that, they plan to still continue to create content together to make sure they pay back those who supported them all these years.
Here's our conversation at the mediacon this afternoon.
They're funny, good looking and pretty driven about what they want to do in the content creation industry and music. They're in it full time and plan to do more of it in the next few months. You'll definitely see more of them in radio, different shows, online to promote their new single, which they hope you'll love. You can already pre-order it on Apple Music buy buying it now, then it'll alert on September 1st when you can play it. For the other platforms, you can start purchasing it on the same date. I like how they mentioned how supportive their parents are with their chosen careers. They really wanted them to follow their passion. This is under altG Records of GMA Music.
Congratulations Ryo, Iwa and Hiro. Keep on doing what you love!
I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that we miss XOXO. They're GMA's premiere girl group that's got super powerful vocals, and has very successful individual acting careers too. Members Lyra, Dani, Real and Mel started the event quite excited, showing why they're one of the most sought after performers by telling stories that made us all roll in laughter prior to them singing. They've got A LOT of personality, they can work out a crowd and get away with it. They're also great ambassadors of body positivity and about loving who you are no matter what color, race or ethnicity is. They pointed out how varied they are and proved how talent, music, encompasses everything!
This foray to OPM is somewhat a new endeavor for them. They made sure it's got dance, more upbeat than usual because it's something that is supposed to inspire you when you're down. It's something that could encourage you to learn, and leave those worries behind especially when you're with people who support you like friends and family. This is where they say "Go Lang ng Go!", here's where they performed it for us that evening!
@kumagcow UPBEAT SONG GLNG (GO LANG NG GO) RELEASED BY XOXO Under GMA Music #EntertainmentPH #tiktokshowbizreporter #ppop ♬ original sound - John Bueno
I didn't get to talk to her after the show, but she's my bias if you could say that. If you haven't seen Muriel on TikTok, you should definitely give her a follow. She's not only entertaining, showcasing her powerful vocals there, but takes time to tell different stories that touch the heart, interacting with her fans is certainly something that she does quite good, but something tells me she's gotten busy that she doesn't stream live as much anymore, but that's a good thing. It only means they're rising, doing performances not just in the country, but abroad too.
Which reminds me, Lyra, Dani, Real and Mel will be at the Best of P-POP and S-POP Concert this coming June 11. It will be held at the Esplanade Recital Studio and is produced by AOR Global Pte. Ltd. so make sure you get your tickets prior to the show. As said, there's going to be several groups performing with them like BGYO and BINI, plus a few more Singapore based artists so make sure you get tickets at sistic.com.sg as early as now because it's going to be absolutely crazy! They also told us they're very excited to work with fellow Filipino PPOP groups which they haven't done in quite a while. Here's how our interview with them that evening!
So if you're loving what you are hearing, go stream them on Spotify and other streaming platforms where available. Again, this is produced by GMA Music (who had their executives there btw). Thank you for the opportunity to talk with you XOXO! Can't wait for more music, take OPM where you're goin!
Hannah Precillas has been doing a lot these days.Aside from being in All Out Sundays as a part of Queendom, she's also a go to person for a lot of GMA's homegrown and international shows for their official soundtracks. Not surprised because she's been doing the country proud all these years after her stint at D' Academy Asia in Indonesia and the throng of events she's been in.
She had a single in the past that did pull a lot of heartstrings, and this time, she's happy to have been able to do her own rendition of Megastar Sharon Cuneta's "Sa Aking Daigdig" (In my world) which was done back in the 80's. Much to her worry, it was going to be hard since it is a classic OPM song from one of the greats in the music industry, plus it was going to be difficult to follow a pretty successful song back in the days.
Hannah had to refuse listening to the Sharon Cuneta version so it wouldn't have any effect to what she plans to do with her version. She admits only listening to it once before she recorded it and veer away so she could do a different take on this single.
Here's our interview with her this afternoon, please enjoy!
There are currently no plans to release other original music in the near future but as Hannah says, she's ready for whatever surprise GMA Music has up their sleeves and she's raring to do it. She also had difficulties making original songs because she tends to do lengthy stories about it instead. She also told us that it's difficult for her to write them because in a sense, she doesn't have that proper ending yet to her story.
She is currently in a relationship and is very happy. If you want to hear her version, the single is already out on digital platforms so make sure you stream them, download and take that Hannah Precillas experience even further. Again, this is under GMA Music. Thank you for the opportunity to talk to you again Hannah!
Looks like Quezon City 1st District Congressman Arjo Atayde is putting his Vice Chairmanship for the Creative Industry and Performing Arts Committee for the 19th Congress into good use as he sets to hold the first ever KYUSIKLABAN Distrito Uno 2022 this coming November 19. It's a music festival aimed at promoting OPM (Original Filipino Music) and will be held at FPJ Avenue (formerly known as Roosevelt Avenue) that stretches from Pitimini Street to Del Monte Avenue in the same district.
This will be participated by youth from the city and several bands, musicians, rap artists, singers and perfomers to promote home grown music. Congressman Arjo recently filed House Bill 457 which is an act declaring Quezon City as the Film and TV Capital of the Philippines. The event will also provide entertainment to thousands of his constituents, and nearby Barangays who have all been through the hardships of the pandemic. Hosting the event is comedienne Viveika Ravanes, funny man Smokey Manaloto and recently engaged Robi Domingo. Several well known bands such as Rivermaya, Pricetagg, Nik Makino, Issa Loki, OC Records and Callalily frontman Kean Cipriano, artist Juan Karlos, the Hydro Project, DJ Carla Cray, JP Bacallan and Bugoy Drilon will also be part of the lineup, all performing for the crowd.
The event will start at 2PM and will include free vaccination and registrations for Ollie Belmonte's QCID. The music performances will start around 4PM and it's all for FREE. You can get tickets from SK Chairmans, officials of their respective Barangays so if you're up to it, go get them there!
Took time out of my busy schedules for a night out on my neighborhood in Quezon City. Pretty dark out there, but I've seen something glow from afar, it was lights from a local bar where I saw FIREFLIES was playing.
It's a band formed in 2016, who now decided to get re-launched with new members in tow. If you're a little observant, you probably know most of them are from bands Cueshé who's had remarkable success in the early 2000's. Jay Justiniani does Lead Vocals, Jhunjie Dosdos on Vocals , Guitar and Keyboards, while JC Del Rosario IV does Vocals and Bass Guitar, RM Tolentino who does Percussions and Pat Galut does the Lead Guitar. They've been working hard the past few months taking a shot at writing songs, doing covers and performing in different locations across the Philippines.
Here's our short chat with them after a set, apologies as it's quite noisy in the bar we were in that evening.
Jay says "Actually, this group is easy to work with. Jhunjie is a former band member of Cueshé (like him) so we do really know each others dynamics. Our other band members are also good songwriters, so it was easy to work with even though we have different ideas. It was easier to make songs if you guys understand each other. Jhunjie and I are good friends, and good friends are hard to come by."
JC adds "Jhunjie and I started to work with Fireflies, and we now have new band members, we just didn't have a vocalist then, Jay agreed to join later on and that became a positive direction for the Fireflies band."
Jhunjie adds "I remember Jay was having doubts joining us a few years back. He was very busy and was based in Cebu. It was a bit difficult because we were playing in Manila most of the time. Some of the former Fireflies got a little tired working with us in the band because of the pandemic as income was really tight because we didn't have gigs during the lockdown. He had to go back to Davao. I was the only one left, I knew I had to do something. I'm thankful Jay agreed even if we haven't seen each other for a long time."
They named themselves Fireflies because it's like a spark in the dark. They're raring to perform in company parties, concerts local or foreign. They are currently being managed by Ms. Grace who previously worked in ABSCBN. You may get in touch with them through 09923150106 as it'll be surely busy during the holidays. They're bringing their new brand of music, some covers, and some old classics that 90's kids, Millenials and Gen Z's would absolutely love. They're going to release a few singles soon, so make sure you follow them also on their social channels at https://www.facebook.com/fireflies.ph because they're going to post updates of their gigs on that page.
Cheers to more music from FIREFLIES! Hope you shine brighter in the darkest hours and share your love of music even more!
If you"re a fan of Rico Blanco and his brand of music, you're in for a treat as he's slated to have a concert this September 11th at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
It's been a while since he"s done this, but he's so excited to perform some of his greatest hits like "Umaaraw, Umuulan", "Your Universe", "Yugto" and those he did while he was still with Rivernaya. His iconic songs have been adored by generations of music lovers and he is still advocating love for Original Filipino Music (OPM) and Filipino musicians til now.
During this press conference, we asked him about what changes he's undergone since having a relationship with Star Magic artist Mariz Racal, and he says "Nothing really, it's not change that happened to us, it's like our personalities really complemented each other. We're just good together, romantically and artistry wise."
Asked if she's going to be at his concert, Rico says "She's probably going to try but I know she has work during those days and will be under locked in taping. She supports me 100%".
Rico is also busy managing artists via his own entertainment label called Balcony. It's his way of paying forward to the industry after a highly successful career in music. Among the artists he's managing is Ebe Dancel and Zild which a lot of people liken to his brand of music. He also laments how the generation now is discovering that he's got his own band, as most of the young kids probably have seen him in different shows on ABSCBN.
Here's a part of the press conference yesterday.
The concert again will be slated on September 11th, 2022. Tickets will be sold on July 1st at Ticketnet so go get them soon. This is produced by KDR Music and they also announced that there will be other artists lined up which they will also be putting up concerts soon. I'm excited about that!
I've had the opportunity to ask questions a couple of times on Zoom to interview EZ MIL. After his hit song PANALO blew up in the charts, the clamor to have him here in the Philippines grew. Sure enough, as restrictions in the country relaxed a bit, he hopped on a plane and arrived to his homeland the Philippines to start what we now call "EZ MIL: PANALO Homecoming Tour 2022".
The press conference was held in an upscale bar in Tomas Morato, Quezon City a couple days ago and I was so happy I got to see him in the flesh. The good looking guy was flanked by his equally talented sister Raining Sorrow, Froilan Canlas, Kiefer Sanchez, Kelly Canoza, HBOM. Ren and his entourage. They were excited to talk about the show and what was going to happen in different parts of the country. This April 29th, they're starting the tour in New Frontier Theater in Araneta Center.
EZ says "I'm excited, I'm ecstatic that I will get to perform with the people I look up to. I used to explore music of what genre I should do, I learned a lot from that, it was my outlet back then. Right now we have 2 singles out but we'll have an album out soon. I want to attempt to always do better than what I use to just do covers with. Being in the states, I just want to give back to all the people that helped me to get here including co-artists and some of my family. Super excited to do this, we will go crazy on stage!"
We got a little piece of what he'll be doing in the concert, so here, enjoy!
Here's our interview with some of the performers and EZ MIL
Other concert venues will be in Davao SMX on May 1st, Legazpi City Astrodome on May 6th, Baguio City on May 13th, and his home town in Subic Olongapo Subic Gym on May 15th. Tickets are being sold at https://www.ezmilhomecomingtour.com or SM Tickets and Ticketnet. Go check out our recent uploads on TikTok (@kumagcow) to see how EZ MIL sings, the man has awesome pipes!
That good looking tall guy with boy next door looks and fit physique just isn't stopping in his game. Jeric Gonzales just recently released his new single "Hihintayin Kita" (I'll wait for you), a sad ballad written by Direk Louie Ignacio for the movie he's also in (which will come out soon). It was written specifically for it and was inspired by the story, it was only while they were working on set that Direk said he'll be singing the theme song for it, so he was quite surprised.
Here's our interview with Jeric this afternoon, enjoy!
While I was talking to him, he distinctly remembers the time when he did the front act for legendary David Pomeranz when he did a concert in Quezon a few years back. He also mentioned how he always make it a point to connect with the women being paired with him so when they do intimate scenes, he wouldn't cause them to be uncomfortable when they're with him. He also affirms that he doesn't fall in love with the beautiful women being paired with him as he's very professional. I'm so glad hearing that.
Anyway, if you're a fan or just want to hear new music, check out Jeric Gonzales' music on streaming platforms available worldwide. He's a very nice chap.
Something interesting is happening before the year ends for fast rising electro pop artist Lesha. I don't know if it's a Filipino thing, but there's often a wish involved when 11:11 strikes the clock in this part of the world.
Lesha is no stranger to that and she does whisper and ask for something when that happens, they call it angel number. She sees this as a way to manifest things like those involved about love, career, life and other opportunities. She's at that point of asking what the universe wants to happen next.
For those who don't know, she's about to step into the international stage and want to introduce Filipino music through a collab album, and a world tour of sorts. This will be under Lauv or Fenneas label AWAL. Her latest track ELEVEN:ELEVEN will be released in the album SUN MOON RISING which we have featured a few months back. She bids this as a special one since nobody worked on it but her, and it reminded her of her self worth, blessed and far from places of negativity.
This track feels authentic and she's made it to fit that way even if she's had other genres that she's worked with. She continues to work on her music to this day, to eventually be the unique catalyst so she remained true to herself and her listeners. SUN MOON RISIN is going to be released in early next year, but has been done digitally this December. This hopefully turns out good for her especially when there's not stopping Lesha and go places. Go ahead and see YouTube.com/Lesha for more details.
A lovely, heart-wrenching, heavy ballad just came out, sang by the very talented Jhoerge Normandia. The song "Pinili Niyang Mahalin Ka" (She Chose to Love You) under music publishing company KDR Music House. This is produced, mixed and mastered by Adonis Tabanda who's a Musical Director, Songwriter, Arranger, Producer that's done several songs for powerful OPM artists in the country.
Jhoerge just put her heart on her sleeve as this was made from her experience. She also made sure the emotions come out of the song as she internalizes it first before actually recording. "It's dramatic, this is my pain, I'm channeling my feelings through this song. When I was younger, I remember my Mom do standards and jazz tracks back in the 80's. I used to mimic her and began singing around 14. I used to do backup singing and started doing show bands after a year. I also began doing performances on live-streams using different platforms, but I feel this is my purpose. My single "Pinili Niyang Mahalin Ka" is about someone who's going through a rough patch, separation, that messes her up hence the song."
She adds "This is also about anger, pain, giving up, a painful instance and how we'd recover from it. I use these emotions to write songs. It's also about love in general."
If you're interested about her music, go stream today on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon Music and other platforms. She's all there!
Oh yes, looks like life is getting better for Daisy Lopez. Known for her crazy antics as the ultra viral online seller "Madam Inutz", she's taking the newly found fame and success even further by pursuing one of her passions... which is music. She just released the official music video of her single "Inutil", something that she and her management has been working on for a while now. It's now up on her official YouTube channel and was published last September 23, that's last Thursday.
Madam Inutz has impressed, to say the least, the netizens who have been eagerly waiting for this to happen. I could liken it to something that Korean rap star Jessi would do. The production value of this video, is absolutely nuts!
Albeit the song is a bit of on the novelty side, her raspy voice fits it perfectly. She's in tune, she's got that angst, I might even say she fits this like a glove. Definitely gives me that rock vibe that Aegis does, quite explosive, fun, with frank lyrics, dang she's good! Madam Inutz says she's inspired with the music of Miley Cyrus. She's wearing the recording artist hat like a champ, they prepared for this, and it turned out great. As you can also see, whoever is styling her must be given a raise because they didn't make her look alien from usual things she wears. They just prepared well, made more of her personality come out... as if she even needs that, right?
The song "Inutil" was composed by Ryan Soto. Think of it as a song that was made exactly for her. He included all the things that Madam Inutz would always mention in her livestreams. Terms like "Inutil, gunggong, oh jiiieva!" were something that they made sure to be included in the lyrics. Aside from that, this tells the story of her struggles, how she ended up making a living selling clothes, things online. Add to that, her experiences living in communities like Tondo and Cavite. She just like the rest of us is trying to earn a living, and in her case, she's also paying for the care of her Mom as she's still ill and needs support for her medical treatment. It inspired her to work hard which she hopes would also be something that other people could relate to. She also wishes that they learn from her life story, because no matter what it would look like to her detractors, she's triumphed over a lot of challenges. She's one tough cookie.
She's over the moon about the things she's enjoying today. She's very THANKFUL for the help she's had especially to her manager, Mr. Wilbert Tolentino who took her under his wings during one of the toughest times of her life. The kind philanthropist, businessman and entertainment mogul still has a lot of plans for Madam Inutz and hopes they continue their partnership and friendship. Under his tutelage, he's planning to have Madam Inutz take entrepreneurship lessons so she would be armed with the right knowledge in order to continue and grow her business. Aside from that, he's going to guide her with her career choices and show her the ropes in growing her YouTube channel, and other social media accounts. Isn't it wonderful to have an angel by your side to help you? Madam Inutz is certainly going places!
Her single "Inutil"by the way is now available for download and streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, Youtube Music and other digital stores/streaming platforms. Make sure you also watch the video above and subscriber to her YouTube channel because they plan to upload more out there soon.
I just spent the afternoon in the press conference of Gigi De Lana, ABSCBN Music's current internet darling who has amassed millions of views on her Facebook and YouTube videos as she belts some of the most iconic songs in the country. We were told that she's announcing something really big and by the looks of it, I'm not surprised.
She's very talented, people connect with her easily and also, she's very pleasing to the eyes. She's gone far since her stint in Tawag ng Tanghalan and now performs with the GG Band. She immediately told us about her efforts on doing compositions and how they are pushing to do their own songs so that they would get to grow. Now they have a couple of songs, oh no, a whole album to be released this September.
Jonathan Manalo of Star Music says "I can't divulge specific infomation about the songs yet, but they're really good original songs. Gone are the days of doing covers, this first album is special because it will introduce them as a band and the quality is really good. They're on a different level and this album will be released very soon with GG and her band! Up until now we can't decide on the first single because all of them are really that good."
GG says "We are preparing for something big, this is the arrangement of our band and the songs will be done in different ways. As much as possible, you will feel at home when you listen to it. Like listening to your favorite songs in your garden. This is a full on music night on YouTube in cooperation wtih YouTube Music. We already have prepared a couple of songs for that, but it will remain a secret for the meantime. You'll have a lot of things to look forward to because my band really thought about each one. It's a little crazy that it's happening all at once. It's been 6 or 7 months since we went viral, but it's not all rainbows and butterfly, it's a process, we had a couple of people pull us down. We underwent change, our YouTube channel and Facebook pages got hacked. We just started from scratch, we just want to make people happy, it's like people are part of our lives also. When the pandemic hit, we had to fix our online channels, took a hit, but that didn't stop us from creating more music. The changes made us stronger people."
So there you go, you'll be treated with a full blown album soon so make sure you're going to stream and buy their music when it comes out soon on platforms, this is under Star Music.
I always envied his haircut and over the years, his fashion sense has definitely admired by so many. In his latest IG stories, I've seen how the monsoon rains have been not too kind in Cavite and yes, even his house was affected these past few days.
We got to get in touch with Jeremiah Tiangco, the Clash champ himself a few days ago because he just released his newest single called "Sa Tuwing Umuulan". He's worked hard to make this single his best together with songwriter Arnie Mendaros. Listening to recently, it had a different vibe, a little funk and R&B and smooth vocal runs which Jeremiah has been known for. Honestly, if I had wine or coffee and it was raining outside, this would be the perfect song to listen to. Here's the rest of the blog conference where we also talked about his plans and perhaps his vision of "not being single" anymore in the coming years.
Anyway, Jeremiah's single "Sa Tuwing Umuulan" is now out on digital streaming sites so go download it and stream today! This is under GMA Music.
Congrats Miah! I love your voice, your music, and hope God blesses you more with more songs and opportunities. You deserve it!
