Kylie Padilla: Seasons

She is Kylie Padilla

A few days ago, we went to the album launch of Kylie Padilla. For those who don't know, she's the daughter of action star Robin Padilla. She's angelic, she's got Venus like skin, she's an actress who's done a few films under her belt and has been regarded as the Angelina Jolie of Philippine cinema. She did her own stunts in a Padilla clan movie and she doesn't mind doing it again. She looks like she's enjoying taking risks, and this time she's embarking on a new journey and take on the the fine art of music. She's got an album out called SEASONS and says this one represents her life that goes through lots of ups and downs, tons of storms and sunshine. They chose this title because of that same reason.

Kylie just wanted this out of her system and it was awesome of GMA Records to also get this started with her. She even has done recordings of the tracks on her own, paying for the studios because she says this is her passion. She is co-producing it. The process of recording this album took quite a while, about 8 months because she's got tons of work in between. 

 

Lonely Without You, Sulat and Awake wasn't hers but it was chosen to fit her mood the time she did this album. Gitara was inspired by a photo of a guy (which we later found out was him) where she remembers him holding it and his abs. 

The track Seasons was actually done in a car, the song is about changing feelings... done about 2 years ago. The track Mine was done in a restaurant, which she often does in writing (like a spur of the moment). She doesn't necessarily need to be sad now before she gets inspired. 

 

She doesn't believe she's really a great singer, but she has her own style. She also wants to build on that. The music on the tracks were done by other musicians and she got her inputs on that. This has 8 tracks and supposedly it was going to be 10 but they had to release it soon. When asked what Kylie they will see on this album, they will see someone real. She acts on TV and on movies but singing brings a more genuine side of her. She's still looking for her own genre and this is some sort of experiment. She was listening to Taylor Swift during the writing process and some say it somehow did come out on the album. 

She doesn't want to shed skin just to promote this album. She knows sex sells, but she's not going to resort to that. She's doing emotional songs and it doesn't mean she has to shed her clothes for that. She wants to sell this album as a full singer and songwriter. It's the most difficult thing to understand because she knows that you would need to read the lyrics to understand what she feels at that time. She also wants to write a song for Julie Anne San Jose, and wants to get her input because they are both artists. She also wants to write for Yeng Constantino or work with her. She's got a ton of songs that she wants to release and it's okay for other artists to perform it. She wants to become a songwriter first, she's also got stage fright so she's learning right now to overcome it. The songs she's writing now are more inclined on Lourde-ish ones but will try to do that in a later album (if given a chance). When we listened to Alive (when she sang it) it felt like Rihanna had something to do with it (no joke), she admits it came out that way because she's inspired by a ton of singers.  

Kylie hopes everyone would get to listen to her album so they would know how much she has put in who she really is on this one. It's now released nationwide under GMA Records so that means, most record bars and stores have it. I've listened to it this morning, all I can say is... she can really sing. Make sure you get Kylie Padilla's SEASONS now!

For more information about his album:

Official GMA Artist Center

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Visit their official website

http://gmanetwork.com/artistcenter

Derrick Monasterio Celebrates Birthday with QC Typhoon Victims

We went to celebrate the birthday of hunky Kapuso actor Derrick Monasterio in a community located at Tatalon, Quezon City. It's one of the most depressed areas in the metro and yes, I have to say there were shanties made of light materials which made most of the community's populace. They were also typhoon victims and I know the place is usually flooded when it rains hard in QC. I haven't been to places like these for a while now so I was a little shocked, but kept it to myself. I guess, just like any other individual, Derrick feels that no matter what they do or do not have... they have the right to be happy. So he went there to share his blessings and entertain them too, rightfully to which... he was surprised to see a lot of them that afternoon in the Multipurpose hall to celebrate with him. 

To host the games, we had Tess Bomb taking care of that. She was really fun and spontaneous as usual. She was really fun and the mom's and teens who were there really enjoyed her antics. Derrick's Mom was also there to say thanks to everyone who went there. She also shared some things about saving up for the rainy days and making sure they don't forget to assure their families of the right education as it's the only way they can ensure their future.

Derrick's Mom wished him the best for his career and continue to help people no matter how big or small that is.

Great Prices On Cosmetics and Perfumes: Beauty Scents

We went all the way down south and felt the VIP experience they were promising us as the first ever Beauty Scents Outlet Store in Paseo de Sta. Rosa, Laguna. I frequent that same commercial area if I'm in the lookout for shoes and items that they actually sell at a fraction of a cost. Now, there's more reason to do it because some of the world's well loved perfumes, colognes and make up will be housed in a 210 square meter shop on the outskirts of Nuvali. What more could you ask for?

Their Executives, beauty queens, artists, Manila's best beauty and lifestyle bloggers all attended the event. The first branch is located in Malaysia, they put the second store here for a reason because it's a little far from the metro but easy enough to drive to and be with the best brands in that same location. After the ribbon cutting, we did the next best thing to enjoy the perfumes inside the store... we shopped for our own favorite perfumes!

People rushed inside the store looking for their favorite perfumes, some really good selections but totally affordable.

I couldn't really help but notice the interiors of the store because they probably have thought about making it really chic, it's a mix of natural and industrial. The cold steel and wood, painted black and stained, it was like a warehouse in the middle of a shopping district. They made an effort to make this a unique place, wide and spacious so you can expect they can accommodate a lot of people even on peak hours. During the event, they even let us try facials, spas, makeovers and a lot more right at the cosmetics section at the bottom of the stairs.

Western Digital Releases WD TV in the Philippines

I think I've seen one of these in Greenhills a couple of years ago and I know there have been multiple upgrades and advancements in these boxes especially since it is WD TV. I've worked with other brands and cable corporations who have something similar to this but still, WDTV presents more premium functions and features that you won't normally see in other media players. Now, Western Digital just announced the release of the WDTV Personal Edition. This means that any other media whether you have it on your PC, Laptop or USB's. the WDTV Personal Edition would be able to play it as long as you have it on your network. This is also Wifi enabled so you don't need to be connected via ethernet or directly wired to the box itself. For me, that's totally convenient.

Mr. Jim Welsh the Executive Vice President for WD Content Solutions Business and Worldwide Sales says that "The new WDTV Personal Edition would make it seamless for anyone to play in a multitude of screen sizes and get them to play a variety of personal videos, photos and music. The quality will be superb and it can support various video file formats such as MKV, MP4, AVI, WMV, MOV and a whole lot more." You can also use Western Digital's array of external or portable drives like the WD My Cloud - Personal Cloud which I reviewed a few days ago. You can basically take charge with the kind of entertainment you want on your living room, you choose your own applications, you can stream HD videos too via Miracast, Youtube, Hulu Plus, Vudu + a lot more while playing it on your hand held device or HD TV's. 

 

The WD TV is currently sold in the Philippines through its official distributor Iontech Inc and EA Global Supply Chain Solutions Inc. It's suggested retail price is around 4,890 pesos while the WD TV Remote app for smartphones or mobile handsets is free on the App Store and Google Play Store. You should check it out!

For more information about their products:

Digits Trading

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http://www.wdc.com

Smart Infinity Brings CHICAGO "The Musical" in Manila

Oh it's CHICAGO!

When I heard the news that a world class show was in town, I had to get my hands on the keyboard and had to tell you this. If you loved the film adaptation last 2002 (which would probably make you feel a little old seeing that year) and adore the stories of Roxie Hart (played by Renee Zellweger) and Velma Kelly (played by the timeless Catherine Zeta Jones), then you are in for a treat an all star American cast will be performing here in the Philippines come December. Smart Infinity will bring the real deal theatrical show CHICAGO to Manila, but that's just the first good news!

This six time Tony Award winning musical will be made available first and exclusive to Smart Infinity subscribers. That's what you call exclusivity. That's what you call a huge perk! This means that before the public would be able to get tickets, Smart Infinity subscribers would be the first who would be able to get their hands on them. Aside from that, every new approved Smart Infinity plan application from now until September 8, 2014 will come with VIP tickets to the musical on top of the gadgets and services that come with it. 

Ms. Julie Carceller the Head of the Smart Infinity Business Group at Smart says “Just like the successful local runs of other world class spectacles such as "Cats",  "Mamma Mia", "The Phantom of the Opera" and the well loved "Wicked", bringing "Chicago" to the Philippines is again a very special gift for our Smart Infinity subscribers." 

Now if this was everything that they have, I'm definitely gonna want to have a subscription going. What perfect timing too that Chicago is going to be here right? Well, you better start checking out the Smart Infinity Plans here and see if it fits your budget. I've seen some of you spend a ton in prepaid accounts and don't even get the gadgets that you should have been getting if you were in a postpaid plan. See the difference and think Smart if you want to get more in plans that can get you to live more. Ticket selling will be open to the public on September 9. The show will run from December 2 up until the 21st on the brand new Solaire Theater! That's right after Celine Dion's concert if I'm not mistaken. All worthy to be watched! See you on December!

For more information about their promos:

Smart Communications

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http://www1.smart.com.ph/corporate

Erich Gonzales, JC De Vera and Enchong Dee for Once A Princess

JC De Vera, Erich Gonzales and Enchong Dee for Once A Princess

Today marks the showing of "Once A Princess", a film made by the one and the only Laurice Guillen for production houses Skylight and Regal Films. The film delves into the lives of two guys and one girl who had to go through different struggles in a flawed life. Some get rich, some go bankrupt, some choose to find love in spite of years in a hurtful marriage. Who will she choose in the end? Will she give up a painful relationship and give in to his wishes? Or will she follow her heart and pick up the pieces of a past love? We did the next best thing to answer those questions, we talked to Erich Gonzales, Enchong Dee and JC De Vera a few days ago and see what they think about the movie. Here are excerpts of the blogcon we had in the Star Cinema offices, ABSCBN.

It was fun and I reminisced the time when Enchong and Erich was last seen on TV. JC De Vera also was very intense and raw on this film, I think it did him good that he came in later on in the movie when everything was already shot half way to the movie.

Here are some photos of the cast during that afternoon.

The Cherry Mobile 3 Peat Launch

A few days ago, we had the chance of attending the launch of Cherry Mobile's newest products at the Hyatt Hotel in Manila. Honestly, I haven't been able to give Cherry Mobile a chance when choosing to buy phones because of rumors and the slack they've been having online. I had the impression that because they dish out cheaply priced phones, they'll have cheap built and quality too. I was proved wrong that afternoon, and yes I had my mind changed in a whole different way because I experienced one of the things they released that day first hand. Aside from that, Cherry Mobile also launched the one and only Pinoy App Shop dedicated to showcase a  all in one place marketplace for Filipino app developers that comes pre-installed (on new Cherry Mobile models) or can be installed from the Google play store .A move praised by the Filipino Game Developer community last July 31st.

Alvin Juban the President of Game Developers Association of the Philippines, Darwin Tardio of Funny Guy Studios, Honey de Peralta of Flipside Publishing, Neil Dagondon of Anino Games and Ria Lu of Komikasi Games and Entertainment welcomes the Pinoy App Shop and thanks Cherry Mobile for the move to make the industry local centric but not undermining consumers who wants free applications made for and by Filipinos who are developers mostly based from the Philippines. The only requirement is basic, it has to be made by Filipinos and judging from what I've seen on it... the games and activities are pretty cool. Some of it are even based on local Filipino street games like Sipa, Patintero, etc. all of which seemed to be also released internationally. 

 To make the great day even better, Cherry Mobile announced price changes on their premier phone and phablet lines.

The Fusion Aura is now priced at P1,999 (previously P2,299), the Ruby is now P2,499 (previously P2,899), the Life 2.0 phone is now P2,999 (previously P3,299) and the Omega Icon is now P4,999 (previously P6,499). Then they did the next best thing about the fifth and last gadget on their line, they let me win one of it on the raffle! Woot!

They christened this as the "Phablet ng Bayan" (National Phablet) because price wise, it's so affordable at P3,999. It's got an 8MP back camera, 3MP front cam, 13GHz Quad Core processor, Android 4.4 Kitkat OS, 5.0 inch scratchproof OHD IPS OGS display screen, 8GB ROM and 1GB RAM and dual sim capability. With these features, it beats phones at a whole different level with the same specs. I've also been using it since then and I am so loving the RED shiny color it has. It's available at other colors plus a matte black one but I'd rather choose this one since I'm a warrior. 

 It will only be released initially in Robinson’s Manila, SM City North EDSA and Graphics in Cagayan De Oro so what are you waiting for? Go grab them now before they run out of stock. You won't see anything of this grade at this price point anywhere else but with Cherry Mobile!  

For more information about their stores:

Cherry Mobile

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Visit their official website

cherrymobile.com.ph

SM City Sta. Mesa 3 Day Sale!

Hey shoppers! There's more good news coming your way as SM City Sta. Mesa launches another 3 day sale on August 15, 16 and 17, 2014. Great deals up to 70% off on selected items mall wide can be enjoyed on these dates including current items like jewelry, men and women's apparel, cosmetics, perfumes and tons of gift items from the latest fashion brands from the Philippines and around the world! 

Not only that, you can also get the chance to win a brand new Suzuki Ertiga for every 1,000 peso purchase. You can also double your chances of winning by following a few more steps, now isn't that great? Well, I know I'm going there this weekend so if you've got money to spend and itching to buy new shoes like me, come over to SM City Sta. Mesa at the corner of Araneta Avenue and Aurora Boulevard in Manila. Who knows, you might bring home the car if you get lucky during the raffle! See you at the counter! :) 

For more information about their mall:

SM City Sta. Mesa

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http://www.smsupermalls.com

My Destiny Gets Interesting with Ruru Madrid, Ashley Ortega and Gabrielle Garcia

Ruru Madrid, Ashley Ortega and Gabrielle Garcia, stars of My Destiny

Stars of the hit GMA show My Destiny Ruru Madrid, Ashley Ortega and Gabrielle Garcia are starting to make the story interesting in this evening primetime show. Looks like lucky Ruru Madrid and his character Paul Andrada is deemed wanted by the two other lady stars but he's not as fortunate with his parents that's bringing the grunt to their relationship. If they continue the trend, they'll probably be separated in the next few episodes and Paul will probably have to choose between them later on. Nicole Perez, Gabriella Garcia's character isn't too happy about the arrival of Alex (Ashley Ortega's character) when she acts like a confidant to Paul Andrada at his most difficult times. The question is, is she really just a shoulder to cry on? Or is she really gunning for Paul's love? She's her best friend, but what if she's really interested with Paul? Will that spell world war III? Possibly.

They are not the same though when they are not in character. Ruru Madrid, Ashley Ortega and Gabrielle Garcia are really obsessed with their craft right now and they continue to learn more about acting through workshops and immersing themselves on the role given to them. Remeber when Ruru appeared on Protege a few years ago? He might be the runner up there but he's getting big breaks from this station. Now he's even building up to be a triple threat, but he says he's not stopping there. He's so thankful that he's being given the chance to learn a lot because he says this is his passion. He's not just the teeny bopper he once was anymore and he can say that he's really getting serious about this. He's now being paired with Ashley Ortega which he also worked with in Dormitoryo and Bamboo Flowers. Their friendship is getting even stronger because working together in projects just made them closer which is very good since they are being honed as a love team. Ruru also says Ashley is so fun to be with and also works hard to make all their scenes as good as possible... because like him, Ashley's pretty involved in her craft. Ashley also says the same with Ruru and adds that there is no dull moment whenever he's around. Gabrielle Garcia, although a newcomer to the program says highly about her co stars and wishes to be with them more in the next few projects from GMA. They've also gotten to be with each other on workshops and she says she loves having friends as she continues to learn from professionals during the shooting days of this project.

Make sure that you watch "My Destiny" from Monday to Friday, week nights on GMA.

For more information about his album:

Official GMA Artist Center

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Visit their official website

http://gmanetwork.com/artistcenter

Julie Anne San Jose - Deeper

Julie Anne San Jose - Deeper

She was busy entertaining reporters when I arrived at Centerstage in Tomas Morato, Quezon City. I think I''ve covered some of her events in the past for a clothing line but we never really got to talk this much during that event. I glanced at her from this view and saw someone gorgeous, someone pleasant even if I haven't really gone this intimate for an interview before. I remember how crazy people were trying to get news of her over on Twitter and it was not any different during this blog conference. I mean, who wouldn't be startled with someone this talented and nice looking. She's Julie Anne San Jose after all.

Then when she started singing, everyone paid attention. Her undeniable power, finesse and intensity just flourished with each song she dished out of that Karaoke machine. It was effortless and who would believe something this good would come out of that venue. To top it all, everyone was a little shy I think of asking her questions. So I did the next best thing KUMAGCOW can do, I hosted the show haha. Well almost, I just started asking questions holding the microphone up... like a TV show and sure enough, everybody else followed suit. One of the questions mostly asked was about Elmo Magalona because I'm sure everybody misses her pairing with the rap royalty's son. I felt that she was a little ahmm.. uncomfortable. 

Perhaps it's probably because she's been asked of it too many times. Although when I asked her, for the record... they're still really good friends and there are no rifts between them at all. I guess, being in that love team was really special to her but she had to depart from it so she could find a way to make it in the industry on her own. She also wants to be versatile so she can go to other programs without depending on the team up. After all, she's got the talent to back it up. Maybe she just doesn't want it to be saturated, having too much might make the audience a little tired of them. It has its pros and cons but she chose to be without the pairing, she's still there after that and she's even got a new album out... was it effective? I think so. I also saw that the fans still supported her til now and they've got careers that individually have become successful.

I delved much of my questions about her album and how it came about. She's been planning about this album for a long time and she presented a couple of the tracks to GMA Records this year. She's got several compositions. Although she wasn't technically trained in writing notes and all, she's got natural talent in music which she learned from lessons and her father. She knows how to play a variety of instruments too and that helped a lot. Her compositions were all written differently, but mostly it's a combination of writing the lyrics and making the accompanying music for it. When she submitted the songs, she lets the arrangers make the changes so if the lyrics or melody won't fit, they would make the necessary adjustments to make it the best possible song for her. She doesn't mind if they change the flow of it as long as the idea is there, or if it encompasses what the lyrics meant for Julie Anne. She's also happy that she was given free hand to do this and she feels that they trust her. She hopes that now more that ever, people would continue to see her and her music better than the last time she had an album. She sang one of those heartbreaking ones which she dedicated to a past love... we melted.

She's got one heck of a year and this new album would be something that she could share for people who love her, her songs and those who just want to feel love in so many ways again. This is Julie Anne San Jose's album called Deeper. Get it out on stores now.

For more information about his album:

Official GMA Artist Center

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Visit their official website

http://gmanetwork.com/artistcenter