GULF TIMES: Charice, a Vocal Masterclass

From the Gulf Times:

Teen sensation Charice enthrals Doha audience

Fans of teenage singing sensation, Charice Pempengco were treated to a vocal masterclass on Thursday as the Filipina pop star took to the stage at Katara to perform in front of a crowd of around 5,000 people.

The Filipino singer performed a wide variety of different songs, impressing the crowd with renditions of original material, but also reminding her fans of what first got her noticed by performing cover songs as well.

From Adele’s ‘Rolling in the Deep’ to Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston medleys, the young star performed songs from across genres and generations, providing a clear display of her vocal ability throughout. Charice, a YouTube sensation spotted and championed by Oprah Winfrey, has already achieved massive fame despite her young years, and she has collaborated with numerous stars who have highlighted her remarkable talent.She also featured on the musical hit TV show, Glee, which catapulted her to further fame and helped to increase her already significant fanbase.Thursday’s event was organised by Golden Relations and CEO Bilal Taha was delighted with the success of the concert.

“It was amazing to have an international superstar in Qatar as the first female major artiste in the Katara Hall,” he said, adding “once again it shows that the entertainment scene in Qatar needs such events as the demand is very high here.”

“We were proud to have Charice here and even more to have such a mixed crowd of different nationalities and ages at the event,” he added. Filipina fan, Lucy said that she was delighted to see Charice in concert in Qatar.“She has the most amazing voice. I have never heard anyone sing as well as she can,” she said, adding “as Filipinos we are so proud of her and it was amazing to get the chance to see her perform live here in Qatar.”

“I really hope that we can see her again in Qatar in the future,” she said.British fan, Robert shared similar sentiments about the concert, declaring himself very impressed with the young singer’s voice.

“The concert was exciting, it was good to see new talent coming to Doha and she has an amazing talent,” he told Gulf Times.

Charice already had a huge following in Qatar, but her appearance here is sure to have won her even more fans, who will be hoping to get the chance to see her again in the future.

Photos & Song List: Charice Concert in Qatar

(See updates and/or related posts below)

From @iloveqatar

We have not yet seen any uploaded videos of Charice's September 29 concert in Qatar.

We do know however some if not all of the songs she sang based on the updates tweeted by Johnny de Mesa: Pyramid; covers of Lady Gaga (probably Telephone), Whitney Houston (I Will Always Love You?), I Ain't Got You by Alicia Keys, Just the Way You Are by Bruno Mars, Price Tag by Jessie J, Michael Jackson (Billie Jean and The Way You Make Me Feel?), All By Myself by Celine Dion; and from her new album, Before It Explodes (and more, presumably).

According to a report from ABS-CBN News:

DOHA, Qatar - Charice wowed fans here in Doha with her singing prowess, although many felt shortchanged by the brief performance.

In an interview with ABS-CBN News, Bilal Taha, organizer of the concert, explained it was Charice's first solo concert, adding it may be too early to expect the teen singer to perform for 2 hours.

“It’s her first solo concert....She performed today, I think, 70 minutes," Taha said.

Despite this, fans of the singer were overwhelmed after seeing their idol up, close and personal.

Charice extended her appreciation to those who watched her show, especially her kababayans.

“Mahal ko po kayo, thank you so much for coming here. First of all, I am very very honored to perform here tonight. Thank you so much for having me here. To all the people behind the show, thank you so much for having me here. It's such an honor, thank you po, whoever you are, non-Filipinos, Filipinos, kabayan, maraming-maraming salamat po. Thank you so much,” she said.

Taha also praised Charice for her talent as a singer and for being professional.

“Well, I’m very surprised with Charice's performance. She really fulfills what she promises; [she has a] really amazing voice," he said.

Taha added: "I noticed that Charice, for Filipinos, is not a Filipina superstar, she’s an international superstar...She's a different kind compared to Sarah Geronimo or many other famous singers in the Philippines...Charice is an international superstar. She’s already like half-Filipina, half-American, a Fil-Am. She represents not only the Philippines, she represents the United States and the Philippines”

From @irmsmiller

@Khalidkmk6

GULF TIMES says: New Venue for Charice's Concert in Qatar

The announcement of the venue change for Charice's concert on September 29 in Doha, Qatar is now released officially.

From Gulf Times (Latest Update: Wednesday 28/9/2011, 01:10 AM Doha Time):

Charice concert shifted to Katara
By Peter Townson/Staff Reporter

Organisers of the Charice Pempengco concert, originally scheduled to take place at Aspire Park tomorrow night, have announced a change of venue to the Katara Hall, building number 12.

CEO of Golden Relations, Bilal Taha, said: “As the ‘Charice Live in Doha’ is the first major concert of ‘Glee’ star Charice Pempengco not only in the country but in the region, we have finally decided to stage the event in the premier local tourist destination Katara, the Cultural Village.”

“Katara is today’s top choice for cultural events and other major happenings in Qatar,” he said, adding “we at Golden Relations along with our event partner Regency Travels and Tours, believe the breathtaking location will compliment the top calibre act expected from the international artist.

“We will be transforming the Katara Hall, building 12 into a fabulous concert venue fit for the young superstar - also, our decision to change the concert venue was in response to the insistent public demand for a more convenient concert facility.”

The organiser added that Charice will arrive in Doha today, and will be taken on a sightseeing tour of the capital to places such as Souq Waqif and the Pearl-Qatar among other locations, during which he expects fans to turn out to show their support for the young singer.

“We are expecting her followers from across nationalities to join us in warmly welcoming Charice to Qatar,” he added. Golden Relations has partnered up with Regency Travel and Tours, Ramada Plaza Doha and Al Muftah Rent a Car to host the concert.

Updated: Venue for Charice's concert in Doha, Qatar Changed

(See UPDATE at the end of this post)

Click on the image above to get a high resolution copy.

Bilal Tala, CEO of Golden Relations which is organizing Charice's concert in Qatar, announced on Twitter today that the concert venue for September 29 has just been changed:

Dear Everyone @OfficialCharice concert on thursday has a new venue Cultural Village Katara Hall Bilg 12. Same timing. Pls let everybody know.

He also posted the announcement on Facebook:

IMPORTANT: DEAR EVERYONE, VENUE FOR THE CHARICE CONCERT HAS BEEN CHANGED ON 29 SEPTEMBER 2011. THe event will happen in Cultural Village, Katara Hall, Building no 12, Indoor venue, airconditioned. Please share this information and let everybody know. If you have any question please contact 44279060 or info@goldenrelations.com. Timing is the same.

The original venue for Charice's September 29 concert in Qatar was the Aspire Zone's Warm-up Track. Bilal Tala explained that the indoor air conditioning is the reason for the sudden change of location. Charice's musical director, Troy Laureta, did tweet earlier about the Qatar heat. The Admin checked Timeanddate.com for Qatar's weather just before posting this (look at "Current conditions" and the forecast for Thursday):

Tala said that the concert's date and time remain the same, and that the new venue will be announced tomorrow in all media (newspapers, radio, etc.).

Let's wait for tomorrow's official announcement in traditional media.

UPDATE

GULF TIMES says: New Venue for Charice's Concert in Qatar

(As of Wednesday 28/9/2011, 01:10 AM Doha Time)