Qatar Audience Talks About Charice

From Qatar Tribune:

Charice enthrals music lover(s) in her first M-E concert

DOHA - OVER 4,000 persons flocked to the Katara Cultural Village to enjoy the captivating performance by 19-year-old Charice Pempengco on Thursday. It was the first concert by US-based Filipina star in the Middle East. Charice was dubbed as the ‘Most talented girl in the world’ by Oprah. Filled with excitement, fans started arriving at the venue of the show from 5pm for the concert that began at 9pm. The show, which was tagged ‘Charice Live in Doha’, was the first concert to feature an international female recording artiste in Doha.

It was organised by Golden Relations. During her more than one hour’s performance, Charice gave powerful renditions to several popular cover songs including, ‘Crazy in Love’, ‘Telephone’, ‘Officially Missing You’, ‘If I Ain’t Got You’, ‘All By Myself’, ‘I Have Nothing’, ‘Just the Way You Are’, ‘Price Tag’ and the OPM hit ‘Ikaw’. She also sang her own songs which included ‘Louder’, ‘Pyramid’ and ‘One Day’, which was written by Nick Jonas of the famous Jonas Brothers.

Giving the audience a sample of her upcoming album ‘Infinity’, Charice also performed ‘Before It Explodes’, a song which was written by Bruno Mars. Fulfilling her promise to give the audience value for their money, Charice held the music lovers spellbound with her dramatic moves to different tunes. Talking to Qatar Tribune, Olivia Sage, a 10-year-old student at the American School of Doha said, “I was very excited when I heard that Charice was coming to Doha. I’ve known her since she first appeared at the Glee Season 2. I really like her voice. Her voice is very inspirational. It gives people some comfort.

My message for her is to keep singing and don’t give up.” Arlene Masaba, a Filipino expatriate working for the Sick Children International said, “It’s my first time to see Charice. She’s really wonderful. I am proud that she is a Filipino because she brings honour to our country.

I think she has a very good talent that the whole world needs to know about.” Shaheed Khan, an expatriate from the UK working for the Qatar Foundation, said, “The concert was really nice. Her vocal range was powerful. I have known Charice for about two years now when she first appeared on Oprah Winfrey Show. She was only 16 at that time and the voice that she had was as good as Whitney Houston. I knew she was going to be a megastar and that she is now.

She’s the first Filipino I know going big time internationally”. The international teen singing sensation was no more the little girl which most Filipinos knew from ‘Little Big Star’, a talent contest she had joined when she was only 12 years old.

The crowd saw a talented Charice, who has grown up to be a young woman filled with greater confidence and so much more enthusiasm to share her passion which is for music.

Watch Charice enthrall the crowd with "Louder"

Charice Qatar Concert: "A Showcase of Pure Talent"

From The Peninsula Qatar

Charice wows crowds at Katara

DOHA: International singing sensation and Glee star Charice had thousands of her fans sing, sway and cheer during a short yet spectacular concert at the Katara on Thursday night.

The teen pop star who was the first female singer to feature in a musical show at the country’s Cultural Village, amazingly showed lustre and power on stage despite the fact she just came from a series of shows in Singapore days ago.

As expected, Charice’s show was a showcase of pure talent with a mixture of musical genres showing the versatility of the singer’s voice.

“It was a really amazing and awesome show. She is now making it big on her own,” said Bilal Taha, CEO of Golden Relations, organisers of the show, adding the show was special as Charice sang some of her new songs which were not yet released.

As a fitting opening for the show, Charice sang ‘Louder’ a dance track from her upcoming album to be released this month in Japan. She followed it up with ‘Pyramid’, her most famous song to date which has dominated the airwaves even here in Qatar.

There was no big song for the pint-size singer who during the show performed covers of hit songs by Whitney Houston, Beyonce, Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, Adele and Bruno Mars.

She performed the songs in her own unique style giving the audience an impression as if listening to the songs for the first time.

But delighting the audience even more was when Charice sang lines from songs by other artistes as requested by the audience.

“It’s quite tricky. It was like listening to a recording because she sang the songs perfectly,” said a Filipino in the audience.

She also displayed her dance skills making her a total performer particularly when she presented a Michael Jackson medley.

Other songs she covered included Crazy In Love, Rolling in the Deep, Telephone, I’m Officially Missing You, I Will Always Love You, If I Ain’t Got You, Just the Way You Are, Price Tag, Billy Jean and The Way You Make Me Feel.

Her original songs in the repertoire are One Day, The Truth Is, I Love You and Before It Explodes. The audience was a mixture of various nationalities, which according to Taha shows the singer’s worldwide appeal.

The Peninsula

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.

"Young singer Charice among performers whose careers aided by 'David Foster & Friends'"

From the LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL:

Young singer Charice among performers whose careers aided by 'David Foster & Friends'

Thanks to David Foster, Las Vegas has marked the growth of young singer Charice like marks on a kitchen-wall height chart. She agrees with that, as long as we're being metaphorical.

"The height is still the same in real life," the petite 19-year-old says with a giggle.

But Charice (Pempengo) has been part of the producer's "David Foster & Friends" since the inaugural arena show taped for PBS and video release in 2008, one she darn near stole from Michael Buble, Josh Groban and Andrea Bocelli.

"I was really scared," she admits of singing "I Will Always Love You" that night, even though she already was a YouTube sensation who had performed on "The Oprah Winfrey Show." "I wasn't expecting any of it. It's kind of a fairy tale story.

"I feel like I was like, 40, and now I'm back to 15," Charice says of reaching beyond producer Foster's adult-contemporary base, with a recurring role on "Glee" and pop collaborations with Bruno Mars and Nick Jonas.

"I had the opportunity to reach more teenagers because of 'Glee.' I don't feel like people just talk about the voice anymore," she says.

Continue reading

The photo above was taken in Qatar.
Charice with her band and the CEO of Golden Relations.

Videos: Charice Concert in Qatar

These are the first video uploads we have found of Charice's concert in Qatar:

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

Qatar Tribune: Charice concert in Doha today

From iexploreqatar.info

From the Qatar Tribune:

DOHA - THE much-awaited Charice Live concert which will be staged at the Katara Cultural Village on Thursday will showcase a different Charice Pempengco. The multi-awarded international Filipino singing sensation, who is based in the United States, is excited to perform in Qatar as the country’s first ever female major music artist from Hollywood. Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Charice said she has prepared a variety of genres for fans in Doha. “We all know that I got discovered by David Foster by actually singing ballad songs and Whitney Houston songs. I’ll get to sing my own songs. There are still some David Foster songs that I would sing as well as some ballad songs for those who used to watch me in Oprah. But there will also be some songs for teenagers. Another thing is there’s gonna be some dancing and a lot of different styles. I brought my band with me and we’ve prepared specific genres for everybody. I’m excited and it’s gonna be fun,” she said. The ‘Glee’ star will also perform a number of songs from her new album titled Infinity which will first hit the stands in Japan in October.

Continue reading

Charice Sings Halo During Qatar Press Conference

With less than four hours (Doha time) before Charice begins her concert in Doha, Qatar, you can check out the video below. Taken during her press conference, she sings (while seated) "Halo" and invites her fellow Filipinos living in Qatar to watch her concert.

Charice Qatar Press Conference Details

From The Peninsula Qatar

Around 5,000 to attend Charice concert at Katara

DOHA: Charice, dubbed by Oprah Winfrey as ‘the most talented girl in the world’ is expected to wow a crowd of 5,000 people performing her own songs tonight at the Katara Cultural Village Building 12.

“I’m very excited to perform tonight as I will be singing my own songs including those in my soon-to-be-released album ‘Infinity’,” said Charice during a press conference at the Katara yesterday.

After a few years of waiting, her fans in Qatar will see her sing live for the first time during tonight’s show which is the first concert to be hosted at the magnificent venue in Katara.

Fresh from her two very successful shows at the F1 Singapore Grand Prix, the diminutive 19-year-old Filipina singing sensation who rose to international fame having impressed the bigwigs in the entertainment industry including her now mentors Oprah Winfrey and David Foster and having sung with renowned recording stars such as Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion said her repertoire tonight is diverse and will cater to all ages. “They will see a different Charice, who will sing more dance hits such as those in my new album as well as some other songs from my favourite singers such as Whitney Houston, Celine Dion and Beyonce. It will be an exciting show,” she said.

Read more

From The Gulf Times

Filipino pop star Charice set to thrill Doha audience

Like her character’s name would suggest, the girl who played ‘Sunshine’ in the TV phenomenon, Glee, (Charice) comes across as an instantly likeable young woman, humble and down to earth, yet excited about the opportunity to display her prodigious talent. And yesterday she acknowledged the tremendous impact featuring on the show has had on her young career.

“Glee really changed my career. It turned it upside down,” she said, adding “I know I was on Oprah and the Ellen de Generes show, but Glee helped me reach many more people, and especially teenagers like me which is what I wanted to do.” Her stint on the show has helped to launch a promising solo career, and she has already performed alongside stars such as Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli.But this is only a fraction of what the teenager has already achieved, and she seems set for bigger and better things. Although performing cover songs, especially ballads, is what brought her into the public eye, Charice is keen to create her own music and style as she develops as an artiste.'Her latest album, ‘Infinity’ is set to be released in the coming months, and she confirmed yesterday that the music video for her single ‘Louder’ is also nearly ready for release

CEO of organisers Golden Relations, Bilal Taha, said that he was delighted to welcome the singer to Doha, and particularly honoured that the concert is now to be staged at Katara. CEO of Regency Travel and Tours, Tareq Taha echoed his sentiments, saying that his company was proud to be involved with the concert, and described Charice as having the greatest voice in the music industry at the moment.

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Charice Press Conference in Qatar

Charice is having a press conference right now (Wednesday, September 28, 17:32 - Doha Time) in relation to her solo concert on September 29, Thursday.

Events magazine "Qatar Happening" tweeted this photo of Charice during the press conference. She's all smiles and looking pretty despite having just arrived in the morning at Doha:

Charice Arrives at Doha, Qatar

Contrary to what we wrote in a previous post, Charice is shown in the following photos to have arrived in Qatar only today (Wednesday, 28 September, Doha time).

Follow this thread at ChariceTVCrew for more photos and videos.

@bilaltaha:

@OfficialCharice just arrived in Qatar. Ready for tomorrow's concert?

@ayiekinz:

charice pempengco at doha international airport

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)

Updated: Charice Goes From Singapore to Qatar

See UPDATE at the end of this post.

Charice's musical director Troy Laureta tweeted on Monday (Singapore time) that the band and Charice will be leaving for Qatar that night (see CHARICE ARRIVES AT DOHA, QATAR).

Below is an advertisement of Charice's concert:

Video drop by Creative Design for the Charice Pempengco concert is now playing at the Villagio Mall.

Here is a Facebook post by Creative Design Qatar about the concert:

We are 3 days away from the most spectacular musical event of the year! Do not miss it! Grab your tickets now at any Regency Travel outlets, Virgin Megastore, Wok of Fame Villaggio, Selected Filipino Restaurants, or call 33008211 for free delivery of 5 or more tickets. Charice Live in Doha! Sept 29!

Charice's concert venue: Aspire Zone's Warm-up Track

UPDATE

NEW VENUE FOR CHARICE'S CONCERT IN QATAR

Charice Live in Doha Concert Ticket / Charice Fan in Qatar to Miss the Concert

Here's an interesting news/personal article from iexploreqatar.info about Charice's solo concert in Qatar on September 29, 2011. Apparently, the author is a Charice fan from Qatar who just might miss Charice's concert there:

Charice Live in Doha Concert Ticket! Surely a big hit but unfortunately a miss for me!

Just few days left before the much awaited Charice Live in Doha Concert, I saw a friend posted a purchased ticket for the event. This Charice Live in Doha Concert Ticket that he got is for upper category.

Though am such a big fan of her, I guess I will be missing this once in a lifetime opportunity to see her. I know it is going to be a hit but here I am, sitting and daydreaming I wish I would be able to attend this event.

Unfortunately, there has been a big conflict with my finances. My brother is taking his final exam and I need to get his tuition done first this week. The frustrations when you are living within the means, making ends meet. Oh well, talk about priorities. Of course, I love Charice but I love my brother even more.

So to those who can’t get a ticket like me, here is how Charice Live in Doha Concert Ticket looks like:

Charice fans are known to be a strong community. Perhaps a Chaster or two would like to sponsor the author of the above article who is a Charice fan from Qatar? Get in touch with the author through Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/iExploreQatar

Charice Set to Wow Fans in Doha

From 7Days Middle East:

Charice Pempengco, the Filipino international singing sensation and star of the hit television series, ‘Glee,’ is set perform her first ever concert in Qatar on 29th September.

The event is being organised by Golden Relations and will be held on the warm-up track around Khalifa Stadium.

Better known as Charice, the Filipino performer is widely-recognised for her smash-hit songs such as ‘Pyramid’, which featured singer Lyaz, and ‘Before It Explodes’ written by Bruno Mars.

She has also performed side-by-side with the biggest names on the international music scene including Celine Dion, David Foster and David Archuleta.

Charice entered to the world of stardom via online video sharing portal YouTube, where she was discovered by US comedienne Ellen DeGeneres who later invited the singer to be on her show.

Below is a photo taken today of Charice with a fan, not in Qatar, but in Singapore.

Photo re-uploaded by Jen98774 on yfrog

Charice in Doha: Biggest Live Entertainment This Year

From Qatar Tribune:

DOHA - AMERICA’S singing sensation Charice Pempengco is slated to stage a two-hour concert in Doha for the first time on September 29. The event being organised by Golden Relations, is expected to draw about 15,000 fans.

It is being considered as the biggest live entertainment event to happen in the country this year.

The concert will be held at the Warm-Up Track next to Khalifa Stadium in Aspire Zone and tickets of QR150 and QR350 are available in over 35 outlets. More popularly known as Charice, the Filipino performer is currently among America’s singing sensations. She is widely-recognised for her smash-hit songs such as ‘Pyramid’, which featured singer Iyaz, and ‘Before It Explodes’, written by Bruno Mars.

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Charice Message to Doha

Some of the information provided by the uploader:

TICKETS ARE LIMITED. ANY AGE IS PERMITTED.

Tickets:
Category 1: 350 QR (Next to the stage)
Category 2: 150 QR

5pm Gates open
8pm Show Starts

Tickets are available at all Regency Travel & Tours Outlets in Qatar or online under www.tasaker.com.
Tickets also available @ Puerto Galera Restaurant, FCC (Filipino Cultural Center), Marina Restaurant Matar Kadeem, Royal Restaurant Mansoura, Little Manila Restaurant (behind Hamad), Central Cafe (behind QUBE Ramada), Natasha Las Vegas Hip Hop Store City Center (2 floor behind Starbucks), Pilipino Restaurant and Bakery City Center food court, Metro Manila Saloon Souq, Wok of Fame (Villaggio Mall)

SPONSORS: Ramada Plaza Hotel, Doha Regency Travels & Tour, Tasaker.com, Team Creation, Firefly Communications

For further questions: info@goldenrelations.com or call +974 44279060

Glee Star Charice is Coming to Qatar

From Time Out Doha:

Buckle up Glee fans, because Charice Pempengco, the YouTube star from the Philippines with the big voice, is coming to Qatar. Discovered by Ellen DeGeneres, Charice has since gone on to impress with her smash hits ‘Pyramid’ and ‘Before it Explodes’ with Bruno Mars. She’s even been on Oprah, and then landed a role in season two of Glee as a feisty exchange student. Now Golden Relations, in association with Regency Travel & Tours, is bringing her to the Khalifa Stadium in the Aspire Zone. With an expected crowd of 15,000-plus, this will be a new venue for concerts, and we couldn’t be happier.

Charice Pempengco, Sep 29, 8pm-10pm, QR150 or QR350 VIP at all Regency Travel & Tours Outlets, or call 4427 9060

Charice in Qatar: "Filipino singer’s concert set to be crowd puller"

From The Peninsula Qatar:

DOHA: Two of the biggest event organisers in Qatar are keeping their fingers crossed for a concert by Filipino singing sensation Charice Pempengco to be a smash hit with music lovers here.

Golden Relations and Regency Events have joined forces to hold the Charice Pempengco concert on September 29 at the Warm Up Track next to Khalifa Stadium in Aspire Zone. The event, billed as the biggest live entertainment event happening in Qatar, is expected to draw more than 15,000 fans...

For his part, Bilal Taha, CEO of Golden Relations, said since they announced the event early last month enquires had flooded their office via Facebook and on Twitter for more information regarding the show.

“It took us time to announce the venue as we worked out for a bigger place that can accommodate at least 15,000 people. We are expecting a big turnout of crowd at the event since Charice’s followers are not only Filipinos but people of other nationalities as well,” Bilal Taha said.

The Filipino performer is currently among America’s singing sensations. She is widely-recognised for songs such as ‘Pyramid’, which featured singer Iyaz, and ‘Before It Explodes’, written by Bruno Mars.

Read more from The Peninsula Qatar