New Charice-Iyaz collaboration possible

In an interview posted today yesterday by mb.com.ph, Iyaz said he was working on a new song and that he would like to work with Charice again:

 

Photo from
http://chariceone.blogspot.com/2012/03/charice-and-iyaz-press-conference-for.html

With 2012 being a year of many learning experiences for him, the 25-year-old songwriter-recording artist is excited to gain more of those in 2013. Music-wise, he’s working on the follow-up to his 2010 debut “Replay.”

“It’s all about growth. It’s all about me telling my stories and bringing you into the Iyaz world and the way I see the world,” he said.

He’s “down” for collaborating with any artist for the new record, including Filipino singing sensation Charice, whom he worked with in her international single “Pyramid.”

“[That is] if we could find her, because she’s all over the place!” he added affectionately of his “little sister.”

Source

Charice in ASAP Chillout

Charice with Cheesa in an informal interview:

(Updated) Video: Charice interview in The Buzz

Update: Embedded video below replaces the first one that was included in this post.

Charice being interviewed on The Buzz about the criticisms hurled at her in the past months:

Charice walking alone

Charice seemed to have been walking alone when she was chanced upon by her fans.

Charice gets good reviews for Hollywood film role

From MB.com:

Positive Reviews Pour In For Charice’s Movie Performance
By ROWENA JOY A. SANCHEZ



The reviews are in for the inspirational comedy flick “Here Comes The Boom.” And while critics are divided over this Kevin James starrer, a handful of them commended the performance of cast member Charice.

David Germain of the Associated Press wrote that the 20-year-old singer and budding actress “adds adorability as a bright and earnest student,” referring to her character Malia dela Cruz—a “musical genius” and “brainiac,” as Charice herself described.

The review was also published on Huffington Post and Fox News.

Charice’s character “could easily have been a mawkish bit, but like so much else, it works, and when she and the school band surprisingly appear in Vegas to perform Scott’s unlikely theme song, 'Holly Holy,' I defy anyone not to get a little misty,” said David Noh of Film Journal International, the sister publication of Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter.

Charice marks father's first anniversary passing

From YoungHollywood.com:

Charice Pempengco remembers slain father

Singer/actress Charice Pempengco has paid a touching tribute to her father one year after he was murdered in her native Philippines.

The Glee star was left devastated after her father Ricky was fatally stabbed in the back and chest with an ice pick on 31 October (11), and she cancelled all her work commitments to be with her grieving family.

Pempengco is still feeling the pain from the tragic loss, and she took to her Twitter.com page on Wednesday (31Oct12) to mark the first anniversary of his passing.

Charice finally speaks out on criticisms

From Yahoo OMG Philippines:

Criticisms on her look, accent hurt Charice
By Karen Valeza

Charice admits being hurt over the way people have judged her so quickly because of her new looks and American accent.

“May times na akala ko sanay na ako (sa criticisms), pero mahirap talaga. Lagi kong sinasabi sa mga fans ko na kahit na nakikita niyo ako sa stage, kahit nakikita n’yo ako na nagpe-perform, kahit nakikita niyo ako na hinahangaan ng maraming tao, kahit paano tao pa rin ako, nasasaktan ako, kumakain, humihinga ako. Kumbaga isa rin po ako sa kanila,” Charice said in an interview on “The Buzz” on Sunday, December 2.

Still the same

Charice shared that she hasn’t really changed, despite her new hairdo and American accent and body tattoos.

Charice Christmas Concert in Manila

Charice's Christmas concert in Manila, Philippines was held live on December 2 and shown on Philippine TV on December 11, 2011.



Below are links to videos uploaded on YouTube (7 parts):



Part 2: http://youtu.be/WjtPUBw2iWM
Part 3: http://youtu.be/o0kSBY3cbd8
Part 4: http://youtu.be/jyHCmqkQudY
Part 5: http://youtu.be/FXIFzSl2i-8
Part 6: http://youtu.be/Rbr1aTliVRY
Part 7: http://youtu.be/PnFsos3jhCo

Charice Tours Philippine Radio Stations

Charice is doing the rounds of Philippine Radio stations today to promote her new album "Infinity", according to Warner Music Philippines.

Below are some photos and a video of the livestream of her interview at 103.5 WOW Radio:

@kit823

@chaster_girlie

Charice's Asia-Pacific Tour 2012

Charice with her band

From abs-cbnnews.com:

Charice to do Asia-Pacific tour next year
By Reyma Buan-Deveza
Posted at 12/08/2011

MANILA, Philippines - International singing sensation Charice shared her excitement as she is set to do an Asia-Pacific tour early next year.

"Actually, 'yung Asian tour baka mag-start po siya ng March. Ang target pong show ay sa Manila, Korea, Hawaii at Singapore," she told abs-cbnNEWS.com on Thursday.

The singer added that she might also do a show in Dubai.

Charice is currently in Manila to celebrate an early Christmas with her mother Raquel and her brother Carl.

So what is her Christmas wish?

"Ako, ang wish ko, sana po talaga walang work (sa Pasko), pero mayroon po. I don't know kung matutupad 'yon. Pero 'yon, bonding with family and sana nandito si daddy," Charice said, referring to her slain father, Ricky Pempengco.

Asked if she has forgiven the suspect in the killing of her father, Charice answered: "Actually, hanggang ngayon di ko alam ang isasagot ko diyan kasi iba ang pangyayari. At hanggang ngayon, di ko alam bakit niya nagawa 'yon."

Meanwhile, Charice said she is now preparing for a major project that will be bared next year.

She is also doing the US version of her "Infinity" album, which was already launched in the Philippines and Japan.

Source

TV5 Broadcasts "Christmas with Charice", December 11

Philippine network TV5 will air "Christmas With Charice" on December 11, 2011 at 10 pm.

The live concert "Christmas With Charice" was held last December 2, 2011 at the Newport Performing Arts Theatre, Resorts World Manila, Pasay City, Philippines.



A Chaster tweeted this link to a possible livestreaming:
http://www.pinoytoolbar.net/2010/02/abc-5-philippine-tv-live-streaming.html

Who is the "real" Charice Pempengco?

Charice with her dog Chakoy

From gmanetwork.com:

Charice, when the lights go down
VERONICA PULUMBARIT, GMA News

Who is the "real" Charice Pempengco?

Having achieved phenomenal success at a young age, many people are trying to figure out who Charice truly is, the one behind the camera, the real Charice when the lights go down.

For her friend and GMA News TV reporter Nelson Canlas, Charice is far more than an international singing sensation.

"Charice behind the camera is really bata. She’s really child-like. Yun ang endearing trait sa kanya. Tuwing makikita mo siya parang little sister mo. I’ve never seen her na nag-po at opo only because reporter ako," Nelson told GMA News Online on Monday.

The start of a good friendship

Asked when he and Charice started to become friends, Nelson says he does not really know.

"I don’t know how we started to have this sort of relationship kasi I never really knew Charice before the PNoy inauguration (in 2010)," Nelson recounts.

Nelson says he got to know the real Charice after doing several exclusive stories about her.

"She really has a big heart. She tries to be as ordinary as possible," Nelson points out.

"She tries to make it a point that her life would be as regular as possible, would be as ordinary as possible. She’s a real good singer, she’s a really good performer and she knows that," Nelson says.

"Alam nya kung paano i-separate yung buhay niya as an ordinary person from the performer. Di siya mayabang. Wala akong nakikitang yabang sa kanya. When she’s with her family, talagang kitang kita mo ordinaryong pamilya lang sila. The way they talk to each other, the way they deal kung ano mang pinagdadaanan nila, be it happy or sad, kung anong dumating sa buhay nila," he adds.

On-cam, off-cam Charice

Nelson says the Charice on-cam and off-cam are "different."

"Pag tinapatan mo siya ng camera, she evolves into an 'I know what to say' person. Parang 'I’m in control of this interview.' Off cam wala na, tawanan lang kayo ng tawanan. I made a video ng mga outtakes na kinunan ko lang sa phone; nasa patio siya kumakanta, she was dancing, nakikipag-arm wrestling siya sa kapatid nya," Nelson relates.

If Charice takes on a different person on cam, so does Nelson. He says he never takes advantage of his friendship with Charice.

He goes through the proper protocols when he needs to interview Charice.

"Anything about Charice, pag may pumutok na balita sa kanya, good or bad, I just call her manager. If it’s related to her work, I go through the proper protocol. They kind of notice that I have respect for that," Nelson says.

"If it’s chikahan, chismis, I text them up. Alam nila I will not cross the boundaries. That’s why they trust me so much and I don’t intend to break that," he adds.

Nelson said he also admires Charice for being very professional and never being late for interviews.

"She always comes on time. When she says three o'clock, she comes exactly at three," Nelson says.

No 'diva' attitude

Nelson says Charice sometimes forgets that she's an international celebrity.

Once, before her meeting with Nelson, Charice thought of buying a cellphone casing at Greenhills.

As expected, Charice did not make it to stores selling cellphone accessories because she was mobbed by surprised fans.

"Nakalimutan niya na siya si Charice, kaya di na sila nakabili ng casing ng cellphone. Pinagkaguluhan siya, bumalik na lang sila sa van. She’s like that," Nelson says.

A low point in Charice's life

Nelson says the media was not allowed to cover the wake of Charice's estranged father Ricky Pempengco who passed away on October 31, but he managed to pay his respects as a friend of the family.

"She was really really sad. What happened to her dad really, really hit her," Nelson says. "She was really devastated."

A few days later, when his team finally managed to interview Charice about her father's death, Nelson took outtakes and posted them on YouTube because he wanted people to know who the real Charice is.

"It was nice that people would see this side of her. Kasi she’s really tough onstage. Kung bumirit siya parang bakal. Yung human side niya, yun ang mahirap makita," Nelson says.

On her website, Charice posted this message: "I want to thank my fans from around the world for their support and love at this very difficult time for my family and I. We are all very sad about this terrible tragedy."

A grounded person

Nelson said he counts Charice as one of five celebrities whom he considers to be real and down-to-earth persons.

"Grounded talaga siya," Nelson says. "I have so much respect for her talent and I have so much respect for her as a person. Kasi she knows the difference, kung kailan maging celebrity at kung kailan hindi."

An international recording artist who rose to fame via YouTube, Charice released her first international self-titled album in 2010. The album ranked eighth in the Billboard 200, making Charice the first Asian recording artist to land in the Top 10 of prestiigious chart.

Recently, she released her second international album, "Infinity," which includes the current hit single "Before It Explodes" by Bruno Mars, a world-famous Filipino-American singer and composer.

Infinity. There does seem to be no limit to the number of possibilities for someone of Charice's caliber. A Filipino with world-class talent, she makes Filipinos everywhere proud to be her kababayan. - YA, GMA News

Source

Charice speaks about Christmas without her dad

From Interaksyon.com:

Charice on Christmas without dad: emotions go 'on and off'

MANILA, Philippines – Global singing sensation Charice, who performed last December 2 in the concert “TV5 Presents: Christmas with Charice” at the Resorts World Theatre, admits that she has mixed feelings about the holidays: while it’s a happy season for appreciating blessings and spreading cheer, it will heighten even more the deep pain and loss she suffered from her father’s violent death recently.

On December 11, Charice will again be seen at the Kapatid Network, where she will be joined by a lucky fan who like her was discovered on youtube.

Just before the December 2 concert at Resorts World, she was interviewed in a segment on TV5’s showbiz program “Paparazzi,” where she made an ironic observation: she seems more nervous performing for Filipinos than for foreigners, because, she says, Filipinos are by and large so good in music it’s tough just thinking of the standards they have of performers.

“Everytime kakanta ako sa harap ng ating kababayan, feeling ko parang first time [Every time I sing in front of Filipinos, I feel as if it’s my first time].”

Asked about her thoughts on her first Christmas without dad Ricky Pempengco, who was stabbed to death by a drunken neighbor, she told Paparazzi’s Dolly Ann Carvajal, her emotions go “on and off.”

She lamented that she didn’t have much time to enjoy her daddy’s company after they had patched up their differences.

“Suddenly the thought comes to you, he’s no longer there. At the same time, we feel his presence, [and I feel he must be happy.]”

Charice is pleased that she and her father’s relatives patched up all their differences, which came to the fore hours after his death, when his sister blurted out on television that maybe, with Ricky dead, Charice and her mom would “now be happy.”

All that is in the past now, says Charice, who had dinner with all his relatives before she returned to the US days after burying him.

Back in the US, she said, the support and messages of comfort from the camp of Oprah Winfrey, the legendary talk show host who helped build up Charice’s career, poured in.

“We had flowers…from Oprah, her staff…it was so touching.”

...Looking back, she regrets the time lost for bonding, in all the years she and her mom were separated from her dad after the couple quarrelled. She says she feels sorry even though everything that happened then was beyond her control, she being so young then.

Read more

Charice article cited by Da Capo's Best Music Writing 2011

An essay on Charice Pempengco published on GMA News Online made it to Da Capo's Best Music Writing 2011, a prestigious citation of outstanding music reviews, profiles, and essays published mostly in the English-speaking world.

Written by Katrina Stuart Santiago, "The Charice Challenge" excoriated Filipino fans for the shabby treatment the global superstar has gotten in her own country. It was widely shared and discussed on social media.

An elated Santiago said she was alerted to the recognition by someone who noticed her name in the blog of Matthew Perpetua, a well-known US music writer and an associate editor of Rolling Stone magazine who also made the list.

The list was co-edited this year by Alex Ross, a writer with The New Yorker. Presented alphabetically, Santiago was listed on the same page as writers from Vanity Fair, the New York Times, BBC, and the LA Times, among other prominent publications. She was the only Philippines-based writer who made the list.

Da Capo's Best Music Writing has been described by the New York-based cultural magazine Village Voice as "close as rock scribes get to the Oscars." The latest compilation honored music writing published in 2010, which was when Santiago's piece came out, before Charice made her debut on “Glee.” ...

Of Charice, she wrote in 2010:

"That Charice is now an international popular culture image, one that can only get bigger when we see her on ‘Glee’ this season, reminds us of how messed up we are as a nation that searches for identity, and yet is quick to point a finger at who we are not. Of course we could cringe at the way in which she’s been introduced to America as living breathing proof of the impoverished conditions of the Philippines. We could talk about how this tiny Filipina with a big voice is a dime a dozen where we come from. We could say that she’s in fact suffering the exoticization of the Filipina by America, where she is celebrated for her talent yes, but also as a specimen: look at her, small as she is, look at what she can do, let’s try and make her bigger than that!

If anything we should be learning from the way they’ve managed and planned Charice’s international career, a far cry from the way it happens here. First, they let her be the little girl with a big voice, who might have been singing mature songs for her age, but was actually always singing to her mom (even changing lyrics)."

Santiago was mostly addressing her Filipino audience. But her audacious voice was heard by the music cognoscenti in New York. - Howie Severino, GMA News

Source

Charice Cancels Performance in DFF Singapore to Grieve with Family

Our deepest condolences to Charice. We pray for you and your family.
May God give you strength and peace during this trying period.

From abc-cbnnews.com:

MANILA, Philippines - International singing sensation Charice cancelled her upcoming performance in Singapore, as she grieves over the death of her father Ricky Pempengco.

Charice made the statement on her official Twitter account, just after she found out about the murder of her father.

The singer apologized to her fans in Singapore who want to see her perform, but she explained that she needs to go back to Manila to be with her family, who are in mourning.

"I am very sorry to all my fans from Singapore. I am not going to be there to be part of David Foster and Friends concert. I have to go back to the Philippines as soon as possible to be with my family. I hope you all understand. I love you all and I will see you next year," Charice said.

In a related article, abs-cbnnews.com reports:

MANILA, Philippines - Charice's mother Raquel Pempengco burst into tears after she found out that her children's biological father Ricky was killed in a stabbing incident Monday night.

...Ricky was once described by Raquel as a violent husband. She also has a son by Ricky.

Raquel left Ricky years ago, bringing along her kids.

In 2008, a drama about Charice's life was shown on Maalaala Mo Kaya's episode "Ice Cream."

Raquel said she had not communicated with Ricky for a long time.

"Hindi kami nagkausap at wala kaming koneksyon," she said.

Asked if she has already forgiven her husband, Raquel replied: "Matagal ko na siyang napatawad."

"Kung bakit masakit pa din sa akin at kung mayroon pa din bang love para sa kanya, siyempre ama siya ng anak," she added.

An Open Letter to Charice from her Godfather

From Philstar.com:

A letter to Charice

Dear Cha,

You made me proud as your Ninong all the more after I saw you at the David Foster and Friends (DFF) concert Tuesday night. How mature your voice is now. I must say that, indeed, you’re every inch an international star.

Thank you for the backstage pass your mother Raquel gave me. In the middle of the concert, I had a field day roaming around the backstage of Smart-Araneta Coliseum. I went inside your dressing room to say hi but you weren’t there when I entered. But just the same, I stayed in your room even for a while. I sat on a comfy sofa and for a minute remembered how it was before for you when you were not yet “discovered” and “loved” by the world.

I must say your dressing room in Araneta that night was big. I thought it was bigger than the first apartment where you stayed in Gulod. Well, you and I will agree that your dressing room in Araneta was so much bigger than the toilet of a network where you used to change clothes when you had TV guestings. I remember you peeping in the solo dressing rooms of established stars, hoping that you would have your own one day, with your name plastered on the door. God is good He heard your pleas. As I always tell you, good things happen to good people. I hope you remain your good, humble self all the time. I hold no reservation that, despite your fame and yes, fortune, that is still achievable.

Thank you for the two tickets that Tita Grace Mendoza (your manager) sent to the house. Tita Christine (Dayrit) and I had a glorious view of the concert. Our vantage point was reminiscent of the night when you came to the house to entertain us with more than 30 songs.

At the DFF in Manila, we enjoyed the comedic repartees of David and the voices of Russel Watson, Ashanti, Philip Bailey and Michael Bolton. Pero syempre, Tita Christine and I were eagerly waiting for you. When the lights on stage were dimmed for a while, we knew it was your turn to sing. We were hoping David would give you the same superlatives when he introduced you the way he did for the others. Instead, when the houselights were turned on, you were there already on center stage. It was when David said nothing at all for your introduction that he said it all no need to introduce you because you are already a household name, you are already a star.

You had not yet opened your mouth to sing but the Big Dome was already ripped off with the thunderous applause of the crowd. And I must say, I give it to your loyal and loving fans the “Chasters” for giving you the loudest ovation. The Chasters went loco, too, when you acknowledged them after your very heartfelt rendition of Power of Love.

I heard you sing that song in your apartment in Gulod in 2003 or 2004. We were in the terrace of your rented house. Your mother was unrelenting because she always asked you to repeat the song from the top every time you missed a high note or when you are not breathing properly as you sang. When I thought it was already a good rendition, your mother your mentor and critic was always ready to give her constructive comments. So, the whole day, you were singing Power of Love. And there, at that moment, I discovered all the more your “power” and more so the “love” for you of your mother.

I miss laughing with you...

When I caught you at the side of the stage, you were preparing for your next number a duet with Michael Bolton. You were surprised to see me. Like little kids, we were jumping up and down as we were huddled in a tight embrace. You talked to me in English and I jokingly admonished you to talk to me in Tagalog. (By the way, your English now is very good. A lot better than when you asked me to teach you English before. Haha.) You were thankful that I came that night. I admit, that second DFF in Manila was your first concert that I saw.

I left the backstage when you started to sing The Prayer with Michael Bolton. I sat beside your mom and together we watched you sing and soar. Your mom was teary eyed. She remains your beacon of hope, your will to survive, your lighthouse when your sailing is threatened by long, dark nights. In your mother’s eyes, you remain her “Minggay.” You should have seen how tears welled up in her eyes, filled with love for the daughter who, together with your brother Carl, means the world to her.

Take care of yourself wherever you go when you do your own, ehem, world tour soon. You’ve really gone a long way from the days when we would ride pedicabs around the village. Gone, too, were the days when, after your school, you would sell isaw in front of Gulod Elementary School just so you would have allowance the following day. I hope to one day see your school, the Southern New Hampshire University in Boston, where you are pursuing a degree in Communication Arts as an online scholar student.

I am confident you will keep that humility in your heart. The more you keep your feet on the ground, the more you will be blessed. I will repeat, good things happen to good people.

More beautiful things await you, Cha. God bless you.

Love,

Ninong Bum

Read the full article

Other Charice articles by the same author:

A 'Telephone' conversation with Sunshine Corazon, October 10, 2010
The Charice I Know, May 30, 2010
'Gusto mo bang maging kumare si Oprah?', May 2, 2010
Charice, February 8, 2009

Charice & Michael Bolton's "The Prayer", a Show-Stopper

From Philstar.com:

When Bolton’s turn came, he materialized from the entrance, mixed with the audience and had his picture taken with some fans while he was singing and proceeded to the stage for more of his well-loved songs, including When A Man Loves A Woman and To Love Somebody.

And then came Charice, opening her set with Power Of Love and ending it with a number from her new (second) album Infinity which was released in Japan and instantly made it to the Top 10 Hits (in the US?), which, according to Foster, “makes Charice the first Asian ever,” and a Filipino at that, to score such a hit.

Hands-down show-stopper was the The Prayer duet of Charice and Bolton whose blended voices sounded so heavenly that they made you feel like, yes, you were in heaven.

Go to source

Watch the heavenly duet below:

David Foster: 'Charice has gone where no other Asian artist has gone before'

From Yahoo OMG Philippines:

Having worked with Celine Dion, Josh Groban and Barbra Streisand, Grammy-award winning composer and producer David Foster sees Filipino singer Charice in their ranks.

David is a known mentor of Charice, who rose to international fame after her video on YouTube led to guest appearances in the talk shows of Oprah and Ellen DeGeneres.

“When I talk about Celine, when I talk about the voice of Josh Groban and the voice of Andrea Bocelli, I put Charice in that kind of way. I think all of Asia must be proud of this young woman,” David told Boy Abunda in “Bandila” Monday, Oct. 24.

“She has gone where no other Asian artists have gone before,” Foster said. “Top 10 album in America, probably another top 10 album in America. She was on the show ‘Glee,’ millions of fans, selling records. No other Asian artist has done that and she is just beginning,” he added.

Read full article

Updated: (Video Playlist) Charice in DFF Manila, 25 Oct 2011

Charice's performances in the David Foster and Friends Asia Tour 2011 in Manila, Philippines, on 25 October 2011

We are posting a playlist instead of the individual videos so that loading of this page will be quicker.



Uploader's description:

The One and Only Hit-Man David Foster and Friends was in concert on October 25, 2011 at the Araneta Coliseum, Manila of the Philippines. C-H-A-R-I-C-E is the second to last performer in the show singing four songs: "Power of Love", "Stand up for Love", "UnBreak My Heart", and "Louder". Then at end of the show, she performed a duet with Michael Bolton for "The prayer" and concluded the concert with "the Earth Song" with all other artists.

(Updated/Corrected) Charice Gives Back: Includes Talented Filipino Aeta Boy in Her December Solo Concert

From ABS CBN News / Yahoo News Philippines:

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED/CORRECTED) – International singing sensation Charice will be performing with Aeta singing boy Arjohn Gilbert in her solo concert in December, not tonight during "The Hitman Returns: David Foster and Friends" as he had expected.

This was confirmed to abs-cbnNEWS.com by Gilbert’s manager, Joy Maranan.

“Ang sabi ni Charice, magpeperform si Gilbert sa December 2, sa major concert niya,” she said.

Maranan said Gilbert will attend tonight's concert at the Araneta Coliseum as a special guest.

Gilbert had told abs-cbnNEWS.com early Tuesday morning that he would be performing with Charice.

Gilbert had said he prepared for tonight's show to impress Charice as well as other international artists.

"Masaya po ako. Talagang sobrang saya. Parang hindi ako nakatulog sa excitement," Gilbert had said. He even attended voice and dance lessons for the concert.

Last August, Charice asked her fans to find the talented Aeta boy from Clark, Pampanga.

Charice invited Gilbert to perform with her after she saw a video of the latter singing Justin Bieber's hits.

Source