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For the past 17 years, The Filipino Express has provided the Filipino American community the best news, arts and entertainment coverage from around the United States and the Philippines.
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This website includes selected articles from this week's edition of the Filipino Express. Not all the stories published in the printed version appear on this site.
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I was enjoying my third round of espresso at a 23rd street coffee joint, when I heard Jasmine Trias’ song played at the coffee house’s stereo. Boom! It was as if the barista dropped a ‘magic sugar cube’ into my espresso, because my adrenalin shot up to the top of the Empire State Building.
Here I was in the middle of Manhattan, and over the radio was a fellow Filipino belting her way to the hearts of New Yorkers, who even managed to tap their sneaker- covered feet. I was high.It was indeed a high caused by a jolt of Pinoy Pride.
But, my flight to pride heaven was abruptly halted when the radio jock introduced her as “The Hawaiian Bombshell from American Idol”.
Suddenly, I was like Lucifer plummeting down from the pearly gates. My golly, she is Filipina-American! The DJ could have omitted the word bombshell and could have said Filipina-Hawaiian instead. But maybe he is that stupid and doesn’t even have ‘Filipina’ in his vocabulary.
Anyhow, that experience made me ponder about the future of Filipino talent here in America. Will we ever be recognized as an ocean of talent? Will there ever be a Filipino-American music industry like African-American music, and Latin music? Or will a Filipino talent’s crossover to the American mainstream remain to be an “Isolated” case.
There is no doubt that Filipinos here have an abundance of talent. Fil-Am singers, bands; record producers, engineers; composers, and arrangers are everywhere in this big country waiting to be utilized by a galvanizing force to create a real industry.
Media - The Galvanizing Force.
A rich Filipino-American entrepreneur or a group of well-to-do Fil-Ams with a passion for the empowerment of Filipino culture could start the ball rolling by establishing a media company for Filipinos. A cable television channel like BET or MTV Latina, a national newspaper and an FM radio station will surely start a domino effect.
A media company like this will encourage the formation of Filipino-operated recording companies, recording studios, production/management companies; publishing firms, advertising agencies, and PR firms. Then, add the wealth of Fil-Am talents scattered all over the US and what do we have- a Filipino-American music and entertainment industry.
So why bother putting up ‘another’ Filipino restaurant or a Filipino store; or a money remittance company, when you can pioneer the explosion of Pinoy music and culture in the US, and eventually, the world.
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What’s up with that?
What’s up with these Filipino variety shows, at TFC, putting actors and actresses with pinoy rock bands on spot segments? One Sunday at ASAP, Sugarfree shared the stage with Marvin Agustin, who could barely sing the Sugarfree hit, “Hari ng Sablay”.
At another time, Zsa Zsa Padilla singing “Noypi” relegated Bamboo to a mere backup band. I remember in 1997 when I was still with The Freesouls, we did ASAP to promote the band’s single “Shindig” and we were asked to do it with the trio of Jolina Magdangal, Rica Peralejo and Mylene Dizon. Needless to say, our spot was ruined. Ruined by out of tune singing and out of sync rhythm by these actresses.
Why still do it ABS-CBN? Get rid of this awesomely bad practice. Let the rock bands do their own stuff. Please!
Let me tell ya, if ever I get another chance to play there, and put my band on camera with any of these hot young actresses to sing our song, I will blow up the drum kit and kiss the actress on the lips 'till commercial break. So beware.
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Important Fil-Am music CD releases- Daisychain – “Sta. Mesa Heights Sessions” now on sale
- Hydrant – “Baliw” EP- now on sale
- Rubberband- “User Friendly” on sale July 22 at the Knitting Factory
- Various Artists – Shiny Silver Jeepney Compilation (Alpha Records)
- Bleud – “ Musings of A Caffeine Addict” out September 1, 2005
(Soulworks Records)
- The Happy Analogues – “Minimum Memory Required” out October 1, 2005
(Soulworks Records)
Ted Reyes is a journalist, composer, musician and record producer based in NY. For comments about this column or submissions for music or film review etc. you can email him at tedreyes@mac.com.
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MANILA --- Despite being seen lately in many social functions minus her husband, former Negros Occidental Rep. Jules Ledesma, Assunta de Rossi tearfully insists that their marriage is intact. And she has no regrets marrying him. He is everything she wants in a husband.
Then why isn’t Jules seen with her as he used to?
Assunta answered: “May pinagkakaabalahan ‘yong tao sa kanyang negosyo. At saka, ano ba naman ‘yan. Kapag buntot ng buntot sa akin ang asawa ko, pinipintasan siya. Ngayon naming he is out of sight, kung anu-anong tsismis naman tungkol sa amin ang lumalabas.”
Assunta revealed that next year she and Jules plan to have a baby.
“We really practiced birth control. Kasi, ang talagang gusto namin ay to enjoy each other muna,” Assunta said. (MNS)
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MANILA --- Aubrey Miles is wondering why it’s rumored that Rufa Mae Quinto is angry with her as she is reportedly stealing the latter’s boyfriend, Rudy Hatfield.
‘How can that be when Iíve already reconciled with Troy Montero? she laughs.
The story linking her to Rudy started when they chanced upon each other in a bar and Rudy came up to her to introduce himself. “I entertained him dahil kilala ko naman si Rufa Mae,” says Aubrey. “After that, nagkita kami uli by chance doon sa bar and we talked again. That’s all there is to it but someone asked me, ‘Alam ba ni Peachy (Rufa Mae’s nickname) ‘yan?’ And people quickly concluded that inaahas ko na raw si Rudy from her.”
But Aubrey says she’s no longer surprised that she’s being linked romantically to Rudy. “Ganoon naman sa showbiz, ‘di ba? Makita lang kayong magkasama, kayo na. I was also linked to Paolo Bediones after I guested in
‘Extra Challenge’ and we went out gayong hindi naman nanligaw sa’kin yung tao. Basta the truth is kami na uli ni Troy. Kasi even if we had a cool off, we never lost our communication with each other. Even when he went to do shows in the States, we’d still call or text each other. So when he returned home and he said na ituloy na namin, di pumayag naman ako. After all, mabait naman siyang tao, e.” (MNS)
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MANILA --- For the first time, Heart Evangelista talked about her romance with John Prats.
“He was my first love. And the first guy na ipinagtatanggol ko sa father ko. I cried a lot when we parted ways,” Heart confessed.
They were sweethearts for one year and three months and within that period they appeared as a tandem in several TV shows: the teen series “Berks” and “Gmik”; and the sitcoms “The Body and the Guard” and “The Sexy and the Pilot.” They were also a pair in “Trip” and “My First Romance.” Why did they break up?
“It was John who broke up with me,” Heart replied, “One day, he just stopped seeing me. He also ceased communicating with me. And I confronted him about it, sabi niya, gusto niya muna i-enjoy and kanyang freedom.”
Heart also claimed that there was no truth to the rumor that her second boyfriend was De La Salle student Brian Dy, the son of Isabela Mayor Paul Dy. Brian, she said, had all the qualities she wants in her ideal man but she discovered that one does not necessarily fall in love with a person because he is ideal.
“I will marry for love,” said Heart. “I don’t care if the guy I would eventually fall in love with is mahirap or pangit. Tama na sa akin na mahal ko sya at mahal nya ako. Ipaglalaban ko sya sa father ko. Malaking bonus kung may pinag aralan sya.”
She revealed she’s loveless at the moment, and that she’s looking for a boyfriend. “Di naman ako nagmamadali na magka-boyfriend,” she quickly added. “Pero, masarap isipin na may iniibig ka at umiibig din sa ëyo.” (MNS)
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MANILA --- Yasmien Kurdi sang five of the 10 songs in her debut album, ‘In the Name of Love,’ in its launching at Hard Rock Café. The carrier single, ‘I Know’ (used as the theme song of the Korean novela ‘Sweet 18’), is now No. 4 in some radio stations’ hit list. Its music video, where she’s paired with TJ Trinidad, is also a much-requested number in MTV stations.
“Each time I hear my song played on radio, I can’t believe I’m listening to my own voice,” she says. “It’s a dream come true to record my own album.”
So who has the better album, she or colleague Jennylyn Mercado?
“Naku, huwag níyo na kaming intrigahin. There’s no comparison as we have different voices. She’s an alto and I’m a soprano kaya magkaiba talaga kami. Kahit pakanta sa’kin ang hit niyang ‘Kahit Sandali,’ ibang kalalabasan noon.”
How long did it take her to do to the album?
“Four months. That includes the selection and recording of the songs, with Buddy Medina as my producer. I’d like to thank the composers who wrote the songs for me: Freddie Saturno, Rebel Magdagasang, Kedy Sanchez, Jimmy Antiporda, Marvin Querido, Jun Tamayo and Alvin Nunez. Many of the songs are really catchy at may potential mag-hit.”
To whom does she dedicate her album?
“To my mom, of course. And also to the memory of my late grandpa who helped us a lot.”
How about her ka-MU, Rainier Castillo?
“I have the song ‘Sa Akin Lang Sana’ for him.”
The song is about a girl’s wish that the guy she loves would be totally devoted to her alone. The fast dance songs in the album perfect for young listeners are “Enjoy and Ride” and “Ikaw Pa Rin sa Akin” with the rap trio, Ghost 13. Other potential hits are “Manumbalik Lamang,” “Kunwari Lang Ba,” “Patuloy Pa Rin,” “Umaambisyon” and the title track, “In the Name of Love.” (MNS)
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