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For the past 21 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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THERE hasn’t been a shortage of Fil-Am and Fil-Can bands in the last 10 years. These bands do their own things and manage to build solid names for themselves.
Yet, how often do you see these multitude of bands come together in one grand event? Not much for sure.
Although there had been major gatherings of bands on record, there hadn’t been one that boasts of having the best bands from both the US and Canada. Until the upcoming 1st Anniversary Rock Show of Poptimes Magazine on August 31 and September 1, 2007.
19 bands are converging for this spectacular event. Two bands are coming from Los Angeles, two from Maryland, one from Washington. D.C., one from Boston, two from Toronto, two from Chicago, seven from New Jersey, and two from New York.
The Poptimes Magazine Anniversary show is billed as ‘one show for two nights’ and it will celebrate the birth of the online music magazine that has become the official habitat of many Fil-Am and Fil-Can bands.
On Saturday, August 31, 2007, The Club Midway in the Lower East Side of Manhattan will host the first night of celebrations, while another Lower East Side watering hole, The Delancey, will host the second night of the show the following night - Saturday, September 1.
The complete schedule of performances will be announced later here and on Poptimes Magazine.
Truly, this is one shindig that you cannot affort to miss.
If you are one of the artists performing in one of those two nights, it is perhaps the best chance to make connections, with other artists that are coming from different regions. It would be nice to exchange CDs and business cards, so in the future, when you tour their turf, you already have friendly faces that would welcome you and show you around. Plus, you could even collaborate with them on any projects that might come up.
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LOS ANGELES -- Early media response to Filipina singing sensation Charmaine Clamor’s groundbreaking new album, “Flippin’ Out” (FreeHam 0507; September 1st) has been overwhelmingly positive. Backed by three members of the Tierney Sutton Band -- Christian Jacob (piano), Trey Henry (bass), Ray Brinker (drums) --and a host of all-star Filipino musicians, the sultry-voiced Clamor melds soulful American jazz and blues with traditional Filipino love songs, creating music she calls “jazzipino.”
Myrna Daniels, editor of LA JAZZ SCENE, announced today that Clamor [pronounced clah-MORE] would be featured as the cover story of the August issue. The prestigious placement follows a flood of rave reviews.
Writing for MUSIC IN AMERICA, critic John Book says, “Her music is a perfect bridge of two cultures, done with a passion that can be heard in a voice that should be experienced in every jazz venue across the nation, if not the world. Clamor is an asset to jazz music, and a contributor to the continued traditions of women in jazz.”
Glenn Astarita of ALL ABOUT JAZZ writes, “She effectively integrates Filipino folk melodies into the jazz vernacular. Clamor conveys a pleasing intimacy then shows a bit of spunk.”
Critic Karl Stober in EJAZZ NEWS says, “Clamor sings to times, feelings, and purpose. A superb performance from a multi-talented gem!”
And Lise Avery, host of Anything Goes, says, “Charmaine Clamor is one of the most interesting vocalists to come across my desk in a long time.”
The official CD Release concerts for “Flippin’ Out” are at Catalina Bar & Grill, Los Angeles, on September 1st and Iridium Jazz Club, New York City, on September 12th. Clamor has additional appearances scheduled for Cecil’s Jazz Club, West Orange, New Jersey, September 14-15. More tour dates will be announced soon.
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MANILA -- Actress Cherry Pie Picache has won the Best Actress award for her role in the Philippine’s entry “Summer Heat” in the recent 28th Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) held from June 20 to July 1, the Department of Foreign Affairs announced.
Citing the report of Philippine Ambassador to South Africa Virgilio Reyes Jr., the DFA said in a press statement that Picache was cited “for her sustained and controlled performance of the character of the gay sister, Jess, who despite her apparent cultivated masculine exterior betrays a softness which can hardly be seen but can be felt by all.”
The DFA said the DIFF was organized by the Centre for Creative Arts and funded by the National Film and Video Foundation, National Lottery Distribution Fund, Hivos, Stichting Doen, City of Durban, Ethekwini Municipality, KwaZuluNatal Department of Economic Development, with support from the Royal Netherlands Embassy, French Embassy, Goethe Institute, and other partners.
The DIFF presented a selection of the best in cinema from South Africa, Africa, and around the world; some 300 screenings at 22 venues were organized across the Durban district during the festival period.(MNS)
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DESPITE the dire predictions for the local film industry, figures show that receipts from local films grew significantly due to the Optical Media Board’s (OMB’s) anti-piracy drive.
From P1.025 billion in 2005, receipts of local production increased to P1.437B in 2006, or an increase of P.412M or 40 percent.
Even the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) showed an increase in receipts. From P352M in 2005, MMFF receipts rose to P415M in 2006, or an increase of P63M or 17.9 percent.
The figures, as reported by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), proves that while the higher earnings come from more films being produced, it’s also an offshoot of the OMB’s stepped-up anti-piracy drive.
OMB continues to raid black spots and tiangges, and does strict surveillance of replication houses.
These anti-piracy efforts, under chairman Edu Manzano, is not limited to film priacy, but includes music and business software infringement.
OMB’s efforts have not gone unnoticed, even by the international film community, which rewarded the Philippines by downgrading its status to a watchlist where intellectual property is concerned.
Manzano was also named Asia Pacific Copyright Enforcer of the Year.
OMB’s aggressive stance has also spawned a recommendation to include it in the MMFF Executive Committee.
The FDCP recommendation further states that OMB’s technical inputs to MMFF can help strengthen anti-piracy enforcement efforts.
Another suggestion is for the OMB to team up with the Motion Picture Anti-Film Piracy Council (MPAFPC).
This way, the two offices can focus on fighting movie piracy, with pirates doing their operations inside cinema houses.
Through the partnership, MPAFPC will allow OMB agents to visit cinemas, so they can monitor if acts of movie piracy are being committed there.(MNS)
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EAT Bulaga”” mainstay Paolo Ballesteros admitted at the presscon of the indie film, “Xenoa” (where he plays an alien with super powers) that the sitcom “Daddy Di Do Du” will soon be off the air and will be replaced by a new series topbilled by Vic Sotto and his lady love Pia Guanio.
He’s still in “Eat Bulaga” but he only appears only every Saturday. “I had not been informed if I will be taken out permanently from the show because of the less exposure that I’ve been getting but if ever I do get booted out, I will miss my Eat Bulaga family,” says Paolo. Same with the cast of “Daddy Di Do Du.” He’s been with Eat Bulaga for seven years, and five with Daddy Di Do Du.
He also misses his buddy Ciara Sotto who’s in Las Vegas right now. They still communicate with each other and the last time he talked with her was last July 2, Ciara’s birthday.
Aside from the EB mainstays, Paolo says he will miss the food on the EB set. “I don’t take breakfast at home. Since may catering naman kami sa studio, doon na lang ako kumakain ng breakfast ko. I will really miss the food and of course, ang mga kasama ko sa show. Unlike before na araw-araw ako sa EB, ngayon tuwing Saturday na lang ako pumupunta roon. Nakaka-miss talaga kasi pamilya kami sa show.”
But he’s hopeful he might be taken in as a cast of “Shaider” soon to air also on GMA.
He’s in the cast of the indie film “Xenoa,” a science fiction directed by Sean Lim Lim, who’s also his friend from way back in college. “Xenoa” started out during a break in a music video shoot, when Sean (a Multimedia Arts degree holder from DLSU - College of St. Benilde) and some friends thought of coming up with a short film. Eventually the story evolved into something bigger. Then came the birth of Xenoa. The concept of the story was based on the character of Darth Vader? How he became a bad character. In Xenoa, it’s the opposite.
“Xenoa” is produced by Xion Films and co-sponsored by SM Cinema, Asia Pacific College School of Multi Media Arts, BENCH, Human, John Robert Powers, Sensodyne, Astring-o-sol, Del Monte, Delimondo, ABS Herbal Tea, Payao Grill and Restaurant, Q. B. Chan Printing, and YES FM 101.1.
Xenoa will have an invitational world premiere screening on August 14 at SM Megamall Digital Cinema at 6 p.m. A series of mall tours follows on August 17 (SM manila), August 18 (SM Southmall), August 19 (SM Clark, Pampanga) and August 22 (SM North EDSA). (MNS)
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