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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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YEAR after year, we see show producers coughing up loads of cash to bring Filipino artists here in the States. So far, this year, we have seen Piolo Pascual, MYMP, Aegis, Geneva Cruz, Pops Fernandez, Kuh Ledesma, Parokya ni Edgar, Bamboo, Sarah Geronimo, and Ara Mina. These are big artists and producers expect big profits from them.
However, based on some reports and accounting, it seems that only a few producers actually make money from these shows. On any given concert night, most of these producers have their fingers crossed to the point of deformation, hoping to at least break even on their investments.
If Piolo Pascual, MYMP, Aegis and Pops can’t fill the house with warm bodies, why do we still see them almost every year? Why do producers still bet on them to replenish their treasure chests? It may sound dense, but perhaps this whole thing is not about the money after all.
Presenters of Stars
In a star-hungry Filipino community, one could be king just by bringing stars.
Just to be connected, associated and affiliated with stars is enough to put glitter into a producer’s name.
We often hear stories from these producers about their latest imports in big Filipino parties. How they act backstage, how pleasant and grounded these stars are, and how bitchy some of these stars are. For mere mortals like us, these types of first-hand information about these pop stars we see on TFC are enough to make us bestow golden laurels to these producers who tell them. They become stars themselves. It is as if some amount of stardust made its way to these producers’ skins and makes them glow too. Bringers of stars become stars too.
Makers of Stars
If prestige is what producers are after, why not spend the money they invest in bringing Filipino stars here on some great local Filipino-American artists and become ‘Star Makers instead of just ‘Star Presenters?
Surely, ‘Star-Makers’ are stars in their own right. They just don’t glow because of rubbed-off stardust, they glow on their own.
Just think about how much these producers spend of Filipino acts. They spend nothing below $30,000 to bring these TFC stars to an American venue. That big money seldom returns to their pockets. Sometimes they even come out of these productions heavily in debt.
However, $30,000 invested on an amazing, undiscovered local Fil Am artist is enough to cut her an EP, make her a video, get her on tour and perhaps get her some airplay on mainstream American radio. Yes, $30,000 can make stars.
If some local Fil Am artists like Bagwis, Alfa, The Kuwagos, Binky Bianca, Locomotiv, Bleud, Stella’s Notch, Qwadra, Aikostar, Blue Mellon Pop, The Happy Analogues, and Rubberband can make little waves here and in the Philippines, sans the finances and relying just on pure guts and talent, imagine what $30,000 can do for them. With enough backing from well-to-do producers, these artists will simply explode and become true world superstars.
The good news is, the pool of talent doesn’t end there.
Every night in little clubs are budding superstars waiting to be plucked.
Why these rich producers aren’t plucking them is still a big bewilderment.
Perhaps, they don’t see them at all. Perhaps, they are scared to even try. Perhaps, to these impresarios, local Fil Am talents are just students, nurses, office employees and executives who perform sporadically just for the hang of it- just to unwind.
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MANILA, Aug 16 (Mabuhay) -- Sarah Geronimo left for her US concert tour recently and she’ll be gone for a month.
While she’s away, her new soap, "Pangarap na Bituin," will start airing, so ABS-CBN hosted a solo presscon for her before her departure.
She plays Emerald, the second of three sisters. The eldest is Sapphire (Rica Peralejo) and the youngest is Ruby (Maja Salvador). They got separated when Mayon Volcano erupted, killing their parents. She and Maja grow up in an orphanage. Sarah is paired with Jericho Rosales for the first time. Does she think she has good chemistry with Jericho who’s identified with Heart Evangelista?
"He’s such a good actor and I’m confident magugustuhan ng viewers ang ‘Pangarap na Bituin’ kasi we’re really doing our best and exerting all efforts para mapaganda ito," she says. "Before each take, talagang nag-uusap kaming mabuti ni Kuya Echo to make sure na magiging okay ang aming bawat eksena."
Will she have a kissing scene with him now that she’s 18? "Ay, wala pa rin po. I want to be a real good model to the youth, so kailangan, laging very wholesome. But my role here is something so different from my role in ‘Sarah Teen Princess’ and ‘Bituing Walang Ningning.’ Dati, inaapi ako. Dito, palaban ako, brusko, madaldal, which is my opposite in real life. Tomboyish ako rito at kapag naaapi, nanghahamon ako, O, suntukan tayo."
How is it working with Rica and Maja?
"I work with Ate Rica na sa ‘ASAP’ and she’s really nice to work with. Si Maja naman, kalog at masayang kasama kaya enjoy kaming tatlo playing sisters in ‘Pangarap na Bituin’." (MNS)
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MANILA, Aug 16 (Mabuhay) -- There's no doubt that Angelica Panganiban made a mark in the movie "A Love Story".
As she herself admitted, she didn’t find it easy pitting talents against two of local films’ most formidable performers.
She has appeared with Maricel Soriano in a number of films as a child star, but this is her first with Aga Muhlach.
"I was trembling all over when we had our first kissing scene. But Aga was very gentle. And I appreciate him for that," she revealed.
Which was their most difficult scene together?
"Para sa akin, ‘yung hinahampas hampas ko siya. Instruction sa akin ni Direk Maryo (de los Reyes) was to give it my all. Alam kong nasaktan siya. But the trouper that Aga is, he didn’t complain," she said.
From the start, Maricel, whom Angelica calls "Mama," was very supportive of the young actress. How did she handle her confrontation scenes with Maria? Those were some of her best scenes.
"Ewan, but in those scenes, I commiserated with Karen, the character I portray. Naisip ko how would I feel if I were in Karen’s situation.
"Napaiyak ako when Mama congratulated me," Angelica said. (MNS)
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MANILA, Aug 15 (Mabuhay) -- VALENZUELA Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian and young actress Pauleen Luna have announced on national TV that they share the same feeling for each other.
Age truly doesn’t matter. Pauleen is 18 going 19 and the mayor is 34 years old.
Pauleen’s family is from Bulacan where the Gatchalian family also hails from. The Lunas are a family of politicians, like the Gatchalians.
It was no surprise then that Pauleen was so at home campaigning for Mayor Sherwin during the last elections. While we believe he really was the people’s choice, Pauleen was an asset.
People say that even if Pauleen marries Mayor Sherwin, she won’t regret it. She’s in good hands, so to speak. The Gatchalian family owns Orocan (the plastic wares maker), Asian Spirit, among other big companies.
But of course, Pauleen is the kind of girl who also wants to make it big on her own. She wants to make a big name as an actress. And she’s working hard on it. Aside from her shows on GMA7, Pauleen is in the movie “My Kuya’s Wedding” with Ryan Agoncillo and Maja Salvador.
Meanwhile, she also enjoys Mayor Sherwin’s company. If she arrives on the set in a bullet- proof BMW, the dashing young mayor is more likely at the wheels. (MNS)
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MANILA, Aug 15 (Mabuhay) -- It’s obvious Aiza Marquez, who’s in "Kung Mahawi Man ang Ulap," is very bitter with ex-boyfriend Gian Magdangal of "SOP."
She thinks Gian is spreading lies about her and she says Gian has become so "mayabang" after joining "SOP." But Gian’s current girlfriend, Sheree (ex-flame of Onemig Bondoc), says she’s surprised as to why Aiza is so mad with Gian when the guy has nothing but good words for her.
"Honestly, natatakot ako’t baka madamay pa ko sa galit ni Aiza kay Gian but I have to defend him," she says. "Never siyang siniraan ni Gian sa akin. I think siya pa ang nagsabi na he neglected her at the time he got so busy competing in ‘Philippine Idol.’ Hindi ko rin sinulot si Gian from Aiza, like someone wrote. They broke up in September last year at naging close naman ako kay Gian noong December na. Aiza knows this as I even told her that Gian and I were dating and she said walang problema sa kanya. Kaya I’m really surprised na galit siya ngayon kay Gian dahil bina-badmouth daw siya, which is not true kasi Gian is a quiet guy. Baka may naninira lang sa kanya.
"The best thing is call me or Gian directly nang makapag-usap sila nang maayos as I want all of us to be friends. Aiza is my friend and I don’t want to be caught in the middle of their conflict, kaya sana tapusin na nila ito as levelheaded adults." (MNS)
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