I think I am a rare Filipino breed. Reason behind this is because I cannot sing!
When I was in Jerusalem, I was able to meet a bunch of cool Jews in a coffee shop who were celebrating Purim. My sister Ester who toured with me decided to stay in the hotel to read about the Holy Bible’s Queen Ester, her namesake.
These young Jewish people were surprised to know that I was a Filipino travelling as a tourist in their country. One guy then uttered to the group that Filipinos seem to have the genes for good singing voice. The whole bunch of these cool happy people then started teasing and entreating that I should sing a song for them.
a stock photo of my trip to jerusalem… it’s not rare meeting cool strangers in that city
I tried doing it but they obviously did not liked what they’re were hearing. I stopped and did not finish. I was like Cameron Diaz singing “I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself” in the movie My Best Friend’s Wedding. After my singing, they were gracious enough to clap their hands while doubting if I am really is a Filipino and simply moved on and continued on with the Purim revelry with me.
I remembered all these when I happen to bumped into a fascinating YouTube video regarding a joint where hundreds of strangers inside the pub would learn and sing together a popular pop song. Watch this…
Internet indicates that Pub Choir phenomenon started two years ago in Brisbane, Australia and the fun and fascinating concept/activity has been booming and expanding all throughout the Land Under.
And if this phenomenon would finally arrive here in Manila, I would be one of the few Filipinos who could not sing would enlist and would definitely sing my heart out in this event. I and my rare kind of Filipino breed would definitely unleash the Cameron Diaz in all of us!
I totally disagree with the pretext, depth and perspectives of your tweet. It is sad to note that a lot of Filipinos agree, liked and shared your unwise tweet.
Translation: To those athletes who express that we were embarrassing, we don’t care whatever you say. My team needs to support one another in the court. We cannot just disregard one another. If we are embarrassing in your viewpoint why can’t you just convert to being Australians?
I love underdogs that is why I was drawn to liking Gilas Philipinas in the past. But it is unfortunate to note that last night’s basketball game (July 2 held at the Philippine Arena against Team Australia), the charismatic underdog Gilas Team seem to have transformed into some confused and rabid mongrel.
Let me then inform you that my being a Filipino and staying as a Filipino is not anchored on how the games of Gilas Pilipinas play its game! The affairs of your team may it be compassionate or rabid towards your opponents is not going to be the fundamental foundation of my staying as a Filipino. Lastly, the size of your prefrontal cortex will not be the basis if I will stay as a Filipino or convert to becoming an Australian.
You being one of the star players of the team, guess what? A simple tweet apologizing to your fans could have been better, more mature and more sportsmanly act as compared to what you tweeted.
Grand Slam tennis tournaments (may it be the Wimbeldonn, the US Open, Roland Garros, or the Aussie Open) are full and bombarded with statistics. Their organizers along with various sports networks and correspondents makes the sport more interesting through the usage of various statistical analyses and historical data about the game.
With the recent fantastic win of my most favorite tennis player in history during the 2017 Australian Open edition, let me feature my own stats concerning Roger Federer and the recently concluded championship match.
Zero. Zero is the number of times I watched tennis grand slam match last year. I seem to have lost interest about the game when Roger Federer started losing in a string of tennis matches and Rafael Nadal seem to have hidden from the limelight due to injury. Without this two, tennis for me – until just recently – seem to already become an uninteresting kind of sport to watch.
Nil. That is the volume of my expectation that I would get to actually see Roger Federer again in a Majors championship. Nil, null or nothing was also my level of expectancy that Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal would battle it out in the finals of a Grand Slam title. But stars seemed to have realigned and let these two legends reach the finals of the 2017 Australian Open.
Countless. While watching the championship game, I lost count on the number of times I shrieked, shouted and cheered every time Roger Federer wins a point against Rafa Nadal. I also lost count on how many times I gasp for air every time Rafa would fix his shorts or pick his wedgie before every serve.
legends of modern tennis
Thirty Five and Ten. As if defying physical drawbacks like skin sagging, joint pains, poor eyesight and reduction in motor agility that comes along with old age, 35 is the age of Roger Federer when he won last Sunday’s tennis championship. While 10 (from the range of 0 being the lowest and 10 being the highest) shall remain my rating in terms of the hotness of Rafael Nadal.
Five. This is the number of times I fervently prayed to the heavens during the recent Aussie Open Federer vs Nadal championship match. Since it took Federer 5 sets to win, every freakin’ set, I prayed “God! Please let Roger win!”
Eighteen. After winning the Australian Open 2017sweet eighteen is the huge and unbelievable number of times that my idol Roger Federer won the Grand Slam tournaments. And what is so sweet about this 18th Majors title is that he won it over a match with Rafa whom I suppose he considers his greatest nemesis in the game of tennis. Nadal I believe is the legendary tennis player who actually prevented Federer from winning more grand slam championships!
One Hundred. I’m not a Swiss, I have never been to Switzerland and I don’t play tennis. But a solid 100% shall I remain to being a huge fan of Roger Federer!
In my recent journey to New Zealand, I got to spend a very short period of time in Australia. It is because my flight from Manila to Queenstown was via Sydney. It was a 3 hour layover at the land down under.
While at the Sydney airport, I was ecstatic because despite the fact that chances of bumping into my favorite Aussie celebrity was like asking for the heavens to give me the greatest love life I don’t deserve, I was still positively expecting some mystic phenomenon to happen. I was not expecting to bump into Kylie Minogue or Hugh Jackman nor Cate Blanchett or Chris Hemsworth. I was not expecting Australians to bestow me a red carpet welcome. I was not expecting the mayor to hand me the key to their city. I was actually hoping to see Australia’s singing diva, Dami Im!
dami was not popular yet during my visits in sydney…
I know it’s stupid but as soon as my feet landed on the grounds of Sydney, my bizarre and inexplicable hope for Dami Im to be at the airport! And since I don’t have any photos to show, it means this longing did not transpire. I guess the heavens was smart enough not grant such a wish, otherwise, I would not have left the airport in time for my journey to fresh Queenstown.
Let me just satiate and mollify this stupid wish by posting and listening to Dami Im’s latest single “Fighting for Love”. I actually prefer Dami’s live performance during the X Factor TV show than the actual music video of the song…
I woke up at three and got my ears pregnant! That is after watching the intense and high-valued production numbers of 42 countries competing for the Eurovision Song Contest 2016.
Though I am gutted because she did not win, I am very proud of Dami Im for making it to second place. She actually garnered a landslide of a vote from the international jury, which is 50% of the votes. How I wish I was at the arena for me to witness how shocked and sputtered the crowd have been after Ukraine was announced the winner. Ukraine’s entry was neither the top choice of the international jury (which went to Dami) and neither the viewers’ choice (which went to Russia).
I personally feel that Dami should have been the winner! She clearly was the one to beat. For me, close second would be Sweden (super nice song that is easy to the ear) then followed by Lithuania (such a danceable track!).
Dami’s entry was awesome! The song was great, the production was awesome, the high fashion overall look was impeccable, the megawatt voice was enchanting and Dami’s radiating charm and multi-cultural background is what Europe needs. Eurovision this year could have been a magical Damivision. And the news headline could have been “Australia Invades Europe!”
Anyhow, Dami clearly won the hearts of Europe! Massive congratulations Dami Im! One Pinoy member of the fierce Dami Army here is no doubt so proud of you.
The sixty-year old Eurovision Song Contest is literally an unknown here in the Philippines. Though it is watched by more than 300 million viewers around the world, news about it here in the Philippines would usually run for a short five to ten seconds. It is merely just to announce who was declared the winner. News about Eurovision (if ever it actually post interest among local TV networks) is basically like an entertainment-news-filler so as to stretch the news program here in the Philippines.
But for this year, I am one of the very few Filipinos who is very excited about the upcoming Eurovision Finals this year. It is because Dami Im, my favorite Aussie singer with a megawatt voice made it to the finals!
I couldn’t contain my happiness when I learned through her Facebook page that she got through the finals. When I read this news, I dropped everything and started searching for her performance on Youtube. And when I found the video, I had my phone’s sound on a full blast!
Hear the ear-splitting reaction of the crowd… they were actually singing along… I had goosebumps everywhere while watching this…
While watching her perform, I suddenly wanted to move to Sweden so as to cast my vote! Dami’s performance during the semi-finals was absolutely amazing! She slayed it! Her Sound of Silence song seem to already sound like a sound of success in this year’s Eurovision!
I can still vividly remember the first time I owned a cassette tape of the Carpenters. My father during my elementary days brought with him from Saudi Arabia (he was an OFW starting late-70’s) a Sony cassette player. And along with the small player are cassette tapes of Tom Jones, Dianna Ross, Boney M, Don McLean, The Eagles, Carly Simon and of the Carpenters. And that was my first exposure to the beautiful songs of the Carpenters.
Three and a half decades later, I am but glad and happy to know that Dami Im, now my favorite Australian singer, has a new album. And it is her take, tribute and covers of one of everyone’s favorite, the Carpenters.
grabbed from dami im”s fb page
the next song is dedicated to myself… hahaha!
What I particularly love about the songs of the Carpenters are the tunes and melodies. Each song are simple and unpretentious. It’s unlike those grand and complex songs in which only few people could sing. And though Dami has one magnificent singing voice, her rendition of the Carpenters songs were just lovely and uncomplicated yet very sophisticated. The melody, the rendition and the tunes are easy and pleasant to the ear, I could listen to Dami Im’s Carpenters version all day.
Eurovision is a very popular song contest participated mostly by the members of the European Broadcasting Union. Though it is widely popular even to non-member countries like USA and China, I, being an inhabitant in the southeastern portion of the planet is not keen and familiar about this contest. News on who won in this prestigious contest would oftentimes be brushed-off in my country.
But for this year, I would have to go off a tangent. It is because I am very excited to see the talented Dami Im on the stage performing this year’s song entry by Australia. I am looking forward on seeing the dazed, dumbfounded and bewildered reactions of the audience after watching and hearing Dami sing. And I am most eager to witness how she would blow up the big stage in Stockholm with her amazing set of pipes during the night of the competition.
I have been a member of the Dami Army since day one of X Factor Australia 2013 (press the LINK for proof). And for this year I would have to admit that I would be cheering for Australia to win.
Though Philippines is not a member and participant in this contest, let me then initiate the casting of the Philippine vote for 12 points to Australia. Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oi,Oi, Oi! Here’s this year’s Aussie entry as performed by the fantastic Dami Im…
Never did I posted anything about the new X Factor Australia winner, Marlisa Punzalan, while the show was running. It is because I don’t want to cause any sumpa (curse) or negative effect to her fate and universe.
x factor australia 2014 winner
But honestly, I have been watching this young lady ever since the X Factor Australia has started this year. I know for a fact that she is actually the first one featured during the audition segments of the show. I followed this newly concluded talent show, maybe because of the reverberating feelings of joy and my overindulgence in its 2013 version when the superlative Dami Im won.
A week before the grand finale, I already had the impression that this young lady will win. The reason is not because of her tender age, nor her looks and neither her amazing talent. Three coherent reasons rolled up into my mind right after the semi-final round.
Winning the Toughest Battle
This is because during the semi-final bout she defeated Reigan Derry, the most excellent and the most seasoned among all contestants in this series. I cannot imagine how perennial favorite Reigan Derry being beaten by the other 2 finalists, Brothers 3 and Dean Ray. Reigan with her incredible pipes would easily beat these two other finalists to smithereens in case Dean or Brothers3 would be at the bottom two and perform back-to-back with her.
best showdown of the series!
Thus, before the grand finale, Marlisa Punzalan has already successfully hurdled the hardest challenge she would be faced with during the entire run of the series. For me, the semi-final round was actually more exhilarating than the grand finale. The grand finale was just a matter of confirming Marlisa’s crown.
Australia’s Enduring Love for the Underdog
When Marlisa got into the finals, everybody thinks that she would simply end up being a third placer. Even judge/mentor Redfoo after the semi-final round immediately predicted that Dean is the one to beat. Even online betting website SportsBet predicted that Dean would be bestowed the 2014 title. Dean Ray exhales the funky rock of breath trough out the show that is why everybody expects him to win.
the three rays of sunshine…
funky rocker!
Nonetheless, the whole Australia was gearing Brothers 3 to possibly snatch the title from Dean because these “three rays of sunshine” got the ever reliable cutey-boyband formula. Also, they have been identified halfway through the live shows to have received the most number of votes. Moreover, it would have been a very good promotional angle of story in case the first ‘wild card’ contestant wins the show. Thus, Brothers3 and Dean Ray prior to the grand final were considered the un-proclaimed winners. They were simply the Goliaths of the program!
But Australians (like Filipinos) love an underdog. They would not let a simple-looking lady lacking of self confidence be simply in the side light. It is of human nature to feel that those who have less power are deemed virtuous and noble. Human beings in general love the underdogs because each of us knows what it feels like to be a loser, to be brushed aside or to be a David in a world full of Goliaths.
Let me cap this reason with Ronan Keating’s beautiful wisdom when he was commenting on Marlisa’s performance during the semi-final, which illustrates Marlisa being an underdog. That he is still faithful on the thought that not all good girls finish last. That statement I suppose struck a nerve to the whole of Australia.
Shining at the Right Moment
At the initial phase of the show, Marlisa exhibited good performances but nothing spectacular compared to other contestants. I particularly loved her performance during the boot camp portion of the program, Jessica Mauboy’s Never Be The Same. But during her performance in front of John Legend, who would assist Ronan on picking his top 3 contenders for the live shows, she faltered big time.
During the first few weeks of the live shows, she was simply sailing through. Viewers and even other judges/mentors were particularly concerned because Ronan could not seem to tap the right song that would best fit Marlisa’s age, tone and range.
She was lucky enough that other contestants gave inferior performances compared to her. She even performed the worst performance in the whole show when she sang Lady Gaga’s Paparazzi while suffering from severe illness, in which, she was nevertheless praised by the judges for her guts and professionalism. During these times, other contestants were delivering the best performances of their lives. They were peaking at those moments.
Unfortunately for these other contestants (except for the shoo-in Reigan Derry), they failed to sustain the high points in their performances while the show near its end. Fortunately for Marlisa, she seems to simply just starting to oil up. She was gaining confidence in her stage presence, she was starting to feel the mood/s of her song/s and Ronan is commencing to realize and tap the exact songs for her. She was slowly peaking up!
She only sparkled at the last four or five weeks of the entire series. I totally agreed with Danni Minogue who was stuck to her seat and would hardly stand up after every Marlisa’s performance week after week. That Marlisa’s rendition of Sia and David Guetta’s Titanium performed on the 9th week of the live shows was truly Marlisa and Ronan’s game changer. The Titanium performance of Marlisa made Danni stood up to her feet and cheered for the young lady!
All throughout the TV show, Marlisa seem to be the last contestant to shine. And what is so amazing about her shining is that she was able to sustain it and even progressed further every week! Australians then realized that something special was with this young lady.
Nowadays, every country seem to have their own franchise or version of The X Factor, Idol, The Voice or ‘name-a-country’ Got Talent. With the continuous popularity of these reality singing contests season after season along with the continuous diaspora of the Filipino race in every corner of the globe, it is no longer a big surprise if one or two or three of the show’s contestants are Filipinos or of Filipino descent. And because of the innate singing talent, Filipinos around the world has been wowing the planet.
And every time a Filipino joins these contests, the whole country tend to celebrate and be more than proud every time the Judges would either love, praise and exalt the talent they just heard. I actually at times gets so whacked every time I read the dog-tired “Proud To Be Pinoy” comment on Facebook or Youtube.
Anyway, because of these happenings, I along with a lot of Filipinos got to see personalities and celebrities around the world judging these reality based singing contests. Thanks to Youtube and Facebook.
Let me clarify, this write-up is not about my fellow Filipinos with killer pipes. This is about the judges of these fabulous contests. So far, via Youtube, I have seen and watched celebrity judges from Bulgaria, Italy, Great Britain, The Netherlands, Australia, USA, Israel, China, Canada, Spain, Poland, Norway, Taiwan, Ireland, Thailand, Austria and New Zealand. It is because these are some of the countries where at least one Filipino has joined.
ronan, danii, redfoo and nathalie (photo taken from au.lifestyle.yahoo.com)
Anyway, going back to the judges!
For me, the most gorgeous set of judges ever is from Australia. They are the Season 5 and presently running Season 6 of X Factor Aussie version. They are the clean cut Ronan Keating, the brunette Danii Minogue, the afro Redfoo and the blonde Nathalie Bassingthwaighte.
I have seen them throughout the whole season of season 5 and all I can say is that these four are simply oozing with gorgeousness both inside and out. If I am to join a singing contest, I would be joining the contest where all these four will be judging.
They are the only set of judges in a reality singing contest who gave a contestant more than a standing ovation. The four super impressed me when all of them stood on top of the judges’ desk to jump and applause over a contestant’s unbelievable performance!
Their comments may it be a denigration or accolades towards a performance looks and feels so sincere. They judge the performance not the person. What’s so good about their criticisms is that they express it not in a very cocky, arrogant or harsh manner. Even though a performance may turn bad, these judges always have something positive to say. Thus, rejected contestant walks out of the stage unhurt and actually goes home happy and inspired.
They’re the living example of charisma, great sense of humor, confidence and intelligence mixed into a gorgeous looking group. They got amazing bags of sex appeal and looks so comfortable with each other. They look like they are truly having fun. No drama, no palaver, no non-sense. I don’t know if it’s the differing hair but for me, they just blend perfectly.
Internet indicates that Pub Choir phenomenon started two years ago in Brisbane, Australia and the fun and fascinating concept/activity has been booming and expanding all throughout the Land Under. 
Nengkoy 