X-Factor Israel winner Rose Fostanes' concert reaffirms Philippines Israeli friendship

Rose Fostanes

During the annual Philippine International Jazz Festival, the Embassy of Israel usually brings to the country music acts from Israel enabling Filipinos hear their own brand of jazz music. But for this year, a truly special music act was brought instead: X Factor Israel winner Rose Fostanes, the former caregiver who emerged triumphant in the televised reality talent competition.

RoseFostanes headlining the concert is even made more significant as the Embassy of Israel, in line with the 70^th anniversary of the liberation of Manila, is embarking on a Thank You, Philippines campaign to express gratitude to the Philippines in opening her doors to Jewish refugees during the time of President Quezon and also to the country’s vote in UN Resolution 181 that established the State of Israel. So what better way to celebrate a great friendship between the two nations than a concert featuring a Filipina who made it big in Israel?

Opening the show with her X-Factor Israel audition piece, This is My Life, Rose belted out You and I, Purple Rain, The Best, Beautiful, Valerie, I (Who Have Nothing), and Born this Way, that captured the hearts of the competition judges and the Israeli public paving the way for her to advance to the show’s succeeding rounds. Backed up by the Sesame Band, Fostanes also performed If I Ain’t Got You, the Freddie Aguilar classic Anak, and Schma Israel which she sang in Hebrew.

Special guest Arthur Manuntag joined Rose in a duet of Endless Love before singing a medley of standards. Pinoy Dream Academy 2 winner Laarni Lozada breezed through a Whitney Houston medley as the concert’s opening act.

Israeli Ambassador Effie Ben Matityau and Rose Fostanes

In between songs, Rose recalled and shared moments of her life to the audience. She confessed that she was bullied as a child, came from a broken family, and had to work at an early age. And through it all, she found solace in singing. She then narrated her stint as a caregiver in Egypt and Lebanon before ending up in Israel. It was in Israel where she resumed her singing and this eventually led her to join that country's X Factor. And the rest as we all know is history.

Rose wrapped up the concert with her winning song My Way. This song may be notorious as the cause of brawls (even deaths) during drunken videoke sessions but for Rose, this song sealed her victory instead. She admitted that since winning the competition, she hasn’t done anything major yet in the country until this concert at the Music Museum.

After the concert, Israeli Ambassador Effie Ben Matityau presented Rose with a certificate naming her as an Ambassador of Goodwill.