July Metro Magazine cover Karylle to star in Rama Hari

Karylle

July is a special month for me since it’s my birth month. And for singer, actress and tv host Karylle, it is equally special for her as well for she is at the cover of the July issue of Metro Magazine. In this issue which is also devoted to beauty, Karylle takes the spotlight as her journey and recent achievements and successes are chronicled. For this special occasion, a press conference was held recently at the Napa Restaurant and Bar.

At the press conference, Karylle described her experience with the shoot like getting to wear dresses by Ezra Santos and also the mishap when a zipper refused to cooperate. She was also grilled by members of the press regarding her private life. And keeping one step ahead of the inquiring minds, Karylle responded that everything she wanted to say about her life (and that includes her love life) is contained in her self-produced album Roadtrip.

But one thing she was more than willing to divulge was her upcoming stint in Ballet Philippines’ production of Rama Hari starting on November 30 up to December 9, 2012 to be held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Christian Bautista joins her as well in this production that boasts of music by Ryan Cayabyab and libretto by National Artist Bienvenido Lumbera. This production will also feature the set design of another National Artist, Salvador Bernal. The Manila Symphony Orchestra will provide live music accompaniment in this production. Karylle then teased that she will be doing a bit of dancing in this production and joked that Christian will be better of with just singing. I think that her years of ballet training will be put into good use in this production.

As Karylle gears towards this another endeavor, further adding to her list of achievements, it is no wonder that Metro Magazine chose her to be this month’s cover. And with Rama Hari coming very soon, the spotlight will continue to shine on her for many months and years to come.

Cinemalaya 8 goes Full Force for 2012

Cinemalaya 2012 Directors and Board Members

July 20 - 29, 2012

Various CCP Locations

CCP Complex

Pasay, Metro Manila

July 21 - 29, 2012

Greenbelt 3 Cinema 3 & 5

Ayala Center, Makati

TriNoma Cinema 1

TriNoma Mall, Quezon City

A year ago, I achieved what seemed impossible at the time, to go through my first ever Cinemalaya and seeing all the films in competition and experiencing more in the process. It was a very memorable experience for me which I hope to repeat this year. So this July 20-29, 2012, I’ll be going through Cinemalaya at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Full Force just like what this year's tagline says. And for me to go full force, I have to watch 10 Short Film Feature Category entries, 10 New Breed Full Length Feature Category entries and 5 Directors Showcase Category. With the shorts grouped into two groups of five, I will have to see at least 17 screenings along with the opening and closing films in order to duplicate what I had accomplished last year.

Irene Gabriel, Pen Medina and Sue Prado
from Kamera Obskura

This year will be different for me since I’ve had one Cinemalaya experience under my belt. I’ve also gained some familiarity, not just with how things go during this festival, but with the people behind the films as well. Some of the directors, writers, actors and production crew have become acquaintances and friends whom I’ve seen and hung out with a number of times since the last Cinemalaya. Because of this, I feel a bit of pressure as people will expect me to support their films. But having established relationships with them only served to encourage me more in supporting their entries.

Iza Calzado from Mga Mumunting Lihim

The opening film which is yet to be announced will be screened on July 20, 2012 at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater) at 6:15 PM right after the Opening Ceremonies. The day after that, the CCP will be independent film heaven for movie buffs up to the Awards Ceremony on July 29, 2012, 6: 15 PM. For those who feel that the CCP is too far from where they are, fret not since Greenbelt 3 Cinemas will screen Cinemalaya films once again on July 21-29, 2012. And for those in the Quezon City area, TriNoma joins as yet another Cinemalaya venue screening film entries on July 21-29, 2012.

Albie Casiño and Gino Santos from The Animals

Cinemalaya 2012 will also feature various screenings aside from the three aforementioned categories. These are the NCCA Premieres, Ani, Cinemalaya Documentaries focus on Early Indies and a special Mario O’ Hara retrospective. For the educational component of the festival, there will be various programs that will cater to various aspects of filmmaking. First is the 2012 Manila Film Financing Forum on July 21, 2012 at 9:00 AM-6:00 PM at the Silangan Hall wherein case studies will be presented and financing opportunities will also be provided. There will also be a Cinemalaya 2012 Independent Film Congress on July 24-25, 2012 at 9:00 AM-2:30 PM at the Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP Little Theater) assessing the energetic relationship between independent and mainstream filmmaking. Producer Ralph Guggenheim of Pixar Animation Studios will share his knowledge and experience in animation storytelling and story selling at the Made in the Philippines 2012 Film, Animation and Gaming Congress: Storytelling to Story-Selling on July 26-27, 2012 at 9:00 AM-2:30 PM at the Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP Little Theater) as well.

Carlo Aquino from Diablo

List of Cinemalaya 2012 Finalists

Short Feature Category

As He Sleeps by Sheron Dayoc

Balintuna by Emmanuel Escalona Jr.

Bohe Sons of the Waves by Nadjoua Bansil

Manenaya by Richard Legaspi

Ang Paghihintay sa Bulong by Sigrid Andrea P. Bernardo

Pasahero by Mario Celada

Ruweda by Hannah Espia

Sarong Aldaw by Marianito Dio Jr.

Ulian (Senility) by Chuck Gutierrez

Victor by Jarell M. Serencio

New Breed Full Length Feature Category

The Animals by Gino M. Santos

Aparisyon by Vincent Sandoval

Mga Dayo by Julius Sotomayor Cena

Diablo by Mes de Guzman

Intoy Syokoy ng Kalye Marino by Lemuel C. Lorca

Ang Katiwala by Aloy Adlawan

Ang Nawawala by Marietta Jamora

Oros by Paul Sta. Ana

REquieme! by Loy Arcenas

Santa Nina by Emmanuel Quindo Palo

Directors Showcase Category

Bwakaw by Jun Robles Lana

Kalayaan (Wildlife) by Adolfo B. Alix Jr.

Kamera Obskura by Raymond Red

Mga Mumunting Lihim (Those Little Secrets) by Jose Javier Reyes

Posas (Shackled) by Lawrence Fajardo

The Balanghai Trophy

For tickets and other inquiries:

CCP Film Office 832-1125 local 1704/05

CCP Box Office 832-3704

Cultural Management Division-Arts Education Department 832-1125 local 1700/1703

Jovit Baldivino's OPM's Greatest Volume One Album Launch

Jovit Baldivino

Jovit Baldivino started out as the little teenage boy with the big dream. The lad from Batangas showcased his husky vocals and penchant for Adult Contemporary songs and made a nation rally behind him making him the winner of the first season of Pilipinas Got Talent. With two hit albums under his belt, and coming off a successful US tour with his fellow reality talent competition winners, Jovit is back once again with a new album, OPM’s Greatest Volume One, released by Star Records.

OPM’s Greatest Volume One is his third record after his previous releases, the triple platinum selling Faithfully and the platinum I’d Do Anything for Love. This album is a compilation of ten OPM classics in English with Joey Albert’s 80’s hit Tell Me as its carrier single. I asked him during the album launch held at El Buono Pizza what he would want to be included in Volume Two since this release is labeled as Volume One. Jovit responded that he would want to have OPM songs in Filipino to be featured next time if he’d be given the chance to record a sequel volume. But that depends if people support the first volume which he says is dedicated to his fans.

Listening to this album, I noticed that there is a marked improvement with his diction which was the main source of criticism during his previous efforts. But he still has minute traces of his provincial accent which I think is what truly endeared him with the general public in the first place. He has learned to hold back and be more restrained especially during the opening verses. This made him more refined and marked his growth as a story teller through song. Alas, there are still moments when his vocal gymnastics do go out of hand. While he has learned how to build an arc and pace himself with You are My Song and Make Believe, he went overboard with Only Me and You and Someone’s Always Saying Goodbye. His vocal chops is undoubtedly there and showing off a wide range via vocal hysterics should have been left back in the 90’s. Jovit is still very young with a lot of room to grow and he has not yet reached his peak as an artist. It will be interesting to see how he will develop as the years go on given the right guidance and material.

Jovit Baldivino’s OPM’s Greatest Volume One is available in record stores nationwide. Tell Me and the rest of the tracks are also available for download on MyMusicStore Philippines.

OPM’s Greatest Volume One

Tracks:

1. You are My Song

2. Say You’ll Never Go

3. Forevermore duet with Yeng Constantino

4. Make Believe

5. Tell Me

6. I’ll Never Go

7. Only Me and You

8. Someone’s Always Saying Goodbye

9. Forever’s Not Enough

10. My Love Will See You Through

Julien Drolon's Phil So Good Album Launch

Julien Drolon and Rhian Ramos

Manila based French singer Julien Drolon has made a name for himself in the local music scene for the past year performing in various malls and music festivals all over the country. His profile increased tenfold when he released a video of Ipagpatawad Mo singing in Filipino and in French that got him mainstream television coverage. Now, he sets his sights in firmly establishing himself in the music industry by releasing his debut album (an EP) entitled Phil So Good. The album’s name (also the title of the carrier track that featured Rhian Ramos) is Julien’s way of expressing his love to the Philippines which has been his home for the past couple of years.

The Embassy of France to the Philippines, Alliance Française de Manille and Entertainment Circuit organized the album launch of Julien Drolon which was also attended by Rhian Ramos. The event that was held at the Alliance Française de Manille gave me the chance to ask Julien more about his music and the album.

Julien only has praises for the quality of musicians from all genres here in the Philippines. In fact, his band in the album and during tours are made up of Filipino musicians. Among local recording artists, he particularly likes Brownman Revival, Tropical Depression, Gary Valenciano, Bamboo, Moonstar88 and Franco a lot. Chito Miranda of Parokya ni Edgar was someone he almost collaborated with but their musical styles didn’t seem to fit so that idea was shelved. Speaking of musical styles, Julien says that his music is more of a funky reggae heavily influenced by Bob Marley and Jason Mraz.

Talking about the tracks in the album, he said that he wrote and recorded Phil So Good unaware of the Department of Tourism’s It’s More Fun in the Philippines campaign. But he will be delighted if this song does promote tourism in the country. This sentiment was also echoed by Rhian Ramos who grabbed the opportunity to show off her rapping skills in this track. She said that she’s been a closet singer for all this time and that she’s happy to be featured in Julien’s album. Rhian’s initial foray into the music scene was her track You which was included in the Audition Battle Dance album back in 2009.

When asked about the the other songs, Julien explained that Free to Love was written when he was in Hong Kong and it’s about the freedom of loving people. No More Divisions, on the other hand was the first song that he recorded here in the Philippines. Encouraging people to live their dreams is the main message of the song Wake Up. And the interesting reggae song Peace through Music featured lyrics (in Filipino) written by national hero Dr. Jose Rizal. The last track, End of Time, a funky song clocking almost six minutes is Julien’s take on the 2012 prophecy

The album has an overall feel good vibe in it with all the songs having a positive spin since Julien does want to promote peace, love and harmony through music. His thick French accent is sometimes a bit distracting although it surprised me that this same accent didn’t bother me that much when he sang lines in Filipino. And the same could be said with his impressive Filipino in Ipagpatawad Mo which unfortunately wasn’t included in this album. Julien explained that he wanted to focus on his own songs with this album, hence the non-inclusion of this track.

One significant aspect of this album is that it is available as a USB drive shaped like a key with the songs already in MP3 format. Lyrics of the songs and the video of Phil So Good are also included in the drive which also has a lot more space for more files. The album packaging is actually a 50 page notebook that Julien encourages his listeners to use in writing their dreams which was effective for him.

Special thanks once again to the Embassy of France for inviting me over to the album launch.

Phil So Good

Tracks:

1. Free to Love

2. No More Divisions

3. Phil So Good featuring Rhian Ramos

4. Wake Up

5. Peace through Music

6. End of Time

7. Phil So Good (Instrumental)