Who would have thought that a wild card contestant from a local television show in the Philippines can dominate and capture the world like no other? It could only be the new singing prodigy Charice.

Charmaine Charice Relucio Pempengco was born on May 10, 1992 in San Pedro Laguna. At the age of four, her mother Raquel and brother Carl moved out from their father due to domestic circumstances. Even with this unfathomed problem, this little girl discovered to sing during this age. In spite of her mother’s daily work, Raquel still managed to help her daughter join singing contests counting to more than eighty events since Charice began at the age of seven.

It was Little Big Star who opened a huge step for Charice way back 2005. As a thirteen year old hopeful, unfortunately things didn’t turned out so well. She was eliminated even in the first round of the contest. But during the course of it, she was invited back in the said competition as a wild card contestant. Determined to win, she did good after being back and reigned first in the next succeeding rounds. As the contest comes to a close, Charice ended third because of her low total text votes.

The output of the former competition saddened her and decided to pursue a nursing career instead. Ironically someone from the Internet with an alias of FalseVoice came and resurrected Charice and her voice in the web. He posted her singing videos in YouTube and other gigs that eventually were viewed by millions that made her an instant Internet sensation. This overwhelming door led Charice to Sweden to record songs for Ten Songs Productions on June 2007.

But it was this South Korean talent show on October 13, 2007 that sky rocketed her career. The producers of Star King from the said show invited her to be a guest. Little did the audience know that they are currently witnessing a blooming star at that instant. As one audience said shortly after her performance, “It’s like the stage isn’t big enough for her!” Charice has indeed owned the stage throughout the whole rendition of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going”. The video of this performance amounted to millions of YouTube hits making Charice an ever viable artist in the cyberspace.

It was then David Foster, who arranged to meet Charice after her triumphant performance in South Korea. He then mentored her and helped her dreams became a reality. It was David who took Charice to see Celine Dion, her idol since she was a kid, in Las Vegas on December 15, 2007. Four days after, she appeared in the Ellen Degeneres Show whom Ellen personally phoned her to come to the United States for a live performance. Charice didn’t fail her and the audience, she rendered the same song from the talent show but they were blown away giving her a standing ovation after the rendition.

There was no stopping for this new star to rise. Charice had been invited to various Filipino gatherings in the United States to perform. To name a few she sang in the O’Grady Show in England on April 8, 2008, Hit Man: David Foster and Friends at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas on May 23, 2008 featuring Andrea Bocelli who personally congratulated her, and with Bocelli’s birthday concert in Tuscany Italy on July 20, 2008.

It was Oprah who put Charice to super stardom line. It was also her who made her dream a reality by showing a live feed from her idol Celine Dion. With the video, Celine invited her to sing a duet during her Madison Square Garden concert. Such an envisioned dream was now a reality for Charice as she sang with Celine herself Because You Loved Me on September 15, 2008.

And now, as her star shines even brighter, she had a new song recorded for us entitled Note to God which was first seen in Oprah. The powerful song together with her powerful voice generated an overwhelming aura to everyone that even made the Queen of Talk cry. As with all her other performances, a standing ovation is worth of such a well refined rendition making the song duly befitting to Charice. No wonder why she was embraced by millions because of how she manages to deliver the song that touched anyone who could hear her.

As her star is shedding more light in the music field, Charice remained humble and sweet. She never forgets to visit her country Philippines for television appearances. She even made a debut album locally produced with the main single “It Can Only Get Better”. Shortly after this album was released in the market, it became gold reaching over 12,500 copies sold. With that said, I am sure that her new international album would reach even far in record volumes.

Congratulations Charice for a new accomplishment! You are truly one of a kind and you would truly go far. Click for more...

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American Idol Season Eight has officially ended with Kris Allen being declared as the next singing sensation. A day before the winner was proclaimed two marvelous singer hopefuls set the stage for their final three pieces namely Kris Allen and Adam Lambert. What truly captivates everyone and sets the disparity between the two finalists was their third song. They both sang the same piece with their own interpretation parameters. And this song truly manifested what the singers truly are. That song is entitled “No Boundaries” composed by Kara Dioguardi the fourth American Idol judge.

No Boundaries


Seconds hours so many days
You know what you want but how long can you wait
Every moment last forever if you feel you’ve lost your way
What if your chances are already gone
Started believing that I could be wrong
But you give me one good reason
to fight and never walk away

Coz hear I am — still holding on!

Every step you climb another mountain
Every breathe its harder to believe

You’ll make it through the pain (or through all your aches and pains)
Weather the hurricane
To get to that one thing

When you think the road is going nowhere
Just when you’ve almost gave up on your dreams
Then take it by the hand and show you that you can

You can go higher
You can go deeper
There are no boundaries
Above and beneath you
B-reak every rule coz there’s nothing between you
and your dreams

Every step you climb another mountain
Every breathe its harder to believe

I truly salute American Idol for creating fresh new songs for the finale. Much more they made the finalists sang the same lyrical song giving them room for their interpretation. I as a watcher can then judge the difference on their delivery and how they would make the song different than the other contender.



Adam Lambert was the first one who sang “No Boundaries”. He was always known and popular with his high pitch voice. True enough, he used this vocal range to sing it and he delivered it quite well. I guess the notes of it were perfect for Adam as he was hitting it effortlessly. He was indeed a theatre singer as he was prior to the American Idol journey.

Kris Allen was next in cue to sing it. He may not come close to Adam’s high voice but he made a whole new elucidation making it unique. The notes are a little high for him as evident by an instance where you can’t hear any sound. Moreover, there were shortness of breathes at the end of the songs line. Nonetheless, he delivered it well considering Kris as a musician by heart and nature making it an equally beautiful interpretation with the former finalist.

To hasten the pace of the American Idol finale, it was Kris who was declared winner among the 100 million record breaking votes. Before the show ended, this season’s song was rendered by the ultimate winner. And looks like Kris will be using this as his debut single in his soon to be album.

Upon the song’s released for public listening various commentaries had been thrown to the songwriter herself. There are hearsays that the song is awful and that the song is great. For every American Idol season, new songs are being composed and given solely to be released by the winner. This was not the first song that was duly criticized by the public. I guess every song being sung on an AI stage is being listened to in order to be commented. And this song definitely is not an exception. Thus Kara’s reputation being a songwriter was questioned and even Simon, an American Idol judge, has his own share of thought that the song is corny.

As a listener and an avid music fan I must say that American Idol composers want a finale song that is inspiring. And I had seen it in the song “No Boundaries”. I know phrases were cut short and there are little holes in the lines as to whose hand would be taken and be shown. Grammatically wise there are flaws. But let’s look on the other side of it. If you would collect the phrases, the song is telling us to pursue our dreams regardless of the hurdles it might bring. You have the capability to do such a thing just like what the American Idols did. They dreamed, they pursued and in the end everyone might not bag the sought after title but nonetheless they made that opportunity to realize their dream. And they are telling us viewers and listeners to do the same.

Thus whether the song was awful or not, grammatically incorrect or plausible, you be the judge.

Congratulations on the new American Idol.

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I don't know you
But I want you
All the more for that
Words fall through me
And always fool me
And I can't react
And games that never amount
To more than they're meant
Will play themselves out

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you have a choice
You'll make it now

Falling slowly, eyes that know me
And I can't go back
Moods that take me and erase me
And I'm painted black
You have suffered enough
And warred with yourself
It's time that you won

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you had a choice
You've made it now
Falling slowly sing your melody
I'll sing along

__________________________________________

Falling Slowly is the theme song of the 2007 film entitled Once which starred Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, who also sang the said song.

My first encounter of this heart warming tune is when Kris Allen, an American Idol season eight finalist performed this during “Songs from the Cinema” week. I sat there amazed in front of the television scream and nonetheless speechless from the very beginning until the end of the piece, inculcating the lines to Google it after which. I may not yet know by then how the song was delivered by the original singers but the lyrics itself together with its placid melody caught me right then and there. The judges feedbacks on Kris’s performance based on it was also good amplifying my desire to search it on the Internet.

Then I discovered the song was the soundtrack of the movie “Once”. Before engaging myself to search the movie and splurge on it, I searched on how did the movie faired in reviews. To my astonishment, it rated 97% in rottentomatoes.com with truly amazing comments by respectable movie critics. With that fascinating rating and that harmonic soundtrack, I was on the verge of my seat looking for that movie.

After days of waiting I finally have a grasp of it and my sweet boyfriend and I watched it together. It’s not the usual Hollywood cinematographic view and the plot may be common. A musician who met a girl passing by to listen to his music and they ended up sharing the same passion they have. That is when the song “Falling Slowly” began when Glen and Marketa both go to a music store where Marketa plays piano. It was Glen who introduced the song to her humming every word and melody in the guitar while she pressed the piano to follow. One may even be amazed how easily Marketa picked everything and they both sang and played the song harmoniously. No wonder why this song won an Academy.

Aside from its melodramatic air, the lyrics are also very strong and wonderful. At first run you might not grasp its meaning but if you look very closely the lyrics itself is self explanatory. It all boils to how the man loves the girl but it was too late. The song itself is a mini replica of what the movie is all about. The song implies a love that is slowly falling but there was nothing to be done in the first place in spite on how you loved someone. In accordance with the movie (spoilers ahead), Glen sure have feelings for Marketa and so is the girl towards him. It might not be literally said in a conversational way but how they treated each others are enough evidences, especially the part where Glen gave Marketa a piano. But on the latter end of the movie, they didn’t became a couple and ended up going back to their former relationships.

Different interpretations had been given in line the song. But nevertheless, the lyrics are just so wonderful to ignore. Simple music with simple reflecting lines makes Falling Slowly a concoction of drama and reality that in a way or another we also once experience.

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It was like love upon hearing. The cutie cute tune is so addicting that I so can't get it out from my head. Our first encounter is when my boyfriend told me that a particular haruhi cosplay group would be dancing to the tune of *drum rolls* Caramelldansen.

Swedish Version:


We immediately search it in youtube and to my surprise, various versions had been published in accordance to the original Swedish version. Not only that, anime characters irregardless of genre were also in the videos with their cute dance moves dancing their hips away.

Funny I don't understand the lyrics but nonetheless the melody and its harmony was addicting and it still is even if heard this a hundred times already. My addiction to such even paved the way of imitating their ultra difficult dance moves with their cute little costumes. But I think I need a choreographer to catch their moves.


English Version:



Now a version I can finally understand! Whoever translated it, I so appreciate his/her inner translation goodness.

Women are you ready to join us now?
Hands in the air, we will show you how.
Come and try,
Caramell will be your guide (be your guide)

So come and move your hips sing
Oa-ah-ah
Look at you two hips do it
La-la-la
You and me, can sing this melody

Owah-owah-ah-oh

Dance to the beat,
Wave your hands together
Come feel the heat, forever and forever.
Listen and Learn
It is time for prancing,
Now we are here with Caramel Dancing

O-o-owah-owah
O-o-owah-owah-ah-oh
O-o-owah-owah
O-o-owah-owah-ah-oh

Funny the English version video is so easy to dance with considering a few moves and both hands above your head. With three little cute anime girls and the harmony it sure is perfect.

Now, here's a video my boyfriend and I had been prying all these time. And who would not be when there are chibis all over the video dancing to this tune with few dancing moves. The dance routines you would see in here would be the one's me and my boyfriend are currently practicing hoping to inculcate in a music video soon. I just hope we got the right dose of confidence and a video camera to back us up.



Have fun and together let's dance!

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Musicholism:

I know such a word don't exist in any human vocabulary. But abstractly, it exists in my mind. Basically the root word of it is MUSIC. Everyone knows music irregardless of culture, race, color and ancestry. It may be as simple as a whisper to as complicated as a compilation of different music sheets.

Musicholism is the brainchild of a music fanatic and addict by the name of Angel. For 23 years of human existence, she had appreciated music. Moreover, she is still yet an infant in the realm of such wide universe. She is more of a listener. She dances with the music's rhythm, sings with the music's melody, and appreciates the music's beauty.

This blog takes on collision with what she knew and what she intends to portray. But if you love music whom she humbly felt is within one's heart then you are welcome to see, browse and react.

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