Kabilang si Charice sa mga supporter at performer ng charity event ng sikat na tennis player.

“This performance tonight is for them. So, I’m really happy to be part of this, because I can relate to them,” ani Charice sa interview sa kanya sa red carpet.

I posted a photo of Charice attending a charity event earlier today and thanks to a post from ozgirl, she helped me remember that I saw her on Youtube a few months ago.  Charice is the young lady from the Phillipines with the huge voice.  Thanks ozgirl, I wanted to post this older video of Charice and hopefully expose others to her talent, because she tears this classic up!

A lot has happened in the past 2 weeks of blogging absence.

The bad stuff so far (not limited to this small list):

• worldwide economic meltdown

Like the vast majority of the world I don't have any direct financial interests in the fallen Wall Street financial institutions that have shaken the stability of money markets worldwide. That's just the problem; the mindless risk-taking of a few people still affects the entire planet.

• melamine, "protein substitute", anyone?
  

Being someone who loves to drink milk and has nothing against China or the Chinese, the news of melamine finding itself into food it was not invented to mix with is bothersome. Retailers have been ordered to pull out all dairy products which have originated from China. Some consumers have gone as far as to refrain from purchasing any China-made food products. The DOH has named Green Food Yili Pure Milk and Mengniu Original Drink Milk positive for melamine contamination. An independent laboratory found 8 pruducts containing melamine, including a brand of corned beef, luncheon meat, and get this, an iced coffee shake premix served in a popular (unspecified) coffee chain. Got to warn The Accomplice. I take my brewed coffee without frills.

• fewer doctors

Fewer NMAT takers (NMAT is National Medical Admission Test, a prerequisite for acceptance in most medical schools, cut-off marks vary). Fewer medical school enrollees. Fewer graduates. Fewer doctors. Increased patient load (as if the present load weren't unbearable to begin with).

Statistics peg the fall in medical school enrollment to 40%.

Add to that the licensed physicians who have chosen to practice abroad, either as doctors or as allied medical personnel.

A Horror Story Continues.

• global warming
• the government

The good stuff (also a short list, but hey there are still many things to be happy about!):

• free movies

Cine Europa 11 at the Rodelsa Hall of Liceo University started yesterday, and runs till tomorrow. Free movie passes are available at the Office of Cultural and Public Affairs.

A scan of the schedule is here. (Thanks to Els (a.k.a. mommy dharlz; darn the h and the z!).)

• no price increase

In petroleum products, that is. In spite the global financial crisis the price of crude oil has remained stable. No rollback this weekend, though.

• Velez St

Finally the partial rehabilitation of the once pothole-ridden thoroughfare is complete (the Yacapin to Provincial Capitol stretch). The segments that were unfinished during the fiesta period in August have been opened to traffic.

• Charice Pempengco

Comments of her youtube videos are riddled with racial slurs. Inggit lang kayo/Suya lang 'mo. Filipinos are talented.

Enough said.

It's another exciting episode of Empress Balita Podcast Edition with Empress Maruja. Here are our headlines for this week:

* Gabby Concepcion blames manager Rose Flaminiano for death of dad Rollie Concepcion
* John Lloyd Cruz calls indie films "fad"
* Charice Pempengco gets misquoted?
* Star Magic prevents Rayver Cruz from dating Kapuso star Rhian Ramos
* New GMA telefantasya for former Guwaping Mark Anthony Fernandez (pictured)

Listen to the podcast in Empress Balita... Balita... Balita...

Fresh from the success of her performance in the concert of international pop star Celine Dion at Madison Square Garden, sixteen-year-old Charice continues to gain more fans after two major newspapers, the New York Times and the New York Post, heaped praises on her performance last September 15.

In an article published September 16, reviewer Jon Caramanica of The New York Times described Charice’s voice as “impressive” and praised the young diva for giving a rougher, more emotional edge to her performance of Dion’s hit song “Because You Loved Me.”

“They performed ‘Because You Loved Me’, though Ms. Dion mostly stayed out of the way as Ms. Pempengco explored the song’s heretofore unheard rougher edges, with ample gesticulations and melisma.

“As Ms. Pempengco brought the crowd to its feet, Ms. Dion struck poses behind her: awestruck wonder, heartfelt empathy, ambient triumph,” the New York Times review read.

A separate review written by Dan Aquilante of the New York Post described Charice’s performance as the brightest moment of the Celine Dion concert.

“One of the most interesting turns in this show was the MSG debut of 16-year-old vocal prodigy Charice Pempengco, whose manager, Oprah Winfrey - that’s right - secured the Philippine singer a duet with Celine for the song ‘Because You Loved Me.’

“The Charice segment was the night’s brightest moment. The teen was able to blast notes with Celine-like power, but she was also able to get in touch with the song’s emotions,” the review read.

Online videos of Charice’s performance at the Dion concert showed people giving a standing ovation to the young Filipina after the duet.

Before they performed, Dion introduced Charice to the audience as a Filipina whose voice “can literally blow the roof off Madison Square.”

“Charice vowed to save her mom from a life of desperation and despair. You know, through prayers and dreams and God-given talent, an incredible voice, Charice entered and won every singing contest in her native country and eventually, was noticed by such influential people such as Oprah and Oprah took her under her wings and David Foster joined in,” Dion said.

She said she invited Charice as a guest to her concert after seeing the girl perform on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”

After inviting Charice to the stage, Dion praised the vocal prodigy and asked if she was nervous. When Charice answered yes, Dion said she always remembered to take the advice given by her manager and future husband, Rene Angelil, when she first started singing at the age of 12.

“He told me ‘Celine, I know you’re nervous. Don’t be scared. You love to sing. When you go up there, you’ll be nervous. Don’t be.’ I will give you an image that you can think about. Think that all the people you see in front of you are your brothers and sisters. You are singing in your living room and it’s your family,” Dion told Charice.

Charice then said that she was ready to sing and dedicated their song to her mother, Raquel.

Ever the gracious performer, Dion let Charice take the lead in the song - allowing the young singer to show off her vocal prowess that brought the house down.

“You did amazing, and the roof of the Madison (blew) up tonight,” Dion said after the performance, adding that she could not wait until Charice had her own concert in Madison Square Garden.

“When you do perform in Madison Square, are you going to invite me? I love you and I can not wait to be with you to perform here for a whole concert,” she added before Charice left the stage to more applause.

‘The Most Talented Girl in the World’

Charice’s whirlwind rise to popularity started after YouTube videos of her jaw-dropping performances caught the attention of popular US TV host Ellen Degeneres. Her performance at the “Ellen Degeneres Show” later led to appearances in the Oprah Winfrey show as well as performances with international stars Michael Buble and Josh Groban.

Charice also performed with renowed tenor Andrea Bocelli in his hometown in Italy.

In the episode titled “Dream Comes True”, Oprah tracked the rags-to-riches story of Charice starting with how she once witnessed how her father almost killed her mother in a fit of rage before neighbors stopped him.

Charice said it was then that she and her mom decided to live their own lives away from their father. Charice’s mom worked 16-hour days, six days a week to make ends meet while Charice signed up for more than 80 contests to help her mother.

“I really want[ed] to help Mom,” she told Oprah. “When I’m joining singing contests, and I won some $50, she was, like, ‘Okay, we’re going to have some food for one month, and we’re very happy.’”

She was later able to save enough of her contest winnings to help her mother pay for an apartment. In 2005, she joined the ABS-CBN talent contest “Little Big Star” where she placed 2nd runner-up to contest winner Sam Concepcion.

The series of YouTube videos posted by an avid fan later led to Charice performing at Star King, a famous talent show in South Korea, on October 2007.

But it was Charice’s performance in the Oprah Winfrey Show last May that cemented her claim to fame. After hearing Charice sing, Oprah said she couldn’t get the little girl with the big voice out of her head and invited her back to the show.

Instead of flying back to the Philippines after her appearance on The Oprah Show, producers pulled Charice off the plane and brought her back to Harpo Studios. Then, Oprah called legendary producer David Foster to see what the starmaker could do for Charice.

Oprah, who once called Charice “The Most Talented Girl in the World”, says she is impressed not just with Charice’s voice but with her attitude in life.

“One of the things I love most about Charice is that no matter what obstacles she’s faced in her life, she’s never given up on her dream of something better,” Oprah said.

Source: All Access On Monster Radio RX 93.1's Multiply

WOW! And I mean W-O-W!!! Charice never fails to make us really really proud! Like seriously damn proud of this little girl. Amazing talent, wonderfully gifted, with a big heart. She really have gotten far at this early stage of her very promising career. Being able to achieve outstanding milestones some great and big Pinoy artists have never accomplished before. Truly, Charice can be considered the most talented girl in the world! People like her are indeed our country's source of pride and inspiration. Anyway, just check out this video from YouTube, the complete version of her segment from Celine Dion's concert at the Madison Square Garden. As always, she gave an excellent and amazing performance!

MABUHAY KA, CHARICE!!! ;)

Her first appearance was in local Philippines TV show singing contest, "Little Big Star" by ABSCBN tv network in 2006. Almost everyone had bet that she would win the contest among the other teen/kiddie contestants. Unfortunately, due to low text votes she didn't land in first place but as third place. It was Sam Concepcion who garnered most of the text votes. However, talent wise, Charice was apparently way better.

The judging computation was comprised of 50% by the judges and 50% text votes. Even if she got low text votes, the judges' ratings could have pulled her score. Nevertheless, due to the mindset of future business gain of the tv network, the person who appealed most to the masses by basing on the text votes swiftly landed the first spot. You may ask, how far the first placer has gone now? He's an actor/singer and showing on the said tv network. If I were Charice, I can kiss ABSCBN goodbye and give thanks for not letting her win. Shame on you people who do not appreciate what real talent is.

After the local singing contest, she joined another contest in Korea. Eventually, someone posted a video of her on YouTube singing in front of Korean audience in awe. From then on, Ellen discovered her on YouTube as well as Oprah and the start of her publicity rose.

Charice brought pride and represented Filipino talent. I hope she will start writing her own songs and not just by imitating or singing songs of other people which Filipinos are known for.

After (2008)

Before (2006)

Update: Oprah Winfrey is now her US manager in addition to her Filipina manager. Way to go Charice!

Now here she is on stage at Madison Square Garden in New York City.  The is one of the premier concert sites in the US.  And what is she doing on that stage you ask?  Well, she's  just singing a duet with Celine Dion is all.  Yes, that's right.  A duet with the great Celine Dion!!!!  Amazing.

Who will she duet with next?

Her rendition of the club's theme song "You'll Never Walk Alone" was witnessed by more that 50,000 people who were present at the De Kuip Stadium

While Charice was singing the inspirational hit, her audience mostly supporters and members of Feynoord couldn't help but to sing with her, too.

In the video, posted by "FalseVoice," Charice wears a sporty shirt and pants while belting high notes of the song.  Aside from the song "You'll Never Walk Alone" the young diva also performed the song "And I'm Telling You" that she dedicated to all the football club's loyal fans and supporters.

"I had been asked to sing this songs and I want to dedicate this song to all the Feynoord supporters who over the years stayed with and stood by their team through thick and thin they did not go away and I'm here tonight  to celebrate the 100 years," she said. (Catch her performance on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50cyzGy4_-M)

In her interview prior to her performance at the De Kuip Stadium Charice said that she's really excited to perform in front of thousands of people and to sing on the stage of a very huge venue.

“Okay naman po siya… noong una hindi ko alam iyon pero ganoon pala ka special iyong event. Kaya ngayon po nagpa-practice ako... Kinakabahan ako pero masya kasi sa akin nila binigay iyong song,” Charice told abs-cbnNEWS.com before she went to The Netherlands.

She said she was handpicked by the organization to sing for them after they watched her video posted on Youtube.

“Nakita po nila kasi iyon na kinanta ko sa Wowowee, iyon kinuha po nila ako,” the young singer said.

Last July 20, Charice performed with world-famous Andrea Bocelli and received standing ovations.

Charice boosted her international career when she appeared in the Paul O’Grady Show in London last April 8 and on the Ellen DeGeneres show in December of 2007.

On April 11th, abs-cbnNEWS.com broke the story that she just finished taping a special episode for Oprah. Her special appearance on Oprah was aired May 12th.

Fresh from the success of her performance in the concert of international pop star Celine Dion at Madison Square Garden, sixteen-year-old Charice continues to gain more fans after two major newspapers, the New York Times and the New York Post, heaped praises on her performance last September 15. (Watch a video clip of that duet here.)

In an article published September 16, reviewer Jon Caramanica of The New York Times described Charice's voice as "impressive" and praised the young diva for giving a rougher, more emotional edge to her performance of Dion's hit song "Because You Loved Me."

"They performed 'Because You Loved Me', though Ms. Dion mostly stayed out of the way as Ms. Pempengco explored the song’s heretofore unheard rougher edges, with ample gesticulations and melisma.

"As Ms. Pempengco brought the crowd to its feet, Ms. Dion struck poses behind her: awestruck wonder, heartfelt empathy, ambient triumph," the New York Times review read.

A separate review written by Dan Aquilante of the New York Post described Charice's performance as the brightest moment of the Celine Dion concert.

"One of the most interesting turns in this show was the MSG debut of 16-year-old vocal prodigy Charice Pempengco, whose manager, Oprah Winfrey - that's right - secured the Philippine singer a duet with Celine for the song 'Because You Loved Me.'

"The Charice segment was the night's brightest moment. The teen was able to blast notes with Celine-like power, but she was also able to get in touch with the song's emotions," the review read.

Online videos of Charice's performance at the Dion concert showed people giving a standing ovation to the young Filipina after the duet.

Before they performed, Dion introduced Charice to the audience as a Filipina whose voice "can literally blow the roof off Madison Square."

"Charice vowed to save her mom from a life of desperation and despair. You know, through prayers and dreams and God-given talent, an incredible voice, Charice entered and won every singing contest in her native country and eventually, was noticed by such influential people such as Oprah and Oprah took her under her wings and David Foster joined in," Dion said.

She said she invited Charice as a guest to her concert after seeing the girl perform on "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

After inviting Charice to the stage, Dion praised the vocal prodigy and asked if she was nervous. When Charice answered yes, Dion said she always remembered to take the advice given by her manager and future husband, Rene Angelil, when she first started singing at the age of 12.

"He told me 'Celine, I know you're nervous. Don't be scared. You love to sing. When you go up there, you'll be nervous. Don't be.' I will give you an image that you can think about. Think that all the people you see in front of you are your brothers and sisters. You are singing in your living room and it's your family," Dion told Charice.

Charice then said that she was ready to sing and dedicated their song to her mother, Raquel.

Ever the gracious performer, Dion let Charice take the lead in the song - allowing the young singer to show off her vocal prowess that brought the house down.

"You did amazing, and the roof of the Madison (blew) up tonight," Dion said after the performance, adding that she could not wait until Charice had her own concert in Madison Square Garden.

"When you do perform in Madison Square, are you going to invite me? I love you and I can not wait to be with you to perform here for a whole concert," she added before Charice left the stage to more applause.
 
'The Most Talented Girl in the World'

Charice's whirlwind rise to popularity started after YouTube videos of her jaw-dropping performances caught the attention of popular US TV host Ellen Degeneres. Her performance at the "Ellen Degeneres Show" later led to appearances in the Oprah Winfrey show as well as performances with international stars Michael Buble and Josh Groban.

Charice also performed with renowed tenor Andrea Bocelli in his hometown in Italy.

In the episode titled "Dream Comes True", Oprah tracked the rags-to-riches story of Charice starting with how she once witnessed how her father almost killed her mother in a fit of rage before neighbors stopped him.

Charice said it was then that she and her mom decided to live their own lives away from their father. Charice's mom worked 16-hour days, six days a week to make ends meet while Charice signed up for more than 80 contests to help her mother.

"I really want[ed] to help Mom," she told Oprah. "When I'm joining singing contests, and I won some $50, she was, like, 'Okay, we're going to have some food for one month, and we're very happy.'"

She was later able to save enough of her contest winnings to help her mother pay for an apartment. In 2005, she joined the ABS-CBN talent contest "Little Big Star" where she placed 2nd runner-up to contest winner Sam Concepcion.

The series of YouTube videos posted by an avid fan later led to Charice performing at Star King, a famous talent show in South Korea, on October 2007.

But it was Charice's performance in the Oprah Winfrey Show last May that cemented her claim to fame. After hearing Charice sing, Oprah said she couldn't get the little girl with the big voice out of her head and invited her back to the show.

Instead of flying back to the Philippines after her appearance on The Oprah Show, producers pulled Charice off the plane and brought her back to Harpo Studios. Then, Oprah called legendary producer David Foster to see what the starmaker could do for Charice.

Oprah, who once called Charice "The Most Talented Girl in the World", says she is impressed not just with Charice's voice but with her attitude in life.

"One of the things I love most about Charice is that no matter what obstacles she's faced in her life, she's never given up on her dream of something better," Oprah said.

For all Charice fanatics worldwide, watch these videos:

Celine Dion Introduces Charice Pempengco

Celine Dion & Charice Pempengco's Duet - Because You Loved Me

Amazing! I almost cried when I watched their duet. Charice's mother is so lucky to have a daughter like her, and vice versa.

]]> http://sohotonasia.wordpress.com/?p=1081 Thu, 18 Sep 2008 18:43:57 +0000 irapehellokitty http://sohotonasia.tl.wordpress.com/2008/09/18/charice-pempengcos-amazing-performance-with-celine-dion/

As promised on the Oprah show last week, Charice Pempengco sang a duet together with Celine Dion at the 15th September on Madison Square Garden. The two amazing singers combined together performed "Because You Loved Me" and they both sounded awesome! They also dedicated the song to Charice's mother which really shows what a sweet and humble kind of person Celine Dion really is. I wish all the luck in the world to Charice, but I doubt she's going to need it with that voice!
Watch the performance HERE .

I just want to spread the love! - iRapeHellokitty

Charice really pulled off a pretty good performance there. My friend says she sang a bit fast, but then again, that's what nerves can do to you. After all, the girl was in Madison Square Garden, right? Anyway, so it was a wonderful performance and she deserved every second of applause she got. 

But that's not what this post is about. I'm sure there'll be tons of blogposts on this girl's performance, anyhoo. So I'll talk about a couple of things I noticed instead. 

First off, this vid shows Celine Dion's intro for Charice. She talked up a storm about the girl, most of it glowing praise. But what got my goat, and pretty much turned me off, was the emphasis Dion was placing on how terrible Charice's life was - abusive father and all that - presumably before music made it all bearable, la dee-da. 

Well, alright. Maybe there is some truth to that. Hell, maybe even a lot of truth. But do we really have to bring this girl's tattered past to the fore just to make her more amazing? It's ridiculous. The girl's got pipes the likes of which we haven't seen since, I don't know, Lea Salonga? What good does framing her as a survivor of domestic tragedy really do? What value does it add to her astounding talent? Nothing. It adds nothing of value whatsoever. All it does is prostitute her past for the sake of adding a little more burnish to her shine. She doesn't need it.

You know what? It's us who needs it. We - and I am speaking in broadly general terms here - need for her to be a survivor because that's what makes her such an aspirational figure for us. We turn her into some role model that we can use and abuse for own purposes. But in doing so - in forcing her to be our psychological comfort - we risk locking her into that iconography until she becomes famous, not for her talent, but for what she represents. Right now, that might be fine, but she's only sixteen. 

She likely won't be the same chirpy sunny person a year from now, and then what does she do? She can't be herself anymore because if she turns out to be anything other than perfect, it'll clash with our image of her and it'll endanger her career. Instead, she'll have to pretend to stay the perfect little survivor we have tattooed in our hearts and minds; and pretending that way lacerates the soul. 

Next thing you know, she'll be as dysfunctional as Britney Spears.

People should really learn to appreciate talent for its own sake, not because it survived against all odds. 

The second thing I noticed about Dion's verbose intro was how she cleverly made it appear that it was Oprah Winfrey that discovered Charice. That it was Oprah the whole world has to thank for the gift of the little girl's killer voice. 

NOT!

All that crap Dion spouted was just Oprah pWning Ellen de Generes. And i can't help but think that it was deliberate too. 

Oprah has been steadily losing viewership to Ellen, who - for the record - was the one who introduced America to Charice. So, I'm guessing, when Oprah saw the opportunity to shaft Ellen, she did, by snapping up the girl, digging up her tragic past, and subtly trying to re-write history by making it appear that she discovered Charice. 

Haha. Just sixteen and already a marketing tool. I can almost imagine the warm smell of colitas rising up through the air, and Oprah standing in the doorway and telling Charice to spend the night at Hotel California. I can only hope that she can get out with her soul intact.

Maipagmamalaki ng mga Pilipino si Charice dahil, kinakabahan man siya, mahusay ang kanyang performance sa duet nila ni Celine. Kinanta nila ang "Because You Loved Me," ang hit song ni Celine at ang unang kanta na natutunan ni Charice noong four years old pa lamang siya.

Panay ang himas ni Celine sa buhok ng batang singer at pinabayaan din niya na magkaroon ng moment si Charice.

Ipalalabas sa Biyernes, September 19, sa Oprah ang guest appearance ni Charice sa jampacked concert ni Celine Dion.

Ito ang mga sinabi ni Celine bago niya tinawag si Charice para umakyat sa stage:

"They actually told me about an incredible young singer that she [Oprah Winfrey] discovered a while back. You know, if you watch Oprah last week, you know all about her. This young lady's name is Charice. I'm so excited. She's 16 years old and she's from the Philippines.

"Let me tell you, she has a voice that can literally blow the roof off Madison Square Garden and she just might. But the real story is how Charice and her mom escaped the terrifying experience and had to leave Charice's violent father. You know, to start a life of their own.

"Charice vowed to save her mom from a life of desperation and despair. You know, through prayers and dreams and God-given talent, an incredible voice, Charice entered every singing contest in her native country and [was] eventually noticed by such influential people.

"You know, a show in Oprah and Oprah wanted to take her and took her under her wings. Then, the David Foster joined her. I had the chance to see Charice perform one of my songs on Oprah last week. I have a little bit of difficulty to talk right now because I met Charice, and I'm so emotional... So I'm searching and looking for my words...trying to control my emotion.

"I invited her to come here tonight to sing with me. Where are you sweetheart? There she is, come down, Sweetie."

Sa puntong ito, bumaba si Charice mula sa kanyang kinauupuan para umakyat sa stage. Inalalayan siya ng mga bodyguard habang naglalakad papunta sa kinaroroonan ni Celine sa gitna ng stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is Charice. [To Charice] You look spectacular! Are you shaking? Are you okay? Don't be nervous and, I think, a lot of people, they understand that you are nervous.

"I'm gonna tell you one thing, the talent we're not gonna talk about, because you have. The strength, we're not gonna talk about because you have, and so the love. And I have to tell you, the family, we'll gonna talk because you have to.

"One time, my manager, my husband [Rene Angelil], told me, ‘Celine...' Because when I started to sing, I was 12 years old, so 12 and 16, it's the same, okay? He told me, ‘Celine, I know you're nervous, don't be scared. You love to sing. When you go up there, you'll be nervous. Don't be.'

"I will give you an image that you can think about. Think that all the people you see in front of you are your brothers and sisters. You're singing in your living room and these are your family.  They can't can't wait to hear you sing. I think I know you want to dedicate this song to your mother. So we're gonna sing ‘Because You Loved Me' for your mother."

Pinabayaan ni Celine na mag-shine si Charice at nagsilbi lamang siyang back-up singer sa malaking bahagi ng kanta. Pagkatapos ng kanta ay binigyan si Charice ng standing ovation at masigabong palakpakan ng mga tao, samantalang ang kanyang ina naman ay hindi mapigilang maluha sa napanood.

Mahigpit ding niyakap ni Celine si Charice pagkatapos ng kanilang awitin. Ani Celine, "Your mother is extremely proud of you, and so we are as well. You did amazing and the roof of Madison went up tonight.

"But I'll ask you Charice, when you do Madison Garden, are you gonna invite me?" biro ni Celine kay Charice, na napatawa lang.

"I love you and I cannot wait for you to perform here for a full concert," pahabol ni Celine.

"Thank you," ang tanging nasambit ni Charice.

Bago ang duet nina Charice at Celine ay nakasama na rin niyang kumanta ang operatic pop singer na si Andrea Bocelli sa Tuscany, Italy, early this year.

Credits to:

Jojo Gabinete

pep.com

Is Charice's star ever going to dim? By the looks of it, not anytime soon.

Fresh from the success of her performance in the concert of international pop star Celine Dion at Madison Square Garden, sixteen-year-old Charice continues to gain more fans after two major newspapers, the New York Times and the New York Post, heaped praises on her performance last September 15. (Watch a video clip of that duet here.)

In an article published September 16, reviewer Jon Caramanica of The New York Times described Charice's voice as "impressive" and praised the young diva for giving a rougher, more emotional edge to her performance of Dion's hit song "Because You Loved Me."

"They performed 'Because You Loved Me', though Ms. Dion mostly stayed out of the way as Ms. Pempengco explored the song’s heretofore unheard rougher edges, with ample gesticulations and melisma.

"As Ms. Pempengco brought the crowd to its feet, Ms. Dion struck poses behind her: awestruck wonder, heartfelt empathy, ambient triumph," the New York Times review read.

A separate review written by Dan Aquilante of the New York Post described Charice's performance as the brightest moment of the Celine Dion concert.

"One of the most interesting turns in this show was the MSG debut of 16-year-old vocal prodigy Charice Pempengco, whose manager, Oprah Winfrey - that's right - secured the Philippine singer a duet with Celine for the song 'Because You Loved Me.'

"The Charice segment was the night's brightest moment. The teen was able to blast notes with Celine-like power, but she was also able to get in touch with the song's emotions," the review read.

Online videos of Charice's performance at the Dion concert showed people giving a standing ovation to the young Filipina after the duet.

Before they performed, Dion introduced Charice to the audience as a Filipina whose voice "can literally blow the roof off Madison Square."

"Charice vowed to save her mom from a life of desperation and despair. You know, through prayers and dreams and God-given talent, an incredible voice, Charice entered and won every singing contest in her native country and eventually, was noticed by such influential people such as Oprah and Oprah took her under her wings and David Foster joined in," Dion said.

She said she invited Charice as a guest to her concert after seeing the girl perform on "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

After inviting Charice to the stage, Dion praised the vocal prodigy and asked if she was nervous. When Charice answered yes, Dion said she always remembered to take the advice given by her manager and future husband, Rene Angelil, when she first started singing at the age of 12.

"He told me 'Celine, I know you're nervous. Don't be scared. You love to sing. When you go up there, you'll be nervous. Don't be.' I will give you an image that you can think about. Think that all the people you see in front of you are your brothers and sisters. You are singing in your living room and it's your family," Dion told Charice.

Charice then said that she was ready to sing and dedicated their song to her mother, Raquel.

Ever the gracious performer, Dion let Charice take the lead in the song - allowing the young singer to show off her vocal prowess that brought the house down.

"You did amazing, and the roof of the Madison (blew) up tonight," Dion said after the performance, adding that she could not wait until Charice had her own concert in Madison Square Garden.

"When you do perform in Madison Square, are you going to invite me? I love you and I can not wait to be with you to perform here for a whole concert," she added before Charice left the stage to more applause.
 
'The Most Talented Girl in the World'

Charice's whirlwind rise to popularity started after YouTube videos of her jaw-dropping performances caught the attention of popular US TV host Ellen Degeneres. Her performance at the "Ellen Degeneres Show" later led to appearances in the Oprah Winfrey show as well as performances with international stars Michael Buble and Josh Groban.

Charice also performed with renowed tenor Andrea Bocelli in his hometown in Italy.

In the episode titled "Dream Comes True", Oprah tracked the rags-to-riches story of Charice starting with how she once witnessed how her father almost killed her mother in a fit of rage before neighbors stopped him.

Charice said it was then that she and her mom decided to live their own lives away from their father. Charice's mom worked 16-hour days, six days a week to make ends meet while Charice signed up for more than 80 contests to help her mother.

"I really want[ed] to help Mom," she told Oprah. "When I'm joining singing contests, and I won some $50, she was, like, 'Okay, we're going to have some food for one month, and we're very happy.'"

She was later able to save enough of her contest winnings to help her mother pay for an apartment. In 2005, she joined the ABS-CBN talent contest "Little Big Star" where she placed 2nd runner-up to contest winner Sam Concepcion.

The series of YouTube videos posted by an avid fan later led to Charice performing at Star King, a famous talent show in South Korea, on October 2007.

But it was Charice's performance in the Oprah Winfrey Show last May that cemented her claim to fame. After hearing Charice sing, Oprah said she couldn't get the little girl with the big voice out of her head and invited her back to the show.

Instead of flying back to the Philippines after her appearance on The Oprah Show, producers pulled Charice off the plane and brought her back to Harpo Studios. Then, Oprah called legendary producer David Foster to see what the starmaker could do for Charice.

Oprah, who once called Charice "The Most Talented Girl in the World", says she is impressed not just with Charice's voice but with her attitude in life.

"One of the things I love most about Charice is that no matter what obstacles she's faced in her life, she's never given up on her dream of something better," Oprah said.

credits from abs-cbnNEWS.com | 09/18/2008 1:46 PM

Natupad sa wakas ang pinapangarap ni Charice Pempengco na makaduweto ang international diva na si Celine Dion.  Si Dion mismo ang mag-imbita kay Charice na dumalo sa kanyang concert sa Madison Square Garden nang kamakailang nag-guest muli ito sa Oprah Winfrey Show.  Inawit nila ang "Because You Loved Me" na isa sa mga mahihirap na awitin ni Dion.

As usual, hindi nawala sa mga Pinoy ang maghanap ng puna, kesyo bakit tila naging "solo number" ang naganap na hindi man lang nakiramdam si Charice na may kaduweto pala siyang katabi.  Hay naker, deadma na noh, minsan lang mangyari 'yan sa tanang buhay niya.  Pagbigyan na lang natin siya.  Eh tayo nga, hanggang pangarap pa ring makaduweto si Celine Dion.

On a side note, isang malaking kabogera si Oprah Winfrey! Sa sobrang wili niya sa talento ni Charice (yes, 'yan ang screen name ni Pempengco sa Amerika), si Oprah na mismo ang nagprisintang manager ni Charice sa Tate! Kalokah ka, Oprah! Tinalo si Ellen DeGeneres na siyang unang pinag-appearan ni Charice sa US!

"One day at a time- this is enough.  Do not look back and grieve over the past for it is gone: and do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come.  Live in the present and make it so beautiful that it will be worth remembering."  -Ida Scott Taylor 1820-1915, Author

PEARL JAM- PRESENT TENSE  *******"You can spend your time redigesting past regrets or you can come to terms and realize you're the only who can forgive yourself.  It makes more sense to live in the present tense."  Perfecto.  Mulling over past mistakes won't help.  The how's and why's will always come to you in an "Aha!" moment when it's time for you to either follow the lesson you've learned or teach it.  Mulling only results in depression, anger and insomnia.  There aren't any "do-overs", just do better.*******

WORD OF THE DAY

BESEECH

TLC- AIN'T 2 PROUD 2 BEG '92 [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO]  *******Remember TLC?  How could you forget them with all of their "controversial" messages?!  I loved TLC and was sad when it all came to an end.  It's great to hear one of their songs pop up every now and then.  I watched the Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes documentary a few years ago and found out she predicted her own death.  Very strange, but very true.*******

SONG OF THE DAY

CHARICE PEMPENGCO & CELINE DION- BECAUSE YOU LOVED ME  *******This girl has such a beautiful voice!  It's not easy to carry the same notes as Celine and she does it!  Kudos chicka!*******

Talent is really something. She is Charice Pempengco. And she is made in the Philippines. Her Oprah episodes below:

During Charice's Oprah appearance, Celine praised the kid and sent a video message:

Hi Charice... Hi sweetheart. I have to tell you that I am speechless, to start with... and it's not a good way to start... I have, hmm, I have heard you sing. I have seen some of your... a little bit of your life story. And I am extremely ecstatic like the rest of the world who is watching right now. I can tell you that we have lots of things in common. And I also had a mother, still have a mother, who is my strength, my passion I carry in my heart, and so my beauty. And David Foster, you cannot even think of finding somebody even better than that to bring the best out of you.

You have more talent than most people. You can sing. You can speak and sing with your heart. You can play the guitar. You can draw. And you can have dreams because your life story is quite a painful one. Thank God your strength comes from your mother and your heart will go on and I'm pretty sure of that.

And if I may I would love to, hmm, I would love to propose something. I would love to do something very special with you. Next week, I'm gonna be singing at Madison Square Garden and I would love to ask you to come and sing a duet with me. And we can sing together. Maybe we can sing "Because You Loved Me", and maybe we can dedicate this song to your mother. So I hope you can travel and come in New York and meet with me.

Wow!

And the night came.

Celine introduces Charice:

the Duet (er..solo performance)

Phenomenal! She really deserves that standing ovation.

oo! inaamin ko! bitter ako! sobrang bi~i~tte~e~e~e~r! [with pang award winning look] Idol ko kasi si Sarah G. eh nadudurog ang puso ko kasi mas sikat na si charice kesa sa kanya. hay... ang galeng naman kasi ni charice sobrang swabe ng boses nya parang walang sabit! saka pag kumanta si charice may individuality... makikita mo na kanyang kanya ung style at may identity hinde ung tipong ginayang version ni celine dion. At talagang talent will bring you to stardom. Syet... naawa na tuloy ako kay rain... ang dami na nga nyang antifans... ang masaklap naunahan pa xa ni charice sumikat.

celine dion and charice duet in madison square garden

ang ganda ni celine dion, at type ko ang pink nyang dress... infairness matino ang suot ni charice this time hinde katulad ng mga sinuot nyang damit sa oprah, jusme ineng magpalit ka na ng fashion consultant mo!

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