Robin Thicke's Magic

I first heard this song during the Miss Universe pageant held this year and wondered who the artist was. Then a few weeks back I saw a Samsung mobile phone commercial and this song apparently played in the background.

Last night, as I finally caught the Ellen Degeneres Show, Robin Thicke performed this live. Robin Thicke's genre is modern, sultry soul and R&B. I especially loved "Lost Without You" from his first album "The Evolution of Robin Thicke".

Now comes "Magic", a cut from his latest album Something Else. Yes, this could be something else, like the song of the year at the Grammys?

The Beatles

My sister and I grew up learning the Beatles lyrics by heart as my mom had her complete collection of their albums and a big blue songbook that came with it. At least that's how vivid I can recall these things. I remember in the early '80s, we would play those large shiny discs onto our Marantz player all day long. Then an unfortunate accident happened in the late 1990s when my grandmother's house was caught in a huge fire where my mom's collection was. That treasure was such a great loss to us.


The Beatles is undoubtedly the biggest pop combo ever to have existed in the international music scene. From Liverpool, England, they released around 14 albums and sold over a billion records internationally. The Beatles' music helped define the culture of the sixties. So far, I don't know of any of our friends who has this great a liking or fondness for this group like we do. I kid you not, we could join a contest about Beatles songs and we can win it.

Nowadays, you can no longer find a compilation of all Beatles albums in one package. One time I was in Music One and there I saw the albums for sale but to be purchased separately. The discography of The Beatles would eat all of the space in this page if I were to list them all down. It is one massive record history I tell you. For those interested, you can see the full list here.

So I don't know what came over me yesterday and something just moved me to revisit the pop group's songs. They have been looping over and over in my music player up to this hour. Seems I've been bitten by the Beatles bug again. =) Their music takes me to an era I don't belong to, but nonetheless this is one example of how music can bring one person to a different world. Me, I shall forever be a big Beatles fan, anytime and anywhere.

PDA

I like watching this show more than Pinoy Idol. As an eternally frustrated chanteuse, I stand by to all the lessons taught by the voice mentors in every episode they air. Kitchy Molina, Monet Silvestre, Joey Reyes and headmaster Ryan Cayabyab are the teachers inside the Academy where the scholars get to live for four months of learning the fundamentals and becoming multimedia artists. What a perfect curriculum for a scholar living his or her dream.



From Wiki:
Pinoy Dream Academy (also known as PDA) is the Philippine version of Endemol's Star Academy. The format is similar to Big Brother, where a set number of finalists (billed as "scholars" throughout the series) would live inside the Academy for four months and will be trained by guest teachers to be multimedia performers. Activities in the Academy are being monitored 24/7 by the headmaster. It uses the tagline "The drama behind the dream".

What captures my interest more is the entire process they go through from scratch. From their first week they have been taught how to relax the jaw and exercise their facial muscles for enough air support, for better musicality and extended vocal range. All the while I thought singing was just belting out the words, but now I realized it is beyond the lyrics and harmony. To be an effective performer means you have to start with the technicalities and project your desired image to the audience. In the end, you come out as a unique artist, equipped with the talent and with the musical intelligence that will make you distinct from the other artists.

I really love this show despite its late airing schedule on television. And if I would play juror to these scholars, I would say their progress over the past weeks has been impressive and they are coming out better and better in each and every gala performance night.

Incidentally, the gala night is the best segment of the show for me. It kind of brings me back to the days where I joined singing competitions and aspired to be a singer. Seriously!

You Don't Mess With The Zohan

There are three reasons why I liked this movie. First and the most obvious would be Adam Sandler, followed by the equally talented Rob Schneider, and of course The Diva Mariah Carey who plays a special role in the latter part.



Created by Sandler's own outfit Happy Madison Productions, the movie brought the house down by the trademark antics of Sandler and always-the-sidekick Scheider. This film is just too entertaining.









The funniest scene for me was the first time Zohan was allowed to cut and style a client's hair. The shampooing part made me snicker a lot, Adam Sandler is still unbeatable when it comes to this kind of humor. Sandler's outfits are always a knock-out.

The last part was fun as well, with Mariah's hit song I'll Be Loving You Long Time capping the movie leading to the credits. The lyrics and the melody are too classy. Here's a video of the top rating song by The Diva which she performed at the recently held Teen's Choice Awards.

Double Three

It's almost August and I sure know what that means.   I don't really like the sound of thirty-three, although I am welcoming it with open arms.

Three decades ago, I was the dancing, jolly toddler of the family.  I would stand on a table and hold a hairbrush and use it as my microphone. I would sing and perform as easy as putting coins in a jukebox.  Now nothing really changed.  Singing, dancing and entertaining is still my life. What more is new with me?  Maybe add reading and writing to the list, plus a few gray hairs grown from rearing my very own toddler. 

Anyway, let's put up this video here to kick off my impending natal month.  I must have heard this tune a million times, but it is just as fresh as the first day I heard it. This is, without a doubt, a real favorite of mine.

If I Ever Feel Better by Phoenix



Eleven days to go and it's happy 33 to me!

Inexpensive Thrills

I was asked about the cheaper forms of entertainment nowadays. My comment appeared in Inquirer last Saturday.


More than the Magic Sing though, I treat myself by watching a big movie that is showing, and by big I mean good stars, good director, good story, and of course the appeal it draws from the masses measured by their excitement to see the movie on its first day.

My other secondary suggestions would have been what the others have already answered: surfing the net, catching cool videos on YouTube, staying at home and experimenting in the kitchen, and relaxing to the songs in my music player.

However, nothing beats being entertained by the toddler in the house. And that's always, sky's the limit.

Leona Lewis

I can't believe my husband was playing this in the car yesterday. I've been forgetting to get this song in my music player.

Nonetheless, I now profess my insanity to this cut of Leona Lewis. It is interesting to note that Leona Lewis is a discovery of the wise Simon Cowell. The mentor found Leona in the third series of The X Factor UK in 2006.

"Bleeding Love", the second single in her album Spirit, was the biggest-selling single of 2007 in the United Kingdom, and number one in the US on April 5, 2008.

Here's Bleeding Love, plus the lyrics.



Closed off from love
I didn’t need the pain
Once or twice was enough
And it was all in vain
Time starts to pass
Before you know it you’re frozen

But something happened
For the very first time with you
My heart melts into the ground
Found something true
And everyone’s looking round
Thinking I’m going crazy

But I don’t care what they say
I’m in love with you
They try to pull me away
But they don’t know the truth
My heart’s crippled by the vein
That I keep on closing
You cut me open and I

Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
I keep bleeding
I keep, keep bleeding love
Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
You cut me open

Trying hard not to hear
But they talk so loud
Their piercing sounds fill my ears
Try to fill me with doubt
Yet I know that the goal
Is to keep me from falling

But nothing’s greater
Than the rush that comes with your embrace
And in this world of loneliness
I see your face
Yet everyone around me
Thinks that I’m going crazy, maybe, maybe

But I don’t care what they say

I’m in love with you
They try to pull me away
But they don’t know the truth
My heart’s crippled by the vein
That I keep on closing
You cut me open and I....

Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
I keep bleeding
I keep, keep bleeding love
Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
You cut me open

And it’s draining all of me
Oh they find it hard to believe
I’ll be wearing these scars
For everyone to see

I don’t care what they say
I’m in love with you
They try to pull me away
But they don’t know the truth
My heart’s crippled by the vein
That I keep on closing
You cut me open and I....

Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
I keep bleeding
I keep, keep bleeding love
Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
You cut me open and I....

Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
I keep bleeding
I keep, keep bleeding love
Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
You cut me open and I
Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love

If you want to go to the moon....

I know this is an old one, however, Serendipity is my best-loved romantic movie of all time. Saying this without superficiality, every aspect of the film is naturally commendable.

Actors. How could one not love John Cusack? As in all of his movies, he was so passionate as Jonathan Trager. Kate Beckinsale (as Sara Thomas) played her part well as the one who started the belief thing and all, influencing Jonathan that if things were meant to be, then it will be all the good work of fate and it will happen. Jeremy Piven plays the role of Dean Kansky, the best friend of Jonathan.

Screenplay. Dean Kansky turned out to be the wisdom-sayer in the end. His written eulogy struck me the most.

Here's the climax part which leads to Jonathan reading his obituary.



"Jonathan Trager, prominent television producer for ESPN, died last night from complications of losing his soulmate and his fiancé. He was 35 years old and soft-spoken and obsessive. Trager never looked the part of a hopeless romantic. But, in the final days of his life, he revealed an unknown side of his psyche. This hidden quasi-Jungian persona surfaced during the Agatha Christie-life pursuit for his long-reputed soulmate, a woman whom he only spent a few precious hours with. Sadly, the protracted search ended late Saturday night in complete and utter failure. Yet even in certain defeat, the courageous Trager secretly clung to the belief that life is not merely a series of meaningless accidents or coincidences uh-uh, but rather it is a tapestry of events that culminate in an exquisite sublime plan. Asked about the loss of his dear friend, Dean Kansky, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author and executive editor of New York Times, described Jonathan as a changed man in the last days of his life. Things were clearer for him, Kansky noted. Ultimately Jonathan concluded that if we are to live life in harmony with the universe we must all possess a powerful faith in what the ancients used to call `fatum', what we currently refer to as destiny."

Music. The songs were brilliantly picked by the music supervisor of the movie. The soundtrack includes Northern Sky (Nick Drake), Waiting in Vain (Annie Lennox), January Rain (David Gray), Moonlight Kiss (Bap Kennedy), When You Know (Shawn Colvin), among others.

My favorite part. The ending is definitely the loveliest part. Otherwise, how else could having been reunited and thanking the heavens for a fortunate accident be less exciting?

Here's that last part of Serendipity. Notice the songs playing in the background: January Rain by David Gray, followed by Northern Sky by Nick Drake. Beautiful songs.



p.s. There's one more line I loved that Dean Kansky said to his friend Jonathan before handing the obituary. Dean said: "You know, the Greeks didn't write obituaries. They only asked one question after a man died: Did he have passion?"

Watching this movie over and over is like going to the moon and back. It feels surreal and magical especially when one has got passion.

Cuatro Minutos

Aren't you feeling this yet? Ellen Degeneres has been dancing to it lately.

It will really just take you 4 minutes to love this song.



Golden girl Madonna kicks back with her new song.

And Justin, just rockin' it!

E=mc2

E=mc2 is Mariah Carey's 11th album to-date. All the songs were written and produced by this American pop and R&B artist. I am a huge fan!


I got the chance to listen to all the songs over at Amazon, and I'd say my favorite is Bye Bye.

Put your hands together for The Diva.

David Cook

April 18, 2008

Have you seen him perform Our Lady Peace's song "Innocent" during Hollywood's Inspiration Week?

Have you heard his rearranged version of Mariah Carey's song "Always Be My Baby"?

He has never gotten into the bottom three ever since Idol started. I may never have a third eye or something like that, but I feel as if he is it.



David Cook may just be the 7th American Idol.

Haunted by this song

April 10, 2008

The first time I heard this song was on Season 2 of Grey's Anatomy, a scene where Mark Sloan was talking to Meredith Grey about the impossibility of an on-again relationship with Derek Shepherd.

And then in 27 Dresses, this song was used in the scene where Jane chases after Kevin and they dance in a wedding party by the pier, which eventually leads to their own wedding ceremony.

Now I feel like being haunted by this song. I absolutely am falling in love with this over and over.

Here's Corinne Bailey Rae performing the acoustic version of Like A Star.

This is madness...they're back!

March 24, 2008

I am greatly inspired and perfectly astounded by the phenomenon that is Grey's Anatomy. As far as I can recall, my sister introduced me to this television series in 2006. One night, as soon as my son plopped to bed, I watched its first season and it was so good thereon.


"Taking its name from a popular anatomy book, Grey's Anatomy centers around the personal lives of interns at Seattle Grace, a fictitious hospital in Washington State. High melodrama is always on the operating table as the doctors of Grey's Anatomy laugh, cry, fight and make out in-between open-heart surgeries. Engaging characters and a super-hip soundtrack make this one hospital fans can't resist checking into." (BuddyTV)

This is the one thing I've always gravitated to ever since what with our very own McDreamy and the show's wonderful world of McLabels! The characters are so real and effectual sometimes I think Meredith, Cristina, Izzie, Alex and George were my real friends.

The inimitable loveteams aptly called Merder (Meredith & Derek), Gizzie (George & Izzie), the love triangle of Addison & Alex (Addex) and Mark Sloan, and Burktina (Preston Burke and Cristina Yang) made this show a crying success. This is the Number 2 most watched show next to American Idol which is my other favorite.

An added bonus would be the fact that I've widened my knowledge in the field of music via this show. The show's musical supervisor Alexandra Patsavas is one genius in that she seriously has the ear for scoring the perfect song into every scene and highlight of an episode. In effect, every show turns out hip, modern, and cool. And this is maybe an important reason why people in their late 20s until 40s have professed their love and excitement for Grey's Anatomy.

Patsavas has also given oportunities for budding Indie artists to offer their kind of music to its followers. I myself have seemed to switch from electronica and house to anything alternative and indie nowadays. I believe indie music is one genre worth supporting and promoting.

Clearly I was delusional about the whole Hollywood writers' strike thing that happened recently. I did not want to understand what was going on with the Writers Guild of America. All I wanted was for them to not stop the shows that we all love to watch. How could they possibly stop these shows?

Now, after four months of fighting for their rights by taking it to the streets, they have finally come to (their senses?) a negotiation with the producers.

Grey's Anatomy is back! I can't wait to see new episodes of the nearly-ended season four and what happens next to the cast. Grey's Anatomy returns on April 24, 2008. Yay! Life is good.

Blower's Daughter

March 19, 2008

I've been having the last song syndrome for the past couple of days. If you've seen the movie Closer, this is the song that plays in the end.

This is Damien Rice performing Blower's Daughter.



I just love the song so much. Depressing though but it's okay.

World Music

March 12, 2008

I am undoubtedly a lover of world music.

In the past, I got hold of Sisters of Garbo, a compilation of songs by the female singers in Sweden. And then I fancied Antonio Carlos Jobim and anything that sounded Portuguese put me in my element.

This time I'm starting to like African music. I guess I got a tad carried away from listening to the motion picture soundtrack of Blood Diamond.

This one is called Jikele Maweni or The Retreat Song sung by Miriam Makeba.



I wonder what could be next?

Puto Mayo?

American Idol Fever

March 7, 2008

My friends know for a fact that even before motherhood struck me, I was a chanteuse! Apparently a frustrated one. Hehe. I joined singing competitions in San Miguel where I was lucky enough to be a grand finalist for two consecutive years. I sang songs of Barbra Streisand and Gladys Knight and the Pips.

I also remember the time when I auditioned to sing in Hyatt many years ago with the piano accompaniment of the late Tito Rudy. That audition night was one of the best moments of my life, me on stage singing with passion and entertaining people who equally share my love for music.

So whenever I watch American Idol, I tend to focus on every aspect of the contestants' performances. My mentor in Hyatt taught me how best to project to the audience, exude confidence in what you are singing, and as Simon Cowell always puts it, choose the right songs.

Tonight the 16 contenders will be trimmed down to the final 12 of the season 7 competition. I find some contestants to be interesting like Carly Smithson, David Cook, Chikezie, Amanda Overmyer, Brooke White, and David Archuleta.

I hope my bets get to the final 12 tonight!

Music of Memoirs

February 19, 2008


I finally saw Memoirs of A Geisha on HBO two weekends ago. From the night that I first watched it until now, the substance of the story and the entire cinematography never left my mind. Most importantly, the sound of the cello never left my senses.

Now I came across this very interesting clip of how its musical score came about, of course not doubting the exceptional talent of cellist Yo-Yo Ma and John Williams. Williams is most famous for his musical rendering of E.T. (Extra Terrestrial) and Superman, to name a few. And now, he recalls, he passed on scoring for Harry Potter to give way to laying the music for the biggest film of 2005.

Rob Marshall, director of Memoirs of A Geisha, says that the music seems to speak a language that is Sayuri's. The cello is Sayuri's voice. And John Williams has meticulously conceptualized this music through the cello.



Admittedly, this has climbed up the charts of my favorite movies. I had to order the video and book written by Arthur Golden. Memoirs of A Geisha is a story of Sayuri, played by Zhang Ziyi, who was taught social and artistic skills to be able to enter a world of wealth, power and political intrigue; most of all to become Japan's most celebrated geisha. The real catch in this movie for me is Ken Watanabe, the Japanese actor from the Last Samurai fame. Watanabe plays the role of The Chairman. Sayuri desperately attempts to attain the love of The Chairman and the climax of the story is whether or not she does meet her goal.

Grammy Awards 2008

February 15, 2008

I haven't really seen the entire coverage of the 2008 Grammy Awards. Settling with videos of performances on YouTube, I can safely say this year has got the music industry's vamps! Beyonce singing with the legendary Tina Turner, Amy Winehouse via satellite from London, Alicia Keys side by side with John Mayer. I just loved their performances. I don't fancy Rihanna and Kanye West that much.

But with the awards won by Amy Winehouse, veteran singer Natalie Cole seemed to disapprove of it saying in People.com that Winehouse sets a bad example to the public and must not be rewarded with such recognition considering her personal issues with addiction. And to this, I humbly beg to agree. It's not only the ability or talent that is being showcased. The audience or listening public, especially the youth, often emulate the character of the artist.

Still, if only for the aspect of capability, Amy Winehouse rocks! I love her songs "Rehab," "You Know I'm No Good," and "Tears Dry on Their Own." Her genre is a different kind, pop crossing over to soul, or vice versa.