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Charice charms ’em all

“YOU’RE GONNA be blown away. This is the most fantastic gift I’m giving you today. She is amazing. Prepare your VCRs.

I’m gonna cry, and I don’t care,” said Ellen de Generes. “Wasn’t she an incredible, wonderful girl?” asked Paul O’Grady. And finally, Oprah Winfrey-yes, the Oprah Winfrey-said of her after she guested on her show: “Wow! Wow!

That was fantastic! What a blow-away moment!” The object of all this adulation is 15-year-old Charice, a Filipina singer and product of Little Big Star, ABSCBN’s singing contest for young performers.

Originally billed as Charice Pempengco when she competed on the show in 2003, Charice has been reaping the kind of international success that so many Filipino performers dream of but fail to achieve-and she’s done it all, this tiny slip of a girl who stands just under five feet and whose big voice seems unbelievable when one considers where (and who) it’s coming from.

Charice met the entertainment Press a day before she flew off to New York, USA to guest at events celebrating Philippine Independence Day on June 12th.

During the press conference-which was also held to launch her new, self-titled album under Star Records-Charice regalled the media with the tales of her triumphs abroad. Her most recent one was the tribute concert to Grammy award-winning composer David Foster where she shared the stage with the likes of Andrea Bocelli, Michael Buble, Josh Groban, Alicia Keys and American Idol Season 5 runner-up Katharine McPhee.

Charice received a standing ovation, not once, but twice! During the show, Foster introduced Charice as his newest baby and was all praises for her talent and incredible singing voice. Incidentally, it was Foster who introduced Charice to Oprah Winfrey. Speaking in Tagalog, Charice described the experience-actually, all the experiences she’s had in the last few months-as incredible. “I really couldn’t believe it, I was so happy,” she told the media.

“I’m so happy that they were able to watch another Filipino artist who made them feel good that night. As for Oprah, that was a surprise. I cried and I hugged her. I kept telling her, over and over again, that I couldn’t believe I was hugging her. I really couldn’t.” She felt the same way when she guested on Ellen de Generes’ show. “I was so happy that she was raving about the Philippines and how there must be so many talented people here. I told her, ‘Yes, definitely!’” But no matter where she goes or where her career may take her, Charice will always leave her heart in Manila. So it was only fitting that Star Records launched Charice’s debut album in Manila first.

The self-titled album contains Charice’s versions of ‘And I Am Telling You (I’m Not Going)’, ‘It Can Only Get Better’, ‘I Will Always Love You’, ‘Born To Love You Forever’, ‘I Have Nothing’, and ‘Mama’. There are also minus-one versions of the songs. ‘And I Am Telling You’ (I’m Not Going) from the movie musical ‘Dreamgirls’, was the song Charice performed on the Ellen de Generes show. ‘I Have Nothing’, a Whitney Houston original, was the song she performed during her much talked-about guesting on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Nixon Sy, Audio Unit Head of Star Records, says it was just a matter of time before the company released an album of songs by this diminutive diva. “It is only but natural for Star Records to produce an album for her. She is a definite goldmine because she’s a genuine talent. In fact, she has been part of three Star Records albums already (Little Big Star, Little Big Deeds and Teen Popstar).

It’s high time that we, her own countrymen, accord her the same recognition that all these international shows gave her.” Charice, for her part, says that the album is a concrete way of giving back to Filipinos all over the world-from the US to the Middle East, and from other parts of Asia to Europe-and thanking them for their support.