steven tyler

Steven Tyler [born Steven Victor Tallarico; March 26, 1948] is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, and the frontman and lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, and occasional piano and percussion. He is also known as the "Demon of Screamin" and is equally known for his on-stage acrobatics. During his high-energy performances, he usually dresses in bright, colorful outfits with his trademark scarves hanging from his microphone stand. In the 1970s, Tyler rose to prominence as the frontman of Aerosmith, which released such milestone hard rock albums as Toys in the Attic and Rocks. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Tyler had a heavy drug and alcohol addiction, and the band's popularity waned.

He completed drug rehabilitation in 1986 and has subsequently maintained sobriety for over 20 years, aside from a painkiller addiction in the late 2000s, for which he successfully received treatment in 2009. After Aerosmith launched a remarkable comeback in the late 1980s and early 1990s with the albums Permanent Vacation, Pump, and Get a Grip, Tyler became a household name and has remained a relevant rock icon. As a result, he has since embarked on several solo endeavors including guest appearances on other artists' music as well as film and TV roles [including as a judge on American Idol]. However, he has continued to record music and perform with Aerosmith, after more than 41 years in the band. He recently was included among Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Singers. He was also ranked 3rd on Hit Parader's Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time. In 2001 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Aerosmith, and he was the presenter when AC/DC was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003.

Steven Victor Tallarico was born March 26, 1948 in Yonkers, New York, the son of Susan [née Blancha], a secretary, and Victor A. Tallarico, a classical musician and pianist. His father was of Italian and German descent and his mother was of Polish, Russian and English ancestry [his maternal grandfather had changed his surname from "Czarnyszewicz" to "Blancha"]. Tyler has stated that he grew up "under his father's piano", and that from what his father played, he got "that emotional thing" that he has with music. When he was sixteen, he formed his first band, called The Strangeurs, later changed to Chain Reaction, where he was the drummer, and later the lead singer. Tyler also had been part of a few local bands, like William Proud and The Left Banke. He was expelled from Roosevelt High School in Yonkers due to his drug use. He graduated from the Leonard Quintano for Young Professionals School in 1967. He attended Woodstock with Joe Perry and Joey Kramer, his future Aerosmith band - mates.

source: wikipedia

manny champion pacquiao

manny pacman pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao vs. Shane Mosley is an upcoming Welterweight superfight for the WBO Welterweight championship. The bout will be held on May 7, 2011, at MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

natalie portman

Natalie Hershlag [Hebrew: נטלי הרשלג‎; born June 9, 1981], better known by her stage name Natalie Portman, is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship. Her first role was as an orphan taken in by a hitman in the 1994 French action film Léon. During the 1990s, Portman had major roles in films including Beautiful Girls and Anywhere but Here, before being cast for the role as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. In 1999, she enrolled at Harvard University to study psychology while she was working on the Star Wars films.She completed her bachelor's degree in 2003.

In 2001, Portman opened in New York City's Public Theater production of Anton Chekhov's The Seagull. In 2005, Portman received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress as well as winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture for the drama Closer. She shaved her head and learned to speak with a British accent for her starring role in V for Vendetta [2006], for which she won a Constellation Award for Best Female Performance, and a Saturn Award for Best Actress. She played leading roles in the historical dramas Goya's Ghosts [2006] and The Other Boleyn Girl [2008]. In May 2008, she served as the youngest member of the 61st Annual Cannes Film Festival jury. Portman's directorial debut, Eve, opened the 65th Venice International Film Festival's shorts competition in 2008.

In 2011, Portman won the Academy Award, the Golden Globe Award, the Screen Actors Guild Award, and the BAFTA Award for her lead performance as Nina in Black Swan.

Portman was born in Jerusalem, Israel. She is the only child of Shelley [née Stevens], an American homemaker who works as Portman's agent, and Avner Hershlag, an Israeli citizen who is a fertility specialist and gynecologist. Portman's maternal ancestors were Jewish immigrants to the United States, from Austria and Russia [her mother's family had changed their surname from "Edelstein" to "Stevens"]. Her paternal ancestors were Jews who moved to Israel from Poland and Romania. Her paternal grandfather, whose parents died at Auschwitz, was an economics professor in Israel, and her Romanian-born great-grandmother was a spy for British Intelligence during World War II.

Portman's parents met at a Jewish student center at Ohio State University, where her mother was selling tickets. They corresponded after her father returned to Israel, and were married when her mother visited a few years later. In 1984, when Portman was three years old, the family moved to the United States, where her father received his medical training. Portman, a dual citizen of the United States and Israel, has said that although she "really love[s] the States... my heart's in Jerusalem. That's where I feel at home."

Portman and her family first lived in Washington, D.C., but relocated to Connecticut in 1988, and then settled on Long Island, New York, in 1990.

source: wikipedia

apl.de.ap

Allan Pineda Lindo, Jr. [born November 28, 1974] better known by his stage name apl.de.ap, is a rapper and record producer and is best known as a member of the The Black Eyed Peas.

Apl.de.ap was born in Sapang Bato, Angeles City, Pampanga, Philippines, to a Filipino mother and an African-American father. His father, a U.S. airman stationed at Clark Air Base, abandoned the family shortly after his birth; his mother, Cristina Pineda, raised him and his six younger siblings as a single mother.

As a child, apl.de.ap would make an hour-long jeepney trip to and from school, and helped his family subsist by farming sweet potatoes, corn, sugar cane and rice.[citation needed] The Pearl S. Buck Foundation, an organization that finds healthier living environments for young abandoned or orphaned Amerasian children, matched him with a sponsor named Joe Ben Hudgens through a dollar-a-day program. He initially came to the United States at the age of 11 to treat nystagmus, an involuntary movement of the eyes. During a trip to Disneyland, Apl expressed his interest in staying in the United States. It would take another three years for Hudgens to officially adopt him, but at fourteen he moved permanently to the United States to live with Hudgens.

In Los Angeles, he attended John Marshall High School where he befriended William Adams [stage name will.i.am], the nephew of Hudgens' roommate.  He went to college at Holy Angel University. Apl.de.ap's early musical influences were Stevie Wonder, The Eagles, The Beatles, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Leaders of the New School and the popular Filipino rock/folk group, Asin. Apl was introduced to hip-hop by break dancing. "I would take the jeepney all the way to Angeles City, and that's how I got introduced to break dancing," he said. "I would see kids at the corner break-dancing and I'm like, 'I wanna do that.'"

He revealed to People Magazine in 2011 that he is legally blind in both of his eyes, suffering from nystagmus and has this condition his entire career. "I'm good at shapes. If I'm not close, even if it's big, I can't read it. I doubted myself for a long time," apl.de.ap said. "I'm comfortable not using my vision. I weave around my problems." He went on to say in the same article that "Until I discovered hip-hop, I felt I wasn't going to accomplish anything."

Two of his siblings are dead: his younger brother Arnel committed suicide [this is referenced in The Apl Song in the lines "I guess sometimes life's stresses get you down/Oh brother, wish I could have helped you out"]. His youngest brother, Joven Pineda Deala, was murdered at the age of 22 in February 2009 in Porac, Pampanga.

He and will.i.am formed a break-dancing crew called Tribal Nation and performed regularly at Southern California parties and events. From 1992–1995, their crew was re-named Atban Klann [ATBAN stands for "A Tribe Beyond a Nation"] and included MC Mookie Mook, performer Dante Santiago and producer DJ Motiv8. Atban Klann was eventually signed onto Eazy-E's label, Ruthless Records but Eazy-E's death put an end to their debut album Grass Roots.

Allan has brought his Filipino culture into his collaboration with The Black Eyed Peas. He explains his life story in a song called "The Apl Song" on the Peas' 2003 album Elephunk, which includes a full chorus in Tagalog sampled from the Asin song "Balita." The accompanying video, which includes cameos by fellow Filipino-Americans Dante Basco and Chad Hugo, is also a tribute to the Filipinos who fought for the U.S. in World War II; the song reached number one in the Philippines.

"Bebot" [which is Filipino slang for pretty woman] is another all-Tagalog song on 2005's Monkey Business album. A music video for "Bebot" was filmed in and around Los Angeles in early July 2006, including in Kenneth Hahn Park, where Dr. Dre's "Nuthin' but a "G" Thang" video was also filmed; the video features primarily Filipinos, Filipino Americans and other Asian-Americans from the Los Angeles area. The video was directed by Patricio Ginelsa who also directed "The Apl Song" and produced the Filipino-American coming of age movie The Debut. The single was not released in the US but was in the Philippines and several other Asian countries.

Apl.de.ap is working on a solo album. He recently disclosed in an interview that he would be collaborating with fellow Filipino-American Chad Hugo of The Neptunes and Illmind from G-Unit to incorporate traditional Filipino instruments into his songs. Some of his songs are uploaded on his MySpace page. On January 3, 2009, he debuted the first single, You Can Dream featuring Billy Crawford, from his upcoming album on the internationally broadcast Philippine variety/game show Wowowee. In August, he released a music video for his second single named Mama Filipina.

Apl.de.ap started the Apl Foundation. It is committed in giving back to communities and children within the Philippines and throughout Asia. He also started his own music company called Jeepney Music, Inc. It is currently based in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California. It currently handles DJs such as Free School, DJ Rockyrock, DJ MIA, and PoetNameLife.

Apl.de.ap recorded another Tagalog song for The Black Eyed Peas' fifth studio album, "The E.N.D.", the song is called "Mare". In 2009, he also had a song entitled "Take Me to The Philippines", in partnership with the Department of Tourism of the Philippines.
source: wikipedia

norman rockwell caricature

a tribute to a great artist. this is my entry for C3000 Norman Rockwell challenge:)

Norman Percevel Rockwell [February 3, 1894 – November 8, 1978] was a 20th-century American painter and illustrator. His works enjoy a broad popular appeal in the United States, where Rockwell is most famous for the cover illustrations of everyday life scenarios he created for The Saturday Evening Post magazine for more than four decades. Among the best-known of Rockwell's works are the Willie Gillis series, Rosie the Riveter [although his Rosie was reproduced less than others of the day], Saying Grace [1951], and the Four Freedoms series. He is also noted for his work for the Boy Scouts of America [BSA]; producing covers for their publication Boys' Life, calendars, and other illustrations.

source: wikipedia

ana pabalan nuguid photo restoration

another photo restoration image of Ana Pabalan Nuguid. remastered in photoshop. come to think of it, this image could pass as nostalgic ad for samsung, nokia, or even the iphone:)) cheers!

cipriano nuguid photo restoration

a before and after image of an old photograph of Cipriano Nuguid, my friend Mel's late grandfather. done thru the power of adobe photoshop.

Piet Mondrian

Pieter Cornelis "Piet" Mondriaan, after 1912 Mondrian [Dutch pronunciation: [ˈpiːt ˈmɔndriaːn], later [ˈmɔndriɔn]; March 7, 1872 – February 1, 1944], was a Dutch painter.

He was an important contributor to the De Stijl art movement and group, which was founded by Theo van Doesburg. He evolved a non-representational form which he termed Neo-Plasticism. This consisted of white ground, upon which was painted a grid of vertical and horizontal black lines and the three primary colors.

Between his 1905 painting, The River Amstel, and his 1907 Amaryllis, Mondrian changed the spelling of his signature from Mondriaan to Mondrian.

Mondrian was born in Amersfoort in The Netherlands, the second of his parents' children. He was descended from Christian Dirkzoon Monderyan who lived in the Hague as early as 1670. The family moved to Winterswijk when his father, Pieter Cornelius Mondriaan, was appointed head teacher at a local primary school. Mondrian was introduced to art from a very early age: his father was a qualified drawing teacher, and with his uncle, Fritz Mondriaan [a pupil of Willem Maris of The Hague School of artists], the younger Piet often painted and drew along the river Gein.

After a strictly Protestant upbringing, in 1892, Mondrian entered the Academy for Fine Art in Amsterdam. He already was qualified as a teacher. He began his career as a teacher in primary education, but while teaching he also practiced painting. Most of his work from this period is naturalistic or impressionistic, consisting largely of landscapes. These pastoral images of his native country depict windmills, fields, and rivers, initially in the Dutch Impressionist manner of the Hague School and then in a variety of styles and techniques documenting his search for a personal style. These paintings are most definitely representational, and illustrate the influence that various artistic movements had on Mondrian, including pointillism and the vivid colors of fauvism.

On display in The Hague's Gemeentemuseum are a number of paintings from this period, including such post-impressionist works as The Red Mill and Trees in Moonlight. Another painting, Evening [Avond] [1908], a scene of haystacks in a field at dusk, even augurs future developments by using a palette consisting almost entirely of red, yellow, and blue. Although it is in no sense abstract, Avond is the earliest of Mondrian's works to emphasize the primary colors.
Piet Mondrian, View from the Dunes with Beach and Piers, Domburg, oil and pencil on cardboard, 1909, Museum of Modern Art, New York City

The earliest paintings that show an inkling of the abstraction to come are a series of canvases from 1905 to 1908, which depict dim scenes of indistinct trees and houses with reflections in still water. Although the end result leads the viewer to begin emphasizing the forms over the content, these paintings are still firmly rooted in nature, and it is only the knowledge of Mondrian's later achievements that leads one to search for the roots of his future abstraction in these works.

Mondrian's art always was intimately related to his spiritual and philosophical studies. In 1908 he became interested in the theosophical movement launched by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky in the late 19th century, and he joined the Dutch branch of the Theosophical Society in 1909. The work of Blavatsky and a parallel spiritual movement, Rudolf Steiner's Anthroposophy, significantly affected the further development of his aesthetic. Blavatsky believed that it was possible to attain a more profound knowledge of nature than that provided by empirical means, and much of Mondrian's work for the rest of his life was inspired by his search for that spiritual knowledge.

Mondrian and his later work were deeply influenced by the 1911 Moderne Kunstkring exhibition of Cubism in Amsterdam. His search for simplification is shown in two versions of Still Life with Ginger Pot [Stilleven met Gemberpot]. The 1911 version is Cubist, in the 1912 version it is reduced to a round shape with triangles and rectangles.

source: wikipedia

korina sanchez

Korina Maria Roxas [née Sanchez] is a Filipina broadcast journalist. She is one of the frontline personalities for ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation, her home network for more than two decades.

Korina Sanchez was born on October 5, 1964 in Hong Kong. Her father, Ramon P. Sanchez, Sr. [1919–2004], was the General Manager of then Hongkong landmark, Ambassador Hotel. She is the only girl of Ramon and Celia Sanchez's brood of five children. When the family came back to the Philippines, her father set up a successful carpet company, Woolcraft, Inc.

She attended St. Theresa's College, Quezon City for her elementary and secondary education, and then Maryknoll College [now Miriam College], where she earned a bachelor's degree in Communication Arts. Her first love was writing, but she was also active in extra-curriculars like singing, theater, public speaking, and high school varsity volleyball. In college, Korina excelled in courses related to creative writing, thesis writing and speech. She also completed a third-level French language course at the Makati-based Alliance Francaise de Manille. Sanchez dreamt to be in the performing arts, but she believed her "calling had always been in the field of information and communication".

From being a station weathergirl at the then Marcos government-run Maharlika Broadcasting System under the supervision of former Information Minister Greg Cendaña, she advanced to be the hourly newsbreak announcer, beat reporter and pinch-hit anchor to her seniors. In 1986, after the EDSA Revolution, Sanchez joined the reopened ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation as a senior reporter. President Ferdinand Marcos had closed down the Lopez-owned station but it was returned to the Lopez family in 1986. She became executive producer and host to programs such as 'Magandang Umaga Po' with then co-anchor Noli de Castro, 'Bayan Ko Sagot Ko', 'Hoy Gising!', 'Options', 'Balitang K', 'Isyu 101' and 'Pulso: Aksyon Balita'.

When de Castro ran for public office in 2001, Sanchez became the station's first solo woman anchor for its flagship news program 'TV Patrol'.

In 2003, Sanchez was asked to pinch-hit as co-host with actress Kris Aquino. The tandem clicked and what was supposed to be a two-week stint became a hit sixteen-month talk show. 'Morning Girls with Kris and Korina' ended in May 2004 after Sanchez was offered a slot on 'Rated K: Handa Na Ba Kayo?', a Sunday newsmagazine show.

Sanchez also had a successful career in radio through DZMM, ABS-CBN's Metro Manila radio station. She did socio-political commentary with longtime friend and colleague Ted Failon, who was also her co-anchor in Hoy Gising!. Their program was first entitled Aksyon Ngayon, and then renamed Tambalang Failon at Sanchez. When Failon was elected Congressman of the first district of Leyte province, Sanchez hosted the program on her own and it was renamed Korina sa Umaga. Three years later, the show reverted to Tambalang Failon at Sanchez after Failon opted not to run for another term.

In 2004, she was appointed ABS-CBN's Chief Correspondent for Philippine & Global Operations.

After almost two years hiatus from newscasting, she was re-installed as news anchor at Bandila, the news program of ABS-CBN [replacing Insider]. Her pilot episode ran on 3 July 2006. On 10 July 2006, she debuted Korina Today on the ANC.

On 8 May 2009, Sanchez took an indefinite leave from her DZMM radio morning program and evening newscast Bandila, in anticipation of her wedding to Senator Mar Roxas and his presidential bid for the 2010 Philippine elections. However, her magazine program Rated K remained part of the network's Sunday programming.

On November 8, 2010, Sanchez together with former Vice President Noli de Castro joined with Ted Failon in TV Patrol.

source: wikipedia

julia roberts

Julia Fiona Roberts [born October 28, 1967] is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the 1990's romantic comedy Pretty Woman, which grossed $464 million worldwide. After receiving Academy Award nominations for Steel Magnolias in 1990 and Pretty Woman in 1991, she won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2001 for her performance in Erin Brockovich. Her films My Best Friend's Wedding, Mystic Pizza, Notting Hill, Runaway Bride, Valentine's Day, The Pelican Brief, Ocean's Eleven and Twelve have collectively brought box office receipts of over $2.4 billion, making her one of the most successful actors in terms of box office receipts.

Roberts had become one of the highest-paid actresses in the world, topping the Hollywood Reporter's annual "power list" of top-earning female stars from 2005 to 2006. Her fee for 1990's Pretty Woman was $300,000 in 2003, she was paid an unprecedented $25 million for her role in Mona Lisa Smile. As of 2010, Roberts's net worth was estimated to be $140 million.

Roberts has been named one of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" eleven times, tied with Halle Berry. In 2001, Ladies Home Journal ranked her as the 11th most powerful woman in America, ahead of then national security advisor Condoleezza Rice and former first lady Laura Bush. Roberts has a production company called Red Om Films, formerly Shoelace Productions, whose name is "Moder" (her husband's last name) spelled backwards, as well as a reference to the sacred Om symbol in Hinduism, which Roberts practices. Her brother Eric Roberts, sister Lisa Roberts Gillan and niece Emma Roberts, are also actors.

source: wikipedia

Ronald Ventura - Grayground

Pinoy artist Ronald Ventura’s painting sells for nearly P47 million at Sotheby’s auction.

Renowned Filipino artist Ronald Ventura’s painting "Grayground" has sold for HK$ 8,420,000 or P46,995,832.65 at the Sotheby’s Modern and Contemporary Southeast Asian Paintings auction held on April 4 in Hong Kong.

The graphite, oil, and acrylic on canvas piece, which measures 60 inches by 155 3/4 inches (nearly four meters long), set a new auction record and beat Filipina artist Geraldine Javier’s oil-on-canvas Ella Amo’ Apasionadamente y Fue Correspondida (For She Loved Fiercely, And She is Well Loved), which raked in HK$1,460,000 in an auction last year.

With more than 10 awards to his name, the 37-year-old University of Santo Tomas fine arts graduate is currently the country's top-selling Filipino artist. Venturas have been selling for five- to six-dollar-digits in auction houses abroad. Ventura was named SPOT.ph's No.1 Most Successful Young Visual Artist late last year.

Other Filipino artists whose work was sold at the auction inlcude Ronald Caringal, Lynard Paras, Kiko Escora, Janet Balbarona, Rodel Tapaya, Andres Barrioquinto, Marina Cruz, Arturo Sanchez, Nona Garcia, Jon Jaylo, Danilo E. Dalena, MM Yu, Wawi Navarroza, Onib Olmedo, among others.

source: www.spot.ph 

Biography in brief:

[1973] Born in Manila, Philippines

[1993] Bachelor of Fine Arts, Major in Painting, University of Sto. Tomas, Philippines

[1993] Instructor, College of Fine Arts & Design, University of Sto. Tomas, Philippines

[2005] ATENEO ART AWARDS Winner Philippines - ATENEO ART GALLERY STUDIO RESIDENCY GRANT SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

[2003] Recipient - 13 ARTISTS AWARD Cultural Center of the Philippines

[2002] JURORS’ CHOICE AWARD Philippine Art Awards Philip Morris

[2001] ARTIST OF THE YEAR Art Manila  Newspaper

[2000] HONORABLE MENTION Metrobank Art Competition

[2000] WINNING ENTRY Y2000 PAP Print Competition

[1999] FINALIST Taiwan International Biennal Print and Drawing Competition

[1999] JURORS’ CHOICE AWARD Windsor & Newton Painting Competition

[1998] FIRST PLACE Lithograph Competition NCCA and PAP - JURORS’ CHOICE AWARD 

[1993] JURORS’ CHOICE AWARD AAP Art Competition

[1992] HONORABLE MENTION Metrobank Art Competition

[1990] FIRST PLACE Shell National Students Art Competition

source: kulay-diwa.com/ronald_ventura

related article: lessons-from-triumph-of-ronald-ventura

charice

Charmaine Clarice Relucio Pempengco [born May 10, 1992], often known by the mononym Charice, is a Filipina recording artist who rose to popularity through YouTube. Dubbed by Oprah Winfrey as the Most Talented Girl in the World, she is the first and only Asian singer in history to land in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 album chart.

She is currently working on her second album, follow up from Charice.

Crossing over to television acting, she has appeared on the second season of the hit TV series Glee as Sunshine Corazon.

Pempengco was born in Laguna, Philippines. Raised by a single mother, she helped support the family by joining amateur singing contests at age seven, from town fiestas in various provinces to singing competitions on TV. She is said to have joined almost a hundred singing contests.

In 2005, Charice joined Little Big Star, a talent show in the Philippines loosely patterned after American Idol. Eliminated after her first performance, she was later called back as a wildcard contender and eventually became one of the finalists. Although she was a consistent top scorer in the final rounds, she wasn't able to win the title in the finale and only placed third.

Charice made minor appearances on local television shows and commercials, but essentially had fallen off the radar after her stint at Little Big Star. It was not until 2007 that she gained worldwide recognition after an avid supporter under the username FalseVoice, started posting a series of her performance videos on YouTube. These videos received over 13 million hits.

In June 2007, Ten Songs/Productions, a music publishing company in Sweden, invited Pempengco to a demo-recording after producers saw her videos. She recorded seven songs – six covers and an original song entitled "Amazing".

She was then invited to the South Korean talent show Star King on its October 13, 2007 edition, she sang "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" and a duet of "A Whole New World" with Kyuhyun, from Super Junior.

After watching her Star King performance on YouTube, Ellen DeGeneres extended an on-air invitation to Pempengco to guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. She flew to the United States for the first time and performed two songs on the December 19, 2007 episode of the show – "I Will Always Love You" and "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going".

Following her American debut on Ellen, she made a second appearance on Star King as the "Most Requested Foreign Act" of the show. On its December 28 edition, she performed Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" and sang a duet with singer Lena Park.

In January 2008, she was invited to the Malacañang Palace where she performed for Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. She returned to the international scene when she guested on the April 8 episode of The Paul O'Grady Show in London, England.

Her self-titled Philippine debut album Charice was released in May 2008. The mini album, consisting of six songs and six backing tracks, was awarded gold certification in the Philippines in October 2008. The album eventually achieved platinum status in 2009.

Pempengco appeared on the May 12 edition of The Oprah Winfrey Show in an episode entitled the "World's Smartest Kids", where she performed Whitney Houston's I Have Nothing. After the show, Oprah Winfrey contacted David Foster to see what the legendary music producer could do for Pempengco. She performed with Foster for the first time as one of the entertainers on the May 17 opening of the MGM Grand at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard, Connecticut.

She made her debut on the international concert stage in Foster's May 23 tribute concert, Hitman: David Foster and Friends, at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. She performed a medley of songs from The Bodyguard as well as her standard, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going". A CD/DVD of the concert, including Pempengco's The Bodyguard medley, was released on November 11, 2008. The show was aired several times on PBS and other public television networks starting in December 2008 under the Great Performances banner.

One of the singers at the concert was Pempengco's idol, Andrea Bocelli. Bocelli subsequently expressed interest in performing a duet with her and personally invited her to be a guest on his birthday concert "The Cinema Tribute" held on July 20 at the Teatro del Silenzio in his hometown of Lajatico, Tuscany, Italy. Aside from her solo performance, she sang a duet of "The Prayer" with the famous tenor in front of more than 8,000 people.

She was invited to perform for the Feyenoord's Centennial Anniversary in the Netherlands held on September 26. Before a crowd of about 50,000 football [soccer] fans, she sang the team's anthem, "You'll Never Walk Alone."

When she guested on the "Dreams Come True" episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show on September 9, Oprah referred to her as "The Most Talented Girl in the World." She sang Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" with David Foster on piano, after which Oprah surprised her with an appearance by Celine Dion via satellite, who invited her to sing a special duet at New York City's Madison Square Garden as part of Dion's Taking Chances Tour.

She performed her promised duet with Celine Dion on September 15. They sang "Because You Loved Me," dedicated to Pempengco's mother. The performance received rave reviews in The New York Post and The New York Times. The duet was eventually featured on the September 19 episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show. She would then perform at the Andre Agassi Grand Slam for Children Benefit Concert at the Wynn Las Vegas casino resort.

In November, she and David Foster guested on Good Morning America to promote Foster's tribute album, Hitman: David Foster and Friends. She performed The Bodyguard medley and "I Will Survive."

source: wikipedia

bea alonzo

Phylbert Angellie Ranollo Fagestrom [born October 17, 1987], popularly known as Bea Alonzo, is a Filipino film and television actress, and singer. She is currently part of ABS-CBN contract talents.

Phylbert Angellie Ranollo Fagestrom was born on October 17, 1987 in Philippines. Her father is British, and her mother is Filipino. She attended Ususan Elementary School in Ususan and Colegio de Sta Ana. Taguig City

In 2003, at age 15, Alonzo joined the TV drama Kay Tagal Kang Hinintay. She later appeared in soap operas like It Might Be You, Ikaw Ang Lahat Sa Akin, Maging Sino Ka Man and Maging Sino Ka Man: Ang Pagbabalik.

In June 2008, Alonzo released her debut album The Real Me under Star Records. It was also in mid-2008 when it was announced that she would play the leading character Betty Pengson in the TV sitcom Yo Soy Betty La Fea, which originated from Colombia. The Philippines' version was entitled I Love Betty La Fea. The show premiered on September 2008 at the primetime slot; it ran for six consecutive months.

source: wikipedia

chow yun fat

Chow Yun-fat, SBS [born May 18, 1955] is an actor from Hong Kong. He is best known in Asia for his collaboration with filmmaker John Woo in heroic bloodshed genre films A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, and Hard Boiled; and to the West for his role as Li Mu-bai in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. He mainly plays in dramatic films and has won three Hong Kong Film Awards for "Best Actor" and two Golden Horse Awards for "Best Actor" in Taiwan.

Chow was born in Hong Kong, to a mother who was a cleaning lady and vegetable farmer, and a father who worked at a Shell Oil Company tanker. Of Hakka origins, he grew up in a farming community on Lamma Island in a house with no electricity. He woke up at dawn each morning to help his mother sell herbal jelly and Hakka tea-pudding on the streets and in the afternoons he went to work in the fields. His family moved to Kowloon when he was ten. At seventeen, he quit school to help support the family by doing odd jobs - bellboy, postman, camera salesman, taxi driver. His life started to change when he responded to a newspaper advertisement and his actor-trainee application was accepted by TVB, the local television station. He signed a three-year contract with the studio and made his acting debut. With his striking good looks and easy-going style, Chow became a heartthrob and a familiar face in soap operas that were exported internationally.

Chow has been married twice; first in 1983 to Candice Yu [Chinese: 余安安; pinyin: Yú Ānan], an actress from Asia Television Limited that lasted nine months. In 1986, Chow married Singaporean Jasmine Tan [simplified Chinese: 陈萫莲; traditional Chinese: 陳薈蓮; pinyin: Chén huilián]. Currently, the couple have no children, although Chow has a goddaughter, Celine Ng, a former child model for Chickeeduck and other companies. Chow has acknowledged having cosmetic surgery on his eyelids in 1989 to reverse a drooping effect.

source: wikipedia

Japan: In Memoriam

March 11, 2011

Not ours to know the reason, why unanswered is our prayer. But ours to wait for God's own time to lift the cross we bear.

source: In Memoriam Verses

vice president jejomar binay

Jejomar "Jojo" Cabauatan Binay [born November 11, 1942], also known as Jojo Binay or VNay, is a Filipino politician who has been the 15th Vice President of the Philippines since 2010. Previously, he was Mayor of Makati City from 1986 to 1998 and again from 2001 to 2010. He is also the President of the United Opposition [UNO], President of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan [PDP-Laban], Chairman of Asia-Pacific Region Scout Committee, and the President of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines.

source: wikipedia

angelina jolie

Angelina Jolie [pronounced /dʒoʊˈliː/ joh-LEE; born Angelina Jolie Voight on June 4, 1975] is an American actress. She has received an Academy Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards. Jolie promotes humanitarian causes, and is noted for her work with refugees as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [UNHCR]. She has been cited as one of the world's most attractive people, as well as the world's "most beautiful" woman, titles for which she has received substantial media attention.

Although she made her screen debut as a child alongside her father Jon Voight in the 1982 film Lookin' to Get Out, Jolie's acting career began in earnest a decade later with the low-budget production Cyborg 2 [1993]. Her first leading role in a major film was in Hackers [1995]. She starred in the critically acclaimed biographical films George Wallace [1997] and Gia [1998], and won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the drama Girl, Interrupted [1999]. Jolie achieved wider fame after her portrayal of video game heroine Lara Croft in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider [2001], and since then has established herself as one of the best-known and highest-paid actresses in Hollywood. She has had her biggest commercial successes with the action-comedy Mr. & Mrs. Smith [2005] and the animated film Kung Fu Panda [2008].

Divorced from actors Jonny Lee Miller and Billy Bob Thornton, Jolie currently lives with actor Brad Pitt, in a relationship that has attracted worldwide media attention. Jolie and Pitt have three adopted children, Maddox, Pax, and Zahara, as well as three biological children, Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne.

source: wikipedia

Larry Alcala

Lauro Zarate Alcala [August 18, 1926 – 2002], also known as Larry Alcala, was a well-known editorial cartoonist and illustrator in the Philippines.

He was born on August 18, 1926 to Ernesto Alcala and Elpidia Zarate in Daraga, Albay. Through a scholarship from Manila Times granted by the publisher Ramón Roces, he obtained a degree of Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting at the University of the Philippines [UP] in 1950. He became a professor at the same university from 1951 to 1981. He also received the Australian Cultural Award accompanied by a travel study grant in 1975.

He started his cartooning career in 1946 while still attending school. After World War II, he created his very first comic strip, Siopawman, which was printed on the pages of the Filipino comic book, Halakhak [Laughter]. In 1947, he created the comic strip Kalabog en Bosyo, using Taglish as the medium of communication of his characters. He pioneered animated cartoons for television commercials of products such as Darigold Milk in 1957 and Caltex in 1965. His campaign for the advancement of illustration and commercial art in the Philippines resulted to the establishment of the Visual Communication Department at the UP College of Fine Arts.

In 1997, the Philippine Board on Books for Young People [PBBY] granted him the title Dean of Filipino Cartoonists, an achievement award for his lifetime dedication to the art of capturing humor in the character and everyday life in the Philippines. In 1991, he promoted the formation of a group of young children's book illustrators called Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan [Ang INK].

All in all, he made over 500 cartoon characters, twenty comic strips, six movies, two murals, and 15,000 published pages in his 56 years of professional cartooning career. He believed in the far-reaching role of cartoons in education and value formation.

He died on June 24, 2002 when he was 75.

source: wikipedia

Nonoy Marcelo

Severino "Nonoy" Marcelo [January 22, 1939 – October 22, 2002] was a Filipino cartoonist born in Malabon, Metro Manila, Philippines, an alumnus of the Institute of Arts and Sciences from Far Eastern University, and a former cartoonist in the The Advocate [the official student publication of Far Eastern University], best known for creating the character Ikabod Bubwit ["small rodent" in Tagalog] in the comic strip Ikabod. He also created the comic strips Plain Folks, which appeared in the Daily Mirror during the early 1960s, and Tisoy in 1963 for the Manila Times, which tells about the lifestyle of young Filipinos. His main character, Tisoy [slang for "mestizo"], and cast members such as Aling Otik, Maribubut, Caligula, Tatang, Tikyo and Kinse, soon became established in Philippine pop culture.

Tisoy became a 1977 film directed by Ishmael Bernal, starring Christopher de Leon and Charo Santos.

Ikabod ran from the late 1970s to 2002. It was a satirical strip that re-cast the Philippines as a nation called Dagalandia. The strip humorously depicted the socio-political woes of ordinary Filipinos, as represented by the tailless Everymouse hero, Ikabod - who became as iconic in his own way as that other popular cartoon rodent, Mickey Mouse. Marcelo often used the strip to caricature political figures from Ferdinand Marcos and Cory Aquino to Joseph Estrada and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, re-imagining them as mice.

In 1985, Marcelo was given the Catholic Mass Media Award for print journalism, a category usually given to reporters or columnists. In 1998, Marcelo received the Cultural Center of the Philippines' Centennial Artist Award, the only cartoonist so honored.

He died in Manila on October 22, 2002 at the age of 63 of sepsis due to complications from his diabetes.

source: wikipedia

Ang Kiukok

Ang Kiukok was a Filipino painter who attained prominence for his distinct portrayal of cubist, surrealist and expressionist concepts. He was named a National Artist for Visual Arts in 2001 for his figurative expressionist style. Ang Kiukok was known for his non-mainstream portrayals of the mother and child and the crucifixion of Christ.

He was one of the most dynamic figures in the Philippine art scene from the 60s until his death in 2005.

Ang Kiukok was born in Davao City on 1 March 1931 to Chinese parents, Vicente Ang and Chin Lim. He had four children with his wife, Mary de Jesus.

Ang's father wanted to name his son Hua Shing, meaning "Chinese-born", but decided to look for a new name when he found out that his cousin's son had been given the same name. Anxious about China's fate against the Manchurians who were invading the land, his father named him Kiukok, meaning "Save the Country".

Ang's artistry began at an early age. Even before he reached his teen years, he began drawing people using styles that were commonly seen in magazines and comics.

From 1952 to 1954, he took up Art Studies courses at the University of Santo Tomas. He studied under mentors like Vicente Manansala, Victorio Edades, Diosdado Lorenzo, Jose Garcia Llamas, Galo Ocampo and Virginia Ty.

He taught at an overseas Chinese art school for five years despite leaving school a year short of finishing his degree.

Ang was among the many Filipino artists who have managed to showcase their talent in different countries all over the world. Many of his works were exhibited in various displays held in Saigon, Tokyo, Taipeo, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

The works that he produced during the Martial Law Period represented nationalist images and various sociological concepts.

source: wikipilipinas

Ben "BenCab" Cabrera

Benedicto Reyes Cabrera [born April 10, 1942], better known as "BenCab", is a Filipino painter and was awarded National Artist of the Philippines for Visual Arts [Painting] in 2006. He has been noted as "arguably the best-selling painter of his generation of Filipino artists.

BenCab was born to Democrito Cabrera and Isabel Reyes in Malabon, Philippines on April 10, 1942. He was the youngest of nine children. BenCab's first exposure and discovery of the arts happened through his elder Brother Salvador, who was already an established artist during Bencab's childhood.

He went on to study at the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts, where he explored different art visual forms - photography, draftsmanship, printmaking - while honing his chosen craft as a painter. He received his bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts in 1963.

BenCab met British writer Caroline Kennedy in 1966, and eventually married her in 1969. The couple decided to stay in London, where their three children were eventually born. The eldest, Elisar, was born in 1971 and is now a filmmaker based in London; Mayumi was born in 1973 and is now a model and actress living in Los Angeles; the youngest, Jasmine was born in 1977 and is now a London-based fashion stylist.

Bencab's first years as a painter in London "were not particularly easy", but his talents were immediately recognized. Over the next four decades, he established for himself a name of international importance, holding exhibitions from London to New York to Macau, and winning several major art awards in a career spanning four decades.

When BenCab returned to the Philippines in 1972, he was hailed as a Filipino pioneer of the arts and a significant influence among his peers. However, he returned to London once more in 1974, partly to get away from the tightening grip of Martial Law, which Ferdinand Marcos had declared in 1972. That event is said to have "marked the beginning of [BenCab]'s passionate involvement with social commentary and the topics of repression and freedom.

In 1985, however, BenCab's 13-year relationship with Kennedy ended in a painful divorce, and he eventually decided to come home to the Philippines.

BenCab eventually returned to the Philippines, and settled in the City of Baguio in Northern Luzon, eventually putting up a studio and a secluded little farm on Asin road, in the nearby town of Tuba, Benguet. He and a small group of fellow artists - visual artist Santi Bose, filmmaker Kidlat Tahimik, and sculptor Ben Hur Villanueva, among others, established the Baguio Arts Guild [BAG]. It was during this period in his career that BenCab began to more deeply explore the use handmade paper as a medium on which to work.

When the 1990 Luzon earthquake struck, BenCab and the BAG helped out by instituting programs such as the ArtAid workshop for traumatized children, and a fund-raising art auction they titled "Artquake." Bencab was elected president of the guild the following year.

Later in the 1990s, BenCab's input was a critical element in the creation of Tam-awan Village, "a refuge for local artists who desire a nurturing environment in which to develop their talents, and a community for all those who wish to take part in the harmonious fusion of art, culture, environment, and history.

BenCab also exhibited considerably during the last decade of the Millennium, also reaping many accolades. Among the most prominent of the many awards received by BenCab during this period was the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining [Cultural Center of the Philippines Award for the Arts] in 1992.

In 2006, the Philippine Government conferred upon him the Order of National Artist for Visual Arts.

source: wikipedia

Carlos "Botong" Francisco

Carlos V. Francisco was one of the greatest Filipino visual artists and muralists. He was posthumously recognized as a Philippine National Artist by the government in 1973. He was affectionately called "Botong" by his family and friends.

Francisco was born on November 4, 1914 in Angono, Rizal. His parents were Felipe Francisco and Maria Villaluz. His hometown featured prominently in his paintings and murals, and he commemorated many rural scenes and town folk in his composition.

Botong came from very humble beginnings. In the early years he struggled even to acquire canvases to paint on. Together with Galo Ocampo and Victorio C. Edades, he formed the first group of modernists in Philippine art called "The Triumvirate", which struggled to break free from the cliched traditionalism of realist art pioneered by Fernando Amorsolo.

He tried his hand at illustrating everything, even the lowly Pinoy komiks, illustrating the Tagalog classic Siete Infantes de Lara in 1948.

Francisco is known for his masterful landmark murals that were specially commissioned by Malacañang Palace, Manila City Hall, Philippine General Hospital, and Fort Santiago. In them he exhibited bold composition and daring juxtaposition of elements that showcased his mastery of anatomy and lush tropical color.

His masterpieces include "Fiesta" [mural] at Malacañang and its smaller study [Paulino and Hetty Que collection], "Code of Kalantiao" [private collection], "Blood Compact," "First Mass at Limasawa," "The Martyrdom of Rizal," "Magpupukot, Bayanihan sa Bukid," "Stations of the Cross" [Far Eastern University], "Sandugo," "The Invasion of Limahong," "Serenade," and "Muslim Betrothal."

Botong is also known for discovering the Angono Petroglyphs, which are considered the oldest prehistoric artwork. This paleolithic art consists of 127 human and animal figures that are estimated to date back to 3000 BC. Presidential Decree 260 was issued in 1996 and declared the petroglyphs a national cultural treasure. The National Museum established a museum on its site.

He was posthumously conferred the title National Artist of the Philippines in Visual Arts in 1973. He died on March 31, 1969, leaving a rich legacy and a new generation of followers. On November 4, 1975, the town of Angono, Rizal, held an exhibit titled "Gunita Kay Botong." The event became an annual institution and was widely followed to the point that Angono became the unofficial art capital of the Philippines.

source: wikipilipinas

Vicente Manansala

Vicente Silva Manansala [January 22, 1910 - August 22, 1981] was a Philippine cubist painter and illustrator.

Manansala was born in Macabebe, Pampanga. From 1926 to 1930, he studied at the U.P. School of Fine Arts. In 1949, Manansala received a six-month grant by UNESCO to study at the Ecole de Beaux Arts in Banff and Montreal, Canada. In 1950, he received a nine-month scholarship to study at the Ecole de Beaux Arts in Paris by the French government.

Manansala's canvases were described as masterpieces that brought the cultures of the barrio and the city together. His Madonna of the Slums is a portrayal of a mother and child from the countryside who became urban shanty residents once in the city. In his Jeepneys, Manansala combined the elements of provincial folk culture with the congestion issues of the city.

Manansala developed transparent cubism, wherein the "delicate tones, shapes, and patterns of figure and environment are masterfully superimposed". A fine example of Manansala using this "transparent and translucent" technique is his composition, Kalabaw [Carabao].

Vicente Manansala, a National Artist of the Philippines in Visual Arts, was a direct influence to his fellow Filipino neo-realists: Malang, Angelito Antonio, Norma Belleza and Baldemor. The Honolulu Academy of Arts, the Lopez Memorial Museum [Manila], the Philippine Center [New York City] and the Singapore Art Museum are among the public collections holding work by Vicente Manansala.

source: wikipedia