The bar of excellence was raised, and the selection was narrowed down to these accomplished and extraordinary individuals. They are paragons in their own right, their achievements eloquently speaking of their exemplary character. Each one has made an indelible impression on society, one that is uplifting and worth emulating.…………….

PEOPLE ASIA’s

PEOPLE OF THE YEAR awardees for 2008…

…

CHARICE PEMPENGCO: A star is born

By: Bum D. Tenorio Jr.

At 16, Charice is the only Filipino who has guested on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Ellen, and Good Morning America. She is also the only Filipino to have sung a duet with Celine Dion and among the few to have shared the stage with Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban, Alicia Keys, and David Archuleta, among others. Not bad for a barrio lass who once had to sing for her supper.

On a narrow yet well-paved road in the middle of rice fields in Gulod, a barrio in Cabuyao, Laguna, an almost brand new big white car is slicing through the bucolic scenery early morning of Monday. There’s nothing special about that particular chauffeured-car scene. Only, the person riding the car Is Charice, the international singing sensation discovered through YouTube. Just early last year, Charice constantly traversed though this very same road, albeit on a tricycle or a pedicab. Her instant success is a by-product of constant dreaming punctuated by life-altering challenges.

“I’m guesting on Good Morning America on Tuesday, Tito Bum” Charice, 16, informs me when her car pulls over for a while. She shares the information with the glee of a mature singer but with the anticipation of a child. She has guested on Oprah twice, sung with Celine Dion, appeared on Ellen and The Paul O’Grady Show, done a duet with Andrea Bocelli, shared the stage with Josh Groban, Alicia Keys, David Archuleta among others and yet, on this early morning, the provincial lass in Charice is evident. She remains simple and unassuming and, yes, still a big fan at heart.

Her being a fan helps her in interpreting her music, her attack to each song that she sings. And it’s not hard for Charice to adapt to different arrangements of the songs. David Foster, Canadian musician and producer, said on Good Morning America, when he played the piano for Charice’s guesting, that Charice is a “musical genius” because you can change the arrangement of the song and she picks it up so naturally and effortlessly, just like picking a dress in the closet. That easy.

Foster is reported to start producing Charice’s US debut album in January 2009. And talk is ripe in the chat room that Oprah is going to produce Charice’s own reality show next year in the States wherein all the contestants are children who are musically gifted and have beautiful and soulful stories to tell.

Those are not far from happening considering that Charice got on her side the best team that will make sure to turboprop her career. Consider this: Managing Charice’s career is Align Entertainment, the same company that manages David Foster, Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli.

Famous entertainment lawyer Ed Shapiro of Grubman, Indursky & Shire is the young singer’s legal representative. Shapiro is also the legal representative of Chris Brown, Usher, Jennifer Lopez etc.

David Foster, on the other hand, is the album and show producer of Charice.

Oprah Winfrey serves as Charice’s mentor.

Having mentioned the team that is behind Charice, there’s no denying that her career in the States is already made. Despite these many accomplishments, she remains grounded.

Charice does not live in that little barrio of ours anymore. From time to time, she drops by when her hectic international schedule permits it. She shuttles between the US and the Philippines quite often, prompting to tell her: “Ginagawa mo na lamang Divisoria ang America.”

“Hindi naman po. God is just amazing for giving me all these blessings,” she says.

Charmaine Clarice Pempengco, her real name was very young when her parents separated. She and her younger brother Carl grew up with the strong yet loving presence of their mother Raquel. From Sta. Rosa, Laguna where they used to live, they transferred to an apartment in our barrio in Gulod where Charice was only nine years old. That apartment was small but passersby could hear a big powerful voice emanating from it. That voice belonged to Charice, of course.

She started singing at the age of four; her first piece was Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On.” Then she started joining amateur singing contests all over the Philippines when she was seven.

On the day that they transferred in our neighborhood, they only had a sofa and yes, a component (stereo). No TV, no dining table, not even a bed. A neighbor; Raquel recalls, even lent them a banig (buri mat) for them to sleep on. Worse, a few days after, Raquel discovered her P4,000 was missing. That was all they had and part of the sum would supposedly go to their landlord, and some for their existence in a week’s time. Pay day was still far so Raquel couldn’t bank on the salary she would get as a supervisor in an apparel company in Laguna. Charice came to the rescue by joining singing competition in far-flung Calaca, Batangas and went home with the grand prize trophy and P8,000. (Eventually Raquel had to resign from work and dutifully assumed the role of a mother slash “road manager” of Charice that time.)

The promise of international stardom for Charice cracked open when someone uploaded her video on YouTube. The good, techie Samaritan is no less than Dave Dueñas, a Charice fan and licensed nurse from Cavite. He is known in the YouTube community as “FalseVoice.”

“I owe him a lot. I wouldn’t be in my status now if not for him, too,” Charice says of Dave. The two are now best of friends, calling each other “special.”

They say success somes to those who dream. Charice dreamt big; and to this day she still dreams. “I only want to give my Mom and my younger brother Carl a good life. I only want all the best things for them. They are the reasons why I strive harder,” she tells me. And The Guy Up There heard her pleas and blessed her with a beautiful life she so deserves.

With singing as her muse in achieving more things for her family, for herself and for the people she touches with her gift of music. Charice proves more and more that good things always happen to good people.

Her heart, indeed, will go on.

Posted by GM

You may also like to read:

1. Charice Pempengco: People of The Year 2008
2. Charice steals People night
3. Charice to perform at People Asia gala