What might have seemed like hopeful is now becoming possible as Asia is opening up to Philippine artists thanks to the impact that Charice has had on the music scene in the area.
Charice has made significant inroads in Asia, particular in the traditionally difficult markets of Japan and South Korea. She released her album “Charice” in Japan in July, saw it peak at No 6 in the Oricon Charts and gain a gold certificate. But, she had released her album in South Korea two months earlier, and saw it peak at No 3 in the Goan Charts.
Several other Filipino artists have tried to take on the world, with RnB and jazz artist Kyla going so far as to win the MTV International Viewer’s Choice Awards for South East Asia in 2001. However, only Charice has actually released an album in either Japan or South Korea.
Buoyed by Charice’s success, another artist, Juris Fernandez, has decided to try to break into the South Korean market and in November released her 6-track EP “If You and Me,” which features 2 English covers of Korean hits.
Juris is not a newcomer to the music scene, and her current album, “Now Playing,” has already gone gold in the Philippines. Yet, she is apprehensive about how successful she’ll be in mirroring Charice’s success there.
In a recent interview, the experienced former lead singer of MYMP admitted that she can’t compete with Charice’s brand of performances, but was hopeful that she could find a following in the northern Asian nation.
“Well, I’m not Charice,” she laughed, knowing that as a 30-year-old she will not appeal to quite the same market share. “I can’t sing in as high a voice as Charice. I just hope they’ll like a normal voice.”
According to Juris, it was her EP’s Korean producer that approached her record company with an offer. Now, plans to release a full album there later this year are being considered.
Charice was a major hit with South Korean audiences when she made her first appearance on the TV show “Star King” in October, 2007. She may only have been 15 years old, but her performance left the studio audience in raptures, and viewers at home excited. So much so, in fact, that she was invited back on “Star King” on December 28, as the Most Requested Foreign Act.
No other foreigner has had quite the same effect, and she was even brought back onto the show for an unprecedented third time when she was on her Asian promotional tour in July last year.
Juris’ attempt is a daring one but is a clear sign that, since the rise of Charice, Asian markets that were traditional tough nuts to crack have become more receptive to Philippine artists.
Charice hits a high note while performing on Star King in South Korea
By Robert Sheen, Charicemania.com
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People loves the country where they came from and many fans are proud to be of PI origin because of Charice is fine. Deep down, they are big fans and not enemies of Charice.
Because of Charice huge talent and also being the first Asian to hit the music scene in USA in a big way, ultimately, fans will just know her a Charice the SINGER and NOT Charice the singer from PI.
It took her many years to kick that provervial door “open” for herself and now she is inside and will have opportunity to help others.
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The emergence of Charice, JBieber and Susan Boyle are the big stories of the past 4 years. Two other artists that preceeded them, Rihanna, from the island of Barbados and Shakira, from Colombia have been the big surprises in recent years, but the biggest success story are Gloria and Emilio Estefan of the Miami Sound Machine. Cuban fan loyalty made them what they are today. They are a major owner of the Miami Dolphins.
Talent wise none of the above artists are even close to Charice. JBieber and SBoyle are two of the top sellers in music right now. They don’t get negative comments from their home countries. They fully support them. Charice do not get the same support from Filipinos here in the US or in the Philippines. That brings the real question…why ? I am not a believer of the Filipino CRAB mentality but it is starting to make sense to me.
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Next thing will be Filipino compositions making Billboard rankings. But it will be a bit tricky.
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she is also an inspiration for those with a dream to go for it and enter those doors opened before them, or to even open their own doors … and this is not only in the area of singing, but in any worthy endeavor we care to undertake …
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James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
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Just look at how the Koreans were able to build a huge industry for their artists. Look at where Kpop is now. And they’re not even that good, musically. The Koreans were able to manufacture their artists and make stars out of them throughout Asia. You can just see how much it paid off after the Koreans invested lots of money in the industry. Their pop music now dominates asian airwaves, at least, based from the things I’ve read. LOL, sorry not a big fan.
Maybe Southeast Asia as a whole can do the same, e? Or not. I don’t know. I just don’t see any Southeast Asian countries capable of creating such a big industry on their own.
I don’t know. This is just me, wishing that maybe it’s time that southeast Asians start to support their own artists even more, no matter what country they came from in the region. Just imagine. And it would be so much sweeter too to be able to listen to music that came from our part of the world. Read: our culture as a region, the way our people move and think. It would just be so much “sweeter”, imagine. LOLOL.
I’ve always wondered what it is exactly we want when we say that “may Charice open doors for other artists”. I wonder how that’s going to pan out.
Anyway, Juris’s former band, MYMP, gained a little recognition in Korea a few years ago after a Korean radio station started playing some of the band’s songs (this was when Koreans started visiting Phils. to learn English. Many went back home from Phils., with a little more knowledge of the country. Some even became fans of MYMP’s music since they were huge in the Philippines at that time). I’m not entirely convinced that Charice has anything to do with this particular success. MYMP was undeniably a good band. Their songs were very easy to like. And Juris’s voice is epic in it’s femininity and sweetness, one that is very unlikely to be heard in Korea (note: i’m not saying that korean artists aren’t good.). Too bad MYMP disbanded though. Juris’s new songs are so-so. But I wish her all the best.
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The Philippine should also start really expanding OPM a bit more and create their own musical genre; I know this is really hard but it is possible (just like the Jamaicans have their reggae). We need innovative people not just world class imitators.
Being in Canada, I used to be so into “foreign” things thinking it was always socially cooler. Now that I am here I realize that it is the difference is what makes one special. Just imagine if you try to imitate Canadian musical genre in the music scene and then try to compete here with it…it won’t work…unless you are Charice, maybe! It’s the unusual, strange, unique, etc., but entertaining that makes it abroad. If Charice was not young when she was discovered, her success in the US would have been more limited than it is now; there’s a novelty factor there, and this is why Filipinos need to do many innovative things. The music industry is better; the film industry is terrible in general, with a few good ones here and there (and they are usually sexual in nature).
Theo
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Hmm.. Yeah, I know what you mean.
But I do think that OPM is already a genre on it’s own. It’s not entirely a unique sound, like reggae or something, but it has it’s unique qualities.
Let’s face it, the indigenous, Pinoy folk music sound will never achieve mainstream, pop success. Or maybe we can incorporate the indigenous sounds to today’s pop contemporary music like how some artists have done. I don’t know. Aside from folk musicians, the only one I know who have used an indigenous instrument is Barbie Almalbis.
Although Filipino artists are still struggling, I believe the good ones have created music that we can be proud of, and that deserves a bigger market. By the good ones, I do not mean the ones managed by the TV networks in the Philippines. Most are bleh and very unoriginal. These TV networks are not utilizing Filipino talents very well. Ehem, Charice.
Lea Salonga, in fact, recently started a discussion about this on her Twitter. She asked people what they think about the way producers (i.e. phils. tv) continues to create sub-par shows, etc. LOL. There were comments regarding the Pinoy market as well. And the need to educate people more, and so on.
Also, maybe if there were a bigger market in SE Asia for our artists, there would be more room for growth and improvement, whether they be indie artists or mainstream ones. Same goes to all the artists from the other Southeast Asian countries. Imagine if all the artists starts touring throughout SE Asia. That could only result to good things right — economic wise and cultural wise? Maybe these producers would finally think of raising the bar a little more when there is more competition? IDK.
Anyway, were you already in the Philippines when OPM rock made a huge comeback? There were plenty of good bands and artists then who received mainstream success. The success of OPM rock, sadly, is waning today. People got tired of hearing the same rock genre, I guess. But the indie scene is still thriving though. Maybe, Pinoys should create a bigger market for Pinoy pop, pinoy rnb and hiphop as well. IDK. Let’s just hope OPM makes another comeback.
BTW, have you seen films shown by Cinemalaya? Not every film has sexually driven themes. Although I also love those. LOL. At least Cinemalaya is now getting bigger, and that quality films are starting to become available to a bigger public. Too bad I can’t say the same thing about the movies shown during the Metro Manila Film Fest. Sigh.
Try to donwload Pinoy films here:
http://www.worldscinema.com/search/label/Philippines?updated-max=2010-07-08T11:13:00%2B03:00&max-results=20
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I have seen Serbis, it was on ARTE, a European TV channel for culture, meta-politics, and good movies and documentaries. Though it is a bit crass, I loved it. What is inspiring is the energy (or we say vitality) of these people.
About the TV networks, I would rather have those, and their artists, in place of the total desert here in Austria and Germany. They are not at all able to maintain any stage ensemble that could carry a variety show, and teleserye staff most are short-lived, and have limited audience. Nothing like Darna or The Last Prince. There was something in the past though but they have lost it.
Be proud of these guys, very proud, they are doing a decent job, and quality is limited by budget, not talent. Don’t become distracted by a couple of celeb non-talents, who happen to have rich uncles or something.
I am talking “accessibility”, this means mainstream product has to be simple enough to be understood and adopted by just everyone. Or who would pay the bills for a bigger production?
Charice is being granted budget, and DF knows how to combine accessibility with some good perfection and quality.
But should it end there? Clearly no.
Lately, GMA7 seems to improve. They can deliver entertainment, and they don’t claim it’s Shakespeare or opera.
If you want to see more international careers than just Charice, you need to consider who can carry the project. Push GMA7 to do it! They need to work out some business model so it can be feasible. I would strongly recomment Julie, Elmo, and Rachelle Ann, for projects that are also international.
Further, Emir seems to be excellent, though I have seen only teasers and a song by Frencheska. Why not sell that in Europe?
The Koreans have half their oligarchy and government behind their K-Pop careers, just more openly than what is happening with US showbiz, that I would IMHO call colonial 2.0 version…
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“The Koreans have half their oligarchy and government behind their K-Pop careers, just more openly than what is happening with US showbiz, that I would IMHO call colonial 2.0 version…”
Uh, no. The Korean industry was funded through private investment and revenue. It was only after the Korean Wave started making a splash that the government decided to support the artists, but most of the investment comes from the private sector. Your comment just sounds like pure resentment and jealousy to me.
I like Charice, but some of the negative comments by some Filipino fans of the music of other countries really puts a damper on things. You don’t have to put down other countries to have pride in yourself. It just makes you sound arrogant, which you are.
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Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
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Theo
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The article is a good way of promoting Juris’ album through Charice, an editorial for Juris at Charicemania. This so much like Legaci issue last year.
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You’re always too negative. IT’S SO OLDDDDDDDDDDD.
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HAHAHAHAHAHA! Brilliant reply!
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