About a month ago, I indicated in this blog that the cello is one of my most favorite musical instruments. This post further proves why I love the sexy looking cello.
Only did I recently discovered that there is a magnificent duo who performs music covers of cool mainstream songs using the cello. They are the Croatian cellists Luka Sulic and Stjepan Hauser, together known as 2Cellos.
2Cellos (photos grabbed from 2cellos.com)
now i’m a fan of luka and stjepan
Aside from playing magnificent music that ranges from smooth classical to mainstream pop to heavy acid metal, what is so extra cool about the 2Cellos is their stage presence. Their playing the cello is so infectious and electrifying. Their intense facial expressions, head-banging and feet-stomping are all incredibly virtuosic. Their playing is so passionate you could at times hear their deep breathing and actually see how the hair of their bows gets so torn. Moreover, it doesn’t hurt that both looks adorable.
Now you listen to these and get sucked into some melodic vortex!
Here’s a rare mash-up of classical tune mixed with heavy metal…
Here’s the eccentric yet enjoyable routine…
Here’s their latest, something stylish and sophisticated…
It’s like a bunch of angels went down from the heavens and played us some awesome music!
This is the general feeling I felt after having watched and listened to the concert of no less than the Philippine pride, the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO). Held at the outdoor amphitheater area of the Bonifacio High Street Central in Bonifacio Gobal City (BGC) the concert was entitled “A Holiday Symphony”. It was organized by the LJC Group, the BGC and the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
This PPO event was free to the public that is why I did not let this rare chance pass by. What is so good about the concert was their chosen repertoire. It was pop and popular to the ear and not the usually highfalutin sleep-inducing classical tunes.
high culture in high street…
cellos and the cellists… (photos by patrick uy)
Though the program started with a classical piece – to the beat of William Tell Overture – it was nevertheless fun and exhilarating to the ear. It is because the tune was reminiscent of the background music of a Looney Tunes cartoon chase scene. I initially thought Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner would suddenly appear on stage!
One of the highlights of the show was when a good friend Edwin Santos sang two songs in the concert. He started with Pasko Na Cinta Ko (a Tagalog Christmas love song) and capped it with an explosive operatic performance by singing the Mexican song Granada. I was super proud and was cheering like mad for Edwin!
explosive performance by edwin santos…
PPO played Donna Summer songs, tunes from Star Wars plus a lot of Christmas songs crafting a very Christmas-ee feeling in the crisp November air. When the orchestra played the gorgeous tunes from the movie Titanic, I initially held on to my seat for I thought a humongous ocean wave would suddenly appear bringing Rose and Jack on the stage! But nothing beats the couple of Beatles songs they played. People in the audience were actually singing along with them!
It is not the first time I heard PPO played yet still the emotions they drew from me was something unexplainable. The nearest words that I can think of is it’s a mix of magic, glee and pride.
After having been at awe by the magnificence of the paintings featured in The Dimasalang Artists Collection Exhibit at the National Museum of the Philippines, it would obscenely be unfair if I would only have one post about it. Here’s my initial post about this event: Fixated with Café Scene
first time to see a lettuce-green-colored gallery. i love it!
catch it while its there…
It has exactly been a week already, yet I could not expunge in my thought the need to write about a 1970 oil painting done by Sofronio “Sym” Mendoza entitled Morning in Binondo. I don’t know why but this painting seem to have quietly caught my attention during the night of the exhibit’s formal launch.
beautiful!
I would like to believe that it is the alluring streaks of color as well as the glowing pigments that has attracted me most about this 44 year-old painting. Also, I guess it is the easy-going yet serene approach in the depiction of a specific space in Manila that has caught my interest. This vibrant yet soothing tableau truly exemplifies an excellent portrayal of Philippine life and scene.
The Dimasalang Artists Collection Exhibition will run until July 27, 2015 at the Museum of Fine Arts of the National Museum of the Philippines.
Without clicking a single brain cell, my automatic response was the “Café Scene”. This was when I was asked which among the Emilio Aguilar Cruz (EAC) paintings featured in the newly launched Dimasalang Artists Collection was my favorite. The Dimasalang exhibit is a newly launched exhibition of gorgeous paintings by 6 artists at the National Museum of the Philippines.
photo grabbed from national museum of the phiilippines fb page
In fact, before this painting made it inside the museum of all museums of the Philippines, a lot of people actually owns a mini-copy of it tucked inside their wallet. This is because a couple of years ago this painting was chosen by Mastercard to be one of their credit cards’ cool designs. Here’s a link when I wrote about this: A Painting In My Wallet.
pautang!
To even prove my point that I indeed is a fan of this painting, the cover of my 2011 journal which I brought on my second trip to Australia was the photo of this magnificent painting.
my 2011 journal. this notebook kept me sane during a long train ride from sydney to gold coast.
Maybe the reason why I love this painting is because it captured the feeling of people who loves to celebrate food with friends and family. I guess, it can basically represent my being a social person.
Sosyal kasi ako. Kaya layk ko ‘yan. (saying this in pa-sosyal tone)
Silly as it may seem, this blog can be a testimony that I truly adore going to museums. This is especially true during my out-of-the-country journeys and adventures. My trips abroad would usually have at least a day spent at a museum. Me and my friends would usually call it “the cultural day” segment of the adventure. This is the time when I would further immerse myself to the abundant culture, beautiful art and rich history of those far away cities.
What is so strange and striking is that I actually have not gone to the very national museum whom I consider my own. The very museum that features my nation’s culture, my nation’s art and my nation’s history. The very museum that does not need an airline ticket to visit but just a 10-minute taxi ride from my place of stay.
super like!
the old session hall of the senate of the philippines is now the national museum…
proud of my museum!
Thankfully, this strange and striking irony has been resolved. This is because I have been to the National Museum of the Philippines Thursday night to attend an art exhibit. The one of three domains of the museum that I particularly have been to that night was the main and the grandest domain, the National Art Gallery. The other two components (The Philippine Planetarium and The Museum of the Filipino People) of The National Museum are housed in an equally splendid buildings.
Being inside the building of the National Art Gallery already evokes some exquisite emotion. I was like being transported through a time capsule to the grand and auspicious era of the Philippines. The feeling was like being inside a gorgeous art piece, breathing with it and being part of it.
i love this shot! the hallway leading to the dimasalang exhibit. that man is f. sionil jose the national artist for literature.
Before and after the program formalities of the beautiful art exhibit I attended (housed in one of the glorious galleries of the building), I and my colleagues got the chance to view the other galleries of the museum. Museum directors graciously opened all galleries in all floors of the whole museum that night for all event attendees of the art exhibit to see and appreciate! The night time ambiance with impressive lighting mood inside the museum galleries further add up to the already massive emotions I was already feeling.
Aside from the penetratingly dramatic Spoliarium painting by Juan Luna and the massive yet gentle looking Diwata sculpture by Guillermo Tolentino, I will not be posting any photo of the art pieces on display. It is because I want you to go there and experience the same emotion I had.
a super huge oil on canvass painting! spoliarium by juan luna
diwata by guillermo tolentino
I never knew how rich, magnificent and stunning the Filipino-made art pieces were until last night. Those precious works of art were so beautifully intense it felt like those were interpolating divine messages directly towards me.
The visit to my National Museum was an outstanding buffet that fed my soul to the brim. It was no doubt an invigorating assault to my senses!
The National Art Gallery of the National Museum of the Philippines is open Tuesdays to Sundays, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Its free admission on Sundays.
Never did I posted anything about the new X Factor Australia winner, Marlisa Punzalan, while the show was running. It is because I don’t want to cause any sumpa (curse) or negative effect to her fate and universe.
x factor australia 2014 winner
But honestly, I have been watching this young lady ever since the X Factor Australia has started this year. I know for a fact that she is actually the first one featured during the audition segments of the show. I followed this newly concluded talent show, maybe because of the reverberating feelings of joy and my overindulgence in its 2013 version when the superlative Dami Im won.
A week before the grand finale, I already had the impression that this young lady will win. The reason is not because of her tender age, nor her looks and neither her amazing talent. Three coherent reasons rolled up into my mind right after the semi-final round.
Winning the Toughest Battle
This is because during the semi-final bout she defeated Reigan Derry, the most excellent and the most seasoned among all contestants in this series. I cannot imagine how perennial favorite Reigan Derry being beaten by the other 2 finalists, Brothers 3 and Dean Ray. Reigan with her incredible pipes would easily beat these two other finalists to smithereens in case Dean or Brothers3 would be at the bottom two and perform back-to-back with her.
best showdown of the series!
Thus, before the grand finale, Marlisa Punzalan has already successfully hurdled the hardest challenge she would be faced with during the entire run of the series. For me, the semi-final round was actually more exhilarating than the grand finale. The grand finale was just a matter of confirming Marlisa’s crown.
Australia’s Enduring Love for the Underdog
When Marlisa got into the finals, everybody thinks that she would simply end up being a third placer. Even judge/mentor Redfoo after the semi-final round immediately predicted that Dean is the one to beat. Even online betting website SportsBet predicted that Dean would be bestowed the 2014 title. Dean Ray exhales the funky rock of breath trough out the show that is why everybody expects him to win.
the three rays of sunshine…
funky rocker!
Nonetheless, the whole Australia was gearing Brothers 3 to possibly snatch the title from Dean because these “three rays of sunshine” got the ever reliable cutey-boyband formula. Also, they have been identified halfway through the live shows to have received the most number of votes. Moreover, it would have been a very good promotional angle of story in case the first ‘wild card’ contestant wins the show. Thus, Brothers3 and Dean Ray prior to the grand final were considered the un-proclaimed winners. They were simply the Goliaths of the program!
But Australians (like Filipinos) love an underdog. They would not let a simple-looking lady lacking of self confidence be simply in the side light. It is of human nature to feel that those who have less power are deemed virtuous and noble. Human beings in general love the underdogs because each of us knows what it feels like to be a loser, to be brushed aside or to be a David in a world full of Goliaths.
Let me cap this reason with Ronan Keating’s beautiful wisdom when he was commenting on Marlisa’s performance during the semi-final, which illustrates Marlisa being an underdog. That he is still faithful on the thought that not all good girls finish last. That statement I suppose struck a nerve to the whole of Australia.
Shining at the Right Moment
At the initial phase of the show, Marlisa exhibited good performances but nothing spectacular compared to other contestants. I particularly loved her performance during the boot camp portion of the program, Jessica Mauboy’s Never Be The Same. But during her performance in front of John Legend, who would assist Ronan on picking his top 3 contenders for the live shows, she faltered big time.
During the first few weeks of the live shows, she was simply sailing through. Viewers and even other judges/mentors were particularly concerned because Ronan could not seem to tap the right song that would best fit Marlisa’s age, tone and range.
She was lucky enough that other contestants gave inferior performances compared to her. She even performed the worst performance in the whole show when she sang Lady Gaga’s Paparazzi while suffering from severe illness, in which, she was nevertheless praised by the judges for her guts and professionalism. During these times, other contestants were delivering the best performances of their lives. They were peaking at those moments.
Unfortunately for these other contestants (except for the shoo-in Reigan Derry), they failed to sustain the high points in their performances while the show near its end. Fortunately for Marlisa, she seems to simply just starting to oil up. She was gaining confidence in her stage presence, she was starting to feel the mood/s of her song/s and Ronan is commencing to realize and tap the exact songs for her. She was slowly peaking up!
She only sparkled at the last four or five weeks of the entire series. I totally agreed with Danni Minogue who was stuck to her seat and would hardly stand up after every Marlisa’s performance week after week. That Marlisa’s rendition of Sia and David Guetta’s Titanium performed on the 9th week of the live shows was truly Marlisa and Ronan’s game changer. The Titanium performance of Marlisa made Danni stood up to her feet and cheered for the young lady!
All throughout the TV show, Marlisa seem to be the last contestant to shine. And what is so amazing about her shining is that she was able to sustain it and even progressed further every week! Australians then realized that something special was with this young lady.
A tourist when in Osaka will never be considered a complete holidaymaker if he misses taking a photo of (or with) the iconic Glico neon signboard. The ginormous nightly lighted panel is located at downtown Dotonbori district. The Ezaki Glico Company’s triumphant running man with raised arms on a blue track with Osaka Castle, Tsutentaku Tower and Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan in its background has long been considered an amusing landmark in Osaka.
my sister joie during our spring of 2012 visit
glico in the spring of 2013, shot from afar of ebisu bridge
glico at night, during my spring 2014 visit
But during my trip with Nengkoy this October 2014, while walking along my favorite Shinsaibashi strip, my pamangkins (nieces and nephew) shocked me when they said that Glico has transformed into a woman. I just brushed their story and obviously did not believed them. But when we get to the Ebisu Bridge of Dotonbori-gawa River, I was stunned!
The massive display panel was covered with a tarpaulin, in which printed on it is a lady in exactly the same position of Glico with the same background. When I asked my pamangkins – with a very worried face – on what happened, they smiled and told me that the iconic signboard is undergoing revamp and overhaul.
rare, odd and singular! glico relieved by a woman
They immediately told me to take a photo since it would be one of the rarest events in Osaka when the treasured symbol is temporarily bugged and preoccupied. True enough, according to news the well-adored signboard will no longer be made of neon lights but will instead be LED powered already when it is re-lighted.
When I asked who the lady on the photo was commissioned to pose ala-Glico-like, my nephew told me that she was like the Marian Rivera of the Philippines. (Marian Rivera, the two-time FHM Magazine’s sexiest Filipina is a mega icon celebrity in the Philippines who is also very popular in other South East Asian countries).
This turn of events just added to the exceptionality and uniqueness of my recent Osaka visit. Imagine, Osaka’s Glico lighted nightly for the last 80 years is momentarily absent and was temporarily relieved by a woman? ? It’s like temporarily replacing the Statue of Liberty while it undergoes refurbishments with an effigy of Brad Pitt wearing a robe and holding up a torch. That I think is truly rare…
Nangawit lang pala kaya nagpahinga… Aym shur, estatwa ni Rizal sa Luneta pag-nirepeyr, rebulto ni Kris Aquino ang ipapalit.
I don’t remember when was the last time I purchased a magazine or a CD for myself. This is because these items are slowly waning and fading away from the realms of present humanity. These are soon to be extinct.
This is due to the ever growing popularity of the reliable internet where everything that everybody seem to need is available. Today’s magazines are already easily available online in the form of blogs, e-zines or webzines. While songs can easily be purchased and downloaded via iTunes, Amazon MP3 or Google Music.
But last Sunday, I know that I just got to have these soon-to-be-inexistent stuffs. However, with such a purchase, I have yet to establish if I purchased a magazine with free CD or if I purchased a CD with free magazine. Whichever freakin’ way you may want to put it, one thing is for sure, I have with me a cool piece of Philippine pop rock history.
a soon-to-be-precious-collectible
I’m pretty sure this magazine with enclosed complimentary CD or a CD contained inside a free of charge magazine will – in a couple of decades – be considered a valuable collectible. This is because these incorporated items enfolds the reemergence of one of the greatest Filipino bands of this country, the Eraserheads.
CD containing “Sabado” and “1995”, the two new songs of eraserheads
a very interesting read
As a proof that I am breathing fanatic, here’s a six year old post I wrote in the past. Press this link: ERASERHEADS
luis gabriel moreno (photo grabbed from filipino.china.com site)
It’s not Alma the actress. It’s not Isko the politician. It’s not Tito Germs the TV host. Neither is it a moreno (brown olive) skinned human being. It is a Moreno-surnamed-athlete who made me so proud and so happy today. Luis Gabriel Moreno, an archery events athlete just won a gold medal in this year’s Youth Olympics presently being held in Nanjing China.
With nothing to watch on TV today while I do my laundry, I settled watching TV5 network this afternoon. Not even aware that Youth Olympics is ongoing, I settled on watching a Mixed Archery event upon knowing that one of the athletes competing was a Filipino.
The sports feature started during the quarterfinals match of Moreno with his Chinese partner, Li Jiaman. I was initially not expecting anything because before the game started a sports anchor announced and flashed on the screen the medal tally of the ongoing Youth Olympics. And to no surprise the Philippines – as usual – has yet to win a medal.
a true green archer in every sense of the word (photo grabbed from philippinestar.com)
But interest and uneasiness about the mixed archery game fired up when Moreno and his partner won the game to qualify for the semi-finals. And when the tandem won their match to qualify for the grand finals and compete for the gold medal, I was already ecstatic.
I was so nervous watching the event and I was clapping my hands every time Moreno and his Chinese teammate hits the 9s or the perfect 10s. I was screaming ‘Yes! Yes! Yes!’ And I was praying to the heavens to give this event to the Philippines and China.
The general feeling was reminiscent of me watching the tennis matches of Roger Federer or me watching the boxing bouts of The Great Manny Pacquiao on TV. When Moreno swished his last arrow to clinch the gold medal beating the Malaysia-Germany tandem, I was shouting, clapping, jumping and earnestly praying saying thank you.
The TV anchor then appeared looking very proud and equally ecstatic saying that this is the first medal for the Philippines in this year’s Youth Olympics. And that the young Moreno is a student of De La Salle, thus literally living up to the bill of being a true Green Archer.
Well, today is the National Heroes Day and I am glad to be feeling proud. I guess Luis Gabriel Moreno achieved something great, worthy of being called a young hero of this country.
I often suffer from high levels of laziness. And when I do, I would simply lie down on my bed and do nothing but surf the net. Usually, my surfing the net would lead me to either watch an indie short film or watch the circus-like hearings and privilege speeches done at the Philippine Senate as downloaded on YouTube.
alan peter cayetano
I am glad to note that out from watching those giddy senate hearings and speeches I am able to contemplate and deduce who shall be the candidate whom I will vote for in the upcoming Philippine presidential election. Thus, if the election will be held tomorrow, I would vote for Senator Alan Peter Cayetano.
The Philippines as a government already has a lot of development strategies and economic plans. Some of which will be left fragmentary and incomplete while some will be left untouched/un-started by the present administration. And for these developments to continue, another individual who is held beyond suspicion of wicked wrongdoings and malicious agenda is needed. Thankfully, there is one candidate that exists, thus, the present President need not contemplate whether to stay in power or not beyond 2016.
Cayetano as I observed has consistently pays respect when respect is due yet attacks when attack calls for it. What is so impressive about his style of attacking is that it is never below the belt and is conveyed in a very calm yet precise manner. The guy is simply an exemplification of buckets-full of wit!
His cerebral reasoning, critical debates, imaginative conjectures and significant inferences are usually freakin’ impressive. Though he confessed in one of the senate hearings that he is hikain (asthmatic), he is a no non-sense guy.
Cayetano is always extremely prepared, thus an impeccable professionalism. He speaks good Filipino and English languages. He is fairly aesthetically presentable dude (but I think he needs to hit the gym like his siblings). He loves the Philippines. And the most important of all he looks and sounds sincere.
Unlike my (thankfully) level of sluggishness and indolence that is very variable and erratic, Alan’s level of integrity and moral ascendancy (thankfully too) seems unswerving. I know that my candidate for the highest post of this nation is still subject to change. But may it be in 2016 or not, I can see the future of the Philippines in this guy’s hand.
Nengkoy 