Victor blushes at being called 'newest heartthrob'

Curtain-raisers:

• The woman said to have unwittingly started one of the biggest scandals to have rocked the local entertainment industry — nay, the whole country! — has decided to embark on a singing career. Insiders said that she’s the first “victim” of the man caught in the eye of the ensuing controversy. She admitted her indiscretion to her boyfriend who happened to be employed at the company of the controversial guy’s influential and equally controversial girlfriend. Enraged, the girl-victim’s boyfriend told the “victimizer’s” girlfriend everything, opening a Pandora’s Box that triggered the gigantic headline-making scandal. Like the other victim (a TV actress), the girl-victim wisely opted to keep mum, unlike yet another victim who squealed and ruined her reputation and career in the process. I wonder, will the girl-victim sing a duet with the controversial guy?

• Congratulations to director Francis Xavier Pasion whose first feature film, Jay, won the Best Fiction Feature Film Award at the 7th Bilbao International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in Spain last Jan. 29. It was a wonderful gift to Francis who has just celebrated his birthday. Jay has also won some awards in other international filmfests including Special Mention (Bangkok 2008), Special Mention (Bahamas 2008), Special Mention (FICCO Mexico 2009), Best Feature Film (Berlin Hotshots 2009), Audience Award (Black Film Festival, Geneva 2009) and Best Digital Film (Barcelona Asian 2009). Francis is now preparing his second film titled Sampaguita.

• Heard that Janis Siegel of Manhattan Transfer has produced an album of some of the best songs of Jose Mari Chan, arranged and recorded by some of the finest young jazz singers in New York. It’s called The Manhattan Connection. If and when a local company produces the album, it would be a big hit just like the album of enduring Jose Mari Chan hits of Christian Bautista released by Universal Records. I’m sure local music lovers (this one included) deserve to hear exciting fresh material like The Manhattan Connection. Paging Rudy Tee of Sony Music!

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His surname aptly describes the current state of his career — Aliwalas, roughly meaning “all clear.”

But try calling Victor Aliwalas “the Newest Heartthrob” and he responds with a big blush.

“Tao lang ako,” said the New York-raised Victor with just the slightest twang, “hindi ako heartthrob,” even if that’s how his growing number of fans look at him — a heartthrob.

Even in Korea, Victor wowed the fans. Victor was there last month to receive the Model Star Award from the Korea Model Association and other huge Korean modelling/management agencies which handpicked him to represent the Philippines together with Rhian Ramos. The awards were given at the 2010 Asia Model Festival in Incheon, Seoul.

How does Victor deal with flirtatious women? Does he give in?

“Depende,” he laughed. “I do appreciate that they like me but...hanggang beso sa cheek lang ako.”

What about indecent proposals from matrons and rich gays?

“Wala. Takot sila sa akin,” he laughed even more.

What would make him have, you know, second thoughts? A condo unit? “Mayroon na ako,” he said. An expensive car? “I have one, too,” he added. In short, “Hindi ako puede.”

Born and raised in New York by Filipino parents (his mom is from Sorsogon City, Sorsogon), Victor worked as a nightclub bouncer while taking up Business Administration (major in Marketing and Finance, minor in Information System) at Lamoyne (a private Jesuit-run school). He came to the Philippines in 2007 for a vacation .

“My sister remembered me modelling a Barong Tagalog at a fashion show in New York organized by a Fil-Am association there and she accompanied me for a shoot here. My niece, who was then working for an advertising agency, got the photos and sent them to the agency. Soon, I was doing commercials and then, I found myself in showbiz.”

He described his two years in showbiz as “sobrang bilis, so many things have happened,” including four movies (Monster Mom among them) and several TV shows (Marimar, Kim Sam Soon, Gaano Kadalas ang Minsan, SRO Sineserye and Kaya Kong Abutin ang Langit).

So far, so good. No wonder Victor has decided to stay.

Incidentally, fans can chat with Victor this afternoon from 3 to 4 o’clock and win a date with him (on Feb. 12) from Cosmo.ph. He’s the featured artist in Cosmo’s Celebrity Dating Game. Log on to www.cosmo.ph for details.

Michael McDonald with Boz Scaggs at the Big Dome

The year 2010 is barely two months old but the concert scene is already sizzling with excitement with the steady stream of top foreign singers and groups who are out to wow local audiences with their world-class acts and styles.

What certified pop, rock or R&B fanatic wouldn’t wax ecstatic with the incredible prospect of watching and listening up close and personal to the live performances right here in Manila of such musical legends as The Beach Boys (last Jan. 27), Chicago (on Feb. 16) and Tom Jones (on March 28)?

Next in line in the awesome parade of upcoming foreign acts that is R&B soul/singer and songwriter Michael McDonald who will perform back-to-back with rock and soul star Boz Scaggs in a major concert on March 9 at the Araneta Coliseum to be produced by Ovation Productions. McDonald and Scaggs are two of the finest and most accomplished singers and artists in contemporary music who achieved fame for their distinctive vocal quality and innovative style.

McDonald is a gold- and platinum-selling American R&B/soul singer and songwriter who, with his husky, soulful baritone voice, became one of the most recognizable artists of the past quarter century and, perhaps, the greatest “blue-eyed soul” singer.

His ability to bridge rock, adult contemporary and soul through his uniquely recognizable voice has made him a leading solo singer and backing vocalist during the laid-back California pop/rock era in the late ‘70s.

Just as outstanding is the career of Scaggs who gained recognition in the mid-‘70s as a slick, smooth pop/soul singer on the strength of his Silk Degrees album, the crowning achievement of his 40 years of strong performance in the soul, rock and, especially, blues genres.

He worked off and on with blues rock star Steve Miller during the ‘60s and ultimately became a vocalist for the Steve Miller band on a couple of albums.

After recording his eponymous US solo debut album in 1968 in San Francisco, California, he scored a major triumph in 1976 with his most successful commercial effort to-date, the classic Silk Degrees.

Featuring a smooth, slickly produced sound that many recall as being disco but more accurately anchored on the bridge between pop and soul, the record was a smash hit, anchored by the jazzy lead cut, Lowdown.

(Note: Michael McDonald and Boz Scaggs Live In Manila! is sponsored by ETC Entertainment Channel, 2nd Avenue, Jack TV, Mercedes-Benz, EDSA Shangri-La Manila, RJ 100.3 FM, ABS-CBN and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. The Philippine STAR is among those supporting the concert. Tickets priced at P6,500, P5,500, P4,500, P2,500, P1,000 and P600 are available at Ticketnet [phone 911-5555] outlets at SM Department Stores.)

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