Kimpoy Feliciano: Twitter sensation

Answered prayer: Zsa Zsa’s tumor benign

BREAKING NEWS:  Barely 48 hours after she underwent a five-hour laparoscopy at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills Monday morning, Aug. 23 (10 p.m. Manila Time, also Monday), Zsa Zsa Padilla (photo) is thanking those who prayed (and keep on praying) for her speedy recovery.

Here’s her latest text message to Funfare:

Isn’t it amazing news that it turned out to be benign? Thank God. I am still in the hospital and so many of my nurses are Filipino. They are taking very good care of me. Such a blessing that so many people prayed for me and God has answered all our prayers.

The tumor (as big as a golf ball) taken out of Zsa Zsa’s left kidney was initially diagnosed to be Stage 1 cancer. Obviously, the post-surgery biopsy showed otherwise.

As Zsa Zsa told Funfare, she will be home perhaps by first week or middle of September.

***

• Ang galing mo din, ‘no? Hindi mo pa ako binabato, tinamaan na ako sa’yo!

• Birthday ba kita? Kasi simula n’ung makilala kita, noon nagsimula ang buhay ko!

• Sana naging parachute ka na lang para-chute ka dito sa puso ko!

Pick-up lines from Boy Pick-Up (Ogie Alcasid’s alter-ego in the GMA gag show Bubble Gang)?

Guess again.

Those are among the favorite pick-up lines of Kim Paolo “Kimpoy” Feliciano, 19 (on Dec. 18 last year), considered one of the most influential Filipinos on Twitter according to social media analytics site Klout.com, ranked third in the survey in which he was the only non-TV star. Kimpoy’s claim to fame also includes the 2012 Globe Tatt Awards’ Thought Mover Award for his “nuggets of wisdom,” and his having been adjudged No. 1 YouTube Leader in the 4th Annual Shorty Awards held in New York, besting other local and international celebrities.

Of course, Kimpoy is also proud of his having performed as part of the ensemble of the musical Miss Saigon (as reported in Funfare two years ago) during its staging in New Zealand where the Feliciano family migrated four years ago.

Even with his back turned, people won’t miss Kimpoy

Kimpoy is home for two weeks not only for a sentimental visit but to record his debut album for Universal Records, containing covers of both English and OPM songs, some of which he just might do when he appears as guest on this Sunday’s edition of the GMA variety show Party Pilipinas.

Describing himself as “sabik for home,” Kimpoy said his family initially stayed in Palmerstone and moved to Dunedin after two years. He’s the second of four siblings. It was his father’s work (in mining) that transplanted the family from Malolos, Bulacan to New Zealand. He was a high school junior at Holy Spirit in Malolos and graduated in New Zealand. He’s currently a Business Management sophomore at the University of Otago.

“I’m more of a dancer than a singer,” admitted Kimpoy during a one-on-one at Cocoon Hotel (Scout Tobias, off Timog Avenue, Quezon City). “’Yung singing, initially pang-sarili ko lang. ‘Yung dancing, I was a member of a dance troupe in school here in the Philippines. I continued dancing with a dance group in New Zealand. We perform in events.”

It was a kababayan, Tina Braganza, who encouraged Kimpoy to audition for Miss Saigon in which Tina played Kim. He was cast as one of the Vietnamese soldiers. Then, he performed in other musicals including That’s Entertainment and Ma Baker’s Tonic.

So how’s life in New Zealand?

“Masayang-malungkot,” said Kimpoy. “Masaya because it’s a new life for us and malungkot because most of my friends are here. My dad has stopped working in the mines and he put up a cleaning (janitorial service) company. I help in the family business.”

It was Carlo Orosa who discovered Kimpoy on Twitter and paved the way for Kimpoy to do an album for Universal Records. (Kimpoy is managed by Orion Entertainment; for inquiries, e-mail at [email protected].)

If ever he pursues a career here (“Maybe after I finish college,” said Kimpoy), he hopes to follow in the footsteps of Christian Bautista and Sam Concepcion, his idols.

Meanwhile, you can connect with Kimpoy through the websites Tumblr, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

* * *

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. You may also send your questions to [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos visit http://www.philstar.com/funfareor follow me on www.twitter/therealrickylo.)