Fearless Productions founders Ronald Singson and Jomari Yllana first got hooked on Marie Digby online, mesmerized by her version of Umbrella on YouTube. Last Wednesday, the Irish-Japanese beauty landed on Philippine shores and two hours after she got out of the plane, she was whisked off to Podium mall where she faced the media and fans alike.
“All of this is still so surreal to me,” said Marie (pronounced Mah-ree-yay) during our one-on-one TV interview before the meet and greet that her record company MCA Universal and Fearless Productions arranged for her. “When I posted that video of mine, all I wanted was to put it out there so other people could appreciate it.” Well, “people out there” happened to number more than 13 million — and counting. With numbers that staggering and a voice that soothing, Marie Digby soon recorded an album, the second of which, entitled “Breathing Underwater,” is what she came here to the Philippines to promote.
In her posters for the show, she has a resemblance to Catherine Zeta-Jones. In person, she looks like a mix of Bjork and Jones. But in contrast to the cold exteriors that the previously mentioned females exude, Marie Digby emanates a more soulful and down-to-earth vibe. When I mentioned to her that it is now her fans who post cover versions of her songs online, her eyes lit up and she told me excitedly how flattered she was about it. “I still get a kick out of knowing that and I really check them online — it makes me really happy to know my music touches them.”
“We know she’s gonna be bigger, so before she soars higher, we want the Philippine audience to experience her artistry,” said Singson, also the man behind the Metro card Club, presenters for tonight’s concert. Singson’s first international artist project with business partner Yllana was the back-to-back David Cook and Archuleta concert.
Tonight, she leaps out of our computer screens as she performs live for her Manila audience, singing previous hit songs from her first album “Unfold” such as Umbrella, Say It Again, and Stupid For You, plus her newest single, Avalanche from her latest album.
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Supreme is giving out 10 tickets to 10 lucky readers. To find out how to get free tickets to tonight’s concert at the NBC Tent, Fort Bonifacio, log on to www.twitter.com/iamtimyap. The first and lucky 10 to log on gets the prize.