Coco Martin held a thanksgiving/birthday/10th anniversary bash Wednesday night at the Cities Restaurant along Sgt. Esguerra Street in Quezon City, just a stone’s throw away from ABS-CBN network where he is regarded as one of its prized artists. Coco started his career as an indie actor but when fate beckoned and he found himself getting signed up by the Kapamilya network, it was then that his career hit the stars.
When Coco arrived at the party, the invited press people swarmed to him like ants which saw sugar. The actor is well-loved by the entertainment press. Despite his success, Coco remains level-headed. Success hasn’t gone into his head. Those who know of his humble beginnings, such as his struggles as an indie actor, can attest to the fact that Coco has remained grounded since day one. No wonder, he is well-loved and admired, not only by the press, but also by his peers.
Coco’s party, which was hosted by Vice Ganda, drew a lot of well-wishers, including his ABS-CBN boss Cory Vidanes, award-winning director Olivia Lamasan, fellow actors Albert Martinez, KC Concepcion, Julia Montes, and Ronnie Lazaro, among others.
The star’s most recent teleserye “Ikaw Lamang” ended last Friday with a bang, garnering a huge chunk of the ratings based on Kantar Media, beating the opposition to a pulp. But Coco, true to his humble style, would thank the Lord for the blessings and the support of his fans. He did figure in a controversy with Bench but chose to eat humble pie by apologizing even if he was not the one at fault. That humility makes Coco a standout.
Happy birthday, Coco! And we wish you more success in your future endeavors.
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Arnel Pineda, the Pinoy lead singer of the international rock band Journey, is busy with his new “baby” – the Asian Music Camp which was launched October 25 at the Edsa Shangrila Hotel in Mandaluyong City. Helping Arnel put up this project is Sanre Entertainment owned by Rene Walter and Laura Sanchez.
The Asian Music Camp is a music talent competition for bands from countries from all over Asia. The bands will need to submit their raw music videos at www.asianmusiccamm.com and it’s the public who will vote online for their favorite band. Submission of entries and voting will start on January 1, 2015 and will end on March 15, 2015.
The winning band will get cash, a recording deal and management contract worth a US$1 million.
The Asian Music Camp is Arnel’s way of giving back to his fellow musicians who are dreaming to have a career and becoming a star. But before he embarked on this project, Arnel was offered by Sanre Entertainment to film his life story.
According to Rene Walter, the moving force behind Sanre, they are setting aside a budget of US$22 million for the Hollywood biofilm of Arnel. The filmbio will be different from the 2012 documentary film about Journey’s and Arnel’s entry to the group as its new vocalist titled “Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey.”
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Thru Ciso Chan, executive of Curve Entertainment Company, we met young and aspiring singer Miguel Antonio.
Miguel was born and raised in the Philippines but when he was eight, his family relocated to Singapore. At an early age, he discovered that he has a talent in singing so he joined singing contests in school.
In 2011, he joined TV5’s “Talentadong Pinoy International,” hosted by Ryan Agoncillo. He was the youngest contestant then but he held his own against more experienced and elder competitors. Young as he was, he did not think of the contest as a stepping stone for showbiz. He just came home to the Philippines then to visit and to experience what it was like to be in a contest. Aside from that stint, he also appeared in the Asian TV Awards in Singapore in December 2012 where he sang “I Dream A Dream.”
Miguel feels that he is destined to sing all his life. He also composes his own songs, although most of them are unfinished. His Pinay mom, together with his Singaporean manager, was in Manila recently to meet with the record executives of ABS-CBN Star Records to explore the possibility of recording a CD lite. He is only 13 and is a first year high school student in Singapore.
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Human, the Philippines’ go-to shop for cutting edge clothing, joins forces with Tokyo-based Filipino menswear brand Jman. The Human x Jman Collection elevates street style to a whole new level by drawing inspiration from the hip streets of Tokyo and fusing designs with a touch of local flavor. Shot on location at Tokyo’s Shinagawa Station Area and Tennozu Isle Bridge, campaign materials for the collection put the spotlight on neutral-colored pieces armed with print accents. Function and comfort take centerstage with easy to mix staples that scream uniqueness and style.
The Human x Jman Collection was officially launched October 26 at Philippine Fashion Week. Nine models from Japan flew in to participate in the event. Among them, Ko Nakano graced the runway as the face of the campaign.
Also launched last Sunday was the new creations for Kashieca with the theme Little Black Dress. Kashieca answers the woes of stylish Filipinas who still haven’t found the LBD of their dreams.
Collaborating with five different designers—whose aesthetics are sophisticated and classy as they are diverse — to create their own versions of the LBD suitable for the young, to the young at heart, and the playful to the streamlined sexy. The line, aptly called “Kashieca x LBD,” headlines Bea Samson, Maureen Disini, Milka Quin, Sassa Jimenez and Vania Romoff and their unique take on the iconic black dress.