February 2013 / Fortnightly – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition
CELEBRITY, SHOWBIZ & ENTERTAINMENT
www.hello-philippines.com
HELLO PHILIPPINES
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Colton Dixon releases debut album ahead of Manila concert with Jessica Sanchez
EVEN as anticipation for her upcoming Valentine’s concert at the Big Dome reaches fever pitch, Jessica Sanchez is reminding everyone to also support her special guest. “Please go support and get @coltondixon album today! Amazing music,” she tweeted early Wednesday morning (Manila time) in reference to her fellow “American Idol” finalist. And the album she’s referring to is Colton’s debut release “A Messenger”, now available in CDs at Astroplus and Odyssey Music & Video or online via iTunes or www. MyMusicStore.com.ph. Colton, the 21-year old skunk-haired fan favorite from Murfreesboro, Tennessee who placed seventh in the 11th season of “Idol”, is a singer-songwriter who is partial to rock and Christian music, which explains the stylized crucifix in the “t” in his logo. He admitted that work on “A Messenger” started immediately after his elimination in the reality competition series, which no less than judge Steven Tyler found as “beyond shocking”.
During the subsequent “American Idols Live tour” that featured all finalists as co-headliners, Colton became the first ever contestant to perform an original song onstage. “The tour knew I had been in writing sessions since I was eliminated. I probably had 20, 25 songs at that point,” he told USA Today in a recent interview. After the tour’s producers told him to pick one of his original songs that he can perform in the set, he wrote “Never Gone” with Andy Dodd, Adam Watts and Gannin Arnold a little over one week before the tour started. “I was like, ‘I really feel strongly about this one’,” Dixon enthused. “I don’t know if it was because I had just written it or if I thought it would fit the arena style. But they really liked it, so it worked.” An uplifting power ballad, “Never Gone” was heard by over 360,000 fans on the tour and was an immediate hit digital single, selling 21,000 units in its first week before peaking at number 1 on the iTunes Christian and Gospel singles chart as well as Billboard’s Christian Digital Songs and Christian/Gospel Digital Songs charts.
More importantly, the phenomenal success of the song also placed him in a very unique and elite company: He and and Jennifer Hudson are the only 7th place finalists in “Idol” history to reach number 1 on a Billboard chart. Proving that he’s no one-hit wonder, Colton released a follow-up single, the equally inspirational “You Are”, which again peaked at the top spot on the said charts. It was also selected as USA Today’s Song of the Week last October. With the release of “A Messenger”, Colton became only the second finalist from Season 11 to release a full-length album that contains original material, after winner Phillip Phillips. Dixon said out of the more than 50 songs that he wrote after his “Idol”, 11 made it to the album. One track, “Rise”, was written with Chris Daughtry, another “AI” alumnus. Other noteworthy tracks include the power rock “Noise” which he co-penned with producer Busbee (Daughtry, Pink, Switchfoot, Smash Mouth), “I’ll Be The Light” featuring renowned Nashville-based songwriter Zac Maloy (Daughtry,
Jessica Sanchez tweeed this photo of herself and Colton Dixon rehearsing a song for their upcoming Valentine concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Plain White T’s) and “This Is Who I Am” that he co-wrote with Dave Bassett (Shinedown). “Shape Of Your Love” is also added as a bonus track in Colton’s Philippine CD release. “Calling the album ‘A Messenger’ was a good way for me to put things in perspective in terms of my personal faith, to make sure people realize, that while I am sharing honest emotions and experiences based on this,” he noted.
“The album moves along like a rollercoaster ride. There are not two songs that sound alike, which is something I worked hard to achieve and am excited about. Working with my amazing team of writers and producers. I wanted to share different experiences that I’ve gone through, the lows and the high. I wanted to shed some hope on people no matter what they’re going through.” As for Jessica Sanchez’s upcoming concert in Manila which features Colton as her special guest, it seems like no less than the headliner is more excited about it. “You ready, Manila?” she again tweeted late Wednesday morning as she also posted a picture of her and Colton rehearsing for what appears to be a duet, which should be one of the highlights of the big event. Presented by MCA Music, Ovation Productions and Bench Philippines, “Jessica Sanchez Live In Concert with special guest Colton Dixon” will take place on February 14, Valentine’s Day, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. For ticket inquiries, visit www.ticketnet.com.ph to buy tickets online. ■ InterAksyon // January 30, 2013
The Celebrity Obsession With Coconut Water Is Changing Life In The Philippines
PHILIPPINE farmer Liezl Balmaceda has never heard of Madonna, but the US pop star’s endorsement of coconut water may help change her impoverished life for the better. After centuries of replenishing Filipinos, the mineral-rich liquid has become a must-have health drink thanks to aggressive marketing by a beverage industry looking to offset soda sales that have lost their fizz. Balmaceda, 33, and her husband process truckloads of coconuts at their backyard each week to get the meat that is turned into vegetable oil. The arduous labour earns the family of five about $9 a day, barely enough to get by.
“We just throw the water away when we extract the copra (coconut meat). But if you tell me people actually pay money to drink it, we could use the extra cash,” she told AFP in rural Mulanay town, four hours’ drive south of Manila. In his most recent state of the nation address, President Benigno Aquino hailed coconut water as one of the country’s most promising new export opportunities. He cited industry figures showing exports jumping more than nine-fold to 16.76 million litres (4.4 million gallons) in 2011. Manila-based Fruits of Life is one local business to have started profiting from the growing
Will a Filipina make it to the top? 23-year-old Stephanie Retuya from San Pedro, Laguna is one of three model aspirants who made it to the finale of the Asia-Pacific reality show “Asia’s Next Top Model.” Retuya, together with Kate Ma of Taiwan and Jessica Amorinkuldilok of Thailand, will compete for a modeling contract, a working trip to London, a cover shoot with fashion magazine Harper’s Bazaar Singapore, and 100,000 SGD, among others. Model Nadya Hutagalung serves as “Asia’s Next Top Model’s” head judge. Retuya is the only Filipina in the competition that saw 13 other models from countries such as India, Singapore, South Korea, and Japan, among others, vying for the
first Asia’s Next Top Model title. The Pinay model wasn’t a frontrunner in the competition, having landed at the bottom two of the weekly photo shoot challenges five times. She’s usually criticized for playing too safe during photo shoots and her lack of confidence. However, Retuya managed to get two callbacks (out of five) during the go-see challenge, where the models are asked to audition for actual modeling jobs. “Asia’s Next Top Model” is based on the popular US reality show “America’s Next Top Model” (ANTM). While no Filipina has made it in the show’s past 19 seasons, Filipinos have made significant appearances on “ANTM” the past few years. Filipino designers such as
appreciation in the West for coconut water as an alternative to sugar-laden carbonated drinks. “People have become more health-conscious in general,” said Phoebe de la Cruz, sales manager for Fruits of Life. “Athletic types have taken to coco water for its natural electrolytes.” Fruits of Life, which began exporting its own branded product in 2006, now exports about 240 tonnes in cans and tetra packs a year directly to supermarket chains in the United States and Canada. The biggest players in the global beverage industry, including CocaCola and Pepsi, have also jumped
Pinay among ‘Asia’s Next Top Model’ top three finalists
Michael Cinco and Francis Libiran designed clothes for the show’s photo challenges, while celebrities Georgina Wilson and Anne Curtis have made cameos. The winner of “Asia’s Next Top Model” will be revealed on Sunday, February 17 on Star World, with “Top Model” franchise creator Tyra Banks slated to make an appearance. ■ Southeast Asia Newsroom
into the coconut water health drink craze in recent years. ZICO, a US coco water brand majority owned by Coca-Cola, has supermodel Gisele Bundchen and basketball star Kevin Garnett as its endorsers. Meanwhile, pop stars such as Madonna and Rihanna, as well as baseball player Alex Rodriguez, are among celebrity shareholders in Vita Coco, one of the other major brands. Its 0.33-litre (11-ounce), $3 drink is touted as a healthier alternative to energy drinks for athletes and the company boasts an office in New York’s Flatiron District. The Philippines is already the world’s biggest exporter of coconut products. Big Philippine mills have for years processed desiccated coconut meat and turned it into powder for baking biscuits, snack bars, cakes and pastries. Coconut flesh is also turned into vegetable oil used for cooking and in a range of common household products, including bath soap. Supply is not a problem in the Philippines with 350 million coconut
trees growing from the beaches up to its hills and yielding 15 billion fruits a year, according to industry regulator the Philippine Coconut Authority. In the Philippines, coconut water remains a popular, cheap drink, with stalls selling it straight from the fruit—a common site throughout the big cities as well as the countryside. However, because of a lack of demand as well as the costs required to process and preserve it, the water had never been profitable enough to sell overseas, Philippine Coconut Authority chief Euclides Forbes told AFP. “From mere waste it’s being turned into gold,” Forbes said. Nevertheless, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said that while coconut water holds the potential of improving the lot of impoverished Filipino coconut farmers, logistical issues held the industry back. “The demand is huge. The only problem is how to bring the liquid to the processing centres before it spoils, since most coconut farms are in hilly areas without good roads,” Alcala said. Meanwhile, some farmers remain sceptical that they will cash in on the Western craze, citing the fact they have remained poor for decades while big business has profited from other coconut exports. Among them is Rodolfo Aquino, 68, who is paid by traders to haul coconuts by ox-drawn cart about two hours’ drive from Manila. “Whether they want the meat and water or just the meat, we get paid the same,” Aquino told AFP. ■