In the first three rounds I felt something was amiss already. Both fighters were very cautious and punches traded were somewhat light, as if one is expecting  the other to start the ball rolling.  Each fighter was waiting for an opportunity but little came.  But many were more expectant of the prediction that Marquez will fall in the said first three rounds as predicted by Pacquiao’s camp and when this did not happen, it greatly disappointed the Pacquiao fans.  Where’s the signature Pacquiao barrage of shots that’s reminiscent of his punching agility? Where’s the brawl, the trading of blows, the slugfest that one would expect from boxing gladiators? Where’s Pacquiao’s arsenal of devastating multi-combination punches that he frequently goes for and with wild abandon at the very least? For Marquez’s case, he tried in a decent attempt, to score as much as he could with stinging jabs and body punches but even then, counter punching is not a convincing factor to win the title from Pacquiao given that he’s the challenger. You have to be decisive and go for the kill.  You have to convince the judges  that you have rightfully earned and deserve it. So when the heat of the battle came towards the end, many wished that the fight shouldn’t have been over yet.  The audience were left hanging.  They wanted more rounds. They want a bruising bout. They wanted blood. They want someone to fall. They want what boxing is all about… war in the ring.  Damn that ending bell.

Nope, this bout isn’t a war. It’s more of a sparring dance. Pacquiao seemed frustrated as Marquez kept his distance with his defence closed as a clam and tight as a drum that he gave Pacquiao no angle for an opening to an attack.  Marquez was also smarter this time as he did well to study Pacquiao’s moves and anticipated his attacks.  Marquez was succesful in keeping Pacquiao at bay and did what he did best which was counter punching.  Marquez read Pacquiao well in so many ways than one that he was able to  anticipate his attacks, maneuver out of the way, avert Pacquiao’s aggressions and instead deliver his own flurries to the consternation of Pacquiao.  Marquez also used better footwork to back away from Pacquiao’s forward advances but then this backtracking appears to be a ploy for whenever Pacquiao inched closer, Marquez would unleash some surprising stinging punches to the head and body halting Pacquiao in his tracks and confusing him further.  The early tirades and threat, that Pacquiao will make Marquez pay for being “disrespectful,” seemed more of a scare tactic than a reality at that point as Pacquiao  probably felt the fulfillment of that threat was becoming more and more of a remote possibility by the way things were not going well for him going into the middle rounds.

Pacquiao knew he was in for a difficult fight and probably decided to wait it out, look for a late opportunity and hope Marquez gets careless or eventually tires himself out before Pacquiao can make his move similar to what Mayweather did to Marquez on their last bout.  But as the fight progressed, Pacquiao was running out of time and Marquez seemed to become stronger and more determined.  Pacquiao had to do something fast for Marquez was gaining a lot of ground and he knew Marquez will not give him the time of day, nor that opportunity to get back in the fight.  In a way Pacquiao probably thought he could lose the fight and this notion may have disturbed him mentally and emotionally. Marquez must have smelled blood and he’s so close to winning he could taste it.  In the end both went for it and slugged it out till the last ebbing second to gain as many precious points each one can muster.  The timing of this slugfest was expected. This is a no-brainer. Both coaches will advise it as no one had a clear advantage, so it seems.  There’s no hedging now, no turning back. If there’s a chance one fighter can knock out the other, this is it in the last round.

And so Pacquiao wins. Congratulations to Pacquiao. Surprised?  Yes I want Pacquiao to win but am I pleased of the way he won? Well so-so. Half of the hometown Filipino boxing enthusiasts themselves couldn’t believe Marquez didn’t clinch the belt. Several spectators, it was mentioned, who were witnessing the live public coverage on several viewing venues, allegedly already left their seats even before the fight was over. “The Mexican won it.”  Reactions heard from  those  individuals.  Even sportscasters and other celebrities alike shared the same idea.  The Nevada Boxing Commission had  it otherwise. They chose the referee and the judges and they stand by their decision.  This is a strange system that no one can question as this is an organization unique on its own.  The  compubox, or the computerized punch counter, indicated that Pacquiao won it otherwise with more punches thrown in his favor, if you can believe that. Marquez was so dismayed by this result that he probably has lost interest in a fourth rematch even as promoter Bob Arum tried to appease him with this consolation by probably dangling more megabucks ”dinero” to entice his appetite. Marquez is so disgusted with the events that in event he decides to throw in the towel and just retire, he will just have to bring to his grave the thought that in his belief he won this fight, but will never enjoy that distinction as he lives. On the other hand, Pacquiao and his camp are swearing and willing to bet that they definitely won the match based on the review of the recorded fight and by counting the number of punches that they claimed were more in their favor.  Pacquiao can also rely on the fact that in the fight video replay, it showed that Marquez was suspected of playing dirty as he stepped on Pacquiao’s foot once too often as noticed by some observant fans and thereby branding Marquez as a cheat.  (But Pacquiao also had his share of stepping on Marquez’s foot . Check it out on YouTube.) Roach belied this fact by saying this foot stepping thing is a normal occurrence for fighters of opposing stance, given that Pacquiao is a southpaw, Marquez is right-handed.  It didn’t bother Pacquiao or the outcome anyway  so Roach dismisses it as an insignificant matter.

Does Pacquiao have issues?  Pacquiao didn’t really want to mix it up with Marquez in or out of the ring in the first place.  He really wanted to avoid this fight as much as he could but had no choice because Flloyd Mayweather Jr. wouldn’t give in to one.  Marquez is the only opponent who gave Pacquiao real headaches. Pundits say both Pacquiao and Marquez are almost evenly matched that these two are living antithesis of each other.  But of the three meetings, this one seems to be the poorest performance yet of Pacquiao.  But boxing pundits further observed that Pacquiao is too preoccupied with many issues that his state-of-mind was not fully focussed in the fight.  He has his political role, his celebrity role and also a family role to handle that he has to balance them altogether.  Off the beat, Pacquiao could be having emotional troubles with his wife and also with his conditioning trainer, Alex Arriza, witnesses said. This story appeared in a small sport column of  a local newspaper and also was mentioned in TV news, stating that sometime before the fight, Pacquiao had a tiff with his wife and Arriza, that could have bothered Pacquiao’s emotional self during the fight.  True or not, this could be a factor why Pacquiao seems to be aloof  then.

Has Pacquiao lost the fire in his eyes? Has he grown old for boxing? Probably not but it may seem so. Pacquiao is so busy with his other roles that one wonders if he still has time to focus on boxing.  Wherever he goes he is mobbed by fans that his training sessions are often interrupted by many distractions.  Maybe because of this Pacquiao is not always 100% in shape, physically or mentally. Fans of Pacquiao have gotten used to seeing him perform with such a high level of performance that the bar was raised too high and that they expect no less than a spectacular result everytime he steps up into the ring.  Maybe this time around Pacquiao was just not in a proper disposition or emotional state-of-mind so I’ll give him the benefit of a doubt.  Or maybe the fans are just not used to seeing Pacquiao win by mere points.  It’s so unusual for a man of his caliber to be just mediocre. If you analyze the match-up situation, Pacquiao has never lost to Marquez yet he never won it by a mile.  It was first a draw, then a split decision and now a majority win but never a unanimous decision nor TKO for that matter.  It’s always a close call, never a clear win.

So whatever it is that’s bothering Pacquiao, if ever he’s bothered at all, he now will have to ponder long and hard for his future if he still has that enthusiasm of a fiery, hungry boxer.  If his future bouts end up with more of the same, eventually the praise and adulation will fade and when they’re all gone, what will become of him?  Will it affect his popularity, his political career or his image as a boxing hero or champion? Maybe not at the moment.  But being ultra rich is not such a bad fallback after all.  Will Pacquiao just settle down and reminisce with his millions he tucked away in his banks or investments?  I don’t think that is his style but let’s wait and see what next in store. More of Marquez or move on to Mayweather? Hey Flloyd Jr., you interested? Now’s your chance!

(Next blog: What strategy Pacquiao could have used to upstage Marquez or Mayweather?)

But am I worried? Maybe just a bit apprehensive. Marquez is the only fighter that gave Pacquiao a hard time. They drew the first fight and Pacquiao only won by split decision the last time they fought. Marquez is a very good counter puncher and he did do damage to Pacquiao a bit. Although Manny decked Marquez several times, he never did knock him out.  Paquiao has a peculiar habit of putting his guard down every time he delivers a flurry of punches, as if resting for a while, adjusting his trunks, while  putting his dukes  down.  Marquez capitalises on this weakness by following it up with several counter punches of his own thereby  piling up the points to almost even.   No wonder Marquez has been harping to anyone who will listen that he actually has beaten Pacquiao and should be proclaimed the real winner.  This has incensed Pacquiao even more and so Manny is hell bent on making Marquez pay for this insult through this upcoming bout for being “disrespectful.”  How coach Freddie Roach trained Pacquiao with a better strategic game plan this time will be the turning point of this battle, to end all battles.

So what makes this fight interesting?  Well the outcome  and what scenario to expect between the rounds will show everyone whether this will be another epic battle or just another walk in the park.  Will Pacquiao stay true to his words? Will Marquez finally step up to his own forecast of beating Pacquiao?  So on with the show and may the best boxer win. Rumble on!

Pineda has gone a long way in such a short time. For him, he gives true meaning to the saying “life begins at forty,” for it was only at this point in life he had a turn for the better. From the many blogs and news articles I’ve read around the net, its amazing to think that he was once homeless and it was only his God given talent that saved him from total despondency and desolation after the death of his sick mother that left his family impoverished from the cost of her medication and health bills. If the numbers serves me right, it took 25 years of his life performing on the circuits, not knowing what would become of his future. Without the technological wonder of the internet, he probably would still be doing the same grind, singing around the many pubs and bars around Manila, trying to eke out a decent living. But being discovered by a famous band, hundred of miles away thru YouTube, is just the miracle anyone in his case would hope for and many are wishing the same would happen to them one day. A Cinderella story, if you may and this is life imitating art as Pineda’s story is similar to the movie called “Rock Star,” also based on a true story of Tim Owens, a cover song singer, who was hired by Judas Priest band to replace its original singer. In such a brief period, from the date of his acceptance to the time they went on tour, Pineda had bonded well with Journey members that when he performs its like he’s been belting those Journey songs like he knew them for the longest of time. Well why not? They said he could mimic most famous male singers from A to Z evidenced by the uploaded clips on YT. He probably could front for other bands too had it not Journey saw him first. (LOL)

Together with the good, you get the bad. It wasn’t an easy climb for Pineda… the stroke of luck being discovered in YT, the amusing tale of how he got his US Visa (the internet has many versions of this), the notion of why he thought he didn’t get the job after the audition and the derogatory, racists remarks he had to deal with from hardcore classic Journey fans. He thought the email or call from Journey’s lead guitar and founder Neal Schon, was a hoax and initially ignored it. He was asked to sing a Journey song by the US Embassy consul during an interview before they gave him a visa. When he finally auditioned for Journey, he wasn’t feeling that well due to the long plane trip, lack of sleep or jetlag and thought he didn’t get the job because the band members weren’t showing any emotion or that they didn’t tell him immediately he got it until after the next day. For the band members Neal Schon (lead guitar), Jonathan Cain (keyboards/guitar), Ross Valory (bass) and Deen Castronovo (drums), they were actually impressed as they thought that Pineda “nailed” it, in reference to hitting the right notes all the time. Now that’s he’s hired, Pineda thought that he probably would just do some recordings and then that’s it. Imagine to his surprise when he was asked to go on tour with them as their new front man. His eyes must’ve bugged out from this news. He almost backed out the last minute when during his first concert in Chile, he found the crowd so “humongous” that he was stricken with massive stage fright prompting him to ask Neal Schon right there and then if he could back out and return to the Philippines instead. I was chuckling a lot from this statement. But according to Cain, after Pineda’s baptism of fire, he made such an impression with the Chileans that people/fans were following him to the airport. Whoa…

Touring with the band on concerts around Europe and the US was definitely a big deal for Pineda. At first excited, then later turned into fits of loneliness and exhaustion became the name of the game for him. It was a grueling tour that nobody in his right mind would think that this is an ideal “dream” job given that you have to give it your all every time you perform on stage and the vocal stress is murder on your throat. Pineda’s voice has become raspier than usual in event and I hope this affliction is not a permanent thing. He eventually had to perform sick on occasions due to weather related changes he was not accustomed to, that they had to cancel one concert when he couldn’t cut it. Accordingly it has been a tour of endless bus rides, plane trips, hotel rooms and stage appearances. No time to stop and smell the roses as Pineda once said he has become too tired to enjoy the trip and has missed a lot. But still they pack them in as there are increasing new fans based on the younger demographic attendees and many came as a family, from the old to the new generation. The concert venues have been consistently sold out or if not at least greater than 95% in sales and that’s more than 60 gigs in the US alone, not an easy feat for a new and unknown Journey front man. Many said they wanted to watch the concert out of curiosity to see/hear the new singer, some said they are old fans of the band, others came for the music and nostalgia but mostly did so because they are the new reborn loyal fans of Journey and they would come even through hell or high water. The concert tour is actually a triple bill feature with bands, Cheap Trick and Heart performing as front acts. Pineda’s participation is so crucial that if either or both of the front acts can’t perform, the show can still go on but if Pineda is indisposed, they have no choice but to cancel or postpone the show.

Phenomenal is the least word I can think of to describe Arnel Pineda and from what he has gone through. Band members Neal Schon and Jon Cain can’t help but express their paternal instinct on Pineda especially when he wasn’t feeling well and easily came to his defense when Pineda came under attack by negative publicity or criticism. Pineda they say is “the real deal” and he has qualms about being a touted as a rock star which he repudiates. He says he wont be a victim of the LSD syndrome (Lead singer’s disease) wherein singers immediately develop a swell head and egotistical attitude the moment they become famous or popular. He has repeatedly said that he was just hired to do a job and that this makes him no different to a mere working employee or an OFW if you will. He says he is not there to replace the the original singer but rather to give justice to Journey’s legacy sound. Although many have commented that Journey has transformed into a karaoke tribute band if its singer is other than the original, you can’t blame them for not letting go or for living in the past but the band must go on and since its Neal Schon who actually is the founding member of Journey, naturally he calls the shots. Now that Pineda was hired, he has endeared himself with the band that in many interviews they say they have changed for the better in certain ways after getting to know Pineda. Wow. Those are bold words of reverence coming from a renowned band bestowed on a humble person of humble beginnings. Very inspiring. I’ve also read that Pineda allegedly said “we started as a band… we ended as brothers.” What a guy.

Pineda was chosen, after the last current singer was let go by Schon, thru an audition as mentioned. But before that there were others who tried before him and accordingly Journey almost hired a different singer but the deal fell through. Suddenly Pineda was placed in the limelight when he was announced as the new front man for Journey. A little bit of history here, when Journey started, they weren’t always successful in terms of music sales. After a change of some band members, specifically its lead singer, it was a new singer in the name of Steve Perry who actually brought Journey into new light. Suddenly they had hits after hits and eventually Steve Perry became “the voice” of Journey. Ironically, the band members at the start didn’t have a liking for Perry as a replacement noting that his singing voice was too thinly high and that they thought he wasn’t right for Journey’s sound. But when Jon Cain got on board, a gifted musician/composer, his collaboration with Perry on some of Journey’s music materials proved to be the gold mine they were looking for. And so Journey as a veritable rock band was born.

There were two other lead vocals that followed after Perry when he couldn’t do the tour anymore. The first was Steve Augeri who sounded also close to Perry’s tonal range. He was eventually replaced by Jeff Scott Soto after Augeri developed throat problems. Of the two, I give Augeri the one who’s a closer Perry clone. For me Soto just sounds somewhat of a baritone than tenor even if he could reach the high registers. Of course his fans would probably disagree with me but that’s my humble opinion so what do I know? That’s also probably why Soto had the shortest stint with Journey as Schon decided to cut him loose for only after a year (some say even shorter, about 6 months). Schon said he and Soto decided to go their separate ways but somewhere in the web journals he mentioned that Soto didn’t represent the legacy sound of Journey. I guess its true that Schon was really looking for a similar Perry voice clone after all although its an open secret that he had some animosity with the likes of Perry. But even then as Schon was browsing thru the internet, looking at tribute bands for a singer, there are a lot of really good Perry look-alikes and sound-alikes that he can have his pick. I tell you these Perry clones are dead ringers from looks to the way they sound. The hardcore Perry fans are all clamoring for Schon to select any of these clones other than Pineda. Honestly had Schon did, Journey would be almost back to their original form and image that it would surely make everybody happy, story closed. But what made Pineda his choice was that Pineda can carry the legacy sound and at the same time hold his own. Schon wanted a different perspective to the new image of Journey and that they had new material they wanted to develop with a fresh outlook and they figured Pineda was the right man for the job. Definitely the clones do look and sound so close to Perry, down to the mannerism and attire, that this is what Schon found so creepy that I guess he didn’t want to be reminded of Perry anymore than he needs to.

Between their vocal ranges Augeri who sounds a lot like Perry, seems to have a weaker tone although similar to Perry, both tend to be nasal (falsetto like) when they reach the high registers. Soto, who sounds close to baritone than tenor to me, can amply reach the high keys but his rendition of certain songs goes awry for he seems to blurt out the high pitch passages in a slur, like he’s just playing around with the notes. No feelings. I can’t really judge them like an open book for I haven’t really seen any of them perform live but I guess the YT clips will suffice if you watch enough. As for Pineda, what can I say? You’ve all heard and read that he has this uncanny resemblance to Perry’s helium high voice that when you close your eyes and listen, its so eerie you’d think its Perry himself singing. The band members have said that he definitely sings the songs more soulfully and with so much passion that it gives them goosebumps every time he sings, especially the power ballads. The difference is that they say his vocals are more powerful than Perry’s. From the many YT clips I’ve seen, you may say I’m biased but there is some truth to what many have echoed, that Pineda is indeed a powerful rock singer more than Perry was. His powerful vocals can even go two octaves higher they say, although I think exaggerated, it does sounds like it. Even heard at one of the concerts, Pineda sounds better than Perry, than Perry himself. And yet another said.. Perry who??? (No disrespect to Perry as he will always be “the voice” of Journey.)

Journey wasn’t always the rock band one would identify as “Hardcore rock” and that rock radio stations then hesitated playing their music on air. They were often categorized as AOR (Album oriented rock) or fusion rock as their music caters more to the “Melodic rock” genre. Their live performances brought about a new style called “Arena rock” as bands performed in huge stadiums over a large audience and were quite popular during the 80s. Their success spawned similar bands that went the same trend and this popular rock genre has never been the same again until its decline towards the 90s. In this day and age, its what they call “sing-along rock” or “karaoke rock” but hey, who’s complaining? I like to sing along to this any day. The music of Journey is actually classic rock in my book. What you want is music that you can remember and that endears to you through the years. Music you’ve listened to as you were growing up through the joys and heartaches of your first love, your cherished high school memories and the moods and emotions you went through to get by your life. The ballads of Journey were so overplayed in many gigs and events such as prom parties and weddings that couples fell romantically nostalgic every time they hear them played. Just go to any Journey concert and see what couples do when Pineda sings the ballads. Couples kiss and embrace while the rest are mesmerized by his rendition, so deep yet he soars, its goosebumps city they said. As I listen to Pineda sing, he doesn’t cut corners and puts every effort in making the songs more meaningful with such a passion as opposed to other tribute singers who seems flat at some point and would just whiz by the song as if in a hurry to get over with the difficult verses. Well that’s the problem and the difference with Pineda and the rest. Many would try to overcome the difficult high notes sounding like a discordant unmelodious wail, while Pineda would emphatically express every note and every key with such clarity that his passages and transitions are so smooth that its full of emotion. You can’t help but get into the song, so if you want to watch a Journey concert and sit down, you better bring a periscope for everybody will probably be standing, dancing and singing.

Journey’s musical style although seemingly a pop-melodic, hard rock band, replete with electric guitars, synthesizers and other electrically amplified instruments, often transcends the borders of pop, fusion, hard rock and ballad rock, which I would more often refer to as a form of progressive rock. Their music is pleasing almost soothing to the soul whether fast paced and snappy, or a slow and smooth but power filled ballad. One can easily jive with their music but what I like most about their music style is that many of their songs have a bridge transition different from its original verse structure towards the end of each song, as the melody and the phase shift has a haunting effect on the listener and leaves one replaying the song over and over to get back that feeling again. When listening to Pineda as he renders his own interpretation of each song, especially the new materials, at first the songs don’t appear to be that catchy until you listen to it again and again till it grows on you and then the addiction begins. His vocals really soar in many parts of several songs so you end up replaying that portion over again that many are now declaring to each his own favorites. The combination of Jon Cain and Neal Schon’s collaboration in many of their music compositions have proved to be a formidable pair as both are very accomplished musicians. Cain is such a versatile instrument player while Schon is acclaimed to be a guitar “god”, who can shred those guitar strings so clean, bend and sustain those melodic keys, then strum the rhythm while filling in the ad libs, is just the envy of all guitar hero players and the frustration of the hopefuls. When both collaborate on a song material, you can easily distinguish the Journey recipe formula from the mix of the piano, lead guitar and vocals of Pineda, who never fails to bring out his soaring tenor signature. Bring in the dexterous bass playing of Valory and the heart thumping percussion of Castronovo and you have an absolute winner. This is music that caters to the young and young once, music that breathes, is alive and fills the moments of your life.

The newly refreshed and invigorated band has been re-energized with the addition of Pineda and it shows when they perform live. Their bonding is so close that they poke fun at each other during some of their performances yet without missing a beat. They have nothing but praise for each other especially Pineda who has to dish it out almost every night that he has to set the mood right or else the whole thing would be nothing more than a country fair show. He energizes his performances with runs, spins, jumps from the drum riser and tosses and flips the microphone while catching it in mid air. He goes from stage end to another in a flash yet he still sings with ease, high-fiving the crowd although halfway through the show, you can see he gets a bit exhausted. Night after night its been nothing short of incredible as described by concert goers in the Journey blogs and forums. Many have developed an addiction to Journey that they have coined a term for this disease called “Arnelitis”, “Journeyitis” or even “Journeyholics.” The term has been sweeping the web forums that clubs are being formed to treat the stricken members. (LOL)

The summer tour series has earned Journey more than $20 million in sales. (Hmm.. I wonder how much Pineda’s share was?) So maybe from this success this will put a clamp on the hate messages about Pineda, but from the forums I’ve scanned, so far hostilities against him have diminished but there are still those that persist. The loyal Perry fans/Pineda haters will have nothing to do with his success, the success of the concerts, nor will they listen to or buy their new album. Even editorial journalists are not exempted from being biased and one example is an interviewer for Rolling Stone magazine who edited Pineda’s Q&A and placed him in a bad light. Then there are some who are not Pineda fans who bought/listened to the album but found it surprisingly good and have openly accepted it. These are people who know what good music is all about while the rest chose to be deaf and dumb simply because they can’t accept the fact that the heir to Perry’s throne is not an American nor Caucasian. But what’s fascinating is that there are other doubters who watched the concert and were overly impressed, then decided they are not Pineda haters anymore and declared peace with him. Someone said that a hater who secretly attended the concert has now converted but remained a closet Pineda fan for fear of reprisal from his peers. There’s probably more converts out there we haven’t heard from yet and that’s good news for Pineda. As for myself, if Pineda was Caucasian and had the looks of Tom Cruise, I’m 99.9% sure these bigoted hypocrites will be extolling him to high heavens.

Their new album called “Revelation” has been a hit and they say it has reached platinum record in sales. This album has also been nominated in the classic rock album of the year. The double CD plus a video DVD makes it a triple treat for a bargain price of less than $12. Included here are the supposedly “dirty dozen” or the best of Journey songs for one cd set (less 1, maybe the popular “Send Her My Love” is missing) and a whole new set of 11 songs for the other cd set (1 re-recorded), all recorded by Pineda on vocals. Its only available on Wal-Mart and Sam’s club aside from the website orders in the US and its been out-of-stock always the moment new deliveries arrive (according to Wal-Mart sales people). Whew, that’s some wicked album if I may say so. Its now finally available in the Philippines but sad to say it doesn’t come with the video DVD and I’ve heard the same applies to the European release.

So its been quite a “journey” for Mr. Pineda, a guy plucked from obscurity and transformed to US rock stardom in less than a year. An achievement that culminates years for one to attain. Many have tried but few have succeeded. Sometimes you don’t choose your destiny but it chooses you. What Pineda underwent was a test of wills and resilience. The tour was definitely demanding and I hope the J-boys don’t schedule their gigs like they did again. It’s more difficult on Pineda for it is his vocal chords that will be strained more often as Journey songs are very stressful to sing and this will surely degrade or damage his chords. Its happened to Augeri and I hear even Mr. Perry himself can’t reach the high registers anymore (I guess more so because of his age). With a very hectic schedule, singing almost every night, sometimes in succession, compounded by a lot of traveling, is really too much when you have to perform in more than 60 cities. I would suggest they schedule no more than three times a week to rest Pineda’s vocals. If not every other day, maybe from Thursday to Saturday would be good so that the rest of the week Pineda can recuperate. But now their tour is over and everybody deserves a good rest, I hope they recover well enough for their next tour and hopefully they visit Asia for a change.

In one of Pineda’s YT clips when he was still performing with his old band The Zoo, he made a remark in jest wishing this certain someone could help him get a US visa so he could try his luck in the States. Well be careful what you wish for, for Pineda just got what he wanted and he got more than he bargained for. They say when it rains, it pours but for Pineda, its more like being hit by a Tsunami. So here’s to Arnel Pineda and the J-boys. Let’s wish them well and hope they have more success to come.

But what makes Charice click? Let me put that another way, what makes her tick? Aside from her singing, that is, because there are many more young talents out there that can do just the same. Is it the quality of her voice? The power of her vocals? The range of her pitch? Many would say its all that and more. But judging from the comments of others, they say its her being a down-to-earth, humble and simple person . If she wasn’t as cute as she is or her stage persona was staid, then maybe we’d all be singing a different tune. Articles say its probably that cute doe-eyed belter in her that makes her stand out but I think its because of her exotic Asian feature that makes her so lovable to foreigners. Performance wise, in many of her songs, you’d often see her singing to the top of her lungs and confidently ambivalent in her actions. She mesmerizes the audience with her performance as well, as if wielding a wand and putting everyone under a spell. What amazes you is that with such a diminutive figure, you are struck in awe by the power of her vocals, the maturity of its texture and the ease of her transition from one note to another as if you’re on a musical roller-coaster ride. Although in her earlier videos when she was a year younger or so, she seemed to be exaggerating her vocal renditions as if emulating to sound like that of a woman rather than that of a girl that she really is. I don’t really blame her as many of her song choices demand it. But some pundits and critiques alike (Youtube mostly) are all too quick to criticize her style as “trying hard” or overkill. That probably was the same reaction based on the judging results (viewer audience voting thru text) saw in her that she only placed 3rd on Little Big Star, one of the first big local talent show she joined then hoping that this would be her big break. In my opinion I think it was a fair call for at that time her voice wasn’t that developed yet and her competitors were also pretty good so no sense crying foul. But she never stopped trying and it took a video of her performance in a Korean talent show that was uploaded to Youtube that eventually put her on the map. Yes everyone then wanted a piece of her, to guest in their show, that is. From then on she has been phenomenal not to mention the accolades and the outpouring of praises she has received from all walks of life. Currently she has matured much and sounds a lot better now. Her tone has developed depth and her vocal power has more punch than ever. Impressive is too kind a word to describe this little belter. She emanates such a strong confidence on stage that she seems more at ease performing than holding a conversation. Oohh.. I wish she would do something about her conversational skills. English grammar is not her strongest trait but lets hope the private home schooling I hear she’s getting will help. Can I apply as her tutor? (LOL).

She’s been a hit everywhere she goes, including the high celebrity parties she attends. While jet-setting around the world, she never fails to draw a crowd that mill around her either for autographs or to express praise. She’s been a darling to talkshow hosts’ Ellen DeGeneres, Oprah Winfrey, Paul O’Grady and now taken under the wings of renowned Grammy, multi-awarded composer David Foster. She was practically the only unknown celebrity to guest on his special show at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods, Connecticut and at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas. David Foster even teased the audience during his introduction of Charice that Oprah called to ask if Charice could guest on his show while on Oprah’s show, she said the opposite and that it was David Foster who recommended to have Charice as her guest. All this was to add an element of surprise because she was a virtual unknown and yet she possesses a special talent leading to her being a special guest amongst a lineup of heavyweights. Naturally after her stint, the audience were on their feet, so amazed of her command performance, teary eyed, cheering and so the plot was hatched. They couldn’t get enough. They’ve never seen or heard anything like it. Fil-ams who attended the Vegas concert but oblivious of Charice’s popularity, got the shock of their lives when David Foster introduced her as coming from the Philippines, became ecstatic as they shrieked and screamed for joy. One was overheard saying, she couldn’t imagine a Filipino was part of the performance and that it makes her feel very proud of her roots. Charice was an instant star with many of the newly converted fans asking around if she has a CD release they can buy. For me I prefer if the CDs have videos of Charice for there is nothing compared to watching her perform as you listen to her sing. It takes your breath away to see this little child diva perform like a pro. Imagine receiving commendations from the likes of Andrea Bocelli, Michael Buble’ and Josh Groban who I think is now so fond of her given the good word he has to say in many of his interviews and that he can’t resist watching her perform from the sidelines. Who could? Even Mr. Bocelli upon hearing her sing on the monitor of his dressing room insisted that he be brought backstage to be the first to congratulate her when she stepped offstage. Wise was David foster to have her as the penultimate performer before Groban or else she would’ve upstaged many of the other talents. “How could you follow that act?” he gushed. Luckily Groban could.

And so what’s next for Charice? More TV show guestings? Recording contracts? More concerts? Maybe some movie offers? And to think sometime ago her mother almost had to beg producers to have Charice as guest on the shows of ABS-CBN, her home network sponsor, but now has a schedule so full that I read somewhere they had to back out of an invitation to guest perform on the American Idol final show opposite pinoy AI ejectee, Renaldo Lapuz (This issue appeared in blogs but not confirmed). Last I’ve heard before this post, she was in the US recently to grace the Philippine Independence Day Parade affairs in New York and in California. So yes, the future looks bright indeed for this little charmer. So do you think she could maintain this cute, adorable girl image the moment she ages a bit? Do you think people will still fancy her after she has matured? Well only time will tell but as for now her destiny seems to be headed for greatness so enjoy it all Charice.

Update – Charice performed in Italy for the birthday celebration concert of Euro pop tenor, Andrea Bocelli and also at the 100th Anniversary of Feyenoord Soccer Club in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Charice was back as guest for the second time on Oprah Winfrey show with David Foster and then at Edmonton, Alberta for the “David Foster & Friends ‘HARMONY.’” She was invited by Celine Dion to perform on one of her New York concerts at Madison Square Garden after they met on Oprah via video conference. She sang at the 13th Annual Andre Agassi Foundation’s Grand Slam for Children benefit concert at the Wynn Las Vegas. She guest performed on Macy’s 150th year anniverssary and was a special guest on David Foster’s birthday dinner celebration. Again with David Foster they graced the black tie annual gala event, Carousel of Hope 2008. Featured guest with David Foster on GMA (Good Morning America). Charice was especially requested to sing “God Bless America” in three of the pre-inaugural party events of President Obama. E! Channel’s entertainment news program has recently crowned Charice a “Hollywood Royalty.” (Please check Charice’s official blog site for further developments.)

But in dire times, with the US financial crisis, global recession, price of oil skyrocketing(edited) and practically everything rising, politicians are clamoring for a change for texting to be cost free again claiming that telecom companies have been amassing windfall profits from this success that they say its time to give back some of its gains to its customers.  Naturally, telecom companies have cried foul arguing that government should not meddle into private business or else they will threaten to cancel their text capability and offer only voice calls alone which is more expensive to the consumers.  This scenario definitely will spell the doom of texting and cellphone sales, at least for Philippine users if one imagines this as the final outcome.  Looking at this matter closely, do you think this doomsday scenario will hold true?  Let’s list the possibilities;

1. If telecoms decide to cut their text function, don’t you think this will be an opportunity for other competitors to come in and offer the same for less?  Surely text addicts will gravitate towards those companies that have more to offer.

2. Some telecoms already offer free or unlimited texting and voice calls for a fixed fee like Sun Cellular and other small telecoms so this threat may not create a big stir but rather a blessing for others.  So why doesn’t the majority patronize these free text/unlimited voice call systems?  Answer – quality of service.  Apparently the systems used here are yet unreliable that people would rather pay more for good service than less but saddled with bad benefits.

3. Telecoms that refuse to budge, may eventually have to reevaluate their strategies if they want to be competitive in the long run without losing their grip on their fortunes so they may have to offer some sort of benefit or discount one way or another lest they lose their competitive edge and margin of profitability.  Eventually if those telecoms offering free text improve on their technology and quality of service, it would be a matter of time before the public shifts to them.

To level the playing field, I think it would be best if telecoms just offered cheaper text fees rather than totally free.  To give an example, it takes about 2 seconds to send a text message costing 1 peso, compared to a cell phone call of 1 minute costing around 6 pesos and in doing so, a text message uses less system resources than a cellphone call.  Thereby if we are to make an analogy from this example, it would take about 30 text messages to equal a cellphone call so that would mean a 6 peso call equalling 30 text messages or 5 text messages per peso.   Now this would be great if all telecoms follow this formula.  But telecoms would definitely have their own formulas to counter or debunk this theory altogether.  Probably their stake is that this is not always the case and I’m guessing their claim would be that a phone call is dedicated to a single connection while text messages makes a new connection every send so more stress to the system and blah, blah, blah, etc.  Its going to be a never ending jargon of reasons defending why its not possible to lower their text charges.

Some telecoms claim that they do offer unlimited texting promos already so there’s no need to lower costs.  But don’t be fooled by this.  The catch here is that you are made to pay a considerable fee for a very limited time to avail of this promo so you are forced to text more than the value you paid for or else you lose in the exchange.  This promo is mostly advantageous to the juvenile crowd who treat texting like a game rather than a communication facility.  Furthermore, complaints are mounting that the time-life validity of the prepaid load is too short that many say the few credits they have left are suddenly eaten up as soon as the period is up.  The thing is, you get no warning what-so-ever (unless you conscientiously check your daily balance) so you just hope that you consume all your credits before the time’s up.  But a congressman has recently made new accusations that it is not true telecoms don’t charge “dropped calls” as they claim.  Allegedly,  there are instances where telecoms have charge dropped calls if your connection is less than (I think) 5 seconds.   This is another matter to verify because I for one will cry foul the moment its proven true.  So everyone check your billings and be aware, but for prepaid subscribers without billing statements, you have to figure out how to check this as you are the most vulnerable victims.  In these trying times, if telecoms can’t show some credible proof as to why they can’t lower their charge or refuse to offer a compromise, well there’s always a choice…  stay and bear with it, go for the competition or give up the service.