Maricar Reyes Biography, Profile and Picture Gallery

Maricar Reyes is a commercial model-turned-TV actress, she played “Candy” in ABS-CBN’s series “I love Betty La Fea” as Armando’s (John Lloyd) first love. Maricar is a familiar face in television as she is the ethereal Ponds endorser. Maricar is not only a beautiful face, she is also brainy. She is a practicing Doctor and when not on television, She is attending to her regular day job as an ‘anti-aging doctor’.

After doing a VTR for a fastfood company commercial, Johnny Manahan of Star Magic (a talent management handling ABS-CBN stars) saw and took keen notice of her. Prior to that, she appeared once on “ASAP ’08” and “Wowoweee.” She didn’t receive any follow-up invitation from the Kapamilya network thereafter.

A self-confessed health nut, Maricar spends at least three times a week in the gym for weight training. This, according to her, is another department in her life that she really loves. As for diets, the former Ponds commercial model stays away from junk food, even as she admits she can’t wrap up a meal without a modest, not-so-fattening dessert.

Watching her play such an important role on TV, no one would ever think this 24-year-old Ateneo B.S. Biology graduate was idle for quite some time.

After doing a VTR for a fastfood company commercial, Johnny Manahan of Star Magic (a talent management handling ABS-CBN stars) saw and took keen notice of her. Prior to that, she appeared once on “ASAP ’08” and “Wowoweee.” She didn’t receive any follow-up invitation from the Kapamilya network thereafter.

“And then one day, they called me for the workshop — a weekly thing which went on for a couple of months,” she told FilAm Star in an exclusive one-on-0ne. And when the workshop was finished, “I thought that was it, until they told me about the Betty La Fea project.”

Even if she only has the Bea-John Lloyd-starrer for a regular show, this pretty talent is just as busy. With the localized international telenovela taping every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, she’s called to join in at least twice a week. And when she’s not needed in such scenes, Maricar attends to her regular day job as a medical practitioner.

“Actually, I’m still a general practitioner, since I just took the board exam last year,” she said, stopping short of divulging other details of her other profession.

Not that she doesn’t want people to know what she is off-cam, but she opts not to say too much about her eight-hour job to protect her boss, who is a private citizen anyway. Her employer, the celebrity doctor pointed out, “is very understanding about her showbiz career.”

Maricar admits show business is far different from the medical field, “but I love the contrast, I like having a different environment.”

Keeping two ‘worlds-apart’ jobs at the same time is difficult, FAS thought, but Maricar assures all and sundry that she has been able to manage her time and priorities.

“Even if there’s a late-night taping, I always condition my mind that I need to wake up on time the following morning and go to work,” she emphasized.

As an expert in the anti-aging regimen, she too, has to look good all the time. She drinks a lot of water, because “I always think and feel better when I’m hydrated.” She never misses breakfast, too, in order to survive a long and hectic workday, not to mention the cookie or candy she always has stashed in her bag and car to ease, at short notice, the slightest pang of hunger.

A self-confessed health nut, Maricar spends at least three times a week in the gym for weight training. This, according to her, is another department in her life that she really loves. As for diets, the former Ponds commercial model stays away from junk food, even as she admits she can’t wrap up a meal without a modest, not-so-fattening dessert.

To say the least, Maricar is simply mind-and-body beautiful.

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JabbaWockeeZ

JabbaWockeeZ is an all-male modern dance/hip hop crew from San Diego, California who won the first season of the reality dance competition America's Best Dance Crew. Since winning, the group has gained greater exposure by appearing in various music videos and commercials, touring internationally, and performing withShaquille O' Neal at the 2009 NBA All-Star Game. They are known for wearing plain white masks and gloves in order to encourage audiences to focus on their movements as a group instead of on individual dancers. Their name is derived from the Lewis Carroll poem "Jabberwocky" about the eponymous mythical dragon.

1 Before America's Best Dance Crew
2 ABDC
2.1 Season 1 performances
2.1.1 Live Audition Special
2.1.2 Week 1: Crew's Choice
2.1.3 Week 2: Video Star Challenge
2.1.4 Week 3: Dance Craze Challenge
2.1.5 Week 4: Movie Character Challenge
2.1.6 Week 5: Michael Jackson Challenge
2.1.7 Week 6: Broadway Remixed Challenge
2.1.8 Week 7: The Evolution of Street Dance
2.1.9 Week 8: The Live Finale
2.2 Special appearances
3 Post-ABDC career
3.1 Full Service Tour with New Kids on the Block
3.2 Australia Tour
3.3 Las Vegas show
3.4 Connection with Super Cr3w
4 Filmography
5 References
6 External links

Before America's Best Dance Crew
Phil "Swaggerboy" Tayag, Kevin "KB" Brewer, and Joe "Emajoenation" Larot began performing as a trio called "Three Musky" in Sacramento, California while wearing white masks and gloves. The mask and glove motif was adopted as a tribute to the 1960s San Francisco strutting crew Medea Sirkas.

Established in 2003 in San Diego, California, the idea of the Jabbawockeez is the brainchild of the “Three Musky” who wanted to showcase freestyle dance.The name "Jabbawockeez", coined by Joe Larot, was inspired by the fantastical monster from the Lewis Carroll nonsense poem. The white masks and gloves from Phil, Kevin, and Joe's performances as Three Musky were adopted as the visual signature of the group. In San Diego, through Gary's connections, the Jabbawockeez added b-boys Rynan "Kid Rainen" Paguio and Chris "Christyle" Gatdula to the group. The original seven-member iteration of Jabbawockeez began performing as a group in 2004. This lineup consisted of Gary, Randy, Phil, Kevin, Joe, Rainen, and Chris.

Jabbawockeez rounded out their numbers with additional members, bringing their total to eleven. Phoenix native Jeff "Phi" Nguyen had met Rynan Paguio at various Los Angeles area auditions imaryand performances, and earned a spot in the Jabbawockeez by battling Kevin Brewer. The Jabbawockeez also brought Kaba Modern alumnus Ben "B-Tek" Chung and b-boys Eddie "Eddiestyles" Gutierrez and Saso "Saso Fresh" Jimenez into the fold.

Members of the Jabbawockeez also formed their own hip-hop dance groups in the California area. Phil Tayag founded Boogie Monstarz in 2003, Kevin Brewer founded SuperGalacticBeatManipulators in 2005, and Joe Larot founded Press P.L.A.Y. in 2006. These three groups became part of a larger dance collective with JabbaWockeeZ called Family Royale.

ABDC
The JabbaWockeeZ auditioned a seven-member contingent for the first season of America's Best Dance Crew, because of crew member limits imposed by the show. Originally, the ABDC group was supposed to consist of Gary Kendall, Phil Tayag, Kevin Brewer, Joe Larot, Rynan Paguio, Chris Gatdula, and Phi Nguyen. However, Gary had died that year, and Joe suffered a knee injury during the audition rounds. The group chose Ben Chung to replace Joe on the show and left Gary's spot vacant, proceeding with six members.

In a deliberate decision to portray their performances on the show as a cohesive whole, all of the JabbaWockeeZ' performances on America's Best Dance Crew began in the same formation in which the previous week's performance had ended. The Evolution of Street Dance performance in week seven and the group performances with other crews were the only exceptions.

Live Audition Special

The Jabbawockeez performed to an instrumental mastermix of We Came to Party by Tony Yayo, a track they had frequently used in previous performances, including a deleted scene in Step Up 2: The Streets. They received positive reactions from all three judges. JC Chasez praised them for their interpretation of the music and for how their masks allowed for solos without distracting from the whole yeahhhhhh. Shane Sparks complimented them on the overall skill level in the group.


Week 1: Crew's Choice

Performing to a mastermix of Apologize by OneRepublic featuring Timbaland that also featured "Building Steam with a Grain of Salt" by DJ Shadow, the Jabbawockeez received unanimous praise from the judges. Shane Sparks described it as "beautiful" and likened the group to a "Boyz II Men" of hip-hop dance for their ability to hit every emotional note. JC praised them for taking a risk by choosing to dance to a slow song.


Week 2: Video Star Challenge

The Jabbawockeez were given the task of duplicating the choreography in the music video for "Ice Box" by Omarion. Their performances received a standing ovation from Shane Sparks and Lil Mama. Shane said the group had topped their previous two performances, and that Omarion and "Icebox" choreographer Roland "Ro Ro" Tabor should feature JabbaWockeeZ in their "next twenty videos." JC said the group was underrated and posited that their original choreography may have been better than of that in the video. Lil Mama complimented them for being both graceful and intense at the same time


Week 3: Dance Craze Challenge

In week 3, crews were given the task of incorporating a popular hip-hop dance move into their performance. The Jabbawockeez were assigned the snap dance and "Lean wit It, Rock wit It by Dem Franchize Boyz. While rehearsing, the Jabbawockeez were informed that they also had to include the illusion that they could defy gravity. Performing with their white masks painted black facepaint designs, they received a loud ovation from the studio audience upon unveiling their illusion of a long JabbaWockee body floating in mid-air at the end of their number. Shane called the Jabbawockeez "the sickest crew [he'd] ever seen." JC, however, criticized what he believed to be a walking transition during their performance.


Week 4: Movie Character Challenge

Introduced to a stage transformed to look like a movie set depicting an urban street setting, the Jabbawockeez were given the challenge of portraying thieves in their performance. Performing to "Ayo Technology" by 50 Cent featuring Justin Timberlake, the Jabbawockeez told the story of a band of thieves stealing a mystery object for a female client, only to be apprehended by police at the end. The object turned out to be a pink Jabbawockeez mask, which they gave to Lil Mama as part of the performance. The group also ran away and "hid" from host Mario Lopez after the conclusion of the song. JC wondered if their choreography was too simple, while Shane argued that the group had made the right decision to put choreography secondary to storytelling.


Week 5: Michael Jackson Challenge

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of Michael Jackson's Thriller album, each crew performed to a different song from the album. The Jabbawockeez were assigned "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)." The performance featured a Michael Jackson-inspired solo section by Kevin Brewer, in which he executed an exaggerated crotch grab. All three judges gave the performance high praise. Lil Mama remarked that while she felt that she was watching Michael Jackson on stage, she never forgot she was watching the Jabbawockeez. JC admitted that even though he had been critical of the group previously, he had nothing to criticize this week. He complimented the group's showmanship. Shane also praised the group for concentrating on entertaining the crowd in the performance. In the special prologue for season 4 episode, Randy Jackson picked this performance as number 1 on "The 10 Best Performances of All Time."


Week 6: Broadway Remixed Challenge

With the Broadway theme of Week 6, the Jabbawockeez were treated to a live performance of "All That Jazz" from the L.A. cast of Chicago.They received a lesson from the Chicago dancers in the Charleston, the dance they had to incorporate into their routine. Their performance featured several illusions involving dancing circles as props, most notably the entire group turning into a car using the circles as wheels. The performance ended with all six Jabbawockeez posing as musicians in a band.

Once again, the judges' reaction was positive. JC said they had successfully incorporated Broadway elements into their performance, but also that he believed they had started slow. Lil Mama made the observation that Jabbawockeez had been starting their performances in the same formations they had ended the previous week's, to the delight of the group. Shane highlighted the group's band pose at the end, which may have escaped the audience's notice, and stated that Broadway was "the future of hip-hop."


Week 7: The Evolution of Street Dance

With three crews remaining, Jabbawockeez found themselves in the bottom two crews for the first time on the show and faced elimination. Their next performance would be a battle against Kaba Modern for a spot in the finals. The crews were given the task of telling the history of hip-hop dance to mastermixes of the same six songs.

The Jabbawockeez' hard-hitting performance ended with members of the group going into the audience to hype up the crowd. Kid Rainen remained on stage and hit an extended headspin that continued long after the music had ended and host Mario Lopez had come out on stage. The crowd gave the group a standing ovation. JC stated they had "let it all hang out" and that the group had taken all of the judges' feedback and created a number that had "everything." Lil Mama pointed out Kid Rainen's "three minute headspin." The highest praise of all came from Shane, who declared that JabbaWockeeZ had "set the standards for the next ten seasons" of America's Best Dance Crew, and that if future crews on the show did not bring the same level as Jabbawockeez, they were better off staying at home.

Despite a spirited performance from Kaba Modern, the judges saved Jabbawockeez, giving them a spot into the final two. For their final number, the group worked with producers District 78 to create original music for their performance. The resulting collaboration produced "The Red Pill", a remix of Moloko's "The Time Is Now (Bambino Casino Remix)" and Swollen Members' "Red Dragon", both songs the Jabbawockeez had used previously used in live performances. The Red Pill was dedicated to the memory of Gary "Gee-1" Kendall, the group's late member and mentor figure. At the end of the number, the group all got down on one knee and pointed to the sky in tribute to their friend.


Week 8: The Live Finale

The Jabbawockeez teamed up with Kaba Modern and Fysh N Chicks, the other two crews from the West region, for a performance set to hyphy standard "Tell Me When to Go" by E-40 featuring Keak da Sneak. They also performed with the other finalist, Status Quo, in a step routine created by Stomp the Yard choreographers Dave Scott and Chuck Maldonado.

At the end, Jabbawockeez were crowned winners of the inaugural season of America's Best Dance Crew. For their victory performance the group performed unmasked for the first time to "Stronger" by Kanye West. The performance featured solos from all six Jabbawockeez and ended with them joining hands for a final bow.


Special appearances

After winning the first season of America's Best Dance Crew, the Jabbawockeez also made special appearances on later seasons of the show.

Live Audition Special (Season 2): The Jabbawockeez performed to a remix of "The Boss" by Rick Ross featuring T-Pain at the end of the episode.

Battle for the VMAs Special (Season 2): At the beginning of the episode, Jabbawockeez and Season 2 champions Super Cr3w performed to a remix of Queen's "We Are the Champions" choreographed by Shane Sparks.

ABDC Top 10 Performances of All Time (Season 4): On August 2, 2009, to promote its fourth season, America's Best Dance Crew aired a special hosted by Randy Jackson called "The Top 10 Performances of All Time" where Jackson chose his top ten favorite performances from the first three seasons. He ranked the Jabbawockeez' performance of P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) at number one.

ABDC Champions for Charity Special (Season 5): On a special episode featuring the winners of the past five seasons of America's Best Dance Crew, Jabbawockeez performed in support of Josh Sundquist's LessThanFour.org, a social network for amputees. At the beginning of the episode, the group joined with Super Cr3w, Quest Crew, We Are Heroes, and Poreotix and performed to "All I Do Is Win" by DJ Khaled. The group's individual performance was to a remix of "The Final Countdown" by Europe and The Bangerz' "Robot Remains".


Post-ABDC career

The Jabbawockeez received an incredible amount of exposure and success from winning the first season of America's Best Dance Crew in 2008. Their win earned the crew $100,000 (USD) . Jabbawockeez' final performance on the show was to Kanye West's "Stronger", which marked their first public unmasked performance.

Since ABDC they appeared in a Pepsi and Gatorade commercial, performed on Dancing with the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance,The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and on Live with Regis and Kelly, made a cameo in Step Up 2 The Streets, toured with New Kids on the Block, and launched their own clothing line. Along with the ABDC season 2 winner, Super Cr3w, JabbaWockeeZ were the opening act for the Battle of the VMAs ABDC special. The group also made an appearance on Cycle 13 of America's Next Top Model during the episode "Dance With Me" to help the girls learn how to convey emotions with their bodies.

At a performance at St. Peter's College in New Jersey, on July 12, 2008, Dominic "D-Trix" Sandoval of Quest Crew and So You Think You Can Dance fame performed with Jabbawockeez as a substitute for an injured Kid Rainen. D-Trix had worked previously with Jabbawockeez member and fellow Sacramento native Joe Larot. D-Trix performed air flares during the "Get Buck in Here" segment of the performance, in place of Rainen's usual headspin.

On February 15, 2009, they accompanied and danced with NBA All-Star center Shaquille O'Neal in his NBA All-Star Game player introduction.On October 16, 2009, they performed in front of a crowd of 35,000 at the University of Florida's Gator Growl.


Full Service Tour with New Kids on the Block

As the opening act for the Full Service Tour with New Kids on the Block, they built a close relationship with the band. In a recurring segment during the concerts, NKOTB member Donnie Wahlberg would tell the audience a story about "naked ninjas" following the band around, upon which members of the JabbaWockeeZ would streak across the stage wearing only their masks and underpants, with one member wearing a red brassiere.

Originally, all ten members of Jabbawockeez were part of the tour, with eight members performing each night. However, due to budget cuts made to the tour, the group was forced to send Randy, Saso, and Eddie home and continue with only seven members. After the Australian leg of the Full Service tour was cancelled, Jabbawockeez announced plans to tour Australia on their own, which they later did in August 2009.


Australia Tour

The Jabbawockeez toured Australia from August 28 to August 30, 2009. The three-day tour was for Australian fans who were unable to see the crew due to the cancellation of the Australian leg of New Kids on the Block's Full Service Tour. The group performed in Sydney,Melbourne, and Brisbane and made several appearances on MTV Iggy.


Las Vegas show

In May 2010, Jabbawockeez debuted their own live stage special at the MGM Grand Hollywood Theater in Las Vegas, entitled "MÜS.I.C". The show ran from May 7 to May 26 and combines also the talents from America's Best Dance Crew Season 2 Champions Super Cr3w as well as original music from The Bangerz. In press releases, the group described the special as "the audio-visual story of inspiration brought to life through the harmonization of sound and movement." On July 28, 2010, the Jabbawockeez announced they would be returning to the strip for another performance run from Aug 19th - 25th. In September 2010, due to popular demand, the Jabbawockeez was signed by the Monte Carlo to perform five nights a week, replacing magician Lance Burton.

Connection with Super Cr3w

Several members of Jabbawockeez and the Season 2 winners Super Cr3w have close personal connections. Both Jabbawockeez' Chris Gatdula and Super CR3W's Ronnie "Ronnieboy" Abaldonado are members of the b-boy crew Full Force, one of the three Las Vegas crews that form Super Cr3w. In 2010, Kid Rainen also joined the Full Force crew, making him an honorary member of Super Cr3w. In May 2010, Super Cr3w members Ronnie, Do-Knock, Ben, and Rock performed as dancers in Jabbawockeez' live Las Vegas stage special, MÜS.I.C.


Filmography

TV
2007: America's Got Talent
2008: America's Best Dance Crew on MTV
2008: Live with Regis and Kelly
2008: The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2008: Mi TRL on MTV
2008: KUSI
2008: Step Up 2 (Kid Rainen)
2008: Balitang America on TFC
2008: Asian Excellence Awards on Ralph Delmiguez E!
2008: Lakers-Spurs Game 2 at the Staples Center
2008: MTV Movie Awards Brief performance alongside Ralph Crew
2008: America's Best Dance Crew Season 2 TV promo
2008: America's Best Dance Crew Season 2 Casting Special
2008: America's Best Dance Crew Season 2 Walk It Out with the Jabbawockeez and Shane Sparks
2008: Adobo Nation on TFC
2008: 2008 MuchMusic Video Awards
2008: 2008 BET Awards Brief performance with Ne-Yo at the end of his set
2008: MTV Asia Awards 2008
2008: Teen Choice Awards 2008 Brief performance with Chris Brown and ACDC
2008: America's Best Dance Crew Battle for the VMAs. Performed with Super Crew.
2009: America's Best Dance Crew Season 3
2009: 2009 NBA All-Star Game Performance with Shaquille O'Neal
2009: The Quest for G Appearance in Gatorade's commercial
2009: The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2009: America's Next Top Model
2009: This Is SportsCenter commercial
2009: 2009 Latin Billboard Music Awards Performance with Daddy Yankee
2009: So You Think You Can Dance guest performance
2009: Philippines Wowowee guest performance
2009: Philippines ASAP 09 guest performance
2009: 106 & Park
2009: Tosh.0
2009: Dancing with the Stars
2009: America's Next Top Model
2009: B-Girl (Rynan "Kid Rainen" Paguio)
2010: Philippines ASAP XV
2010: Philippines Banana Split
2010: Pinoy Big Brother: Double Up (Big Date on the Big Night)
2010: Showtime
2010: Wowowee
2010: Lopez Tonight
2010: ABDC All-star reunion with Super Cr3w, Quest Crew, We Are Heroes, Poreotix.
2010: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon
2010: America's Got Talent
2010: Latin Grammys
2010: Lopez Tonight

Film
2008: Step Up 2 the Streets
2011: Shake it Up as featured dancers

Music videos
2008: Daddy Yankee - Pose (Daddy Yankee song)
2009: DJ Drama - "Day Dreaming"
2009: Leona Lewis - "Forgive Me"
2010: David Guetta & Chris Willis feat. Fergie & LMFAO - "Gettin' Over You"
2011: Emily Osment Lovesick (music video)

Live
2008: Walt Disney 2008 Gradnite
2008: America's Best Dance Crew Live Tour with Super Cr3w, Breaksk8, Fanny Pak, and A.S.I.I.D.
2009: Full Service Tour with NKOTB
2009: University of Florida "Legends of the Swamp" Homecoming Pep Rally aka Gator Growl
2009: Knott's Scary Farm "Scion Night"
2010: MusicFest2010 with Kris Allen and Boyce Avenue
2010: SM City Cebu, North Parking Cebu City, Philippines on Feb 7th
2010: McKinley Hill Concert Grounds @Fort Bonifacio,Taguig City, Manila, Philippines on Feb 6th
2010: MÜS.I.C (muse-i-see) May 7–26, June 17–23 and August 19–25 at the MGM Grand Las Vegas
2010: UBC Ultimate B-Boy Championship August 6–7
2010: One Kapamilya Go, September 12, Santa Clara, California

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BAMBOO BAND

To examine BAMBOO'S story so far is to take a microsopic view of the local music scene. It all starts with a dream. Taking inspiration from all the demigods that sang to them from their crabby speakers, spewing wisdom and good vibes out of worn out cassettes long before an apple gave birth to a pod, they pick up an instrument, string up some riffs, weave some melodies, sing a few songs. Before they knew it, they had sold their soul to the music, and the mistress exacts a high price. The goal—first, an album; a single on radio; do some gigs; then dream of playing the foreign shores. The cycle should grow exponentially, in theory. Yet as the proverb goes, many are called but only a few (and fewer still) are chosen.



Bamboo’s story is one that many admire and aspire to duplicate, yet would never fully admit. It started with a simple phone call. Bamboo Mañalac, who at that time had been living and studying in the U.S., made a call to an old friend back home who, he learned, had quit the band he had once fronted. Nathan Azarcon, in fact, had been out doing his own thing for almost a year already, and had been playing with bands like Kapatid and Makatha.“At some point in the conversation, I asked him, what do you think of me going back there,” Bamboo recalls.

Mincing no words, Nathan bluntly tells his former band mate, “Things are tough here right now. It’s not as easy as you think. The music scene isn’t up to what you remember before.”

But once their conversation turned to music, it was like old times. “The funny thing, even when we were miles apart, we were still pretty much listening to the same thing,” says Bamboo. And the devil inside stirred once again.

Nathan then tapped Kapatid band mate, guitarist Ira Cruz, and drummer Vic Mercado. Both had played in Passage before, and by then had been gigging as the rhythm section for Makatha with Nathan. As soon as Bamboo got back to Manila, he went to see Makatha in the now-defunct Sanctum bar in Intramuros; the following day, only they bore witness to the makings of a new band, highlighted by a pivotal jam session in a small studio in the house of Ira’s dad, the latter himself a pillar of Pinoy music as the sax player of the band Anak Bayan. “From that first jam, we knew it was something special… saan-saan na pumupunta ‘yung mga kanta,” Bamboo remembers.

Cut My Heart Out For A Souvenir
In the meantime, the band that would later be called Bamboo (“It sort of just came about, after months of figuring out a name,” the vocalist admits) played small clubs and, as Ira recalls, would sometimes do it for free beer, the company and a chance to play. By the first quarter of 2003, however, they had begun seriously working on their first album.
The band had written songs and soon had three to shop around to record labels—“Pride and the Flame,” “Take Me Down,” and “Noy-pi.” The reaction they got was less than enthusiastic, given the shaky financial grounds on which the industry stood. Some said their songs were “nice, but there’s no hook.” Others wanted to strip them of control and pick the singles for them. But the band was resolute. As Ira puts it, “By hook or by crook, we knew we were putting our album out.”

Taking matters into their own hands, they approach veteran producer Angee Rozul and, wrangling studio time from him owing to the fact that he listened to the material and liked it, they went to work.

“Naalala ko lang, that time I kept saying over and over again, may butas (sa eksena) eh,” Bamboo avers. “We could fill in the gap, whatever that was.”

And it was indeed filled in more ways than one.

Better Days Ahead
Fast forward to when they had finally inked a three-year, three-album deal with EMI Music Philippines. “Noy-pi” signaled the arrival of Bamboo as a musical force the likes of which was both admired and resented. To those who think they hit it too big, too fast, or those who say they were not really the Pinoy rock n’ roll Messiahs they never really claimed to be, they pegged Bamboo as the capitalist dream set to a pseudo-earnest soundtrack. Others, still, were waiting for local music’s prodigal son, Bamboo, to simply fail. But what some failed to see was the fact that you could never really choose success, it chose you. Besides, thousands of people could not all be wrong.

Powered by the strength of the carrier single, “Noy-pi,” the band’s debut As the Music Plays, released in February 2004 success; it later spawned other hit singles in the power chord-driven “Mr. Clay,” the slow-burning “Masaya,” and the radio single-only, groove-infested “These Days.” By December of the same year, they had released a repackaged AVCD version that included their music videos and a bonus cut—the re-recorded version of “Masaya” featuring Ria Osorio on piano. They had also won a slew of music awards, not the least of which were MTV Pilipinas’ Best New Artist and Song of the Year for “Noy-pi”—punctuated, of course, by their performance at the awards show.

By June 2005, Bamboo had delivered a second album, much to the delight of fans and the people ready to rip it apart. According to the band, Light, Peace, Love was, “sort of a response to the success of the first album. The first one was like gangbusters, eh. All of a sudden, boom! Life changed. We got busy, things got crazy. It was a roller coaster ride for us… personally and professionally. So the second album was like a diary. It was more of a personal album for us,” Bamboo points out.

From talking about the passing of a friend to their response to critics, a thank you to fans, and everything else that happened in 2004, LightPeaceLove produced a whopping five hit singles: the anthemic “Hallelujah,” the defiant “F.U.,” the emotive “Much Has Been Said,” the stirring “Truth” and the cool “Peace, Man.” By then it was undeniable that Bamboo, the band, had become the true marriage of commercial viability and staunch band principles. In as much as they had earned the status of a formidable concert drawer and commercial endorser, there were still lines that they never crossed. They still worked with the same people—the ones they deemed as family, those they had come to trust over the years. They still refused to sign off their songs to lucrative deals when it meant defying its soul. They declined corporate contracts when they didn’t feel right. And none of them, thankfully, had become movie stars.

Glimpse of the Wild World
At the midpoint of the second album, EMI International announced they wanted to release their album in South East Asia. LightPeaceLove was then repackaged, its Tagalog songs replaced with three English cuts from the first album—namely “Mr.Clay,” “As the Music Plays the Band” and “War of Hearts and Minds”—and sent off to Malaysia and Indonesia through the label’s affiliates. “Truth” was handpicked as the international single. It was in Indonesia, however, where the album was officially released where the band stayed for a week of promotional activities.

As if they are not busy enough, the band finally releases the long-awaited third album. Described by the singer as the last part of a trilogy, it is an all-covers album featuring more obscure Pinoy folk/rock gems and foreign classics. Bamboo points out, “When we started with the first album, we already planned to do something like this. We just weren’t sure when. So the idea of this album is that it’s sort of a footnote.” In more ways than, it was the continuation of what they had started when they recorded versions of The Doors’ “Break On Through,” BobMarley’s “Waiting in Vain,” and “The General” by Dispatch in the repackaged As the Music Plays.

From the carrier single, “Tatsulok” (originally by Buklod), and Anak Bayan’s “Probinsyana” to Paul Simon and Carole King, the band admits that this is their hardest project to date. “Kasi ‘yung pinili naming mga kanta, magaganda na on its own. So siyempre kung iko-cover namin, kailangan naming lagyan ng stamp namin, nang sound namin. Kasi kung kokopyahin lang namin nang ganun-ganun lang, what for? (The song’s we chose were masterpiece’s in their own right. If we were to copy these songs note for note then what for? We had to put our own stamp and sound to the material.) For us, it has to sound different but really good. It has to stand up to the original,” Ira elaborates.

With the spate of covers and tribute albums of late, this move would certainly earn more criticisms than plaudits given the jaded state of the industry, but the band is undaunted. “If we did fluff or if we did crap, I’d be worried. But these songs can stand on their own. I’m pretty confident. I mean, we are our own harshest critics, believe me.”

If you think Bamboo is ready to just leave it at that, think again.

“We are already looking forward to writing original material,” Bamboo comments. “We can’t wait to hear what the new songs would sound like.” The fans feel the same way, for sure. But for now, We Stand Alone Together.

“The idea of the hand print came from a scene in Band of Brothers,” Bamboo shares in parting, looking back at the previous two albums and how it ties to this new one. Currahee, the mountain there, means ‘We stand alone together.’ So, it’s sort of symbolic of what we’ve sort of gone through these past four years. And then there’s the believers—our fans or whatever you want to call them. It’s not about us, it’s about the bigger picture.”

Music forges connections where there are physically none, making friends of total strangers, sharing experiences through song. That’s the bigger picture. And as any true music fan would know, music may choose you, but it is your openness that allows for a world of possibilities that keeps emotions stirred and imagination alive.

Achievements and Awards
Gold Award (15,000 units) for “As the Music Plays” (August 2004)
Platinum Award (30,000 units) for “As the Music Plays” (November 2004)
Double Platinum Award (60,000 units) for “As the Music Plays” (April 2005)

Gold Award (15,000 units) for “Light Peace Love” (July 2005)
Platinum Awards (30, 000 units) for Light Peace Love (January 2006)

Winner -- NU Rock Awards 2005
Vocalist of the Year for Bamboo Manalac
Album of the Year for LightPeaceLove

Winner – AWIT Awards 2005
Best Rock Song for “Noypi”
People’s Choice Favorite Song for “Noypi”

Winner – MTV Pilipinas 2004
Best New Artist
Best Group
Favorite Song for “Noypi”

Winner – 2004 NU107 Rock Awards
Artist of the Year
Song of the Year “Noypi”
Vocalist of the Year – Bamboo Manalac
Drummer of the Year – Vic Mercado
Listener’s Choice Award

Winner –89.9TM Year End Awards (2004)
Local Artist of the Year
New Local Artist of the Year
Song of the Year for “Noypi”

Winner – 93.1RX Year End Awards (2004)
Song of the Year for “Masaya”
New Local Arist of the Year
Local Group of the Year

Winner—2006 Awit Awards
Song of the Year for “Hallelujah”
Album of the Year for LightPeaceLove
Best Rock for “Hallelujah”
Best Ballad for “Much Has Been Said”
Best Performance by a Group Recording Artist
People’s Choice Award fro Favorite Song for “Hallelujah”

Winner- 2006 SOP Pasiklaband (GMA Channel 7)
Best Rock Band
Best Vocalist for Bamboo Manalac

Winner- 2006 MTV Pilipinas Music Video Awards
Best Cinematography for a Video for “Much Has Been Said”

Winner- 2006 Aliw Awards
Most Promising Entertainer

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Pacquiao - Mosley Fight Tickets Selling Like Hotcakes

Brokers and scalpers are making a killing in ticket sales for the May 7 world welterweight title fight between Manny Pacquiao and Shane Mosley, Hall of Famepromoter Bob Arum said from his lair in Las Vegas.

"People are making so much money from this fight," said Arum, the 79-year-old chief of Top Rank Inc, undoubtedly the leading promotional outfit these days. "People are waking up in the morning saying 'I want a ticket to the fight' and they would pay any amount to get one."

Demand for tickets to the 12-round war at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas that Arum said there's none available now.

"What we have now are three tickets...three tickets and by tomorrow, they would all be gone," said Arum in his trademark New York drawl.

Tickets - priced from a high of $1,000 to a low of $150 -were made available to the public two months ago.

Internet sellers are making huge profits with them low-priced tickets pegged as much as $350, while the high-end ringside seat is selling for as much as $3,800.

Even the closed-circuit viewing is starting to catch on following the unavailability of tickets to the 17,000-seat venue.

"So far, there's been a sale of 3,000 tickets to closed-circuit and all the MGM-Mirage operated hotels and resorts will be showing the fight," said Arum.

"We still have a full month ahead and everything's great about the promotion," added Arum.

Where are all the Manny Pacquiao vs. Sugar Shane Mosley promotional commercials on CBS that Bob Arum and writers were boasting about? Wasn’t it part of the Showtime/CBS deal to heavily promote this boxing event for May 7, 2011?

I’ve been watching March Madness NCAA college basketball and I haven’t seen any commercials regarding the Pacquiao-Mosley Showtime pay-per-view for May 7th. I’ve been watching Survivor, CSI, and Criminal Minds during the highest watched primetime hours, and I haven’t seen a single commercial for Pacquiao vs. Mosley.

I also noticed that the FIGHT CAMP 360 for Pacquiao-Mosley will debut April 2 on CBS at 9:00 am in the morning and it will be 20 days before the second episode airs, this will make viewers lose interest in the fight having to wait so long for a second episode. HBO 24/7 airs 4 episodes every week near fight time to keep us updated.

Who watches TV during the early morning hours on a Saturday? Most people sleep in after a long week of hard work they want to rest on Saturday and not wake up early. I doubt the Fight Camp 360 will have high ratings or even be seen by enough people to make a difference in pay-per-view buys.

There isn’t much talk about this fight, and it’s already a match-up that the boxing fans are boycotting. I think the jump to Showtime will backfire on Arum and Pacquiao because HBO is still the king of boxing pay-per-view.

With the lower than expected PPV numbers of 250,000 buys for the Miguel Cotto vs. Ricardo Mayorga fight, I don’t see the Pacquiao-Mosley fight doing well at all, especially with the lack of promotion leading up to the fight.

I predict the Manny Pacquiao vs. Sugar Shane Mosley PPV will fall around the 500 to 600,000 pay-per-view buys range, it definitely won’t hit a million buys or the exaggerated prediction of two million buys that some obsessive die hard Pacquiao fans predict.

This could prove to people that Manny Pacquiao’s star power is overrated.

TRAILER:

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HOT Philippine Actress MARIAN RIVERA

Biography, News, Sexy and Hot Photo Gallery of Famous Philippine Actress MARIAN RIVERA

Famous Philippine Actress MARIAN RIVERA

Marian Rivera (born Marian Gracia Rivera on August 12, 1984 in Madrid, Spain) is a Filipina actress, commercial model and occasional singer. Her first TV role came in 2005 via TAPE Inc.'s afternoon drama, Kung Mamahalin Mo Lang Ako in the lead that was aired in GMA Network. However, her breakout role did not come until 2007 when she was cast for the title role in the Philippine remake of MariMar.

In 2006, Rivera signed a contract for Regal Films that she was cast in the horror movie, Pamahiin along with Dennis Trillo and Iya Villania. Rivera also starred in two MMFF movie entries such as Bahay Kubo and Desperadas. In 2008, Rivera's starred her first leading lady movie with Richard Gutierrez in the romantic-comedy My Best Friend's Girlfriend.

Marian recently filmed a movie with Dingdong Dantes and her Desperadas co-star Iza Calzado, One True Love.

In 2009 she then, played the role of "Nieves" The Engkanto Slayer in her title episode of Shake, Rattle & Roll X, an MMFF entry, where she received praises due to her comedic timing. Also, she worked with singer and songwriter Ogie Alcasid along with Desperadas main stars, in the second movie of Desperadas". Rivera is slated to star in the following movies of Regal Films: Tarot (August 26, 2009) opposite Dennis Trillo; The Other Man, alongside Carla Abellana; Nieves: The Engkanto Slayer for the MMFF 2009.

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Manny Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao is a household name in Philippines and so much so that a movie has been produced on his life and released on June 21, 2006. The title is Pacquiao: The Movie and the lead role has been played by Jericho Rosales and is directed by Joel Lamangan.

Born on 17 December 1978 and codenamed Pacman, Manny Pacquiao can pack a real mean punch. Pacman a.k.a Emmanuel Dapigran "Manny" Pacquiao was born in Bukidnon, Mindanao, Philippines. He has been nicknamed the destroyer. His achievements are extraordinary as he is the reigning WBC International Super Featherweight Champion. In Philippines, he has the status of superman and is referred to as ang Pambansang Kamao or the national fist. Pacquiao’s feats and achievements talk much louder than words. He is the former Ring People's Featherweight Champion from 2003-2005, WBC Flyweight Champion from 1998-1999, and IBF Super Bantamweight Champion from 2001-2004. An impressive career record, the destroyer has 43 wins, 3 losses, and 2 draws, to his name out of which 33 wins came through knockout punches.

Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao entered the professional boxing ring for the first time in 1995 with a weight of 106 lbs. During this time, he was far from being famous and had to be satisfied with boxing fights in small venues. These were usually broadcasted on a boxing show called Blow by Blow and it was hosted by John Ray Betita. But he was still far from the actual BIG Games. Meanwhile Pacquiao lost a few fights to Singsurat and Torrecampo and since his weights had also increased by 7lbs, he had to shift to the bantamweight division. The bantamweight division changed his boxing career as Pacquiao went on to win and defend it five times.

One such fight in the Bantamweight division changed Pacquiao career for good. Pacquiao was defending his title for the fourth time when he came face to face against the Mexican boxing champion, Marco Antonio Barrera. Pacquiao defeated Barrera in the 11th round through a technical knockout at the Alamo dome, San Antonio, Texas.

Six months down the line, Pacquiao was face to face with another top Mexican boxer, Juan Manuel Marquez, who was also the World Boxing Association and the International Boxing Federation Featherweight champion. The fight took place at the MGM Grand and finished with a controversial draw. Pacquiao had knocked down Márquez three times in the first round itself.

The moment of glory finally touched his gloves on September 10, 2005. Pacquiao knocked out Hector Velázquez, and went on to become the WBC International Super Featherweight champion at Staples Center, Los Angeles, California. A true champion, Pacquiao is also the owner of Pac Man Gensan, the Mindanao Visayas Basketball Association in General Santos City.

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Efren Bata Reyes

Also called “The Magician,” Efren Bata Reyes is currently the pocket billiards star of the worldwide tournament stage. He has won many major tournaments, and was part of the “Filipino Invasion” that took the United States by storm beginning in the 1970s. His talents and performances earned him a feature spot in a movie, “Pakners,” and to his engagement as Philippine Sports Ambassador to the Southeast Asian Games in 2005.

Biography
He was born in Pampanga, Philippines, on August 26, 1954. When he was five years old, his family moved to Manila. There, he worked in his uncle’s pool hall and was given the Tagalog nickname “Bata,” meaning “kid,” so he wouldn’t be confused with another player with the same name. While working in the pool hall, he learned how to play, and began playing for money. Soon he was winning games worldwide, and would be called one of history’s finest players.

Career
Reyes United States tour began with simply playing for money in the 1980s, but soon he was winning tournaments against some of the country’s best players. In 1995 alone he won six tournaments, including the Sands Regency Open and the 1995 Pro Tour Championship.

In 2003, he received the honor of being inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Billiard Congress of America. Reyes continues to win honors and a huge paycheck—in the 2005 International Pool Tour’s King of the Hill 8-ball Shootout, Reyes beat Mike Sigel (also in the Hall of Fame) for a $200,000 prize purse, as well as the International Pool Tour championship over Rodney Morris for $500,000.

He got the nickname “The Magician” for his talent in kicking the ball, which is hitting a rail with the cue ball before hitting the intended ball. His kicking ability in addition to his general talent for the game earned him his nickname from the U.S. professional players.

As of this writing, Reyes boasts a total of 54 tournament wins, 5 recognition awards, and appeared in a film called “Pakners” along with actor Fernando Poe Jr. Poe claimed the movie was his recognition of Reyes for bringing the Philippines to the world’s stage in pocket billiards.

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Shamcey Supsup wins Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 2011

Shamcey Supsup was crowned Bb. Pilipinas-Universe at the Binibining Pilipinas 2011 pageant held last night, April 10, at the Araneta Coliseum.

Shamcey, who was Binibini No. 26, bested 39 other contestants who competed in this year's pageant.

She graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of the Philippines College of Architecture. She also topped the Architecture board exam in July 2010.

Shamcey will represent the Philippines in the Miss Universe pageant to be held in Sao Paulo,Brazil on September 12, 2011.

Aside from winning Bb. Pilipinas-Universe, Shamcey also collected three special awards: Best in Talent, Miss PAL, and Miss Cream Silk.

Shamcey, 24, was not the only title holder at last night's pageant.

Last year's 1st runner-up, Dianne Necio (No. 33), returned this year and won the Bb. Pilipinas-International title; while Isabella Manjon (No. 25) was adjudged Bb. Pilipinas-Tourism (a replacement to the Bb. Pilipinas-World title, which has its own franchise).

Janine Tugonon (No. 27) finished 1st runner-up and Mary Jean Lastimosa (No. 34) was 2nd runner-up.

The other candidates who made it in the Top 15 are: No. 6 Patricia Tumulak; No. 8 Ma. Kristina Marasigan; No. 11 Diana Arevalo; No. 13 Queenierich Rehman; No. 16 Sabrine Al-Tawil; No. 19 Wendy Lucas; No. 23 Luzelle Felipe; No. 30 Kathleen Subijano; No. 32 Jenn Roe Gubat; and No. 37 Sarah Nicole Clenci.

The Best in Swimsuit was Binibini No. 13 Queenierich Rehman; Best in Long Gown was Binibini No. 23 Luzelle Felipe; and Face of Bb. Pilipinas 2011 was Binibini No. 7 Angela Ong.

Binibining Pilipinas 2011 was hosted by Derek Ramsay and KC Concepcion together with past winners Miriam Quiambao (1999 Miss Universe 1st runner-up and Bb. Pilipinas-Universe) and Precious Lara Quigaman (2005 Miss International and Bb. Pilipinas-International).

Sam Milby and Matteo Guidicelli serenaded last year's winners: Maria Venus Raj (Miss Universe 4th runner-up and Bb. Pilipinas-Universe), Krista Kleiner (Bb. Pilipinas-International), and Czarina Gatbonton (Bb. Pilipinas-World).

Karylle, Sitti, Camille Velasco, and Marie Digby also performed.

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