Don't get me wrong. I am happy for what they have achieved. But there is a thin line between being happy and being proud. As a music fan, I have always been critical about the feat of
Arnel Pineda and
Charice Pempengco. I see their accomplishments as unsatisfactory, if not reeking cheap imitation of other foreign artists. Add to the fact that I am quite disturbed on Filipinos' penchant for over gratification about anything that is characteristically tacky, shallow, and short-lived. This is not a case of crab mentality. Maybe it is just my nature to strive for excellence and originality. Because of this, I really find it hard to be proud of two Filipinos strongly regarded in their country as "international superstars" when in fact, he and she are just singing other people's songs.
Luck more than talent is probably what made these two singers hit the big time as both were discovered via You Tube. The case of Arnel Pineda does not take rocket science to understand. Journey had its heydays as a world renown musical group under
Steve Perry. Arnel's singing style happen to have an uncanny resemblance to the said original frontman. Wanting to resurrect their long forgotten careers, the remaining band members tapped the services of Arnel, probably hoping that a Steve Perry rip-off could bring back Journey to its glory years. Strutting your wares with a not-so-famous band (a "has been" if you allow me to be harsh) while performing their old hits that were more of a trademark to its original lead singer does not necesarily spell Pinoy pride in my part. When one is chosen to be the new vocalist of a band for the sole reason that he sounded exactly like their former frontman, it vaguely reveals mediocrity.
In early 2008, I wrote a blog about Charice on how she is just a product of media hype. A year has passed and Charice has not proven me wrong. Her immense popularity is still based solely on the intensive marketing, push and publicities by her mother studio,
ABS CBN (her albums became bestsellers basically just because of this.) She is still singing songs of
Celine Dion, Beyonce, Mariah Carey, and now
Michael Jackson. A 2nd album (still made up of revivals by the way) after, she has not still come up with any signature hit. So it is nothing but wishful thinking that Charice is or can become an international superstar when even in her home turf, she cannot generate a repertoire of her own hit music. Her entertainment value singly lies on her good lung capacity despite the small stature. I may sound cruel but to keep it real: stardom is far fetched for a teenager who performs songs that do not suit her age. For a 17 year old singer with a child-like physique who sings nothing but high octane
birit songs of old people, the closest she can get in the international market is merely as a sideshow attraction.
Realistically speaking, Arnel and Charice are just glorified lounge singers (one who does cover songs in clubs) who happen to have a bigger stage. Colombia has
Shakira. Ireland has
U2 and
The Corrs. Japan has
Utada Hikaru. Australia has
AC/DC and
Silverchair. Puerto Rico has
Ricky Martin. Korea has
BoA and
Rain. The big difference of these non-American international singing superstars from Arnel and Charice is that they have penetrated the world music arena based on their craft that spawns originality, inventiveness, and creativity. I wish for that day that the Philippines will have its own representative--- an artist in the truest sense of the word. Someone who will not just sing songs popularized by other people. Someone who can show his or her Pinoy musical ingenuity by creating music and sharing it to the whole world. And for that someone, I will be truly proud of.
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