Charice, cameraman wow Hitmaker

ONCE in a while, David Foster (left) would cast a glance at Charice and smile. Photos by Eloisa Lopez

Not too long ago, she was dubbed “the most talented girl in the world.” Brimming with spunk, she hopped from one foreign talk show to the next, leaving audiences wondering how a voice so big could come out of her diminutive frame.

She appeared in a popular TV show, released an international album and played gigs all over the world. And, for a moment, it seemed that Charice was well on her way to becoming a household name.

But things soon took a drastic turn: The spotlight no longer shone on the young singer’s exceptional talent, but on the series of personal troubles that beset her life. And then one day, on national TV, she caused an uproar and divided public opinion after revealing that she’s a lesbian.

Pinoy pride

For the first time she felt free—but not without cost. Charice lost not a few fans, including some of the very same people who exclaimed “Pinoy pride!” when she stood next to the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres.

But many others never stopped believing in her. And one of those people sat right across her onstage, tickling the ivories, as Charice poured her heart out onstage at a recent show at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“I’m just happy to see you sing again,” the award-winning musician David Foster told Charice, his goddaughter and mentee, during the one-night Manila stop of his “Hitman: David Foster and Friends” Asian tour.

Foster wasn’t the only one who felt that way. On this night, the spotlight was back firmly on Charice’s musical skills—as it should be.

RUBEN Studdard, “American Idol” winner

Charice, wearing a black suit, her short hair partially dyed blonde, was met with thunderous applause. She started her set with an emphatic—albeit a bit shaky in spots—take on “Through the Fire,” which she followed up with a poignant, more nuanced performance of “Lay Me Down.”

It was, however, her exquisite rendition of the Filipino torch song “Bukas na lang Kita Mamahalin”—which Foster learned to play for this concert—that showed just how skilled Charice was as a vocalist. She caressed the notes when needed. Her head tone was strong and clear; her belting, sturdy and resonant—and she shifted to and fro with ease.

More importantly, Charice was emotionally tuned in throughout.

As the 23-year-old star ended the song with a hauntingly sweet falsetto, the crowd erupted into cheers and gave her a standing ovation—the only one of the night that also featured foreign artists Natalie Cole, Boyz II Men and Ruben Studdard and promising Filipino talents Mark Mabasa and Gerphil Flores.

“Thank you [David] for giving me yet another opportunity to connect with my fellow Filipinos and show them who I really am,” said Charice, who also sang a duet, “Superstar,” with Studdard.

GERPHIL Flores of “Asia’s Got Talent”

As Charice headed backstage, the people, still on their feet, roared, “More! More!” Foster asked the audience what they wanted to hear, before settling for one of his biggest hits, “I Will Always Love You.”

“Sing it as if no one else is here,” the composer-producer told Charice, to which she replied, “Just like old times.” They did it tenderly, with no bells and whistles; just Foster’s piano-playing and Charice’s voice. Once in a while, Foster would cast a glance at Charice and smile.

“She’s my heart and your heart… the Philippines’ very own,” Foster said. “I know you’re all very proud of her.”

The concert, mounted by Mediasync Productions, also celebrated Foster’s extensive catalogue of enduring hits. The 16-time Grammy Award winner took everyone back in time, as he gave a musical rundown of some of his most important compositions: “After the Love Has Gone,” “Wildflower,” “Hard to Say I’m Sorry,” “I Have Nothing” and more.

He also dished out a few instrumentals like “Winter Games,” theme of the 1988 Winter Olympics and “For Just a Moment” from the movie “St. Elmo’s Fire.”

MARK Mabasa of “X Factor Philippines”

One of the show’s surprises was “X Factor Philippines” finalist Mabasa, whose forceful and impassioned vocals in the song “The Last Time” brought the house down. “Asia’s Got Talent” finalist and crossover classical singer Flores, on the other hand, performed one of her contest pieces, an enchanting version of “The Impossible Dream.”

Cole delighted the older members of the audience with his father Nat King Cole’s “Unforgettable” and elicited a resounding sing-along with “Miss You Like Crazy.” The smooth-crooning Studdard, “American Idol” season two winner, riffed and belted through “I Swear.”

Boyz II Men—Wanya Morris, Nathan Morris and Shawn Stockton—handed out roses to the women as they belted out “I’ll Make Love to You.”

Intermittently, throughout the show, Foster went down to the crowd to look for concert-goers who could sing. As it turned out, Foster was just as impressed with the Filipino fans as they were with him. The musician, who last held a concert in Manila four years ago, plucked seven singers—including a cameraman who took a break from his duties to sing “Unbreak My Heart.”

“What’s in the water here?” Foster said of the Filipino’s innate musicality. “Amazing, just amazing.”

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