p e o p l e

In 2007, the world was thrilled as a video of more than a thousand orange-clad inmates from Cebu danced to Michael Jackson’s hit “Thriller” was posted in YouTube. A year later, the popular video-sharing website saw at least three Filipinos’ skyrocket to global fame.

Child singer Charice Pempengco rose to fame from a video posted by YouTube user falsevoice. Since then, she has been invited to several popular US shows including Ellen and the Oprah Winfrey Show, and performed in the David Foster & Friends Charity Gala & Concert at Winspeare Centre in Canada.
Meanwhile, Singer and songwriter Arnel Pineda, born in Sampaloc, Manila, not only lived his dream of singing with his favorite American rock band, Journey, but also claimed acceptance from one of the music industry’s critics.

“Mr. Pineda, who sings hard and with the appropriate vulnerability, gives it some distinction. Beyond that, the band seems to have taken rock vitamins: it feels alive," said Ben Ratliff a noted critic who writes for the New York Times.

Lead guitarist Neal Schon discovered Pineda on YouTube when the boyish-looking, shoulder-length haired singer did a cover of “Faithfully" with his band, ‘Zoo.’

But 2008 was undoubtedly the year of fame for Reynaldo Lapuz, the flamboyant Nevada-based Filipino who breezed his way through the American Idol auditions.

His infectious song, “We’re Brothers Forever" has become an instant Internet sensation, spawning fans all over the world to remix his passionate tribute to terror judge Simon Cowell.

Elliot Bronson strummed his guitar, providing an acoustic theme to Reynaldo’s signature song, while fellow YouTube users added Pinoy beatbox to give the song a more upbeat hip-hop sound. But perhaps one of the standout remixes to “We’re Brothers Forever" is the hypnotic Dance Remix where two American cheerleaders, complete with matching silver pompoms, are seen gyrating to Reynaldo’s song.

Before being taken out of the Internet, Lapuz’s original YouTube post was viewed four million times.

GMANews.TV © 2008