Michael Bublé To Take Manila On A Pre-Valentine’s Date

Press release

There is no doubt that critically-acclaimed singer-songwriter Michael Bublé always gives his audience a night they will never forget. With his unsurpassed charm, splendid stage presence, and enchanting vocals, he transforms his concert into a date with his fans. During his full house show in Value City Arena in Ohio, Bublé mentioned that he didn’t want it to be treated like an ordinary concert. He added, “It’s more like a first date. I start nice and slow, because I know some of you haven’t seen me before.”

Bublé’s electrifying performance is complemented by his natural ability to please the crowd. The Telegraph writes, “On [Bublé’s] first concert of a 10-night run at London's 02 Arena, part of the Canadian singer’s 2013 To Be Loved worldwide tour, he high-fived male fans, blew kisses to adoring women and stood atop a 20-foot structure while blasting out jazzy takes on the old standards.” The Canadian crooner, donning a full tuxedo and shiny shoes, had sold out the O2 Arena on those 10 nights. He was backed by a full orchestral band which he grandiosely introduced as their information such as their respective hometowns, colleges, and draft dates were flashed on screen. He rendered the crowd astonished with his versions of classics, but it was his chart-topping hits “Hold On” and “Haven’t Met You Yet” that got the crowd on their feet.

The multi-Grammy Award winner connects exceptionally well with his audience through his effortless humor, hip dance moves, and strikingly infectious charisma. This global entertainer performed in 18 sold out shows in UK, 31 in Europe, 12 in Canada, and plenty sold out shows in the US, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand for his To Be Loved Tour.

On January 31, Michael Bublé will sweep Manila off its feet. Catch the Canadian crooner at the Mall of Asia Arena, 8 PM, as Wilbros Live in cooperation with Dainty Group and FOX International Channels presents Michael Bublé LIVE in Manila. Tickets available at SM Tickets via smtickets.com or call 470-2222. Special thanks to Warner Music Philippines, ABS CBN, MYX, RX 93.1, Play FM 99.5, Natural 97.9, 103.5 KLite, Mellow 94.7, The Philippine Star, Business World, Business Mirror, HDI Admix Inc, Philstar.com, PEP.PH and Inquirer.net.

BELOVED MUSICAL “INTO THE WOODS” JOURNEYS INTO THE BIG SCREEN

Press release

Twelve years ago, following the phenomenal success of the big screen adaptation of the Broadway musical “Chicago” (which won six Academy Awards®, including Best Picture), director Rob Marshall sat down with Stephen Sondheim and expressed an interest in directing a film version of one of the legendary composer’s stage productions. At the top of Sondheim’s list: “Into the Woods,” one of his most acclaimed – and poignant – works, and one which he thought would be a perfect fit for Marshall.

Marshall and his producing partner, John DeLuca, had been fans of Sondheim and James Lapine’s landmark musical since it opened on Broadway at the Martin Beck Theatre in 1987. In describing the piece Marshall says, “The story seamlessly intertwines Sondheim’s emotional, funny and brilliant score with Lapine’s intricate and masterful book, which is a modern twist on several beloved fairy tales, and is entertaining, while examining complex themes like the consequences of wishes, the parent/child relationship, greed, ambition, loss, and, perhaps most importantly, unconditional love and the power of the human spirit.”

Then in 2011, on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Marshall heard President Obama addressing the families of the victims. In an effort to console them, Obama said, “You are not alone...No one is alone.” The phrase “No One is Alone,” which is also one of the most moving and memorable songs from “Into the Woods,” struck a chord with Marshall, and in that moment he knew that the time was finally right to bring the beloved musical to the screen.

“In many ways, I think ‘Into the Woods’ is a fairy tale for the 21st century post 9/11 generation,” Marshall says. “Sondheim and Lapine were way ahead of their time when they wrote it. The comforting knowledge that we are not alone in this unstable world gives us all that glimmer of hope.”

For Sondheim, “’No One Is Alone’” was written as a community song. “I believe Arthur Wing Pinero said that in writing a play, you tell the audience what you’re going to do, you do it and then you tell them that you’ve done it. If you tell them that you’ve done it, then it makes a package,” he says.

“’No One Is Alone’ tells them that we’ve done it,” Sondheim explains. “This is what the show has been about. No one is alone: we are all connected in some way and we are all responsible for each other’s actions. It’s something I believe firmly and it’s something that’s worth writing about.”

Marshall and DeLuca took their passion project to Disney, and immediately knew they had found the perfect company to bring the stage musical to life. “We were thrilled that the company embraced the project the way that they did,” says Marshall. “They were truly interested in expanding the definition of what a ‘modern fairy tale’ film could be.”

Producer Marc Platt, who joined the duo in making the film, says, “Disney is a company that historically tells the classic fairy tales, so moving forward it should also be the company that finds new, contemporary and unexpected ways to tell these stories.”

So after 27 years, the long-awaited classic was set to begin its journey forward. “The Woods of our story is universal, and can mean so many things,” Marshall says. “It is the place you go to find your dreams, confront your fears, lose yourself, find yourself, grow up and learn to move forward. It’s all part of life. So ‘Into the Woods’ we go, again and again...”

“Into the Woods” is a modern twist on the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tales, intertwining the plots of a few choice stories and exploring the consequences of the characters’ wishes and quests. This humorous and heartfelt musical follows the classic tales of Cinderella (Anna Kendrick), Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford), Jack and the Beanstalk (Daniel Huttlestone), and Rapunzel (MacKenzie Mauzy)—all tied together by an original story involving a baker and his wife (James Corden & Emily Blunt), their wish to begin a family and their interaction with the witch (Meryl Streep) who has put a curse on them.

The principal cast is led by Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Corden, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine and Johnny Depp.

Opening across the Philippines on January 28, 2015, “Into the Woods” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures.

Biggest recording stars sing for compassion, volunteerism in Red Cross song

In the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda last year, the country’s biggest recording artists decided to dedicate their time and talent to inspire people to help our kababayans by recording the song “I Am You,” composed by Ryan Cayabyab and Joey Reyes. This is a project of the Philippine National Red Cross.

Sharon Cuneta, Regine Velasquez, Lea Salonga, Sarah Geronimo, Martin Nievera, Ogie Alcasid, Christian Bautista, Karylle, Sam Concepcion,Erik Santos, Tippy Dos Santos,  Kuh Ledesma, Ebe Dancel, Yael Yuzon of Sponge Cola, Chito Miranda of Parokya Ni Edgar, Verni Varga, Gloc-9 are just some of the singers who lent their voices in “I Am You.”

Currently, the Red Cross has almost helped 600,000 families in Yolanda-stricken areas, built hundreds of thousands of houses and almost 200 classrooms.

LENNY KRAVITZ LIVE IN MANILA: TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE!

Concert release material

Wondering if you’ll ever see him perform live in Manila? This March 24, 2015, Lenny Kravitz will strut to Manila for the first time. One of the preeminent rock musicians of this generation will have you grooving to his hits and cuts from his latest album “Strut”.

In his 20-year musical career, Kravitz has changed rock music with his own brand of 60’s and 70’s soul, rock, and funk. He stood out with his undeniable presence and classic sound, transcending race, genres, and style. The industry is definitely listening to his work with his long list of collaborations with various artists from different backgrounds like Madonna, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Aerosmith, N.E.R.D, Mick Jagger, P. Diddy, and more. To add to his long list of musical achievements, he holds the record for most wins in the “Best Male Rock Vocal Performance” category at the GRAMMY Awards. He has sold over 40 million albums to date. The rock icon is also an accomplished actor with notable works in the critically acclaimed movie Precious and the box-office hit The Hunger Games as Cinna.

Lenny’s 10th studio album, “Strut”, is a reunion of sorts to his rock & roll roots. “This record brought me back to a place of what I love so much about music,” Lenny Kravitz says, “back to the feelings I had when I was in high school. It’s a real rock & roll record – it’s raw, it’s got soul and it came together really quickly.” Even with a full plate from shooting movies and managing his creative firm, Kravitz Design Inc., the GRAMMY winner drew inspiration while shooting The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, thinking of song titles, lyrics and riffs purely on instinct. Recorded back home in Bahamas, he wrote, produced, arranged, and laid in almost all the tracks himself to give the album the sound as raw and a clear as he remembered it from his earlier albums, “I feel like I’m just beginning, like I’m just hitting my stride.” The album, his first release since 2011, has 12 tracks including his sultry and infectiously groovy “The Chamber”, “Sex”, and “New York City”

Finally, the multi-award winning singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist will make you experience his raw sound live at the Globe Circuit Events Grounds in Makati City for a one-night only show on March 24, 2015 presented to you by Midas Promotions. Tickets are now available at all TicketWorld outlets. Tickets prices are as follows Platinum (seated) – 13,000 | Diamond (seated) – 11,000 |Gold (seated) – 9,000 | Silver (standing) – 3,500 | Bronze (standing) 2,000. For inquiries, call 891-9999. Get more details on www.midaspromotions.com and www.lennykravitz.com

Gloc-9, Universal Records lead this year’s Awit Awards winners

Universal Records nabbed numerous commendations from the recently-concluded 2014 Awit Awards, held at the Newport Performing Arts Theater, Resorts World, with Gloc-9 winning most of the major awards – Album of the year for “Lihim at Liham,” Song of the Year for “Magda,” Best Rap Recording, and Best Collaboration.

Asia’s Songbird received two awards for Best Inspirational Song for “Nathaniel,” and Best Christmas Recording for “Hele Ni Inay.” These songs are part of the album “Hulong Ka Ng Langit,” which won Best Album Packaging Award.

Sam Concepcion won Best Dance Recording for the carrier single of his “Infinite” album – “No Limitations.”

PhilPop entries also made it to this year’s roster of winners – “Papel” and “Pansamantagal” won  Novelty, and World Music Recording of the Year, respectively.

Here is the list of Universal Records winners from the 27th Awit Awards:

Best Collaboration

Song Title: Magda
Artist: Gloc 9 feat. Rico Blacno
Record Label: Universal Records Inc

Album of the Year

Song Title: Liham at Lihim
Artist: Gloc 9
Record Label: Universal Records, Inc

Song of the Year

Song Title: Magda
Artist: Gloc 9 feat. Rico Blanco
Record Label: Universal Records Inc

Best Dance Recording

Song Title: No Limitations
Artist: Sam Concepcion
Record Label: Universal Records, Inc

Best Inspirational/Religious Recording

Song Title: Nathaniel
Artist: Regine Velasquez-Alcasid
Record Label: Universal Records, Inc

Best Christmas Recording

Song Title: Hele Ni Inay
Artist: Regine Velasquez-Alcasid
Record Label: Universal Records, Inc

Best Rap Recording

Song Title: Magda
Artist: Gloc 9
Record Label: Universal Records, Inc

Best Musical Arrangement

Song Title: Hele Ni Inay
Artist: Homer Flores
Record Label: Universal Records, Inc

Best Album Package

Album Title: Hulog Ka Ng Langit
Artists: Jay Saturnino D. Lumboy & Anne Kate Piñero (Graphic Desigers); Jay Saturnino D. Lumboy (Album Concept); Mark Nicdao (Photography)
Record Label: Universal Records, Inc.

Best World Music Recording

Song Title: Pansamantagal
Artist: Sitti Navarro & Julianne Tarroja
Record Label: Universal Records, Inc

Best Novelty Recording

Song Title: Papel
Artist: Joey Ayala & Gloc 9 feat. Denise Barbacena
Record Label: Universal Records, Inc

BOYCE AVENUE BACK FOR VALENTINE’s DAY CONCERT IN 2015

Concert press release

Boyce Avenue, one of today’s hottest singing sensations which gained worldwide popularity for its strong acoustic roots and melodic rock sound, is returning to perform at a special Valentine’s Day concert on Feb. 14, 2015 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City.

Billed as “Boyce Avenue Live in Manila 2015!,” the treat from Ovation Productions will bring back the American band more than a year after its last local performance in response to the popular demand of Pinoy fans. The overwhelming support of Filipino Boycers made the band the no. 1 most streamed international artist on Spotify in the country.

The one-night-only show will mark Boyce Avenue’s fourth local appearance in six years following its sold-out concert at Resorts World Manila last Dec. 30, 2013, also produced by Ovation Productions, and its headlining tour with American Idol winner Kris Allen and the dance troupe Jabbawockeez on Feb. 5-6, 2010, one year after its local debut on Feb. 16, 2009.

As its first-ever arena show in the Philippines, the Big Dome gig is expected to attract a huge attendance from a cross-section of music lovers who have passionately followed, along with millions in other parts of the globe, Boyce Avenue and their music online through their YouTube channel.

Formed in October, 2004 in Sarasota, Florida, Boyce Avenue is composed of three Puerto Rican-American brothers who first came together as a band when Alejandro Manzano (lead vocals, guitar, piano), Fabian Manzano (guitar, vocals) reconnected with their elder brother Daniel Manzano (bass, percussion, vocals), who moved back to Florida from Massachusetts after graduating from Harvard University Law School.

The group, named after a combination of two streets where the brothers grew up, took its most formative steps toward becoming a band by continuing to write original music and performing local shows.

In 2007,  Boyce Avenue showcased their emotive, radio-friendly alt rock on YouTube with a series of videos of them performing acoustic versions of their songs as well as covers of their favorite songs by other artists, such as Justin Timberlake’s “Love Stoned,” Rihanna’s “Umbrella” and Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida” among many others.

The result was fantastic.

The videos instantly shot to sky-high popularity on YouTube and, to-date, Boyce Avenue has over 1,000,000,000 viewers on YouTube and over 5,500,500 subscribers– making it one of the top artists of all time on YouTube.  It has likewise gained 500,000 Twitter followers and 2,500,000 Facebook subscribers that account for a strong and solid digital fan base.

Other unforgettable Boyce Avenue covers include “Use Somebody” (featuring Hannah Trigwell) by Kings of Leon, Rihanna’s “We Found Love”, “Demons” by Imagine Dragons, David Guetta ft. Usher’s “Without You”, and Katy Perry’s “Roar” (featuring Bea Miller).

While producing the videos for YouTube, Boyce Avenue remained committed to create original material for its debut album, completing the recording of its last three songs in October 2007 – “Dare To Believe,” “On My Way” and “Hear Me Now” (piano acoustic).

The album, titled “All You Meant To Be,” was released on March 25, 2008 and was well received in the market and got positive reviews in industry publications, while its songs were featured in various MTV programs.

In their desire to connect with their online fan base, Boyce Avenue shifted their focus on touring, starting in early 2009 when the group performed for an estimated 25,000 over four headline shows in the Philippines, followed by a series of headline tours in the United States, Canada and Europe.

They returned to the Philippines in 2010 to play festivals with Kris Allen and The Jabbawockeez during the MusicFest 2010 concert  at the McKinley Hills concert grounds in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

As of May 2012, the band has headlined, since its initial 2009 headline tour,  6 tours in Great Britain and Ireland, 6 tours in continental Europe, 4 tours in the United States, 3 tours in Canada, 1 tour in Australia and has played several shows in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines

.

Over the past three years, Boyce Avenue has played for over 350,000 people in 20 countries and 5 continents, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Asia, Brazil, Europe and the United Kingdom.

On June 15, 2010, the trio released “All We Have Left” under Universal Republic which contains reworked songs from “All You Meant To Be” as well as new songs, such as “Every Breath,” “On My Way” and “Broken Angel.”

On Aug. 9, 2011, the band left Universal Republic and began producing its CDs through its own label, 3 Peace Records.

Boyce Avenue’s EP (Extended Play), “No Limits,” released on April 24, 2014, contains more upbeat           pop tracks than their previous work, including seven original tracks produced by the band, with “I’ll Be The One” co-produced with Milkman and “Scars” with Ryan Ogren.

A special tribute came from Louis Tomlinson of One Direction, a vocal fan of Boyce Avenue, when he arranged for the band to open for One Direction during its debut “Up All Night Tour” in Great Britain and Ireland in January, 2012.

In 2014, Boyce Avenue was nominated for the Teen Choice Award for Choice Web Star: Music.

Catch Boyce Avenue LIVE in Manila at The Big Dome on February 14, 2015 and make Valentine’s Day a memorable experience!

(“Boyce Avenue Live In Manila 2015!” is presented by Ovation Productions. Ticket prices are P4,852, P4,224, P3,168, P2,112 and P782.  Tickets are available at all TicketNet outlets nationwide and online at www.ticketnet.com.ph.  For ticket inquiries, call TicketNet at 911-5555.)

Yeng Constantino's All About Love album launch. Blogcon exclusive

A couple of years ago, I was able to cover the Metamorphosis album launched of Ms. Yeng Constantino. Now that she's tying the knot, it is just timing for her new album which tracks includes love songs, a duet with her fiance, and his compositions.

For Yeng, the inspiration of these songs are from her relationship with Yan. She admit she was crying when she wrote the songs but she is not sad. So don't expect any heart-breaking song in the album. She also cried during the recording. You can observe that she poured her soul in this album.

http://instagram.com/marktemplar/

Besides that, songwriters like Ebe Dancel also wrote a song for Yeng. Her single, Ikaw, was the most viewed video in 2014. It gathered 2-M viewers per month. She also infused fashion to her music. You may noticed she looked like she got her influences from K-Pop/J-Pop artists. Besides this album, she will start her Christmas album in June. Currently, she is not teaching at the Academy of Rock which is located in Powerplant Mall and SM Megamall.

For more updates about album launches, follow this blog or like L.E.N.S. blogs on Facebook.

LENNY KRAVITZ ROCKS MANILA IN MARCH 2015!

Lenny Kravitz, the four-time GRAMMY Winner who gave us the hits “Again”, “It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over”, “Are You Gonna Go My Way”, “Fly Away and “American Woman” is set to rock the Philippines this coming March. He is regarded as one of the preeminent rock musicians of our time, and has successfully transcended genre, style, race and class into a 20-year musical career, one which revels in the rich influences of '60s and '70s soul, rock and funk.

MIDAS Promotions, the company responsible for sold-out concerts in the Philippines and the rest of Asia, is proud to present Lenny Kravitz LIVE in Manila this 24 March 2015 at the Globe Circuit Events Ground in Makati.  Tickets will be on sale starting 9am, December 15th, 2014 atwww.ticketworld.com.ph or at any Ticket World Outlets.  For inquiries, call 891-9999. Ticket prices are as follows:

Platinum (seated) – 13,000 | Diamond (seated) – 11,000 |Gold (seated) – 9,000 | Silver (standing) – 3,500 | Bronze (standing) 2,000

Kravitz’s talents as a writer, producer and multi-instrumentalist have resonated through nine studio albums into a timeless catalog. Winning four consecutive GRAMMY Awards, he set a record for the most wins in the “Best Male Rock Vocal Performance” category. His appeal has also been recognized by his peers; his collaborative efforts are as varied as his own influences, having worked with Slash, Aerosmith, Jay-Z, N.E.R.D., Mick Jagger, P. Diddy and Alicia Keys. He also produced the song "Justify My Love" for Madonna, which he co-wrote with Ingrid Chavez. 

Having sold over 38 million albums worldwide, LennyKravitz’s musical success has afforded him many opportunities to fulfill his creative vision beyond the recording industry. The artist appeared in a supporting role in the critically-acclaimed film Precious, and the box office smash film The Hunger Games, as Cinna. He reprised this role in the second film which was released in Fall 2013. Lenny was also seen in Lee Daniels’ The Butler (The Weinstein Company) alongside Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey.

In 2014, Lenny Kravitz debuted his 10th studio album, Strut. Kravitz is currently on an extensive world tour, and has chosen Manila as one of its stops. He will beperforming songs from Strut as well as from a distinguished career that has made him one of the most distinctive and successful recording artists of today.

For further enquiries and information, please contact Grace Foronda 

(gracelomboyforonda@gmail.com), Mel Tyler (mel@midaspromotions.com), or log on to the following social media pages:

http://www.midaspromotions.com/

https://www.facebook.com/midaspromotionph

https://twitter.com/midasphofficial

http://instagram.com/midasphofficial

Rak Of Aegis

RAK OF AEGIS is a rock comedy musical using the songs of Aegis and it tackles Filipino resilience, or how the country faces and resolves compromising situations, whether this be a natural disaster or a broken heart.

Set in a subdivision that has been flooded for two months, “Rak of Aegis” will revolve around the love interests of the main characters, whose names are derived from those of Aegis band members as a tribute to the Filipino novelty rock group that made waves 90’s.

Rak Of Aegis reruns Dec. 5 to 14 at PETA Theater Center. For more updates about the music industry, follow this blog or like L.E.N.S. blogs on Facebook.

We Are All God's Children Album Launched

After spreading the word of choral pieces of the song online in preparation of the Papal visit, the album is finally available to the public. I was able to ask Ms. Jamie Rivera during an exclusive blogcon.

Jamie Rivera wrote the song and given arrangement by Noel Espenida. Jamie Rivera was given the title as inspirational diva when she sang Lord, Heal Our Land during EDSA Dos. During the launch, Ms. Jamie shared that when the song was broadcast, she had online bashers telling her to change the lyrics especially the first stanza:

Do you see these children on the streets

Have you walked the pavements where they sleep

Do you feel their hands, when you give them alms

Did you ever give them bread to eat.

In my opinion, some Christians are not concerned to the marginalized like the street children because they do not practiced what was preached. They just concerned with their own salvation. No one can do anything about the lyrics because that is the reflection of the writer and is approved by the Vatican.

I am not a Catholic but I have a huge respect for Pope Francis because he is a head of state and the only Pope from a third-world country.Just like any preacher from the third-world, he is a liberal theologian.

There are also interesting stories behind the song and it is not only from Jamie. On the video, which was used only for demo for the interpretative sign language by Ligaya Ng Panginoon. One of them had a mother who died because of cancer while doing the video. It is her mother's dying wish to finish the video no matter what even though she almost quit participating.

For more album launches, follow this blog or like L.E.N.S. blogs on Facebook. The launch was held at Villa Immaculada, Intramuros, Manila.

Sam Concepcion scores three record awards in a day

Release material

Singer-actor Sam Concepcion proved that indeed he is a young hitmaker when he was awarded three record awards during his Birthday production number in ASAP last Sunday, Nov.30. He was awarded by Universal Records General Manager Kathleen Dy-Go three record awards - Gold for his album Infinite, a Platinum for his single Mahal Na Mahal, and a Double Platinum for Dati, a collaboration with Tippy Dos Santos and Quest.

Overwhelmed by these recorgnitions, Sam, via his Instagram account (samconcepcion) expressed his gratitude to his fans, record label and management groups,  “This ones for the SAMSTERS! You never fail to surprise me. The Gold, Platinum and Double Platinum don't mean anything without you. To the people who believed in me first, @universalrecordsphilippines @kat_dygo Stages and Star Magic, I will always be grateful. Giving back all the glory and honor to my God, My Savior Jesus. More music to come!”

Sam is set to release multiple singles in the coming weeks, and will soon star in teleserye, slated to premiere early next year.