Entertainment News (07/25/23)

The Pen holds 47th anniversary dinner concert

THE PENINSULA Manila celebrates its 47th anniversary with Meet Me at the Pen: A Symphony of Talent Unveiled, featuring the talents of National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab, singer Nicole Asencio, and the Ryan Cayabyab Singers. To showcase Philippine artistry, the dinner concert on Aug. 10, Friday, will also highlight commissioned pieces by emerging visual artists Mano Gonzales and Alaga. The dinner will start at 7 p.m. and the concert at 7:15 p.m. Confirmed seating will be provided at The Lobby at P8,800 per person for the five-course dinner and concert. The price includes VAT, a 10% service charge, and applicable local taxes. For inquiries or reservations, call 8887-2888, extension 6694 (Restaurant Reservations), or e-mail DiningPMN@peninsula.com.

Newport World Resorts marks Linggo ng Musikang Pilipino

NEWPORT WORLD RESORTS celebrates Linggo ng Musikang Pilipino by focusing the spotlight on original Pilipino music (OPM), with support from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). From rock bands to high-energy soloists, Newport World Resorts presents a roster of local artists on the stages of Bar 360, The Grand Bar and Lounge, and El Calle Food and Music Hall. There is nothing quite like listening to homegrown music in The Grand Bar and Lounge. On Tuesday, spend an evening with legendary OPM band Side A at 9:15 p.m.; while Wednesday has MYMP at 9:30 p.m.; Thursday sees Hyperbeat at 9:15 p.m.; Spirit at Friday, 9:15 p.m.; Saturdays with Soul Republiq at 8 p.m. and Red Rocks at 10:30 p.m.; and Judith Banal and The Power Play Band wraps up weekend entertainment on Sunday at 9:15 p.m. At The Bar 360 on July 27 at 10:45 p.m., Mitoy Yonting and The Draybers will perform covers of classic rock hits. On Thursday night, Oeuvre performs at 8:30 p.m. while DJ Edz Mabini pumps up the night at 1 a.m. On Friday, Tirso Cruz IV and The TAC 4 are slated to perform at 9 p.m., Jo & The Holy Notes at 11:15 p.m., and DJ Eera Amor at 1:15 a.m. On Saturday, it is the turn of Switchback at 9 p.m., In Heat at 11:15 p.m., and DJ Thea Moore at 1:15 a.m. On Sunday, Zyncxation center stage at 8:15 p.m. followed by DJ Miles Mallow at 11:15 p.m. El Calle Food and Music Hall will see Rox Puno on stage on July 27, 10:15 p.m.; Dom Rodriguez serenades on Thursday, 8 p.m.; and Musica does some soulful Friday jamming at 8 p.m., followed by Julia Serad at 10:15 p.m.; Saturday sees Junno and Cass set the mood at 8 p.m. and 10:15 p.m.; and the week wraps up on Sunday with Karaoke Night at 7 p.m. For more information on Linggo ng Musikang Pilipino shows, visit www.newportworldresorts.com.

PhilPop Songwriting Fest announces top 12 finalists

THE PHILPOP Himig Handog Songwriting Festival, a collaborative project by songwriting institutions PhilPop and Himig Handog, kicked off with a Digicamp series that was designed to develop the skillset of aspiring participants in the fields of songwriting, music arrangement and recording, branding, marketing, career development, and intellectual property. After the two-month workshop-based training and songwriting class, the songwriting competition has selected 12 of the best entries that will advance to the main competition. The finalists are: Rinz Ruiz, “Papahiram” (Luzon/Bulacan); Francis Contemplacion, “ATM” (Luzon/Laguna); Tiara Cino, “Wag Paglaruan” (Metro Manila); Kevin Yadao, “Ghostwriter” (Metro Manila); Rob Angeles, “MHWG” (Metro Manila); Geca Morales, “Langit Lupa” (Metro Manila); Alvin Serrito, “Kurba” (Metro Manila); Shantel Lapatha, “Tulala” (Visayas /Bacolod); Relden Campanilla, “Dili Nalang” (Visayas/Cebu); Jimmy Grajo, “Salamat (Nga Wala Na Ta)” (Visayas/Cebu); Keith Quito, “Buhi” (Visayas /Bohol); and, Maric Gavino, “Taliwala” (Mindanao/Davao).

Bruno Major concert tour includes Manila

BRUNO MAJOR has unveiled his latest single, “The Show Must Go On,” which is the final offering from his upcoming album Columbo via Harbour Artists & Music / AWAL Recording. Previously released were “A Strange Kind Of Beautiful,” “Tell Her,” the album’s title track “Columbo,” and his first new track in three years, “We Were Never Really Friends.” Columbo, the highly anticipated follow-up to 2020’s To Let A Good Thing Die, is a 12-track body of work that weaves the autobiographical with the observational. Marking a return to the stage after his 2020 tour was canceled due to COVID, Bruno Major will kick off an expansive headlining tour in Tokyo on Aug. 8. He will make his way through major cities in Southeast Asia, including his top-10 streaming countries like the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia, before heading to Denver, Colorado to start the North American leg of the tour on Sept. 4. The upcoming Southeast Asia tour dates are: Aug. 13, Voice Space, Bangkok, Thailand; Aug. 15, New Frontier Theater, quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines; Aug. 17, Capitol Theater, Singapore (sold out); Aug. 19, GBK Basketball Hal, Jakarta, Indonesia (sold out); and Aug. 20, Zepp Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Barbie The Album is now out

ATLANTIC Records has officially unveiled Barbie The Album, the musical companion to the film Barbie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The star-studded soundtrack is now available globally at all retailers and streaming services, featuring the recently announced track, “Man I Am,” from multi-platinum, Grammy, Brit, Golden Globe, and Academy Award-winning artist, Sam Smith. The synth pop track was produced by the soundtrack’s executive producer, Mark Ronson alongside Ricky Reed and is written from the perspective of Ken. Further album highlights include Barbie star Ryan Gosling’scene-stealing original song, “I’m Just Ken,” performed as his character, plus unreleased tracks from a lineup of global superstars including Lizzo, Tame Impala, The Kid Laroi, HAIM, Khalid, Dominic Fike, Ava Max and GAYLE.

Lego celebrates 100 years of Disney

THE LEGO Group has announced its partnership with Disney to commemorate Disney’s 100 Years Celebration. “Disney is part of millions of people’s childhood and collective memory. Celebrating its 100th year, the Lego Group wants to bring back the joy everyone experienced watching their favorite Disney movies and shows through the brand’s belief in endless possibilities,” says Cris Ope?a, Senior Brand Manager for Ban Kee Trading, The Lego Group Philippines distributor. “It’s a perfect mix of magic and modern creativity,” he adds. Ongoing until Aug. 15, Lego and Disney aficionados alike will have the opportunity to receive an exclusive Lego Disney 100 Year Celebration set. With a minimum spend of P6,000 on any Lego Disney playset from selected themes, Lego fans can get their hands on the exclusive 40600 LEGO Disney 100 Years Celebration set for free. This limited-edition set pays tribute to a century of enchanting stories and beloved characters that have captured the hearts of millions around the world. For every purchase worth P5,000 of any Lego Disney set, customers will have the chance to win a one-of-a-kind Disney Collectible figure. Throughout July, selected Toy Kingdom and Toys R Us stores will host special in-store activities. Check the schedules and locations on the Lego Certified Store’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

Matteo Guidicelli is newest anti-piracy ambassador

THE INTELLECTUAL Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) has chosen award-winning artist, singer, host, triathlete and Philippine Army reservist Matteo Guidicelli as the newest face of IPOPHL’s anti-piracy campaign. “With a credible and trustworthy figure at the forefront of our anti-piracy advocacy, we hope to cut through to a larger population of Filipinos, especially the youth. We want more Filipinos to see more clearly how piracy is robbing the creative economy of revenues and the government of much-needed taxes,” Director General Rowel S. Barba said. Mr. Guidicelli and his manager, Viva Artists Agency, Inc., have committed to creating video campaigns to show the importance of respecting others’ intellectual property (IP) rights. IPOPHL, on the other hand, commits to conduct a free learning event designed to help the new ambassador, Viva and other select piracy-affected industries in protecting their IP assets more effectively. IPOPHL’s newest anti-piracy project is co-funded by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to address awareness gaps identified in a survey conducted by IPOPHL and WIPO in 2021. The Baseline Study on IP Awareness found that out of five age groups, it was the youngest that patronized pirated digital content the most. “The worst and most challenging part sa pagkalat ng piracy is pati ang values ng ating kabataan napipirata (The worst and most challenging part in the proliferation of piracy is that the values of our youth are also being pirated off),” said Mr. Barba. Out of 1,000 respondents, 35%, 31%, and 28% of those who respectively downloaded free music, video games and movies online and 14% of those who read free ebooks come from the youngest group segment, with ages 18 to 19. The group segment also sources free copies from their friends and Youtube. According to the survey, some young respondents cited the ease in accessing free content compared to buying from authorized sellers, and that their peers do it anyway. The baseline survey also assessed IPOPHL’s current awareness campaign online and found its previous content linked to a celebrity ambassador as having the most visibility and “potential to change behavior.”