The good news was confirmed by the Pinoys’ fathers.
Through a text message, Manila-based Rey Decena said his daughter Madonna is set to compete on Friday. “The finals show is on Saturday — by then the Top 10 finalists would’ve been chosen,” he said.
In an e-mail sent on Tuesday, Charlie’s dad, Roger Green, said the 11-year-old was set to perform on Wednesday (today, Thursday, Manila time).
“The semi-finals are aired live, so viewers can vote for their favorite acts,” he explained.
Charlie’s dad said the kid prepared a new song, “All I Wanna Do is Sing,” for this round.
The two Pinoys were among the 177 aspirants who competed for the Top 40 slots.
On the show’s official web site, judge Piers Morgan described the Top 40 as a “varied” bunch. Fellow judge Amanda Holden noted that they made “brilliant” choices. “Like last year, the Top 40 will bring the country to a standstill,” she said.
Narrowing down the 177 to 40 semi-finalists was “the most difficult part of the job,” said Morgan. “There were lots of debates and rows,” he recalled.
Show co-creator and judge Simon Cowell agreed: “It’s draining, exhausting. And depressing … Unless the contestants deserve [to get the boot].”
And her cup runneth over, because at this point, there is really no stopping Charice.The young singing sensation continues to count her blessings, among them making it to the elite list of people prolific songwriter, producer and musician David Foster call friends as they will perform at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on Friday, May 23, alongside Foster’s other friends such as Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli, Michael Buble, Brian McKnight, Babyface and Katharine McPhee, among others.
Charice met with the famous composer/producer in Los Angeles last year before she taped her Ellen guesting. They flew together to Las Vegas on a private jet to watch the farewell show of Celine Dion at the Caesar’s Palace Colosseum.
All these seem to be happening so fast for the diminutive diva, after her ground-breaking guestings on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, Paul O’Grady Show in London, and just recently, Oprah.
Last Saturday, Charice shared the spotlight with Josh Groban, John Mayer and Alicia Keys in a show organized by Foster at the grand opening of the MGM Grand Casino-Hotel at Foxwoods in Connecticut.
Noted immigration lawyer Michael Gurfinkel and his wife Millie were with Charice and her mom Raquel in Connecticut and they shared their story with the Asian Journal. Atty. Gurfinkel helped expedite the issuance of US visas to Charice and her mom.
"David Foster put together and produced the very first show, featuring Alicia Keys, Josh Groban, John Mayer and, of course, the International Singing Sensation and pride of the Philippines, Charice. She appeared just before Josh and sang a medley of Whitney Houston hits (I Have Nothing and I Will Always Love You, from the movie The Bodyguard which starred Houston herself and Kevin Costner)," Millie shared.
Charice received a standing ovation, the only performer to receive one that night, and ovation, the only performer to receive one that night, and Foster asked the crowd after Charice finished her rousing rendition, "Would you like one more song?"
The audience cheered and shouted an enthusiastic "Yes!" The crowd’s request for an encore led David and Charice to do an unrehearsed performance of And I’m Telling You.
After they performed, the audience once again gave Charice yet another standing ovation.
Among those in the audience were Quincy Jones, and Michael Douglas with his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Backstage, David, Alicia and Josh congratulated Charice for her "phenomenal performance." For her part, the young diva was just so happy to be a representative of the Philippines on such an important world stage, with some of the biggest names in entertainment. "I hope I make my kababayans proud," Charice said.
Next stop: Las Vegas
Touted as one of the music industry’s most celebrated producers, David Foster, will be honored by a historic onenight-only live concert, David Foster and Friends this Friday, May 23.
This special tribute to Foster —the man and his music—is scheduled to take place at the Event Center at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.
The show will feature a host of acclaimed performers, including Andrea Bocelli, Babyface, Michael Buble, Josh Groban, Kenny G, Katharine McPhee, Brian McKnight, Boz Scaggs, piano virtuoso William Joseph, Renee Olstead, Cheryl Lynn and Charice among others. Foster, along with the above artists, will be performing some of his biggest hits.
During Foster’s 35-year career as a songwriter, producer and 14-time Grammy winner, he has discovered and nurtured the careers of scores of artists, as well as creating chart-topping hits for Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, The Corrs, Chaka Khan, Madonna, Josh Groban; Earth, Wind and Fire; Natalie Cole, Michael Buble and many others.
"I am honored to be recognized in this way by so many of the artists I’ve had the pleasure of working with over the past three decades," Foster said, "Not only are they supremely talented, but I also consider them dear friends, so I’m really looking forward to getting up onstage and spending the evening with some of my favorite people in the world."
David Foster and Friends
will be filmed for broadcast in December on PBS stations nationwide. A CD/DVD of the show will be released by Warner Bros. Records this fall. Tickets are now on sale through Ticketmaster and the Mandalay Bay box office online at www.mandalaybay.com.
Fourteen-year-old Jasmine Villegas is 4 feet and 11 inches tall and weighs 90 pounds. Yet she stands tall and mighty – like steel magnolia – amid the boisterous virility of an overcrowded ball field or a male-dominated prizefighter’s arena.
Little Jasmine is not an athlete though – and certainly, far from being a boxer. She sang the national anthem at the WBC super featherweight title encounter between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez last March in Las Vegas. As a singer, she’s devoid of the queenly hints of an audacious diva yet her glorious vocal range could easily silence a rowdy stadium. This church choir-nurtured, San Jose native and L.A. resident is a natural. She doesn’t hurtle across octaves and loiter around four-note verses like how most young talents tend to explore, yet the quiet magic is there. Still raw and searching, but her singing is undoubtedly teeming with promising allure and graceful grit.
The young chanteuse’s credits include spots at opening rites of professional basketball and baseball games, as well as top-rated championship boxing bouts. She has sung before tip-off of NBA games by the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors, and Sacramento Kings, along with choice major league games by the Anaheim Angels and Los Angeles Dodgers. Her diminutive physique but powerful presence has also graced important pro boxing fights, such as the Winky Wright-Jermain Taylor and Paul Williams-Antonio Margarito title bouts.
“The moment we heard her sing (at the fight), there’s only one thing left to do,” says Filipino talent spotters Jing Oliva and Danny Dizon. “We immediately sought out her manager.” As of press time, agents of major networks in Manila are currently negotiating with Jasmine’s manager, Gabriella Mosci (of the LA-based Mosci Music Management), in regards shows in the Philippines. A May visit, however, is already laid out.
The Philippine News had a brief chat with Jasmine and her Filipina mother, Bernadette, at a Burbank restaurant last week.“I’ve never been to the Philippines, I’m excited to visit,” Jasmine said, adding that she’s never been without a taste of Filipino culture in her young life. “My grandma Sofia brings this little rice cooker when we travel and we eat Filipino food.”Her music, however, is an obvious mix of her parents’ culture. Bernadette’s family was very involved in the church choir, while her husband used to play in a band.
“Jasmine has a very good ear for music, she easily picks up notes,” Mom adds.For a budding artist, Jasmine has a mature sensibility in terms of musical standards. “I like Alicia Keys because she’s all talent. She doesn’t have to sell her body to be a good performer. She plays the piano and she writes her songs.”These are not pronouncements from an overzealous kid. Jasmine’s earnest and focus are matched by professional, no-nonsense management and guidance, not counting dear mom’s fulltime attention. Her May calendar, for instance, is already filled with gigs in Miami, LA, and Manila—plus studio recordings and an opening spot at a Ludacris concert in Atlanta. Jasmine also travels with a personal choreographer, Brian Drake.
Jasmine began touring at the age 11, and to date, has done over 200 shows in the last 18 months. Apart from performances in over a hundred elementary schools in the Los Angeles area, Jasmine has been featured in print advertisements for Target National, Mary Kate and Ashley, American Girl, Levi’s, Hilary Duff, Robinsons May, Macy’s, Mervyns, Girl Scouts, Sparklets Drinking Water, Kohls—as well as principal roles in television commercials for Chevrolet, The Dog, Kellogg’s, Zellers, Marshalls, and McDonald’s.
Along with guest appearances in Kanye West’s music video, “Jesus Walks” and Frankie J’s “How To Deal,” Jasmine has also made guest starring appearances on Disney’s “That’s So Raven,” Touchstone Pictures’ “My Wife and Kids” (starring Damon Wayans). She has recently finished shooting a pilot for the Disney sitcom, “House Broken,” a spin-off of Disney’s “The Suite Life of Zach and Cody.” Meantime, she also has a reoccurring role on the ABC’s primetime show, “The Nine,” and a guest role on the television series, “Threat Matrix.”
But then 32-year-old gospel balladeer Jon Almosara comes into the picture and suddenly every one is left thinking again.
The singer is the latest Filipino-American from Hawaii to crack into the popularity radar and receive recognition for his musical gift after snagging a trophy at the 11th Annual Hawaii Music Awards in the Gospel/Inspirational Music category for his musical album, "Thankful."
In his acceptance speech, Jon began by telling the story of a kid who knew nothing but sing praises to the Lord.
"I'm one of those kids who sang in church all his life so I'm used to singing gospel (music)," a visibly ecstatic Jon shared, as he clutched the coveted golden statuette.
"But I'm not used to getting an award for it and so this is something else and I'm so glad," he ended shyly, before breaking into a soulful and soaring rendition of the Christian classic, Great Is Thy Faithfulness.
But Jon meant every word he spoke – from stories of melodies and even tales of struggles. Coming from a humble missionary family in Nueva Ecija, music and values surrounded Jon's life.
Struggling with the language
In 1993, Jon's family uprooted themselves from the northern Philippines and flew to Hawaii as special religious immigrants.
He recalled how he would juggle his time between his classes and his work behind the cashier at a local fastfood chain.
"It was scary for me. Two weeks after I got here in Hawaii, I had to find a job right away so that my family could survive," he told GMANews.TV in an interview.
But paying the bills was not the sole obstacle that the Almosaras had to hurdle. Though equipped with apt skills in speaking English, Jon distinctly recalled how he got treated with the real "American" accent whenever he dealt with customers.
"I remember struggling with the language and it's almost seemed like I was hearing birds when my customers spoke. They talked so fast I couldn't understand," the young crooner recounted.
To brush up on his accent, Jon said he would hang out with his younger cousins and friends, who grew up in the US, and watch English-language cartoons.
From working in book and chocolate stores to teaching music in high school, John admitted that he has laid his hands on almost every job imaginable for a guy like him.
And while he currently works part time as a legal assistant at a local law firm, Jon said the universal magic of sound and tunes keeps luring him more and more into music.
Early music binds
Jon began his official entry into the show business in Hawaii when he was 17 years old. He was initially recruited by a local television producer to belt a song at a popular variety program there called ‘Filipino Beat.’
Even early on in his musical path, John has never failed to strum the musical cords of his Filipino roots through his repertoire, as he starred in a TV musical special that celebrated the Philippine Centennial, called 'Musical Ties That Bind.'
Incidentally, Jon also has, at one point in his career, took on a role in their version of the highly-acclaimed Miss Saigon, the war-themed musical that propelled another Filipino, Lea Salonga, into international fame.
He received formal training in music at the University of Hawaii, where he majored in elementary Music Education. Later on, he would venture into the realm of arias and recitatives as he trained Operatic singing in the same school.
Like most eager starters trying to break into and seal their names in the industry, Jon was also not saved from dodging setbacks. Not having a backing from multi-million-dollar recording companies or PR machineries, Jon said things got extra harder for him in the
beginning.
"I don't think it matters whether you're a Gospel or Secular singer. There's always going to be struggles especially with independent artists like myself," he explained.
But once the wheels started spinning for Jon, everything went pretty smoothly thanks to crucial components that seemed to have fallen in place.
For obvious reasons, his sharp features (tall, dark, and handsome right on the dot) had girls swooning over him. As one entertainment writer in Hawaii wrote, "With his wholesome good looks, Almosara is a messenger that young folks (and oldsters, for that matter) would
welcome."
And aside from his appearance, his following have also pointed out the striking resemblance between his voice and that of Erik Santos, the famous product of a singing competition in the Philippines, which Jon took as an utter compliment.
"I always get a kick out of people asking me if I was Erik Santos at the end of every performance! I've never met the guy before but I'm sure he's a great singer," he chuckled.
But more than the hunky good looks, fans adore Almosara for the sheer overflowing message
of faith, trust, and love instilled in every song that he does.
So much so that he had been invited to sing at this year's Miss Hawaii USA and Miss Oahu as well as appeared in the favorite Hawaiian talk show program Nite Time with Andy Bumatai.
Thankful
For his latest musical set, Almosara said the subsequent events wrought by the September 11 World Trade Center tragedy pushed and inspired him to weave music into a real, poignant picture that saw people seeking refuge back in places of worship.
"It's kind of like a wake up call in a way, I would say, because people started going back to church. And I think that's the positive side of it all, what the terrorists had done only brought people closer and back together as one," he said.
Jon said he found the perfect opportunity to embed the hopes offered by music in the hearts of embattled individuals from the young to the old, from drug dependents to out-of-school children.
So he formed "The Rock," a ministry that gathers people from all walks of life to hear and share stories of love and hope as well as sing praises to the Lord.
The entire experience formed the cornerstone for his album "Thankful," a mixture of contemporary Christian music and love songs that also had the 32-year-old heartthrob teaming up with some of the biggest names in Hawaiian music.
Renowned entertainment critic John Berger describes the set as "beautifully-crafted debut," which packs religious anthems that were inflicted with a mainstream pop flare including catchy, up-tempo, infectious tracks like the lead-off single, "I'm Thankful."
At first, Jon did not expect to be able to shore up as much support from the Filipino community in Hawaii with his first debut offering given the character of the genre of his craft.
"I was kind of reluctant to think that they would support a Gospel Album. But so far so good," he said.
Almosara admits he has yet to conquer the territory of his native land. As he revisits the country in August, next in Jon's agenda is to promote his album in the Philippines, a country that has recently seen the cropping up of Christian movements.
For Jon, music is not the sole vehicle that would propel him further into the venerate realms of stardom.
Aside from keeping up his sleeves staple Filipino practices like the use of 'po' and 'opo,' Jon's undying respect and love for life and God, rife with humility and gratitude, are his other weapon. "These are just the values that I'm never going to lose in me," he assured
Four years ago, history was written by two ladies from the land of luaus and hulas. And now, Jon prepares to rewrite it as he blazes to the top of his game in the international gospel music arena.
WEBSITE:
http://www.jonalmosara.com
Myspace
On MAy 12, Filipina singing sensation charice Pempengco will share her talent to US audience anew in the Oprah Winfrey Show.
There is no stoping the 15-year- old diva. A video on YouTube has been showing teasers of her upcoming appearance on Oprah. the exact date, however, was revealed Charice Pempengco and her mom, Raquel after the taping of her appearance on Oprah only on April 17, Thursday.
The upcoming episode where Charice is set to appear showcases children with amazing talents. The special performances will feature gifted children ballroom dancing, playing the drums and guitar, and even pointing cities on a world map.
Filipinos in LA will have the oppotunity to watch Charice perform live during the Search to Involve Pilipinos Americans' (SIPA) 36th Anniversary Awards Benefit Dinner. The benefit dinner will be held a few weeks before her scheduled appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Charice is the first Filipino singer to perform on this highly rated show. She recently wowed US televiewers in a highly publicized performace on The Ellen DeGeneres Show This eventually paved the way for Journey frontman Arnel Pineda, another Filipino, to get invited to appear on the said show.
Divo Bayer, known for his hits, Ba't Di Mo Na Kaya, Bakit Hindi and Ngayong Nandito Ka will perform live at the 2008 Pinoy Musik Festival & Expo de Mayo. Divo took a chance in 2002 when he entered MTB's Star Quest and went on to compete in the Grand Finals, when he was noticed by Star Records executives who chose him to sing Ngayong Nandito Ka, which became a huge hit. He then released a solo album, A Better Me. Today, this "Emperor of Soul," continues to wow audiences with stirring performances.
Divo will join Sam Milby, MYMP, Kris Lawrence and the hilarious PorkChop Duo at the 2008 Pinoy Musik Festival & Expo de Mayo on May 17 & 18 at the Meadowlands Expo Center, Secaucus, New Jersey. For directions, call (201) 223-1000.
General Admission tickets ($18.00) tickets and limited VIP tickets ($50.00) are available at most Filipino stores and online at shop.specialeditionevents.com. To sponsor, exhibit, advertise or participate, please contact Mila Mendez at (212) 682-6610 or email at: sepmgzn@aol.com. Visit www.pinoymusikfestival.com
Charmaine Clamor is the first Filipina jazz singer to find success on American radio, achieving the rare feat of simultaneously making the top-5 on both JazzWeek’s World (#2 ranking) and Traditional Jazz (#4) charts.
Charmaine Clamor is a jazz vocalist who grew up listening to Ella Fitzgerald on the radio, which shouldn't be surprising. What may be surprising is that Clamor grew up in the Philippines — as a 3-year-old, she sang to passengers on the bus in Manila. Clamor is now a star in her homeland and she's attracting attention in the United States.
Her second CD, Flippin' Out, introduces a hybrid sound, which she calls "jazzipino." Clamor spoke with Liane Hansen about her distinct sound and offered her definition.
"Jazzipino is the new musical genre that results from melding traditional Filipino melodies, languages and instruments with the soul and swing of American jazz," she says.
As a child, Clamor was exposed to Western classical and jazz, as well as traditional Filipino music. She was especially influenced by the kundiman, the Filipino love-song style.
On Flippin' Out, she sings a particularly beloved kundiman called "Dahil Sa'Yo." Clamor's rendition — sung in Tagalog — has something of an ideological edge to it, though. She says that the tune used to be a favorite of the loathed Marcos dictatorship.
"So when I redid this song, I'm hoping if we swing it enough, Liane, that we could rob it from the old ghost of the Marcoses and bring it back to the people where it belongs," Clamor says.
It isn't the only song Clamor flips for her own purposes. She begins the album with an interpolation of Richard Rogers' standard "My Funny Valentine," which she retitles "My Funny Brown Pinay." Pinay is a term for a Filipino woman.
"Since our country was conquered by the Spanish for many, many years, the Filipinos, the native ones, lost pride in their indigenous beauty," Clamor says. "And 'My Funny Brown Pinay' celebrates the unique attributes of an indigenous Filipino woman: someone who has flat nose, black hair, dark skin, brown skin. And this is what I'm trying to communicate to my Pinay sisters."
It is a cause Clamor relates to personally. "When I was growing up in the Philippines, I remember using every type of cream, every type of papaya soap — because we believed that papaya soap lightens the skin — and I used it to hopefully wake up the next day and be fair-skinned," she says.
Her music isn't all political, however. Clamor closes the album with one of her childhood favorites, "Be My Love," rendered partially in Tagalog and dedicated to her mother.
"Whenever I hear Mario Lanza or 'Be My Love' being sung, it just reminds me of my mother and my father, my beautiful childhood when I was growing up in the Philippines," Clamor says.
“I made it onto the tour, so I’m really excited,” said a surprisingly upbeat Ramiele Malubay in a conference call with the media this morning. No matter how much reporters encouraged her to whine, the recently eliminated songstress had nothing but good things to say about her time on "Idol." Ramiele was also quick to disagree when one reporter suggested that Simon never warmed up to her. “Oh, Simon likes me, I know he does,” Ramiele replied, adding, “Backstage, when I left the show, he came, and he’s like ‘Cry on my shoulder’ and I'm like, ‘OK.’”
Ramiele forged an even tighter bond with fallen Idol Danny Noriega, who she hopes to both record with and live with soon. “I still talk to him every single day,” Ramiele said. “He and I, we clicked and we want to be there for each other.” Ramiele was also delighted to discuss her love of long-lost Idol Kady Malloy, saying that Kady had it rough on the show, but “she stood through everything like a warrior. ... She’s so talented. She's gonna get far.”
So, with the departure of Ramiele, the remaining Idols lose their collective little sister. According to Ramiele, even David Archuleta, who is younger than she, would pat her on the head when he walked by. And the 4’11” singer didn’t seem to mind being dubbed the little one of the group. “I just hate wearing heels. If I don’t need to, I really don’t,” explained Ramiele, who opted not to wear heels during last night’s elimination. “And standing next to Carly in that long line, you saw how tall I really was!” She laughed.
Over the course of the call, the diminutive Idol coped with her ouster with a style and grace to rival all that fell before her. And perhaps her concerted effort to stay humble was to thank for her gracious demeanor. “You see how fame kind of gets to certain people," mused Ramiele, "and you don’t want to be that person, like, 'Eeew, she changed.' "
-- Stephanie Lysaght
Enrique Miguel Iglesias y Preysler (born on May 8, 1975, in Madrid, Spain) is a Spanish pop singer-songwriter. He is the son of singer Julio Iglesias and Filipina Isabel Preysler.
Iglesias's career started on Indie label Fonovisa who helped turn him into one of the most popular artists in Latin America and in the Latin market in the United States, selling more Spanish albums than any other artists in that period of time. Before the turn of the millennium he made a crossover into the mainstream English market and signed a unique multi-album deal with Universal Music for an unprecedented $48,000,000, with Universal Music Latino to release his Spanish albums and Interscope to release English albums. Iglesias has had two Billboard Hot 100 #1s and one #3, and he holds the record for producing eighteen number #1 Spanish-language singles on the Billboard's Hot Latin Tracks. His album sales currently total over 40 million albums, making him one of the biggest-selling Spanish musical artists in the world.
Enrique is the brother of Chabeli Iglesias, Julio Iglesias Jr., the half-brother of Tamara Falcó and Ana Boyer (from his mother's side); and Miguel Alejandro, Rodrigo, Cristina, Victoria and Guillermo Iglesias (from his father's side). He is also said to be close to cousin Jess Iglesias, who is of Spanish/Jewish descent.
In June 2000, radio personality Howard Stern received a tape of a supposedly off-key (MP3 of Iglesias singing, Video of Iglesias singing) along to the track "Rhythm Divine". Stern played this humorous clip throughout the week on his radio show insinuating that Iglesias lip synched and couldn't sing well outside the studio, even suggesting that Iglesias himself did not sing on his albums, comparing him to Milli Vanilli. Iglesias flew straight in to New York to appear on Stern's show, singing acoustic versions of "Rhythm Divine" and "Be with You", after which Stern told Iglesias he had silenced his critics. Iglesias would go on to say that controversy and his appearance on the show was the best promotion he could have. (see full story here[1].)
Iglesias confirmed that his trademark facial mole was surgically removed in August of 2003.
Normally when Enrique performs his song "Hero" in concert, he randomly selects a fan from the audience to appear on stage while he sings the song to her. Afterwards, he sometimes kisses her. He has continued this trend of inviting an audience member onto the stage even when performing to gay audiences.
HIS MOTHER
Isabel Preysler (born Maria Isabel Arrástia Preysler on February 18, 1951 in Manila, Philippines) is a Filipina journalist, model and former TV talk show host in Madrid, Spain. She is known in the Spanish press as "La Reina de Corazones" (the Queen of Hearts) ever since a best-selling biography by the same name was published about her. She is the mother of international pop superstars Enrique Iglesias, Julio José Iglesias, Chabeli Iglesias, Tamara Falcó and Ana Boyer.
Preysler was born in San Lorenzo, Manila, Philippines, the third of six children to a rich business Filipino family of Basque-Spanish descent. She attended the Assumption Convent, a private Catholic school. Due to her good behaviour, she was often selected to represent the Virgin Mary in the local Christmas nativity scenes.
Her nickname as a child was "Chabeli", which would later be the nickname of her first child. According to the book "Reina de Corazones" by Paloma Barrientos, she dated Gregorio Araneta, Charlie Lopez, and Bobby Santos, among others, as a teenager.[1] Her older brother Enrique died in Hong Kong due to a heroin overdose. She named her second son Enrique Iglesias, in honor of her deceased brother. Joaquin, her second oldest brother, also had problems with drugs, but overcame them and now lives in Canada.
During her youth, Isabel participated in a charity beauty pageant for the Sheraton Hotel in Manila and was crowned queen. Jun Ikalav, a playboy with a bad reputation, started dating Isabel. This worried her parents, and at the age of 18, she was sent to live in Madrid with her uncle and aunt to study at Mary Ward College, an Irish Catholic university in Spain, where she studied Accounting. It was at a party in 1970 that she was introduced to a family friend by the name of Julio Iglesias, who at the time was not yet a famous singer. The couple had their wedding just seven months later and were married for seven years, during which time they had three children, Chabeli, Julio Jr. and Enrique. In accordance with their rising careers, Julio as a singer, and Isabel as a model in Spain and Europe, they exploded onto the scene in 1971 and became overnight superstars in Spain and Latin America.
Following their divorce in 1978, Isabel launched her own career as a journalist for Spanish magazine ¡Hola! and her first interviewee was Julio himself. She also interviewed Richard Chamberlain. She married the Marquis de Grignon, Carlos Falcó, on 23 March 1980, a short-lived marriage resulted in the birth of a second daughter, Tamara. She later married former Spanish finance minister, Miguel Boyer, with whom she has another daughter, Ana. This marriage symbolized for critics the alliance of the ruling Spanish Socialist Workers Party, part of the leftist opposition to Francisco Franco, and to the "beautiful people" (aristocracy and bourgeoisie).
Often dubbed "La Perla de Manila" by the Spanish media ("The Pearl of Manila"), readers at Hola magazine have voted Isabel as the most elegant and best-dressed woman in Spain for 1991, 2002, and 2004, and she has consistently topped the best-dressed lists over the years in various Spanish magazines.
In 1984, she hosted the Spanish lifestyle TV programme, "Hoy." She has been chosen by several companies to be an image sponsor for their products, including Ferrero Rocher, Suárez jewelery, and, most notably, the Spanish tile company, Porcelanosa.
In 1987, her two sisters moved to Spain with their families to be closer to Isabel.
Her father, Carlos Preysler, has passed away. Her mother, Beatriz Preysler, still lives in Manila where Isabel is known to visit frequently with her children. She is close friends with Maurice Arcache, a local openly-gay Philippine journalist and socialite. She frequents social events in Manila, including events hosted by the Spanish Embassy of the Philippines. She is also friends with Miriam Quiambao, Miss Philippines-Universe 1999, ever since they met at a party hosted by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, a national newspaper, and with fellow Filipina and acclaimed fashion designer Monique Lhuillier, who she met in Los Angeles during a trip. She is known to wear Lhullier gowns at social events in Spain.
In May 2001, she was Prince Charles' guest of honour for the opening of his Spanish Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show in England. She was his guest of honor again in 2005 at a garden party during a trip to Spain by the Royal Crown.
In 2004, she became Spain's welcoming host for David and Victoria Beckham when she hosted a welcoming party at her house for the celebrity couple. She became close friends with Victoria and was often photographed shopping with her during their stay in Madrid. [2]
Most recently she launched her official website at the suggestion of her son Enrique, who is one of her biggest fans. She continues to be the national spokesmodel for Ferrero Rocher, Suárez jewelery, Manolo Blahnik shoes, Chrysler cars, and Porcelanosa tiles, for which American actor George Clooney recently joined her in Fall 2006 to represent the brand in a new advertising campaign. [3]
In 2006, she was also honored along with Hillary Clinton, Shakira, and Yoko Ono among others with the Women Together Award, which honors women for their philanthropical contributions to the United Nations in New York, making her the first Filipina woman in history to ever win the prestigious honor. [4]
She, her family, and her home are frequent presences in Spanish magazines. She also helps participate in events for the Philippine Embassy in Madrid.
In 2007, she and her daughters were invited by Prince Charles of England to be guests of honor at the Clarence house at their estate in Britain and was voted out of a total of more than 40,000 Hola magazine readers as the most elegant woman in Spain.
Website:
http://enriqueinglesias.com
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