ALAM BA NINYO na ang kantang “Nel blu dipinto di blu” (In the Blue Painted Blue), na mas kilala bilang “Volare”, is the only song that originated in Italy to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100? Kinanta ito ni Kevin Kline sa pelikulang A Fish Called Wanda. Maraming Italian songs ang sumikat at naging bahagi ng pop culture tulad ng ‘O Sole Mio, Funiculì, Funiculà, Quando Quando Quando at may pelikula at kantang Arrivederci Roma.
Hindi nagkakalayo ang mga Pinoy at Italians pagdating sa hilig sa musika. The Italians have a good ear for music. Hindi naman nakapagtataka because from folk to classical, music has always played an important role in their culture. Great composers like Antonio Lucio Vivaldi, Niccolò Paganini, Giuseppe Verdi and Giacomo Puccini are held in high regard. Kilala ang Italy as the birthplace of opera. They have several opera houses like the famed La Scala of Milan and San Carlo of Naples. Pang-world class ang mga Italian opera singers gaya nina Enrico Caruso, Luciano Pavarotti and Andrea Bocelli.
At kung mahilig ang mga Pinoy na sumali sa mga reality talent shows gaya ng Pinoy Dream Academy, Showtime at Pilipinas Got Talent ay mahilig din ang mga Italyano na sumali sa mga talent competitions gaya ng IO Canto (I Sing).
Our very own Charice recently performed on IO Canto (I Sing) where she sang Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” and “I Have Nothing” and her first international single “Note To God.” Pinabilib ni Charice ang mga manonood at contestants when she belted out the Italian song titled “Adagio” and Beyonce’s “Listen” with Cristian Imparato, one of the show’s contestants. Sa kanyang performance ay muling pinatunayan ni Charice ang sinabi ni Oprah Winfrey that she is the “Most Talented Girl in the World”.
It was not Charice’s first time to show off her singing prowess in Italy. In July 2008, she sang a duet with tenor Andrea Bocelli at the Teatro del Silenzio. She also sang “The Prayer” with Bocelli. Nag-guest din siya last year sa musical variety show na “Ti lascio una canzone (I’m Leaving a Song for You).”
Patuloy ang pagsirit ng international singing career ni Charice. Her performances are posted on YouTube; she guested on several famous talk and talent shows; naging laman ng mga news programs abroad like E-News Daily 10 USA, CNN Korea, and France News; and has rubbed elbows with big stars like Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, Celine Dion, Josh Groban, David Foster and Alicia Keys. Maswerte si Charice dahil hindi lahat ng tao ay nabibigyan ng ganitong pagkakataon. Where does Charice go from here? Anong bansa naman kaya ang susunod niyang pabibilibin? But one thing is for sure, with the right moves, she’s headed for the big time.
Kaibigan, usap tayo muli!
Points of Boy
by Boy Abunda
