Listahan ng mga ninong at ninang ni Charice Pempengco

abs-cbnNEWS.com

Posted at 05/19/2010 1:10 PM | Updated as of 05/19/2010 1:23 PM

MANILA, Philippines – International and local celebrity heavyweights, including American television host Oprah Winfrey, have been invited to become Charice and her younger brother’s godparents in their joint baptism and confirmation this week.

This was confirmed by Charice's mother, Raquel Pempengco.

Charice and Carl will be baptized as Catholics in an undisclosed location on Saturday.

Winfrey, who has been involved in Charice’s international career, and composer-producer David Foster are among the 24 pairs of godparents of Charice and Carl.

As of posting time, there is no word yet if Winfrey will personally attend the event.

ABS-CBN chairman Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez III and president Charo Santos-Concio, broadcaster Karen Davila, Boy Abunda, Kris Aquino, and entertainment journalists Ricky Lo and Jobert Sucaldito will also stand as their ninongs and ninangs.

In his column in The Philippine Star, Lo confirmed that he accepted Charice's invitation for him to be one of the godfathers.

Below is the complete list of Charice and Carl’s godparents.

1. Ms. Oprah Winfrey and Mr. David Foster

2. Ms. Lisa Erspamer and Mr. Marc Johnston

3. Mr. Gabby Lopez and Ms. Charo Santos

4.Mr. Boy Abunda and Ms.Kris Aquino-Yap

5. Mr. Raffy Lopez and Ms. Malou Santos

6. Atty. Ed Shapiro and Ms. Liz Rosenberg

7. Atty. Mr. and Mrs. Millie Gurfinkel

8. Mr. Ricky Lo and Ms. Karen Davila

9. Mr and Mrs Willam SY
10.Mrs. Marietta Lavin_ and Ms. Oledan
11.Mr.Robert Ybera and Ms.Cherry Arganda
12. Mr and Mrs Grace Mendoza
13.Mr. Julius and Ms.Tintin Babao
14.Mr. Bum Tenorio and Ms.Michelle Gankee
15. Mr.Jobert Sucaldito and Dra.Vicky Belo
16. Ms.Emmie Velarde and Mr.Pocholo Concepcion (PDI)
17. Mr.Peter Tiope (SueBee) and Ms.Lucy Ongkauko (Queso)
18. Mr.Roger and Ms.Helen Bartholomew (Inter-Ed)
19. Mr.Benson and Ms.Marlene Ong
20. Mr.Mike Sanchez and Ms.Cris Llamo (Senheisser and Wow)
21. Mr.David and Ms.Elsie Chua
22. Mr. and Mrs Ellen Tiamson
23. Mr.Joey Berroya and Ms.Cristina Perez
24. Mr.Conrad and Ms. Aida Dimapilis

CNN features Charice
CNN has recently interviewed the 18-year-old Filipino pint-sized singer in a feature titled "4'9" with a towering voice."

Charice sat down with reporter and host Shanon Cook to discuss her first self-titled global album and her life when she was still a struggling singer.

"When I was 4 years old she left me (mom) in our home and I sang. My first song was ‘My Heart Will Go On.’ Then my mom discovered me singing on top of the table," Charice said.
Charice, who is now busy promoting her album in the United States, told Cook that her CD reflects the “new me.”

She said: "This is my first time to sing a very light, danceable songs… I must say that this is really the new me, even the style and everything, the image. If you will see the album cover, I mean I can't believe that it is me."
When asked how she reacted when Winfrey described her as the most talented girl in the world, Charice said: "Sincerely I can't believe it until now, I'm shaking. I'm just so thankful to her, to all the people who helped me. To my idol Celine Dion, she told me that we have same things in common. To think that she said that, I was like, ‘Oh my God!’ I was just starting and she is a legendary singer."

Charice launched her album on “The Oprah Winfrey Show’ on May 11, a day after she celebrated her 18th birthday. She is set to hold a post-birthday party with the less fortunate children.

A hit with Winfrey, Charice Pempengco tries to win over teens

NEW YORK — Charice already has won over the mom market.

The teen wunderkind from the Philippines has been wowing audiences with her big voice and Celine Dion covers on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," ''The Oprah Winfrey Show" and other shows for the past two years. This week, she appeared on Winfrey's show for the fourth time.

But as she releases her self-titled debut album this week, Charice finds herself with a serious challenge as she tries to translate her success with an adult audience to her peers.

"I've been singing big songs, and this is actually the first time they are going to hear me sing Justin Bieber-type of songs, Miley Cyrus-type of songs," the 18-year-old said recently. "I'm just excited for all the teenagers to hear my album."

Had Charice come along around the era of Dion or Whitney Houston, two of her idols, it would have been easier to make that move. Back then, big-ballad singers with towering voices dominated pop radio.

These days, it's the grooves behind the big voice that matter.

David Foster, the Grammy-winning mentor behind Charice, probably knows that better than anyone. A legendary producer who has made hits for Houston, Dion, Barbra Streisand, Toni Braxton and dozens of other top names, Foster understands his sound is not what makes hits on pop radio anymore (although he still makes hits as the producer behind multiplatinum stars Josh Groban and Michael Buble).

"I knew if I produced the album, it would be adult-oriented. It would skew older. It would be maybe a quick, easy sale, but ultimately, it's very, very hard to skew younger after you start older, so we made a conscious decision to skew young first," he said. "I don't want to say that we crumbled under the pressure of having to go youthful, but I think we hit it square on."

Though Foster and his sister Jaymes are the album's executive producers, they left most of the music-making to younger writers and producers like Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic, whose hits include Beyonce's "Halo" and Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love."

The album's first single is "Pyramid," featuring singer Iyaz.

"I just thought like, teenagers are falling in love ... they love this very catchy and very romantic words from all these young artists," Charice said. "That's why I thought that this album ... they are gonna love it, all the lyrics, all the melody and all the music."

So far, "Pyramid" is No. 2 on the dance charts, but it has not yet translated to pop radio. Foster is aware of the challenge it takes to make a hit, but he thinks Charice has a lot to add to the scene.

"There is a lack of organic music right now, and it's fine — it's just the phase that we're in," he explains. "I think there is room for some more musicality."

There's no denying Charice has that. During a recent interview, the diminutive singer belted out "Pyramid" on request, performed a stirring rendition of Houston's "I Will Always Love You" for an audience of four, then continued to sing even on her way out the door.

Singing has consumed Charice, born Charmaine Clarice Relucio Pempengco, since she was a child growing up in the Philippines. Raised with her brother by a single mother, she sang in local contests and appeared on TV talent shows in the Philippines and in South Korea.

Fans posted clips of her on YouTube, and she became a sensation. Soon, she was invited to sing on "Ellen," then on "Oprah Winfrey," and linked up with Foster.

So far, her rise has unfolded like a fairy tale. But Charice knows there are hurdles, like trying to capture U.S. audiences.

"It's really, really hard ... there's a lot of great pop stars here. ... They're all talented," she said. "I don't know if Americans are going to love me because I'm from other country."

But Foster said it is only a matter of time before there's an Asian superstar in the United States, and he believes Charice might be the one.

"Being a great singer is not enough, and she has the entire package," he said.

He adds: "She's a little bit like Michael Jackson in the head ... Michael Jackson was very soft-spoken and quiet and all that, but he was genius inside his head. He knew exactly where he was going, and she truly is the master of her own destiny." — AP