Kapuso Stars

MANILA, Philippines - The loudest applause for 10-year-old Filipino-Canadian YouTube sensation Maria Aragon may extremely well come from her parents, who are nothing short of proud of her unprecedented fame.

“Pinagmamalaki namin siya… [proud kami sa kanya] 100 percent,” stimulated Maria’s mother, an Ormoc, Leyte native, in a Skype interview with GMA-7’s “24 Oras,” Feb. 28.

It’s been just a couple of weeks since Maria Aragon posted on YouTube her piano-decked rendition of Lady Gaga’s new song “Born This Way” that moved the singer-songwriter herself, prompting her to tweet about Maria’s cover.

As one of YouTube’s top properties, Maria Aragon by now had interviews one after another on radio, and appeared on some big-shot television shows such as "Ellen" (which prompted another tweet from Lady Gaga, branding her “such a doll” and a standing ovation from the audience) and “Good Morning America” (where its anchor George Stephanopoulos handed her a gift certificate for six months of piano lessons).

Another forthcoming milestone for Maria’s booming career is her much-awaited duet with Lady Gaga in her Toronto, Canada show in March. The invitation came personally from Gaga during their surprise phone chat during one of Maria’s radio interviews in Winnipeg.

As of this writing, her "Born This Way" cover has climbed to over 16 million hits on YouTube.

Regardless of Maria Aragon spanking achievements, Maria’s parents mentioned that their daughter, a Grade 5 student at the Isaac Brock School in Winnipeg, often misses school.

“Nung nasa LA nga kami, nandun kami sa hotel, umiiyak siya, sabi niya ‘I miss my school already’,” related Maria’s father, who originates from Mandaluyong City.

While Maria Aragon's parents are supportive of their daughter’s music ambitions, they want her to persist her studies.

“Di siya titigil sa pag-aaral, tuluy-tuloy ‘yan…” said her dad.

Even though Maria Aragon hasn't been to the Philippines, Maria gets to watch local shows on the TV. Maria Aragon also is aware of several Filipino celebs such as Dingdong Dantes, Marian Rivera, Ogie Alcasid and Regine Velasquez. Maria Aragon also mentioned broadcast newscasters Jessica Soho, Mel Tiangco, and Mike Enriquez.

Maria extended her thankfulness to her kababayans in straight Filipino.

“Sa mga kababayan ko sa Pilipinas, binabati ko kayo ng magandang gabi at saka mahal ko kayong lahat,” she said.


Video of Maria Aragon talking to GMA 7 Pinoy TV 24 Oras

By ROWENA JOY A. SANCHEZ

Agaw eksena si Chariz Solomon sa isang bar sa Quezon City last Friday, 4:00 AM. Nagsisigaw at nambato ng baso sa isang waiter. Nagpupuyos sa galit ang kanyang kasamang lalake. Marami ang nag-usyoso at nagulat dahil ang babaeng ito ay ang GMA 7 TV host-comedienne at nasa cast ng Machete na si Chariz Solomon!
Pinigilan ng mga bouncer ang pagwawala ng aktres at kinausap ang kasamang lalake, na boyfriend pala niya, na umalis na lamang sa bar at sa labas na lamang pag-usapan ang kanilang sigalot. Habang palabas daw ng bar, tuloy pa rin ang pagsigaw at pagwawala ni Chariz, sobrang galit hanggang sa pagsakay sa kotse nito.

Upang kinawin kung ang komedyana nga ang babaeng binabanggit ng mga waiters at bouncers ng bar, tinawagan ko si Chariz. I verified ang pangyayari. Nagkita kami sa Alfonso, Cavite. Sa isang hotel sa Tagaytay siya tumuloy pagkatapos ng kaguluhan sa bar.

Kuwento niya, sobrang nainis siya sa boyfriend niya dahil maepal daw ito. Nagkasundo raw silang maghiwalay ng lugar kung saan gigimik upang ma-enjoy nila ang gabing ‘yon kasama ang kani-kanilang mga barkada. Pero nung nasa kalagitnaan na raw ang gabi, kinulit daw siya ng boyfriend na sumama na rin sa bar kung saan sila gumigimik. Pumayag naman daw siya. Pero pinaghiwalay daw niya ng cubicle ang lugar ng bawat isa upang hindi magkailangan ang mga kaibigan niya at mga kaibigan ng boyfriend niya.

Alas-kuwatro ng madaling-araw, nagbago na daw ang timpla ng boyfriend niya at umastang bodyguard niya. Binabantayan lahat ng ginagawa niya at nag-aaya nang umuwi. Hindi raw maintindihan ni Chariz ang pangungulit nito. Nakiusap pa raw siya rito na maghintay na lang muna, kung hindi ay mauna na. May sarili naman daw siyang kotse. Hindi pa rin daw pumayag ang boyfriend niya. Nagsisima-ngot at nangungulit na. Kaya sumiklab na ang inis ni Chariz, feeling daw niya ay napapahiya siya sa mga kasama niya at mga taong nasa loob ng bar.

Dahil sa nangyari, sa Tagaytay na lamang daw nag-stay si Chariz, walang dalang damit kundi ang suot na sando blouse at shorts na suot pa niya sa gimikan. At dahil may taping din ang Machete ng 7 PM sa Alfonso, Cavite.

During my interview, basa pa ang buhok ni Chariz at nakabalot ito ng malaking tuwalya, ang sando blouse pa rin ang suot-suot. Nag-iisa pa lang siya at wala pa ang mga crew, kaya nakiusap siya na samahan ko muna siya.

Humihingi rin siya ng paumanhin sa mga waiter na nabato niya ng baso at sa pamunuan ng bar dahil sa gulo na nagawa niya.

Sa ngayon, maayos na si Chariz Solomon, pero mukhang magtatagal pa raw bago sila magkaayos ng boyfriend niya.

Watch Machete at GMA Pinoy TV

source: Gary de Leon

Kuwento ng manager ni Jennylyn Mercado na si Tita Becky Aguila, nagdesisyon na si Jen na ipatanggal ang kanyang tonsil para matigil na ang pabalik-balik ng sakit niyang tonsillitis.

Ang tonsillitis daw ni Jennylyn Mercado ang isa sa mga rason kung bakit madalas na nagkakasakit ang aktres at isinusugod sa ospital.

Dahil daw sa sakit na `yon, hindi makagawa ng show o concert si Jennylyn Mercado, na madalas niyang gawin noong hindi pa siya nagkakaroon ng sakit na ganito.

Kuwento nga ni Tita Becky, dapat ay marami na silang nagawang show o concert ni Jennylyn, kaya nga lang, hindi ito natutuloy dahil sa madalas na pagsulput-sulpot ng ubo at lagnat ng aktres.

At ayon naman daw sa doctor ni Jennylyn Mercado, maaari na nitong ipatanggal ang kanyang tonsil para maiwasan na rin ang posibleng pagkakaroon ng heart disease ng aktres.

Tiniyak naman ng doctor ni Jennyly na hindi maapektuhan ang singing voice ng aktres kapag natanggal na ang kanyang tonsil.


Anyway, nu’ng birthday daw ni Empress ay pinilit pa rin ni Jennylyn na kumanta kahit masama ang pakiramdam nito. Hindi raw kasi nito matanggihan si Empress dahil close ito sa dalaga.

At nagtagal lang daw ng konting oras si Jennylyn sa party, at pagkatapos ay umuwi na rin para makapagpahinga.

Kuwento pa ni Tita Becky, Isang buwang magpapahinga si Jennylyn matapos ang operasyon. At pagbalik daw ni Jennylyn ay agad na nitong haharapin ang bagong project sa GMA 7.

Ang Little Star ang huling serye na ginawa ni Jen sa GMA 7.

Balak na rin ni Tita Becky na pagtuunan ng pansin ang pagkanta ni Jennylyn. Inaasahan ni Tita Becky na makakapag-usap na sila ng Viva Records para sa dalawang album pa na natitira na dapat gawin ni Jen.

Meron din daw dalawang movies na gagawin si Jennylyn, mula sa tatlong pelikula na pinirmahan nila sa Viva Films.

Siyanga pala, sa March 1 and 2 ay nasa Hong Kong si Jennylyn para dumalo sa red carpet premiere ng ‘Rosario’, kasama ang producer nila na si Mr. Manny V. Pangilinan.

by:Rey pumaloy

Aljur Abrenica and Kris Bernal or better known as ALKRIS get back together and boost their tandem on Philippine primetime when the Koreana star will make a special appearance on GMA-7’s Machete starting now.

Kris is about to play Jessa, a damsel in distress who saves a drastically wounded Dakila/Machete (Aljur Abrenica) after participating in a legendary fight with Karum (Ryan Eigenmann). As Jessa nurses Machete’s injuries, the historic warrior are going to defend Jessa from her overbearing father who planned to get married to her off to man she doesn’t love.

Sparks will definitely fly anew because the previous love team shares the small screen just about a year after their past project together, the fanstaserye The Last Prince. Prior to which, they even starred in Dapat Ka Bang Mahali and All My Life, where the two created headlines with their crowd-pleasing portrayals as well as powerful onscreen chemistry.

Kris started taping last Monday in Daranak, Rizal, and is set to show upin the upcoming episodes of the program.

With Jessa’s appearance, will the audacious warrior stay fully in love with Rosella/Aginaya (Bela Padilla)? Or is he going to have a change of heart?

Find Kris Bernal in Machete just after Dwarfina on GMA 7 Telebabad.

SAAB Magalona is grateful to GMA-7 for giving her the chance to play villain to Kris Bernal in “Koreana” that ends today.

“I really had fun playing contravida,” she says. “It’s so challenging kasi it’s not natural for me 'yung mataray at nana-nampal. I have plenty of aggressive scenes pa naman. First time I was told to slap Kris, I didn’t know what to do and it’s Kris who told me, ‘Totohanin mo, okay lang.’ I admire Kris as she has many emotionally draining scenes but she makes it look so easy.”

What if she’d have “sampalan” scenes with her elder sister Maxene? “I don’t know, kasi in real life, hanggang sigawan lang kami. That’s when we were younger. Never kaming nagsampalan. We have the same birthday, Nov. 23, but she was born 1986 and I was born 1988. After me comes, Elmo, but I’m 6 years older than him.”

She’s a late bloomer in acting. “Kasi I finished muna my creative writing course at Ateneo. But now, I realized I enjoy acting pala kaya sana masundan agad itong ‘Koreana’. I’m also into writing. I write about shopping and culture in a new website, juice.ph. I also have my own blog, isabellamagalona.com. I’m an internet celebrity. I’ve been sent to Singapore as a blogger and I’m going next to Hong Kong Disney.”

The topic usually asked of Geoff Eigenmann for the “Magic Palayok” presscon was: when are you and Carla Abellana planning to wed? Doesn’t he get fed up hearing the particular question over and over again? “Wala, e,” he shrugs. “Before, ang laging tinatanong was kung on na ba kami, so I guess logical lang that the next question after we admitted na officially on na nga kami is: kailan kayo pakakasal? Ganun din naman sa iba pang artista who admitted they’re going steady, di ba? And I guess hangga’t hindi kami kinakasal, itatanong at itatanong pa rin 'yun at paulit-ulit din naming isasagot na we’re not yet ready as we’re still enjoying our careers.”

In GMA 7 new soap “Magic Palayok,” he plays Jude, a rich guy who is going to be long lost dad of Angeli Sanoy, the girl who owns the magic palayok which can cook a variety of delightful dishes. Her mother, Mikee Cojuangco in a special guest role, dies and so Angeli is forced to search for her father. Perhaps the biggest issue is there are three other guys who will be also believed to be her possible dad: Jay-R, Gino de la Pena and Frank Garcia. “Our last show ni Carla was a heavy drama, ‘Basahang Ginto’. This one is much lighter at may fantasy elements for the whole family. I’m glad to be reunited here with Direk Joel Lamangan kasi para kang nagwo-workshop with him. Hangga’t di niya nagugustuhan ang isang eksena mo, pauulit niya sa’yo until you perfect it. Dito, mala-Walt Disney ang treatment niya that even the villains, played by my Tita Cherie Gil and Chynna Ortaleza, very funny ang dating.”

“Magic Palayok” will replace “Bantatay” that ends today with an explosive episode in which a major character will say goodbye. “Bantatay” is truly a constant toprater and even it’s newest competitor, Kris Aquino’s game show, find it hard to beat it. “Kaya nga may pressure sa’min,” says Geoff. “Kailangan ma-maintain ng ‘Magic Palayok’ ang high ratings set by ‘Bantatay’.”

by Mario Bautista

Today is the first taping day of Ang Spooky Mo Presents Bampirella and Marian Rivera will be the first kapuso star to lead the said series for four weeks before you see her in upcoming telebabad Amaya.

Joining Marian Rivera in Bampirella is Gelli de Belen as her villain and Mikael Diaz as her leading man and Marc Abaya who's also in I Heart You Pare. There's still no update when is the pilot episode of Bampirella which will replace Kapuso Movie Festival.

Maria Aragon is a 10 year old singer from Winnipeg received a Super Star Treatment last Thursday the moment Maria was being taken from classes by a limousine for the radio station in down-town Winnipeg. Maria expressed that this wonderful girl has always dreamed of to become a music performer or artist and also wishes to play various musical instruments.



Special attention was given to the 10 year old the moment Lady Gaga twitted that she had viewed a YouTube video of the girl playing a keyboard and singing her new song “Born This Way.” Gaga said that she was extremely impressed by the girl’s performance. Ace Burpee, host at FM station HOT 103 said that he was so impressed with the little girl’s talent that he was trying to get her on the “Ellen” television talk show in the US.



Follow Maria Aragon on Twitter @malourdesaragon