Illustrado Magazine – Filipino Abroad

Tag: Filipino artists

Artist Spotlight: KIDWOLF

Artist Spotlight: KIDWOLF

Music Producer, Composer and DJ

MY ART

I love my work. I’ve always liked music growing up and I think it’s my first love. There’s just something beautiful about writing a song, putting it out there for people and hearing how it gets transformed and reinterpreted by the listeners.

I started writing when I was 13, But went to work in a call center when I was 18. After five years of that, I decided to just pursue my passion and start making music.

MY PROCESS

When I was younger, I used to imagine how songs back then would sound better if they added this and that on the melody or the lyrics. I also liked to play with the chords with existing songs and change it around, wondering how these chords interact with the song. Nowadays, I just start with an idea, a feeling and a message. I start with a statement and I build the song around it – the right chords and the right melodies. I go by feel. I start playing on a guitar to lay down the chords and then record it and just create a beat afterwards to make it EDM. I love what I’m doing. That’s what keeps me inspired. And I’m lucky that my source of income is also my passion.

I rarely compare my works with other artists, so my inspiration is almost always random bits of sound I have in the soundbank that is my brain. I just enjoy writing songs and making beats and worry less about whether people compare it with other artists, cause I believe that as long as your composition process is honest, you can be proud of the song regardless of the common feedback.

MY JOURNEY, SO FAR

My journey as a musician took a really good turn when I got introduced to Hifan and Flipmusic. I learned so much from the people I worked with there and I still practice the good habits I learned from them. My most successful track so far is “Free” with BV. I collaborated with artists Nica Del Rosario and Kio Priest on the songwriting. We did not expect it to reach so many people.

I don’t really have anything too rigid laid out for my career. I just go with whatever life throws at me and where the beat takes me. I believe that no matter how much you plan, life always finds a way to shake you off-track. You dance with it anyway.

Artist Spotlight: KIDWOLF

Having said that, I’m happy to announce that I have an upcoming single “Nothing On” coming on Spotify the first week of December!

MY ADVICE TO ASPIRING ARTISTS

My advice to people who want follow their dreams is to never give up. The road is hard, but in this industry, what counts is your capacity to persevere and that you have the right mindset, attitude and patience.

Connect with Kidwolf!

TW and IG: @officialkidwolf

FB: facebook.com/kidwolf

I just go with whatever life throws at me and where the beat takes me. I believe that no matter how much you plan, life always finds a way to shake you off-track. You dance with it anyway.

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Related Articles:

Artist Spotlight: SONIQ DJ DUO Filipino DJ

Artist Spotlight: Lakshmi Ramirez – Filipino Musician

Artist Spotlight: Isa Tabasuares – Singer-Songwriter in Berlin

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December 23, 2016
Artist Spotlight: Edipolo Aggarao – Visual Artist

Artist Spotlight: Edipolo Aggarao – Visual Artist

My Art

My heart & soul is a fine artist, while my body & brain is a creative director, art director, designer and visualizer. My hands, eyes and other senses respond to both masters with the same fire and passion. As a fine artist, I am able to do and express whatever I desire. I love painting. I love the smell of oil and paint and turpentine. They give me such orgasmic high better than any drug or woman can. Touching the texture of the canvas makes me feel like I’m touching heaven. Every brush stroke, every layer of paint gives me that feeling of an amazing new discovery. Like a child with a new magical toy. It’s like breathing life to the canvas. Knowing that once it’s brought to life, this one will live forever.

My (non)Process

I have no particular process in my creations. Although the human figure seems to always titillate my imagination. Nude is something I do most of the time. I like doing the human figure in its most natural form. The skeleton, the muscles, the form… the nooks and crannies of the human figure… those are the things that inspire me. The human figure is an art by itself.

My oil portraits are done to look like oil paintings. Although I can easily do portraits that will look as real as photograph, I make sure I do my paintings the way an oil painting should be done. Lots of visible brush strokes. Nothing I do comes close as what a camera does.

Artist Spotlight: Edipolo Aggarao – Visual Artist

My Journey

I remember that the first thing I learned to do with a pencil and paper was to draw. That was before I even stepped into school. In school, my teachers used to ask me to do their classroom visual aids or draw on the blackboard for them. Word spread around and it wasn’t long before the top artists in our small town took notice and that’s how my art journey began. I further honed my skills by taking up Fine Arts major in Advertising at the University of Santo Tomas enjoying full scholarship PLUS a regular recipient of half scholarships by making it to the Dean’s List.

My art has taken me this far. It has given me so much. I have passed through glass ceilings. And in the process, I have changed the lives of so many budding artists. From Bahrain to Jeddah to Dubai. My journey has always been colorful. My paintings and drawings have found their spot in loving homes across the globe.

Back in the early days in Dubai, I founded an art group called LIPAD (League of Pilipino Artists in Dubai) with some friends for which I was voted the president. The group had been very successful. We gave free art lessons, free art materials and free snacks to kids every Friday.

A few months ago, I met with a mix of seasoned and budding Filipino artists based in Dubai to form a new art group we called 2PM (the name was taken from the call time we set for the meeting) and it is open to all artists in visual and performing arts. Plans are aplenty. Enthusiasm is high and we have great expectations on the future of this new group to showcase every aspect of the Filipino talent.

Aside from this, I spend most of my Fridays as a volunteer trainer for Kabayan Non-Profit Organization, teaching Graphic Design, Figure Drawing, Portrait Oil Painting and assistant trainer in Photography and Adobe Illustrator.

My advice to aspiring artist

Keep creating, keep exploring and keep believing. The world is your stage.

Follow Edipolo on his social media platforms!

www.facebook.com/kabayannonprofitorg

www.facebook.com/groups/worldartistsnet

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Related Post:

Artist Spotlight: Jonathan Benitez – Painter

Artist Spotlight: Kimberly Reyes Filipino Visual Artist

Artist Spotlight: Nathaniel Alapide, Painter & Sand Artist

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December 7, 2016
Artist Spotlight: APE CREATIVE Design Collective

APE CREATIVE

Design Collective

Rollan Rodriguez – Creative Director / Founder

Jude Valderrama – Graphic Designer

Mary Hechanove – Graphic Designer

Our Art

We are Ape Creative, a graphic design studio based in Dubai and originally from Manila. We do various works such as brand identity, illustration, art direction and event curation. We love generating ideas, then interpreting it to tangible geometry, color, direct typography and visual communication. We love to push creative boundaries.

Art and design is our way of life. This is the essence of who we are.It’s always been clear to us in the beginning that being in design is a vocation – a way of life. Either you love what you doing or not. In our case, graphic design is a whole world to us. So much in of love what we are doing, head to toe.

Our Process

Every creative has its own reason. Influence is an important factor. For starters, the immense influence of the visual landscape, up to the great art proponents of history; the unnoticeable influence of pop culture from film, television, music and print media. Inspiration is everywhere, so the real challenge for us is to not to get caught up in everything that stimulates our imagination. We always try to maintain a measure of level-headedness, while tempering it with a bit of folly.

Projects comes from different sorts of places and intention. It may be from a self-initiated projects to a brand brief. As a studio, this process is set in stone: Research – Ideation – Interaction – Execution – Distribution – Contemplation.

Our Journey

We’ve only been operating for two years, and our staff is very minimal, but despite all of that, we have managed to accomplish noteworthy projects, such asthe design and curation of one of Dubai’s premiere urban art festivals, StreetCon. We’ve also handled branding projects from companies here in the Middle East, and even from Asia and North America.

We are proud to announce our upcoming participation to one of the Middle East’s premieredesign festival, Dubai Design Week.

Byahe: A Typographic Exploration

‘Byahe’ is an exhibition and film showing. It explores the culture and the craft of hand painted lettering on signage. The core inspiration for ‘Byahe’ arose out of an interest in hand painted signage iconically found on vehicles in the Philippines. ‘Byahe’ will explore how people connect through their stories, their travels and experiences using elements of typography & design on signage exemplified in collaborative effort of the designers of the studio.

The exhibition is a celebration of the slowly dying craft of hand painted signage – that often overlooked and or ignored.

24 – 29 October 2016 | 10 am – 10pm

FN Designs, Warehouse 26, Alserkal Avenue, Al Qouz 1. Dubai UAE

Message to our fellow artists

There’s no magic formula to do excellent work. But this works for us: Work hard, play hard. Remember, that you are only as good as your next big idea.

Get in touch with Ape Creative!

Website: theape.co

Instagram: apedxb

Facebook: apedxb

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October 31, 2016
Hermes Alegre ’s Love Affair with the Filipina

Hermes Alegre ’s Love Affair with the Filipina

By Lalaine Chu-Benitez

Speak to the ebullient Hermes Alegre, and he will have no qualms gushing about his current passion – “The women of Daet are so interesting. They are more healthy here, they eat healthy and they swim uninhibited in the sea.” He is fascinated by the women’s facial expressions and is enraptured observing them even in the most mundane of circumstances – chatting at the local palengke. “They are pure, probinsyano, with no pretensions at all”.

And then of course, there is his hometown, Daet, Camarines Sur, where life is wholesome, fresh fish is caught daily, and where the sea, sky and the horizon are endless, giving way to the fertile imaginings and visual meanderings of this fine arts genius.

Hermes Alegre, a celebrated modern day fine artist, well-known in the Manila art circle, as well as abroad, has graced some of the most prestigious art spaces in the world and has the distinction of promoting Pinay tropical beauty to a larger audience. Far from the very young man who, 20 years ago, started humbly by selling his paintings of laing, gumamela and macopa, to see himself through college, Hermes has earned pride of place in his chosen discipline – garnering fame and respect from art critics who compare him to masters Amorsolo, Bencab and Manansala, well-earned accolades, excellent market value for his works, as well as ‘wannabe’ painters who unsuccessfully try to emulate his bravura on canvas.

He is mainly known for his portrayal of luscious full-lipped, brown-skinned women, mostly of the Mariang Makiling mould, embraced by a rich tropical background overflowing with a brilliant profusion of flora. Hermes’ women on canvas are always mysteriously erotic looking. They stare right back at you, beckoning you to drown in their eyes, their hypnotic stare transporting you to their randomly beautiful wild alternative reality.

Unsurprisingly, the painter has been largely influenced by his surroundings. Hermes spent a great deal of his professional life in an atelier in Los Baños at the foothills of Mt. Makiling. “Inabsorb ko yung energy ng Mt. Makiling, yung kahoy, halaman, hangin at bundok”, spawning the Mt. Makiling look – the lush foliage, the woods, the glorious riot of tropical colors.

Going back to his roots, he has recently settled in Daet, his hometown, where as a child, he started drawing on the sand by the beach, and where water is the strongest element, “Mas malawak ang tubig, walang katapusan.”

At the risk of sounding banal, I asked him, “Why paint women?” To which, he chuckled, “Of course, because I am a man.” He then adds, “Women are beautiful – I have always liked them, their character, their facial expressions.”

The female visage, according to him, communicates so much more than the body can. “There is more beauty on the female face; the body has no expressions. And there are so many different expressions to be captured – a smile, a glance, a turn.”

The mastery with which Hermes deals with the face cannot be questioned. With bold brush strokes and acute angles he deftly portrays the archetypal Filipina expression – a curious mix of allure and mystery, erotic but not wanton, provocative yet restrained. “Ganoon namang talaga ang expression ng Filipina di ba? The Filipina way of smiling has a certain mystery, allure and shyness rolled into one. That is the natural Filipina expression.”

Hermes Alegre also has a flair for the natural. “There is beauty in randomness – in the natural. It’s the same way with people”, he interjects, “kahit super-educated ka, lalabas pa rin ang pagiging ethic mo. And beauty is in ethnicity. Women who are natural are the most beautiful”.

Exemplifying his penchant for naturalness and aversion to pretensions, he promptly recalls the time when he asked Helena’s parents for her hand in marriage, “Namanhikan ako na naka-tsinelas at sando, tapos may dalang isang bayong na gulay at isang bayong na isda. Ayokong mag-barong Tagalog, dahil hindi natural sa akin ‘yon. Gusto kong makita ng mga magulang ni Helena ‘yung natural ko.”

At a stage where he can relax and rest his laurels, I ask the artist what else is there in the future apart from his beloved art. He replies, “I am a typical Pinoy. “My mission is to maintain the character of the Filipino, ibalik yung pagka-Pinoy. Kahit sa New York pa o saan man, Pinoy pa rin tayo. Malalim ang ugali”.

Maganda ang Pilipinas at ang Pinay ang pinaka-maganda sa lahat. Look at all those foreigners marrying our women. Iba kasi ang aura ng Pinay, ibang klase. Her being hospitable, and pagiging natural, it shines through.”

Being one of the most popular of modern day Filipino painters, with scores of admirers and a reputation for being a Casanova on canvas with his seductive Filipina images, I ventured to ask, “So have there been a lot of women in Hermes Alegre’s life?” He answers, with his voice bubbling like a naughty school boy, “Many, but not as much as you think.”

With his laugh as happy as his name – “Alegre” and his art as ebullient as the carefree women in his beloved beaches of Daet, Hermes Alegre’s affair with his muse, the Filipina, continues….

Related articles:

Filipino Artist – Franklin Cana Valencia

Karen Henson Jones – Author

October 25, 2016
Artist Spotlight: Lakshmi Ramirez – Filipino Musician

Artist Spotlight: Lakshmi Ramirez – 36 yo

My Style

Since 1999, I have been obsessed with the vintage era from the 20’s to the 50s. From fashion, music, cars, & furniture. I collect vintage hand painted silk ties, hats, shoes, braces (suspenders), clothes, and vinyls. My music is from the Trad Jazz of the New Orleans, Big Bands, Jump Blues, Rockabilly, Western Swing, and Doo Wop. Why do you love it? It just adds colour to everyday life. dressing up uniquely with vintage clothes that you don’t normally people wearing around you , greasing up my hair with pomade, listening to music from my vinyl collections.

My family inspires me and people around me to create music. I just want to show and reintroduce the era’s music to the younger crowd.

I wouldn’t say my music is an original style, but being influenced by Western Americana music and the Filipino’s Kundiman Music, I can say my original songs are distinct.

What have been highlights in your journey as an artist so far? Please share stories, significant events, exhibitions, developments, etc. –

As a musician, I am very fortunate to work with International and Local artist, either playing live or recording. Launching our self titled album “The Fabulous Bembol Rockers” was one of the highlights, performing in different music festivals around the world. And knowing that we, The Bembol Rockers, were invited to Las Vegas for Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekender, and my other UAE based band The Swing Revue nominated in Dubai for the best live act.

What’s your hope/plan for the future (in connection to your art)?

I hope to create more swinging and rockin music that can make people happy

Any advice you wish to share with others who wish to pursue their art?

Love what you do and don’t let anyone stop you from doing it!!!

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October 12, 2016
Filipino Designers: Architectural Avant Garde

Filipino Designers: Architectural Avant Garde Photography: Eros Goze; Post Processing: Tom Bolivar; Hair and Make-Up: Jojo Padua and Frankie Melendez; Models: Kylene Ganigan and Darya Kovalenko shot at the Manarat Al Saadiyat, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi
Distinctive architectural details find new perspectives in these three-dimensional avant garde ensembles inspired by some of the world’s most intriguing contemporary structures.
Operatic Contours By Ruben Santos The iconic Sydney Opera House is reincarnated in this dress featuring contours constructed with architectural accuracy. The dress is made with molded rubber sheets and metallic components set on an ivory jacquard brocade fabric. Sydyney Opera House Sydney, Australia Designed by Jorn Utzon and completed under the direction of Peter Hall, the Sydney Opera House is one of the world’s most iconic buildings. Modern expressionist in design, the building’s most significant feature is it roofs – large pre-cast concrete “shells” composed of a section of a sphere with a 75.2 meter radius. The “shells” set on a monumental podium, are covered in a subtle chevron pattern with 1,056,006 glossy white and matte-cream colored Swedish-made tiles, but appear uniform white from a distance. Sculptural Freeform By Ralph Ramirez From the hem to the bodice, this piece inspired by the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain is a continuous swirling and rising journey from darkness to light. Interpreted in monochromatic tones of black, grey and white, the dress features an asymmetric neckline topped on one shoulder with pure and organic structural form that crown the museum.
Guggenheim Museum
Bilbao, Spain Known as the most important structure of its time, this masterpiece of renowned architect Frank Gehry was probably the most mentioned new building of the late 90’s in architecture circles around the world. The structure done in free form sculptural style features random curves designed to catch the light. It’s brilliantly reflective titanium panels resemble fish scales, echoing the organic forms that are common in Gehry’s designs.
Curvilinear Fabrications
By Angelo Estera Combining different fabrications with both soft and tough textures is this dress based on the Yas Hotel. Calling to mind the building’s distinctive domes. Yas Hotel Abu Dhabi, UAE A landmark in the UAE, the Yas Hotel and the accompanying Formula 1 circuit is one of the main attractions of the ambitious developments at Yas Island. The building, designed by Hani Rashid and Lise Anne Couture, principals of New York based Asymptote Architecture, meant to embody speed and movement juxtaposed with the artistry of and geometries of Islamic arts and details, has as its focal point a 217 meter expanse of curvilinear forms made up of steel and 5,800 pivoting diamond shaped glass panels known as the “Grid Shell.” The “Grid Shell” which has the effect of an atmospheric-like veil features an amazing lighting system which incorporates video feeds, visible from miles away. Crystal Aggregate
By Dan Delima
A clean sculptural art piece inspired by the crystal formation design of the Futuroscope of Poitiers, France. The dress features molded metallic organza in gunmetal gray. Kinemax Futurescope Poitiers, France Futuroscope is a French theme park featuring multimedia, cinematographic and audiovisual packages. The theme park made up of many pavilions built of glass and metal – modern materials which give the buildings form and texture, as works of art that make the observer stand and stare, is designed by architect Dennis Laming. Its flagship building Kinemax, is fashioned after rock crystals thrusting out from the ground. The structure’s 45,750 ft surface area is covered is with 3,000 reflective glass plates. Urban Organic By Aldwin Ornopia Guardiana Cut rubber and glass in irregular undulating layers mimic organic forms in this piece inspired by a unique skyscraper slated to punctuate Chongqing, China’s skyline – Urban Forest. The dress is matched with a voluminous full bias cut cape in metallic fabric embellished with cut mirrors. Urban Forest Chongqing, China Set to change the skyline of Chongqing, China, Urban Forest is an ambitious project from MAD Architects inspired by Chinese landscapes and traditional hillside villages. The commercial high rise with a distinctively organic form is meant to depict a stacked vertical forest in the heart of the city embodying the designers’ affinity to green and sustainable architecture. Urban forest features curved, abstract shaped floors which have been layered slightly off-center from one another. Connected by a core cylindrical structure, each level’s interior is protected by full length glass windows with a see-through, wrap around balcony, providing transparency throughout the building, making the floors appear to float on top of one another. Mesh Construct
By Tim Tejares
The sinewy lines and intricate mesh like façade of Kuala Lumpur’s Sunrise Tower are echoed in this dress which uses both soft and industrial materials. The piece features a plunging neckline bodice made of Montana gray silk taffeta embellished with silver mesh strips and exaggerated hips using boning and industrial hose for the web-like structure. Sunrise Tower Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Designed by Zaha Hadid, the Sunrise Tower set for development in Kuala Lumpur is a design concept that blurs the difference between building and landscape, characterized by fluidity between the interior and exterior. The tower body is developed through a performative outer skin that merges programmatic, structural and building envelope requirements. The design integrates natural light, shading, program, access and views, making the component the key operator of the transition between interior and exterior spaces. The building has 66 floors and an absolute height of 280m. The ground lobby is the primary hub of the tower, defining four different dedicated lobbies for residential, hotel, offices and general public.
Distinctive architectural details find new perspectives in these three-dimensional avant garde ensembles inspired by some of the world’s most intriguing contemporary structures.
Body Canopy By Ushi Sato Depicting sensuous curves using metal screens coated with lightweight paper creating asymmetrical waves on the body, this piece is all about movement inspired by The Hotel Marques de Riscal. Hotel Marques de Riscal Elciego, Spain Another Frank Gehry architectural masterpiece the Hotel Marques de Riscal showcases a series of rectilinear elements, clad in sandstone, combined with sweeping panels of gold and pink titanium, and mirror finish stainless steel. The structure is a former winery transformed into a City of Wine complex, complete with a five-star hotel, spa, museum of viticulture and wine shop. The building was inspired by the character of the region and its famous vintage. Hence, the usage of a titanium façade shaped into a ribbon reflecting the colors of the wine Rioja, the silver foil shielding the cork, and the distinctive gold mesh which adorns all Marqués de Riscal bottles. Engineered Protrusions By Romel Ma. Tumulak A bustier and pants ensemble fashioned after the Seed Cathedral – UK Pavilion at the Shanghai World 2010 expo, this piece features plastic straws to echo the fibre optic rods used in the original structure. Plastic sheet cut in different shapes and crystal elements embellish the bodice. High heeled boots complete the ensemble. Seed Cathedral UK Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo 2010 One of the most significant structures built for the Shanghai Expo 2010 is this extraordinary bristling form of 60,000 fibre-optic rods, each with a seed implanted in its tip, created by Thomas Heatherwick and his studio. Formed from 60,000 slender transparent rods, each 7.5 meters long and each encasing one or more seeds at its tip, the Seed Cathedral is 20 meters high. As wind moves past this building, its optic “hairs” move gently creating a dynamic effect. At night, light sources inside each rod makes the Seed Cathedral glow. Sail Simulation By Manny Cajoles Sculpted metal sheet in pleats formation attached to a wire, form a shape that mimics the sail of a ship channeling the Burj Al Arab, this time in V formation. The dress is accentuated with diagonal cut mirrors and matched with leggings. Burj Al Arab Dubai, UAE Known as the only seven stars hotel in the world, the Burj Arab Hotel is not only known for its legendary luxury, but also the uniqueness of its architecture. Designed by Tom Wright, the iconic building stands at 321 meters and mimics the image of the billowing sail of a boat. The structure features an exoskeleton wrapped around a reinforced concrete tower, with a Tefloan-coated fiberglass “sail” curving across the front, creating an atrium inside. The sail is made of a material called Dyneon, spanning over 161,000 square feet. At daytime, the white fabric allows soft natural light into the building, while at night it reflects color-changing lights. ________________________________________________________________________________ More Fashion and style on Illustrado Life. Related Articles: Filipino Designers: Black Magic Filipino Designers: The Dream Weavers Save Save Save

September 27, 2016
Artist Spotlight: WYWY Band

The Middle East teems with talented Filipino musicians, but every once in a while, an act rises above the crop and proves to be of a different, more transcendent and audacious sort of mettle. Case in point: WYWY. Take it from this quick profile, penned by lead vocalist “X.”

OUR BAND
The band name is inspired by The Beatles song ‘Within You Without You’ from the album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The lyrics of the song inspire us to continuously create special things in our lives. “Special” just happened to be music.

X Alvarez –vocalist, samples and xylophone. I also sing lead forVisqueen from TseTse Fly Middle East, a sound art & noise experimental community in the UAE. I am a mentor of Rock Camp for Girls UAE.By day, I work as a Marketing Coordinator in an oil & gas company.
Mckie Alvarez – guitars and synths. He is also known as Madd Star Sounds (Reggae dub producer & DJ)
Our music is classified as ethereal wave, shoegaze and trip hop.

OUR ART
Before the two of us met, Mckie was the bassist of one of the well-known reggae band in the Philippines, ‘Collieherb,’ and I was a bedroom musician. I called myself ‘Bedroom Musician’ because I had a lot of compositions at home that I kept only for my hearing pleasure.

When we became a couple in 2006, we started creating music together and posting videos on Youtube and Soundcloud just for fun. We got married in 2010, and up to this day we continue to do what we love. We even got our son involved in a music video. Music has become a family hobby.

OUR JOURNEY
In 2013, we started an electronic dream pop trio band called Parallel Sound System. It was my first ever band in Dubai. Through this venture, we had the chance to travel and perform in some parts of the Middle East. It helped us gain more experience and connected us to the right people in the music scene. WYWY started in 2015. In the same year, we released our first original song ‘That Changes Everything.’ We didn’t expect good feedback from listeners, but to our surprise, it was featured in different international music blogs and aired on radio stations. We were also invited to perform as front act forinternational artiststhat visited Dubai.

We are very grateful for how far our work has come.The support that we get from the international music industry inspires us to continue and get even better at what we are doing. Our tracks are played in radio stations here in Dubai, Singapore, Philippines and Poland. Hopefully, our music reaches more countries soon. Recently, we were invited to play at the Fete delaMusique in Manila, which is a big music event in the Philippines. We played on 2 different stages in one night. It was one of the best gigs we ever had.

OUR PROCESS
All the songs from our upcoming album are based on real life experiences. You may call it “hugot” songs. Most often, we are struck by inspiration in very random situations – like when we get stuck in traffic in the Dubai- Sharjah road or in Al Khail Road. Sometimes, even the most plain instances can give you the most visceral flashback of the events that hurt you, or made you happy – and then you just have to give in to the moment. For us, bad traffic is a great catalyst. We come up with the lyrics and melodies inside the car, record it in a cellphone and then arrange it in our home studio. That’s how we do it.

OUR WAY FORWARD
We are working on our first album ‘You’re Blessed.’ It was supposed to be just an EP but we decided to make it a full album, as we were able to come up with the requisite numbers of songs. We want to make itworth listening to and give the audience eargarms.We are planning to launch our album this year in a small venue with an intimate crowd. Let’s see where the wind brings us. We hope it will take us to different places – not only in the Middle East,but across the universe.

TO OUR FELLOW ARTISTS
Be yourself. Don’t mind what other people say about you. Just do what you love and what makes you happy. When someone tries to pull you down, you pull them up!

Connect with WYWY!
FB: https://www.facebook.com/WYWYMusicOfficial/
SC: https://soundcloud.com/wywy-music
Website: https://wywy-music.bandcamp.com
IG: https://www.instagram.com/wywy.music
TW: https://twitter.com/@wywymusic

August 24, 2016
Artist Spotlight: Eugene Cubillo Filipino Visual Artist & Painter

I am Eugene Cubillo

My art is a visual diary – an extension of myself and my experiences. Most of my works are in mixed media. This allows me to address different issues in a storytelling manner whilst giving myself more creative freedom. The challenge of using mixed media is part of my statement. It represents my commentaries and observations on the crucial issues that beset our society today. It helps me to manifest how I perceive the Filipino culture in my head– where it is now, and where I feel it is headed to.

My Journey

I’ve always loved drawing. One time when I was a kid, drew myself as a stick figure playing basketball in every page of my notebook. I remember how surprised I was when I flipped the pages and saw the stick figure moving. Hindi ko alam na animation pala yun! So when I grew older, I took up my first ever job as an in-betweener/clean-up or assistant animator in an animation studio. In college, I studied Computer Engineering for almost two years, but eventually shifted to Fine Arts and Design. By then, I started getting exposed and introduced to different media and techniques. In the year 2000, I decided to work full time as a painter. It was very difficult at the beginning. At times, I had to choose between buying oil paint or buying milk for my child. Challenged by this circumstance, I came up with the idea of producing art from found objects. This allows me to sustain my art production, but still challenge my creativity. To supplement my income, I also conduct workshops on basic painting. I always remember to treat my art na parang babae na kailangang mahalin, bigyan ng oras, panahon at halaga para hindi magtampo, at pagkatapos nun ay mamahalin din ako ng art ko. Trust me: it works!

My Process

From being traditional, my work has evolved into my own unique hybrid art form. Combining different media frees me from the usual creative constraints. My inspiration tends to come from the mundane: everyday experiences that are often dismissed as boring or ordinary, such as commuting in trains, buses, and jeeps, meeting people at the streets, and neighbors chatting. My idea is to create a visual language that associates the object to an experience outside of its environment. My approach is representational and spontaneous. I use marks and texture in all (or some parts) of my artwork. The objective is to capture the essence, substance, and association between forms in order to suggest a deeper meaning and a sense of connectedness. In a way, I try to draw comparison through contrast – showing how two things can be similar even though they are wildly different from each other on the surface.

My Accomplishments, Thus Far

On top of winning some art competitions and participating in group shows, my most memorable experience is my first solo show entitled: Mga Barahang Ligaw, which I launched in 2011. My idea then was to use playing cards as a medium to express the notion that life is like a gamble. Since then, I’ve been doing solo shows every year, the last one having concluded on the 13^th of July 2016. I am now planning and conceptualizing for next year’s show.

My Advice to Aspiring Artists

Just love what you are doing. Enjoy it as best you can. When the struggles come, make them your strength. Attend art exhibitions and connect with other artists. Learn from them.

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August 10, 2016
Illustrado Entertainment: Pinopela, Rachelle Ann Go & Basti Artadi

Illustrado Entertainment:

Pinoy Acapella Group Wins International Tilt in Singapore

Filipino Acapella group Pinopela sweeps the top honors in the International A Capella championships in Singapore on Saturday. In a post on its Facebook page, Pinopela reported that it was named champion in the international category, judges choice and the overall champion in the competition.

Member Anthony Castillo also took home the Most Impressive Soloist award while another member Zsaris Mendioro took the gold in the looping category.

Pinopela performed Adele’s “Skyfall” , “All I Ask” and Bruno Mars’ “Treasure” for the contest.

Photo credit : PLDT Home – Akapela Open

Rachelle Ann Go bags West End Frame’s Best Performance of a Song

London-based Filipina singer and theatre actress Rachelle Ann Go just won the West End Frame’s 2016 Best Performance of a Song award for her rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” in Les Miserables.

The Filipina performer is elated over the recognition and told the site that she feels blessed to be able to be doing work that she loves in the world famous West End. “I’d like to thank all those who voted for me. It’s an honour to be performing and appreciated here in beautiful London’s West End. I owe this great award to you, guys! And to the whole Les Miserables company, thank you for being so amazing and for all the support and encouragement. What a dream come true to be part of this phenomenal long running show,” she said.

Photo credit : Broadwayworld.com

Basti Artadi reveals truth about health condition

Wolfgang’s legendary rock frontman Basti Artadi is grateful for the overwhelming support he has received from fans and colleagues after he announced on Tuesday that he was suffering from facial paralysis caused by a tumor. Posting on facebook, the singer explained that what he has was a benign facial nerve tumor. “I do NOT have a brain tumor as what’s being reported in the news. I have a BENIGN facial nerve tumor that affects the movement of my face. Unfortunately, in my line of work, this means a lot. So as mentioned in my previous post, I intend to have the procedure that will help my situation. I’ve got it planned out, just waiting for the right time to do it,” he wrote.

The band vocalist is currently selling t-shirts to help him fund the procedure, which he called a facial sling, that would temporarily help his situation. Fans who want to buy Basti’s shirt can place their orders online at https://www.facebook.com/Jeepneyrockstop

Photo credit : Artist supplied

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August 8, 2016
Artist In Focus: Marielle Castro Singer and Songwriter

MARIELLE CASTRO

Singer and Songwriter

Dubai teems with brilliantly talented Filipino singers – but singer-songwriters? Not so much. This is where a talent like Marielle comes in as a breath of fresh air. She is a singer, a songwriter, and an instrumentalist. The consummate musician.

MY LOVE FOR MUSIC

I started singing when I was about 4. I was a very bibo kid! Since kindergarten I had always been involved in school activities and programs. I started songwriting when I came to Dubai about 6 years ago, upon the urging of friends and fellow musicians. Music has become a form of escape from the daily things and routinely tasks that I do. And hey! We’re Filipino’s! Who doesn’t love singing anyway? I bet none!

MY WRITING STYLE

I can’t say that I have one style of songwriting, or that I can plot the process down to one organized system. Honestly it’s different with every song that I write. One time, I was on a bus that was travelling the length of Jumeirah road. I got really bored that I started thinking about my life here in Dubai – how it’s like living in a perfect world, or how it feels right and surreal but still lacking. Sometimes I just sit on the couch, and strum a chord or two and that’s it! It flows. It’s organic.

MY PERSONAL MILESTONES

First is having 2 of my songs produced by GMA records back home: Bubble and Escape. Second is co-producing my EP and recording it in Nashville TN. But by far, my favorite achievement is receiving a recognition from Awit Awards and PARI for the songs that I wrote. I was also nominated for the Best Performance by a Female Recording Artist category. I didn’t win, but the nomination was a feat enough in itself. Looking at it framed at our house reminds me that, hey, I really am a songwriter.

MY PLANS

Honestly, nothing. Some gigs maybe around Dubai if I get invites. At the moment, I’m trying to focus on other aspects of my life, like being a nurse and laser therapist and just really enjoying life. You’ll never know what’s coming anyway. I’m hopeful. I’m still looking forward to writing some more songs and having the time to sit and focus solely on the music.

MY ADVICE TO FELLOW ARTISTS

You’ve heard it many times, but it’s true: be real and authentic, not for anybody else, but for you.

Connect with Marielle! https://www.facebook.com/mariellegcastro

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August 3, 2016