Filipino girl group 4th Impact will perform a one-night-only concert on April 29 at Al Nasr Leisureland Ice Rink in Dubai.
The four sisters – Almira, Irene, Mylene and Celina Cercado – shot to fame after their appearance in the most recent series of The X Factor UK, in which they finished fifth.
“Excited for our Dubai tour!” 4th Impact told their fans on Twitter on Monday. “Just wondering if there are rules? What to wear … or something? Can you help us?”
Their tweet received hundreds of likes and replies, including several tips and photos of Dubai from fans in the UAE.
A video from 4th Impact's X Factor audition – showing them singing Bang Bang, the Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj hit – topped YouTube's list of top-trending videos in the Philippines last year, with almost 50 million views.
The group are currently splitting their time between the Philippines and the United Kingdom, where they continue to perform across the nation.
In Manila, they are regulars on the popular weekend musical variety programme, ASAP, performing alongside the country's biggest stars. They also recently headlined Manila's Paradise International Music Festival, which also featured Kanye West, Wiz Khalifa and Rudimental.
In a previous interview with The National, eldest sister Almira said a record deal was in the works, with negotiations underway with two labels.
“We’re doing an album, of course – for this year,” she said. “We’re looking forward to our own music, our own original songs.”
The Cercados grew up in poverty in Santiago, a city in the northern Philippine province of Isabela. They flew to London last summer to audition for the reality-TV singing competition, in search of a better life.
Their 59-year-old father, Dominador, a junk dealer who pushes a cart and collects rubbish from the street, has been suffering from a brain tumour.
Through their parents’ hard work, all four sisters managed to attend university, supplementing their family’s income by entering singing competitions.
4th Impact are due to take on the stage in Dubai at 8pm. Doors open at 7pm. Ticket prices range from Dh100 to Dh200 at www.virginmegastore.me.
OneRepublic can’t wait for Manila – and pancit
American pop-rockers OneRepublic have been announced as the headline act at MTV Music Evolution Manila, a music festival on June 24 at the SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds.
“Looking forward to Manila … and pancit canton,” the band posted on Twitter this week. Pancit canton, a type of stir-fried noodles, is one of the most popular Filipino dishes.
During their first concert in the Philippines, in 2013, OneRepublic’s frontman Ryan Tedder said the country’s “horrible traffic” was balanced by “the wonderful food”. He declared his love for chicken adobo and pancit canton, calling it “the best noodle dish I’ve ever had”.
After their 2013 show, the band tweeted: “Manila!!! Our love for you just multiplied 100 times. The show was amazing, greatest crowd in ages!”
Best known for their hit songs Counting Stars, Secrets and Love Runs Out, OneRepublic are working on their fourth studio album.
The MTV Music Evolution Manila show will also feature local headliners including Sarah Geronimo, Nadine Lustre and James Reid.
Filipino film to screen at Turkey festival
Independent Filipino film director Chuck Gutierrez's latest feature, Iisa (As One), will have its European premiere at the Ankara International Film Festival in Turkey, which opens today and runs until May 8.
Iisa, a film about the aftermath of the typhoon that hit the southern island of Mindanao in 2012, is the lone Filipino film in the festival line-up. It also screened recently at festivals in Uruguay and Cameroon.
Meanwhile, three Filipino films took home awards at the recent WorldFest Houston International Film and Video Festival – the oldest independent film festival in the world.
Tandem, a crime thriller directed by King Palisoc, won a silver prize, while Ari: My Life with a King, the debut film of Carlo Enciso Catu, won a bronze.
Veteran director Mel Chionglo's Iadya Mo Kami [Deliver Us], about a priest accused of murder, also won a silver prize. It had its world premiere in January at the Pune International Film Festival in India.
artslife@thenational.ae
