Judges on France's Got Talent were blown away by Filipino contestant Katchry Jewel Golbin. The 25-year-old impressed the panel last week with her audition performance of the song I Dreamed A Dream from the musical Les Miserables. Her soaring vocals and inspiring backstory earned her a standing ovation from the live audience. Judge Helena Segara was even moved to tears. Golbin, who was born blind and grew up in the Philippines has recently moved to France. She told the show's judges that she started learning the French language at the age of three through music, citing Edith Piaf's classic 1940s hit La Vie en Rose as the first song that she learned.
The French version of the international Got Talent franchise, features the judging panel of Segara, Eric Antoine, Gilbert Rozon and Kamel Ouali. All four judges were unanimous in advancing Golbin to the next round of competition. “I still can’t believe it. After I finished singing, I was speechless,” Golbin said in an interview with Philippine television network ABS-CBN.
A YouTube video of Golbin performing Mariah Carey's I'll Be There inside a shopping mall in Manila previously went viral on social media in 2014. In 2008, she auditioned for the reality singing show Pinoy Idol but did not make it far in the competition.
Pia Wurtzbach responds to bashers: ‘I don’t have cure for HIV’
Reigning Miss Universe and Filipino beauty queen Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach slammed suggestions that she neglected her international advocacy to raise awareness on HIV and AIDS.
During the 2015 Miss Universe pageant, Wurtzbach promised she would lend her voice to to tackle the HIV and AIDS epidemic.
Wurtzbach, who is currently based in New York as part of fulfilling her duties with the Miss Universe Foundation, took to social media to address some of the criticism:“Just to get some things straight. I haven’t forgotten about my advocacy, okay? I’m so tired of people complaining that I haven’t found ‘the cure’ for HIV when clearly I said I would raise awareness. I’m not magically gonna come up with a potion that cures everything,” she said on Instagram.
“I’m a woman of my word. What I say in public is a promise.”
On Sunday, Wurtzbach travelled to Las Vegas to cheer for Filipino boxing champion Manny Pacquiao, who won his bout against Mexico’s Jessie Vargas. Wurtzbach was spotted on the live feed standing beside Pacquiao inside the ring during the start of the bout.
The 2016 Miss Universe pageant will be held in Manila on January 30, 2017. In a video message, Wurtzbach said she “could not wait to show you all my beautiful country”. American presenter Steve Harvey is returning as the pageant’s host, while the Philippines’s Department of Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo said that they have tapped an international pop musician with Filipino lineage to perform during the show. Rumours on social media have listed Filipino-American singers Bruno Mars, Nicole Scherzinger, Darren Criss and Apl.de.Ap of The Black Eyed Peas possible guest stars.
Filipino-American child actor lands major role in Disney film
Deric McCabe has been cast in a major role in the forthcoming Disney film A Wrinkle in Time. The eight-year-old Filipino-American actor will play the role of Charles Wallace Murry, the child genius brother of main character Meg Murry. When their father, an astrophysicist, mysteriously disappears, the siblings go on an adventure through time and space to rescue their father.
According to a post on McCabe's Instagram account, which is managed by his parents and agent, the film went on an international casting hunt for seven months to cast the film's two leads. McCabe will co-star with Oprah Winfrey, Chris Pine, Reese Witherspoon, Michael Peña and André Holland. The film, based on the 1963 fantasy novel by Madeleine L'Engle, will be directed by Ava DuVernay, who directed 2014's acclaimed hit Selma.
A post on McCabe’s Instagram last week read: “Deric worked hard for this: hours of auditions, callbacks, meeting, interviews. 17-page, 5-page, 3-page, 21-page scripts to learn overnight while continuing to spend time with family, do his regular chores, and excel in school. He prayed, remained patient, and was persistent.”
Filming for A Wrinkle in Time began in Los Angeles, California this week and continues in New Zealand later this month. The movie is expect to be released in 2018.
artslife@thenational.ae
