The power of the web can no longer be undermined. Take the case of YouTube, a video sharing website, which has become an effective medium for some Pinoys to gain popularity.
Internet data spread like wildfire, and some lucky people have utilised it as their ticket to fame.
It is very viral, it is fast, and very innovative. Most things become possible with just one click. And one of the web's best features, aside from being an instant source is, it is a people meter.
YouTube has helped celebrities and celebrity wannabes (whether they expect it or not) gain popularity and even international recognition. PEP (Philippine Entertainment) shares its list.
Arnel Pineda's Journey. Arnel Pineda has been writing and singing songs for 25 years now, gaining recognition here in the Philippines and around Asia. It was Arnel's latest band The Zoo, however, that caught the eyes and ears of Neal Schon, who happened to be watching clips on YouTube of Arnel singing cover songs from Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Kenny Loggins, and of course, the 80's legendary rock band Journey.
Arnel's longtime fan, Noel Gomez, was responsible for uploading the clips and last June 28, 2007, Neal contacted Noel to ask how he could contact Arnel.
For Arnel, this was the beginning of a bigger opportunity.
It wasn't a cakewalk for Arnel in the first few days of his arrival in the U.S. to audition for a part in Journey. But on December 5, 2007, he was formally announced as Journey's frontman and CNN covered the story as part of their "News to Me" segment.
Journey introduced its new lead singer in February 2008 at the Viña del Mar International Song Festival in Chile. The Chilean media gave positive reviews on Arnel's performance, and Journey's keyboardist Jonathan Cain described him as "a winner; a clutch player."
U.S. magazine GQ recently featured Arnel in one of its articles.
Charice Pempengco's Big, Big Star. Fifteen-year old Charice had been joining singing contests since she was seven, including Birit Bulilit, Batang Kampeon, Bulilit Popstar, and Junior Star Quest. But it was in Little Big Star (2005) that she became locally known. Although she lost in the final round against Sam Concepcion, good things were in store for her.
A series of YouTube videos in 2007 caught the attention of Swedish record company Ten Songs Productions, which made a contract with her to record seven songs, released digitally.
Sweden was not the only country that noticed Charice. South Korea's Seoul Broadcasting System asked Charice to perform on their talent show called Star King on October 2007. Her performance earned her a standing ovation and paved the way for a guest interview in The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Here, Charice got her first U.S. standing ovation. There was more to come—acclaim in Oprah, and Charice's personal achievement in receiving the first-ever standing ovation at the grand opening of MGM Grand at Foxwoods in Connecticut.
Charice's star continues to shine brightly. Negotiations with American record producer and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame recipient Clive Davis are on the table.
Renaldo Lapus in American Idol. Former tricycle driver Renaldo Lapus has no other hobby than singing—with passion, mind you. His energy, songwriting talent and creativity in presenting himself earned him the sarcasm turned admiration of American Idol judge Simon Cowell when Renaldo, wearing clothes worthy of a cosplay event, auditioned for AI season 7.
