2011 02/16-02/22

Northern California's largest Filipino American newspaper in circulation since 1990, the Manila Mail is the Bay Area's most read Fil-Am weekly publication distributed free in major cities of Northern California. Community is a B Section page that contains the weekly column of Bradford Adkins 'SCENES in the city'. The column features include: the issues and events, the individuals and organizations moving the community.

Half Filipino/Puerto Rican Bruno Mars receives a Grammy for his single 'Just The Way You Are' last Sunday. Photo by Natasha Ariena.

Today's hottest young actor, Enchong Dee (photographed here at ASAP ROCKS Iloilo) will appear in San Jose State University Events Center on Lighthouse Productions' StarMagic 18 World Tour on Saturday, April 16, 2011. Call Line Producer Nanette Labrador at (510) 828-4792 for tickets.

Today's hottest young loveteam, Kim Chiu & Gerald Anderson (photographed here at ASAP ROCKS Iloilo) will appear inSan Jose State University Events Center on Lighthouse Productions' StarMagic 18 World Tour on Saturday, April 16, 2011. Call Line Producer Nanette Labrador at (510) 828-4792 for tickets.

Today's loveliest face on your TFC TV, Erich Gonzales (photographed here at ASAP ROCKS Iloilo) will appear in San Jose State University Events Center on Lighthouse Productions' StarMagic 18 World Tour on Saturday, April 16, 2011. Call Line Producer Nanette Labrador at (510) 828-4792 for tickets.

Filipino Boxing Champion Mercito 'No Mercy' Gesta was in Gabucan Family Medical Clinic at Seafood City Complex in Milpitas, CA last Tuesday night.

Acoustic Heartthrob Sam Milby (photographed here at ASAP ROCKS Iloilo) will appear in San Jose State University EventsCenter on Lighthouse Productions' StarMagic 18 World Touron Saturday, April 16, 2011. Call Line Producer Nanette Labrador at (510) 828-4792 for tickets.

The 'always hilarious' Pokwang (photographed here at ASAP ROCKS Iloilo) will appear in San Jose State University EventsCenter on Lighthouse Productions' StarMagic 18 World Touron Saturday, April 16, 2011. Call Line Producer Nanette Labrador at (510) 828-4792 for tickets.

Bruno Mars Wins Grammy

(Grammy Winner is scheduled to perform in Cebu & Manila in 2 months!)

SEEN IN THE CITY

Last Sunday’s 53rd Grammy upsets were the biggest in music history with heavy favorites like Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Eminem losing their respective awards to less popular artists (Da Who is Ezperanza Spalding??). But not Half-Puerto Rican Filipino, Bruno Mars who took home the Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for his hit song “Just the Way You Are,” the lead single from his debut album, "Doo Wops and Hooligans." The mega-talented musician who reportedly began singing Elvis Presley songs in Hawaii at the age of 2, beat Michael Buble, John Mayer, Adam Lambert and even the late Michael Jackson in this particular Grammy category.

Another testament to this guy’s extreme level of musicality is his latest chartbuster “Grenade,” a song from a broken heart who gave his all. Have you seen his latest “Grenade” MTV showing him painstakingly dragging a piano mano-a-mano from start to finish? Dude, that music video is some work of a genius. With lyrics like “I'd catch a grenade for ya..Throw my hand on a blade for ya..I'd jump in front of a train for ya..You know I'd do anything for ya..” – the song is a sure bet in the next year’s Grammys.

Mars also was nominated in the following categories:

  • Record of the Year: "Nothin' on You," B.o.B. featuring Bruno Mars — the Smeezingtons, producers

  • Record of the Year: "F*** You," Cee Lo Green — the Smeezingtons, producers

  • Song of the Year: "F*** You," Brody Brown, Cee Lo Green, Ari Levine, Philip Lawrence and Bruno Mars, songwriters

  • Best Rap/Sung Collaboration: "Nothin' on You," B.o.B. and Bruno Mars

  • Best Rap Song: "Nothin' on You," Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine, Bruno Mars and Bobby Simmons Jr., songwriters

  • Producer of the Year, Non-Classical: The Smeezingtons (Bruno Mars, Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine)

As of presstime, Mars’ Philippine concert will now be held on 2 nights in 2 cities – April 7, 2011, 7:00PM - 10:00PM at the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu City and on April 8, 2011, 7:00PM - 10:00PM, at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City (not in the Mall of Asia Concert Grounds as earlier reported).

Fil-Am actor/singer Michael Copon from Los Angeles is doing the front-act, according to his FaceBook status update last Friday.

TO-BE-SEEN IN THE CITY

StarMagic 18 to descend in San Jose

Lighthouse Entertainment (Hi, Archie Mendiorro & Nanette Labrador!) will fly all 18 of the following stars from the Star Magic Kingdom to perform here in San Jose State University’s Events Center come Saturday, April 16, 2011.

Take this - Enchong Dee, Gerald Anderson, Sam Milby, John Lloyd Cruz, Zanjoe Marudo, Diether Ocampo, Rafael Rosel, Gabby Concepcion; Kim Chiu, Bea Alonzo, Erich Gonzales, Angelica Panganiban, Maja Salvador, Shaina Magdayao, KC Concepcion; Jovit Baldovino, Pokwang, Chokoleit.

Barring unforeseen issue(s), this is the final line-up of 18 artists that will also be seen in 2 other cities in the US – April 15 in Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium and April 23 at the New York Lincoln Center.

Don’t miss Star Magic 18 World Tour 2011 - Saturday, April 16, 2011, 7:00PM, Event Center Arena, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA. Please call 510.552.1546/ 510.828.4792 for tickets.

PERSONAL NOTES

Boxer Gesta ‘Meet & Greet’ at Landess

I am privy to the information that a ‘Meet and Greet Mercito Gesta’ transpired on February 15, 2011 at 7:00 pm inside the Gabucan Family Dentistry Clinic at the Seafood City Complex on 1535 Landess Avenue, Milpitas, CA.

Mercito Moya Gesta is a 24-year old Filipino professional boxer, the current WBO NABO Youth lightweight champion that defeated Mexican boxer Oscar Meza last June 4, 2010. He is being hailed as the next rising boxing star.

Good luck, Mercito on your next fight!

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Egypt was ‘Revolution 2.0’” by Wael Ghonim, the detained Googlemarketing executive who organized an Egyptian uprising on Facebook, that caused longtime Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to finally step down.

In an interview with CNN, Ghonim said that “If you want to liberate a society, just give them the Internet.” Ghonim gives credit to Facebook and calls Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg a personal hero. Previously, Mubarak’s government had shut down Egyptian Internet access and text services for nearly a week during the height of the protests.

So there - no internet, no power.

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