Philstar.com file photo
PINOY-POP (P-pop) group Calista launched their first music video on March 8 for their song “Race Car,” written by music producer Marcus Davis.
The group, whose idols include Korean-pop (K-pop) groups BTS, Black Pink and Twice, have dreams of hitting it big internationally. To jumpstart this dream, Calista’s team, according to an article in the Philippine Star, decided on an English debut song and a music video showing the group’s members sitting behind the wheel of a sports car and aboard a helicopter. The agency and management team behind Calista reportedly spent P8.7 million on the music video as they wanted to reflect the group’s personality as dynamic, edgy and innovative.
Calista is made up of Anne Tenorio, Laiza Comia, Elle Pascual, Denise Pello, Daine Leones and Olive Bihag. They are the final members of Calista after a nationwide search which saw over 100 girls audition for a chance to become a part of the group.
Each of the ladies brings her own set of skills to the group – Anne, the group’s leader, is an actress, singer and dancer who has released two hit singles on her own; Denise, the one with the dancing prowess, placed in the top 10 at the open division in the Revolution International Dance Championship in Melbourne, Australia in 2019; Daine, who’s competed (and won) in numerous beauty pageant competition, brings visual, charms and stage performance; Laiza, an actress who has appeared on TV and films, brings both vocals and her own moves; Elle, another group member who has an acting background, who has been nominated at local film festivals; and Olive, a 2019 Miss Teen Cebu who underwent professional training in acting, singing and dancing prior to being discovered.
While hitting it big internationally may be the immediate goal for this group, bringing decidedly Filipino values and becoming instruments to the rise of P-pop in the global stage is their long-term aspiration.
That is why they want to compose a Filipino song that will be included in their next project. The group’s members also bring about Filipino characteristics in talking about their signature song (“Race Car”), which they say speaks of the famous Filipino resiliency.
“It’s about fighting troubles and being brave every day, no matter how hard the challenges are,” they said in a recent media event where the group had a live performance.
The official music video for Calista’s “Race Car” has had nearly 55,000 views since it debuted on March 8.
Calista is set to perform at a tribute concert for health care front-liners in April that will also feature performers such as Darren Espanto, Ken San Jose, Andrea Brillantes, AC Bonifacio, Elmo Magalona and Yeng Constantino.
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Jericho Rosales is set to headline “Sellblock,” an international drama series to be co-produced by ABS-CBN International Production and Co-Production and Philippines’ BlackOps Studios Asia, the United States’ Story Arch Pictures, and Hong Kong’s Agog Film, according to an article in PEP.ph.
The story quoted ABS-CBN International Production and Co-Production head Ruel Bayani, who told international news website Variety recently that “ABS-CBN is excited to announce that Sellblock will be headlined by our very own Jericho Rosales. In his nearly three-decade-long career, Jericho has earned the title of ‘Asian Drama King’ and is one of our network’s finest homegrown talents and country’s top leading men. We are thrilled for this opportunity to showcase Filipino talent on the global stage.”
In an earlier interview, Bayani said that the project had been planned some time before.
“It’s something we’ve been developing pre-pandemic pa, 2019. We were already supposed to produce it, and then everything happened – the pandemic and the shutdown, so na-delay,” he said.
Aside from Rosales, the prison drama series will also star Tirso Cruz III, Cherry Pie Picache, Ronnie Lazaro, Rosanna Roces, Mon Confiado and RK Bagatsing.
