Charice Pempengco wows Ellen in LA

Charice Pempengco, the 14-year-old Filipino singer whose YouTube videos wowed audiences here and abroad, guested and sang in the American television show "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" last Wednesday (Thursday Manila time), ABS-CBN News Bureau Chief Ging Reyes reported.

CHARICE PEMPENGCO LIVE ON ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW


Pempengco guested on DeGeneres's nationally-syndicated television show where she sang "And I am Telling You" from the musical Dreamgirls.

After her performance, the audience gave her a standing ovation while host DeGeneres remarked, "you're amazing."

Upon her arrival in Los Angeles, Pempengco also met with music producer Davis Foster and prominent entertainment lawyer Ed Shapiro.
Shapiro said the teenaged singer's talent is "exceptional."

"You don't find the Mariah Careys everyday - they come once in a while. The Whitney Houstons, they don't happen all the time. [We] think Charice is literally that, that next to Whitney, next to Mariah," said Shapiro.

Pempengco was also emotional after her performance on Ellen's show, saying she did not expect that kind of reception in America.
"Yung isa sa dream ko, natupad na. Tapos lalo pa ng sinabi ni Ms. Ellen na 'you're already a big star here,' sabi nya. Tapos proud na proud daw siya sakin -- tuwang tuwa po ako. Hindi ko po akalain na ganito po ako tatanggapin ng mga taga-America. Hindi po nila pinansin kahit na Pinay ako - pinansin nilang pangalan ko," she said.

(One of my dreams came true, especially after Ms. Ellen said that 'you're already a big star here,' and that she's proud of me -- I'm really happy. I did not expect that Americans would welcome me like this. They did not mind that I am a Pinay - they only noticed my name)

Pempengco will return to the Philippines to fulfill several engagements, and she expects that she still has a long way to go after her unforgettable Hollywood experience.

Pempengco was a former contestant on the ABS-CBN show "Little Big Star," a children's singing contest hosted by Sarah Geronimo. She placed 2nd in the show's Big Division (for 10-13 year old competitors), behind Sam Concepcion and Gian Barbarona.

According to show's website (www.ellentv.com), the show "features a diverse mix of celebrity interviews, musical performers, audience participation, and segments spotlighting everyday people with extraordinary stories and talents." It has already won a total of 21 Daytime Emmy Awards, the website said.