Welcome to Best of Charice!

Why another site devoted to videos of Charice? Simply put, this blog is dedicated to the true connoisseur of Charice video and audio recordings. Each of the videos posted here has something special about it. What makes a Charice video special? I look for one or more of the following qualities:

• Quality of performance (or perhaps better put, my favorite performances)
• Quality of recording, both video and audio
• Historical significance
• Uniqueness

In some of these, I have personally edited and combined video and audio from two or more sources to create a recording that you won’t find anywhere else. If you know of any videos that you think deserve to be featured here, let me know – I’m always eager for suggestions. I also want to hear what you think about my choices. If you have any interesting information about a particular performance, please share it.

Have you ever heard of Charice Pempengco (now known simply as Charice)? If not, I guarantee you will by the end of the year when she releases her first international album. I'm so enthusiastic about this girl that I feel that telling others about her is giving them a gift. Despite being less than 5 feet tall, she has the most powerful, amazing voice you'll ever hear. She has fans of all ages around the world and can put so much emotion into a song that she'll make you cry.

Charice, who just turned 17, has appeared three times on Oprah, sung with the famous tenor Andrea Bocelli in Tuscany, performed with Celine Dion at Madison Square Garden and, most recently, three times as the featured guest on a popular Italian TV show, Ti Lascio Una Canzone. The show got a 60% market share when she performed; the hostess ran out of superlatives to describe her, and the orchestra conductor was initially speechless but later said, "She doesn't have a gift from God, she IS a gift from God."

Charice grew up in poverty, in a barrio in the Philippines. When she was three, her father attacked her mother, so Charice, her mother, and her younger brother left him. They moved from place to place, at times even living in the street. Her mother worked in a garment factory, 16 hours a day, six days a week, to support the family. When Charice was four, her mother noticed her extraordinary singing ability and began devoting her life to nurturing her talent. Until she was nearly 17, her only vocal coaches had been her mother and her aunt!

Charice began performing at age 7, eventually appearing in over 80 singing contests. She used her winnings to help support her family. Although she appeared often on television, on a show called "Little Big Star," she rarely won. Winners were picked primarily by viewers and, despite often being the favorite of the judges, she would lose to kids who were "cuter." In fact, she was told that she could never be a success because she wasn't good enough and wasn't pretty (which is very ironic, because she's really cute). She took this as a challenge and vowed to prove her critics wrong. After placing third of three finalists in the Little Big Star Finals, though, she was ready to give up, return to school, and study to become a nurse.

Thirteen-year-old Charice sings "If I Were You," one of three songs she performed in the Little Big Star Finals.

Charice Dazzles at Skate for the Heart

Charice is featured in this two hour NBC skating entertainment special featuring all of the 2009 US National Figure Skating Champions and 2010 Olympic hopefuls that airs on Sunday, January 31 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. EST/1:00 to 3:00 p.m. PST

Charice Stuns Oprah

Based on the recommendations of staff who had seen her on YouTube, Oprah invited Charice to perform on a segment titled "World's Most Talented Kids." Until Charice stepped on stage and began singing Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing," Oprah had never seen her perform. When the little girl gave Oprah a flirty, sideways smile, she didn't know what to think. But as Charice's voice soared higher and higher, Oprah was blown away.

David Foster & Friends 2008

When Oprah called Foster, she asked if he had any gigs in which Charice could perform. He said that there was an upcoming tribute to him ("David Foster & Friends") featuring many of the superstars he had worked with over the years. Oprah insisted that Charice perform, to which Foster's reply was "Whatever Little O wants..." And so, on May 23, 2008, in Las Vegas, Charice took her place alongside some of the greatest luminaries in popular music: Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban, Michael Buble, and Kenny G, to name but a few. To say she rose to the occasion is an understatement. Charice absolutely wowed the audience, singing a medley of "I Have Nothing" and "I Will Always Love You." As Charice finished, she was receiving a huge standing ovation -- the only one of the evening. So great was the response that Foster pointed to Charice and exclaimed, "Oh my gosh! A star is born tonight!"

"Ugly Duckling" to Beautiful Swan

Charice had been told that she would never be a success because she "wasn't good enough" and "wasn't pretty." In fact, it was worse than that. Some of Charice's classmates were so cruel as to call her "ugly" and "loser." Just for comparison, here's a video of Charice singing "To Love You More" at age 9 and seven years later, at age 16.

Charice's performance at age 9, on the show Bulilit StarQuest, earned her the grand prize. I love Charice's exaggerated gestures and choreography, which were created and coached by her mother ("Mommy Raquel"). In a smoother and more refined form, many of these would continue to be incorporated into Charice's repertoire. Unfortunately, Charice did not fit the Filipino ideal of beauty -- tall with European features, light skin, and long tresses.

Compare this to Charice's performance seven years later. Not only is her voice much more powerful, her ability to improvise around the melody is exceptional. Charice's obvious pleasure and confidence shine. And look what a pretty young woman she's become! Just like the ugly duckling who was relentlessly criticized for being different, Charice is now a beautiful swan. This performance aired on Umagang Kay Ganda (TV show), 11/13/2008.

Note to God

"Note to God," the first single from Charice's international debut album, was released on May 12, 2009. It peaked at first place in sales on iTunes and Amazon.com and shot to number 44 on the Billboard Hot 100. You can support Charice by downloading "Note to God" from either of these sources for just $0.99.