Tagalog Song Used in Lee Min Ho’s Upcoming Movie

I have just watched the teaser trailer of Lee Min Ho’s new movie entitled, “Gangnam Blues”, and was intrigued upon hearing a familiar song from the Philippines being played at the beginning. The song, written by Filipino folk icon Freddie Aguilar, is not just any song, but it became so popular both locally and internationally that it was translated into 26 languages. It’s a song that we, as daughters and sons, can all relate to, because it talks about “us”, our parents and the sacrifices they have to make in raising us. It is said that Aguilar wrote the emotional song to express regret for disobeying his parents and to reconcile with his ailing father

Can you guess what the song is?

Yes, it’s “Anak“.

I can’t be certain if “Anak” is the movie’s theme song or if the lyrics of the song have something to do with the plot, but here’s the synopsis:

In the 1970s, during the height of political corruption, Gangnam, the southern part of Seoul is starting to be transformed into a developed area. Childhood friends Jong-dae and Yong-ki struggle to get by, until their shanty homes are demolished by local thugs. Desperate for cash, they get involved in violent political clashes, and are separated during one of the skirmishes. Three years later, Jong-dae lives as an honest man with former gang leader Kil-su. Meanwhile, Yong-ki has joined Seoul’s most powerful criminal organization, the Myeongdong-pa. As a gangster, Yong-ki is entangled in a high-stakes battle over land in Gangnam, all in the name of putting together secret presidential election funds that drive up the value of the city. As the gangs fight over the rights to various plots of land, Yong-ki is captured and interrogated by a rival gang.

I wonder why they didn’t use the Korean version of “Anak”. Many Koreans are familiar with the song. You can find it in most Korean videokes.

Filipina Singing Group MICA: Part of Superstar K6’s Top 11

The video of four Filipina sisters who wowed the judges with their prodigious vocal prowess during the audition of a popular talent search in South Korea called 슈퍼스타 K (Superstar K) has been making the rounds on the internet. The four talented sisters, Mylene, Irene, Celina and Almira Gollayan, are natives of Isabela. They call their group MICA, taken from the first letters of their names. Before being part of Superstar K Season 6, they had joined various singing competitions in the Philippines and abroad and were known as The Gollayan Sisters. In 2012, they bagged the grand prize in “It’s Showtime”, a noontime musical variety show in the Philippines. Last year, they flew to Hollywood, California to compete in the World Championship of Performing Arts (WCOPA) from which they won the Senior Grand Championship in the Vocal Group of the World Category.

In June, they auditioned for Superstar K6 in Manila and qualified. They headed to Korea for the contest, passed the initial screening and impressed the judges in the challenges that followed; however, they were eliminated in the Collaboration Mission. Their elimination ired not only their Filipino fans but also their Korean supporters. Some were even blaming the Korean contestant who sang Mariah Carey’s version of “I’ll be There” with them, saying that she was the one who dragged MICA away from the chance to be one of the finalists. Others believed that their elimination was a gimmick. Gimmick or not, thanks to the wild card, they were given a chance to shine again. In the Rival Mission, MICA performed one of Ailee’s songs, “Heaven”, with Korean group 더블 TOV. MICA was chosen as the wild card winner. One of the Superstar K judges, Yoon Jong Shin, delivered the good news to the girls on last night’s episode… the group is officially part of the TOP 11. ^^

Kudos to these four incredibly talented girls! ^^

MICA’s first audition in Korea

MICA belts “Let It Go” 

MICA sings “I’ll Be There” 

MICA performs “Heaven”

In Superstar K, the scores of the contestants are a combination of points given by the judges based on weekly performances and votes gathered from televiewers. Unfortunately for Filipinos, only those living in Korea can vote… but if you are a Filipino residing in Korea, you can vote for MICA. Start by registering for free at superstark.mnet. MICA is currently on the 9th spot. More votes matter, so I urge my fellow Pinoys in South Korea to start voting.

For more updates on MICA, visit their  fan page on Facebook.

You can watch Superstar K6 on MNET every Friday at 11 o’clock PM KST.

Go MICA! 화이팅!!! ^^