Charlie Green, we would love to have you in Davao
by Romy Sabaldan
Davao City (30 July) -- The result is Charlie Green.
IF you combine the simplicity of a Filipina-Cebuana and a British crooner, the result is unmistakably Charlie Green.
Charlie, is the newest and probably the youngest among many half-bred Filipinos that recently came out of their shells and have gone back home to trace their Filipino roots.
First, there was the older Sam Milby, who had recently traced his maternal origin in the same Mindanaon place in Surigao, a five to six hours drive by land from Davao City.
The American-bred singer took the same treatment most Fil-Ams had in trying to find their way to stardom in the country, that is recognition and Filipino patronage, be they PBA basketball players in the pro loop or just plain members of the national football team.
Milby's own revival song is now a hit prime time theme song of the television series with the same title "My Girl" over ABS-CBN Channel 2 (TV 4 in Davao).
Filipinos are transnational. Any place where there are jobs and opportunities including Iraq and Afghanistan or even Lebanon, there are Filipinos.
And where there are opportunities and work to do, there are achievers and successful Filipinos.
Is this one of the reasons why many would love to tag along the word Fil before or after their country of origin such as Fil-Am, Fil-Chi, Fil-whatever and most recently Fil-British.
Or is it because everyone here gets the recognition they want even if they have no Filipino blood running in their veins like the famous Mexican pugilists Oscar Larios and Eric Morales.
Like the pure-bred Filipina child international singer Charice Pempengco, Green's popularity had its origin in the internet You Tube following their good showmanship in reality shows and " Britain's Got Talents" on the part of child-like Charlie.
That the Filipinos are transnational and global is even more transparent in Charlie Green.
The newest child international singing sensation who breezed into town with her Cebuana mother and English father wowing the crowd in Manila as we in Davao are entertained with admiration to this new breed of a stage performer.
He knows a little of the courteous Filipino culture too in his Salamat Po! which is a gracious thank you in the British royal court, a glad response to the swarm of accolade before a nationwide television audience and in his tete a tete with the famous Gary Valenciano during the latest Sunday noontime show ASAP '08.
Charlie smiles like a Filipino, speaks the classical English of Sean Connery and belts out a song in the Frank Sinatra-class of "Summer Wind" of a Michael-Bubbly revival beat.
To Charlie Green, the Filipino-British child international singing sensation, welcome to the Philippines ! Here in Davao its the month of festivity and Kadayawan is just around the corner.
We would love to see you live in Davao Charlie Green. Nindota nimo mukanta oy! (PIA XI) [top]