NEWS

New Members for classical-pop group Angelos
Ms. Crispina Martinez-Belen

The Advisory we received from Newsmakers Publications/ Promotions, the company that formed and manages the classical pop-quartet Angelos, said that Jon Joven (a.k.a. Johnson Joven Uy), Floyd Mirador (a.k.a. Floyd Mirador Tena) and James Uy (a.k.a. James Arthur Joven Uy) are no longer members of the said group. And as such, the three are prohibited from performing under the name “Angelos” as the name is the property of Newsmakers, as registered under the DTI-IPO.

“However, we are not objecting to them performing as individuals, or as a group as long as they use a different name, “Ms. Beth Sison-Tagle, chairman of Newsmakers, said. Ms. Tagle also informed Atty. Felipe Gozon, Chairman. CEO of GMA-7, and the other Kapuso network (Ms. Wilma Galvante and Butch Raquel) about the new members of Angelos. The old group used to perform in GMA-7 shows.

The official members of Angelos now are: George Sison-Tagle, a classical singer and recording artist and painter and founder of the group; John Louie Abaigar, Pinoy Pop Superstar Year 3 finalist; Miguel Aguilla, Warner Music artist and Aliw Awards Hall of Famer for Best Child Performer; and Rei Paolo Libiran, composer and songwriter.

As the new Angelos, they performed at the recent Christmas party for PAL at the PICC. Their manager, Ms. Charo Yu, is now finalizing their performances, here and abroad, for the year 2009.

During lunch recently, we sampled what the new Angelos has to offer, and we are impressed. Individually, they have distinctly unique voices that are powerful and rich. With a little honing, expect them to soar high in their singing career as a group.

John Louie felt lucky that he was the seventh finalist of GMA-7 Pinoy Superstar Year 3. “The competition enabled me to prove my versatility as an artist,” he said. George Tagle met him through Angelo Ortiz, who used to be the pianist of the old Angelos. “I believed he could be a big asset to the new group with his talent,” George said.

Among his other accomplishments are: Being Top 40 (Boys) in Starstruck 2006 (GMA 7); Top 50 in the Search for the Star in a Million - Season 2 (ABS-CBN); having been proclaimed Best Actor, Best Script Writer and Best Director at the CEU Literature Summit; and MTV Model (Children's Rights Theme) at the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1988), UNICEF Manila, which was plugged on CNN and local channels.

John Louie is also being booked by Backroom, Inc.

Rei Paolo Libiran is a very young Tenor, Voice major in the Conservatory of Music (CEU) , and plays very well musical instrument like piano, guitar & drums. He is also a composer & songwriter. He joined the Manila Vocal Ensemble last year & had a 3 months concert tour in Switzerland.

Miguel Aguila, Aliw Hall of Famer

He is only 14, but Miguel V. Aguila has amazingly received countless awards, and is now in the Hall of Fame of Aliw Awards for Best Child Performer; the Global Excellence awards for Best Young Performer; and Year-Ender Excellence Awards for Top Star Entertainer.

A Warner Music recording artist, Miguel is also junior ambassador for Haribon Foundation for Conservation and Guardian of Nature Club; and is the image model of Garfield Sports Wear. Miguel also endorses Kameraworld and GroTALL Multivitamins.

This 2008, Miguel received the Most Promising Young Recording Artist award and the Most Outstanding Young Make Performer Artist. In 2007, he received four awards: the Dakilang Lakan Award from the Magiting na Manggagawa Foundation; Best Young Performer from the Asia Pacific Excellence Awards, Youth Model ng Manggagawa from the MMFI Industrial peace Awards; and Outstanding Young Performer from the Year-ender Excellence Award from which he also got such award in 2004 and 2005. In 2001, Miguel was the Grand Prize Winner in the SM Star Club.

Miguel is the youngest among the four but is the veteran and the most experienced insofar as performing is concerned. Because from his singing stints since he was small, he also appeared in various TV shows ("Batang X", "Majika", "Magpakailanman", "Enkantadia", "Sugo", "Now and Forever". Hokus Pokus" and "Love2Love") and movies ("I will Always Love You" and "Ina, Anak, Pamilya").

Miguel also finds it a significant experience having been invited by Ambassador Kristie Kenny to sing the US and Philippine National Anthem during the 2007-2008 US Embassy Sports Festival.

His big dream is to become an international singer.

George S. Tagle, the singing painter

George is primarily a painter but he has along the way made a name as a singer, especially when he formed Angelos. Very versatile, as he can sing classical to contemporary pop and ballads, George is the son of renowned painter E.R. Tagle and producer-philanthrophist Elizabeth Sison-Tagle.

George has had art exhibits since 1995 at various galleries here and abroad. His first one-man exhibit was held at the LOpez Museum, followed by several father-song and fundraising exhibits for such groups as Kamay Foundation, Inner Wheel Clubs of Manila and the Flagcops Foundation of the Department of Interior and Local Governments. George has joined several group shows in the US and around Asia, and also teaches art and voice lessons to students of all ages at his studio at the Galleries of Fine Arts in White Plains, Quezon City.

Although basically a painter, George discovered his passion for singing when he was only four when he sang “My Way” pretty well, to the surprise of his parents. At 12, while studying at the James Denman Middle School in California, is own professor, Ms. Washington, noticed George’s musical talent and placed him in the school choir which went on to win in several singing competitions with him as one of the main performers.

George started singing professionally in 1998, becoming the male vocalist for different showbands such as Option, Prelude, 8th Avenue and Fabuloso. He later expressed preference for classical singing and had for mentors the late Al Mendoza of the Ryan Cayabyab Music School, Abet de los Reyes, Nolyn Cabahug and Philippine Opera Company founders Jay Greyoso and Karla Gutierrez with whom he has performed in the Mozart’s Opera “The Magic Flute.” Currently, George is taking up lessons from premiere sosprano Rachelle Gerodias.

In 2007, George had his first major concert entitled “Salute to George!” First Major Concert with the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra,” held at the Crowne Plaza grand ballroom. Then, he introduced the country’s first classical-pop tenor group which he co-founded with world-champion pianist Angelo Ortiz called Angelos. The rest is history.

Watch out for the new Angelos!