SM Mall of Asia recently launched their holiday festivities with the lighting of a giant Christmas Tree, gift giving, and an exclusive homecoming concert of The Filhamornics, the sensational voices behind the movie, Pitch Perfect 2.
The Filhamornic is an all-male Filipino American a capella group considered unique because of their musical talent and cultural diversity.
The group of Filipino American youngsters was featured in NBC’s hit musical competition, The Sing-Off in which it reached the semi-finals. The group was also part of the first Sing-Off national tour, and sharing the stage with Linkin Park, Black Eyed Peas and Pentatonix. And the group was featured in the soundtrack of Pitch Perfect 2 kicking off their amazing journey.
During their exclusive concert, they amazed the audience with their super cool and upbeat voices in their own renditions of well-loved carols like “All I Want for Christmas,” “Pasko Na Sinta Ko,” “Flashlight,” and “Last Christmas.” They also performed the songs “Chains,” “One More Night,” “Shut Up And Dance,” “Treasure,” “Monster Mash-Up,” “Stay,” “September,” “Kilometro,” “Beat Box Battle,” and “This Is How We Do It” in their signature style.
The event also featured the lighting of the giant Christmas tree, which has been part of the SM Mall of Asia holiday tradition since 2006. The 54-feet Christmas tree, said to be the tallest indoor tree in the country, has over 500 ornaments and is embellished with red and white Christmas balls with stripes and polka dots, cute little Santas, and gift boxes around the tree. The base is an enchanting little house where Santa and his elves watch over his ruby red couch.
Sharing honors with the ceremonial lighting of the giant Christmas tree were SM SVP for Operations for Premier Malls, Steven Tan with the members of The Filharmonic, Joe Caigoy, VJ Rosales, Niko del Rey, Trace Gaynor, Barry Fortgang, and Jules Cruz.
Being the season for sharing, one of the event highlights was the turn over of the three gift boxes to beneficiaries. Twenty kids from Asilo de San Vicente de Paul received gift packs and a Playground set from Toy Kingdom, gift packs and gift certificates from National Bookstore, Health and Wellness Products from Watson’s for Operations Smile and gift packs and gift certificates from National Bookstore for Pangarap Foundation.
More excitement awaits the shoppers for the Grand Festival of Lights ever Saturday of December until Dec. 25.
Is Sarah Geronimo ‘The Great Unknown’?
Sarah Geronimo continues with her amazing musical reinvention with the release of her 12th and brand new album entitled The Great Unknown, and here, the musical “Popstar Royalty” takes the best bits from her two previous hit albums and expands them further.
An even mix of ballads, mid-tempo numbers and upbeat tracks, the album starts off with the piano driven ballad “Unbroken.” Written by Philpop finalist Melvin Morallos, “Unbroken” finds Geronimo in a romantic yet somewhat pensive mood. Those strong emotions only serve to beautify the song, of course, and you can hear it on the singer’s execution all throughout, especially on “The Great Unknown,” the title track that she collaborated with alt-pop band Hale.
The laid back feel continues on romantic songs such as “Ako’y Para Lamang Sa’Yo.” A track composed by hit maker/singer-songwriter Totop Suzara, formerly of Freestyle. Picking up the tempo a bit, Geronimo takes on the R&B tinged pop number written by Geraldine Lim entitled, “Baby You’re The Reason.” Also making a first time appearance in an SG album is her close friend, pop-rock singer-songwriter Yeng Constantino who contributes a song in and is featured in “Kaibigan Mo.”
Once more, The Great Unknown is exclusively an all-original affair, and Geronimo meticulously picked the best songs from the most promising songwriters–from next-gen tunesmiths like Thyro Alfaro, Yumi Lacsamana, Nica Del Rosario, Emmanuel Sambayan and those in between, such as Edmund Perlas, who wrote the endearing “Only For You” and Hale’s Roll Martinez in the alt-pop flavored “Kapit.”
Highlighting The Great Unknown is a triple-treat of catchy, upbeat modern pop tunes: starting with the subtle, electro flavored “Sabi Mo Sa Akin” (written by Mark Villar). Geronimo works anew with beats-meister Jumbo “Bojam” DeBelen who whipped up a smorgasbord of beats with Nica Del Rosario and Emmanuel Sambayan in the dubstep fringed “Tala.” Closing the album with a bang is the Thyro Alfaro-Yumi Lacsamana track “Misteryo.”
The Great Unknown is produced by Civ Fontanilla and Sarah Geronimo and is released by Viva Records. The album was released on Dec. 4 and is now available on iTunes for download and can be listened to on music apps like Spotify, Deezer, Rdio and Guvera.
The Great Unknown is also available on CDs at Odyssey branches (SM Fairview, North Edsa, Megamall, MOA, Farmers Plaza, Alimall, Glorietta, Greenbelt, Festival Mall, Alabang Town Center, and Market-Market and provincial branches in SM Cauayan, Clark, Calamba, Batangas, Olongapo, Pampanga, Baguio, Dasmarinas, Rosario, Cebu, Cagayan De Oro, Ayala Cebu, Limketkai CDO, Citymall Dagupan, Citymall La Union, NE Pacific Mall) and Island Citymall Bohol.