Himala

Himala ("Miracle") is a 1982 Filipino drama film directed by Ishmael Bernal and produced by the Experimental Cinema of the Philippines. The film's script was written by Ricky Lee based on the story of a teenage girl on Cabra Island in the province of Occidental Mindoro between 1966 and 1967.

Himala was filmed entirely in the Philippine province of Ilocos Norte in just three weeks with a budget of only ₱3 million. The film premiered at the 1982 Metro Manila Film Festival, and in 1983, became the first Filipino film to be included in the "Competition Section" of the Berlin International Film Festival. Since then, Himala has been exhibited in a number of film festivals around the world.

On 11 November 2008, Himala won the Viewer's Choice Award for the Best Film of All Time from the Asia-Pacific Region in the 2008 CNN Asia Pacific Screen Awards beating out nine other films voted by thousands of film fans around the world. The ten finalists were chosen by critics, industry insiders and actors—including Bollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai.

Himala (moth)

Himala is a genus of moths in the family Lymantriidae.

References

Rivermaya

Rivermaya is a Filipino band. Formed in 1994, it is one of several bands who spearheaded the 1990s Philippine alternative rock explosion. Rivermaya is currently composed of Mark Escueta, Mike Elgar, Ryan Peralta and Norby David. Former members includes Rico Blanco, who had been the original songwriter of the band, and vocalist Bamboo Mañalac, who later formed the band Bamboo. Rivermaya is the fourteenth biggest-selling artists/act in the Philippines.

History

Formation and early years (1993)

The first line-up consisted of Jesse Gonzales on vocals, Kenneth Ilagan on guitars, Nathan Azarcon on bass guitar, Rome Velayo on drums, and Rico Blanco on keyboards and backing vocals. They were managed by Lizza Nakpil and director Chito Roño. The band was then called Xaga.

Classic line-up and mainstream success (1994–2001)

Ilagan was replaced with Perfecto "Perf" de Castro; Azarcon's childhood friend, Mark Escueta, replaced Velayo, and Francisco "Bamboo" Mañalac replaced Gonzales. With Bamboo as frontman, the band members disbanded Xaga and formed the band Rivermaya. They started putting together original songs like "Ulan" [Rain], "214", and "Awit ng Kabataan" [Song of the Youth] (mostly composed by Rico Blanco) in demo form for prospective recording companies.

Rivermaya (album)

Rivermaya is the debut album of the Filipino rock band, Rivermaya. Containing 11 tracks, it was released in 1994 on BMG Records (Pilipinas) Inc. (now Sony Music Philippines, Inc.).

Track listing

All songs were written by Rico Blanco except where noted.

Singles

"Ulan" was the first single released off this album, during the last quarter of 1993.

"214" is a pop rock/ballad song, released as the second official single. It went to number one spot in various charts in the Philippines. It replaced Eraserheads hit song "With a Smile" in N.U. 107.5 on 1994.

"Awit ng Kabataan", a folk, pop rock anthem, was released as the third single.

"Bring Me Down", a duet with Rico Blanco and Bamboo Manalac both on vocals, was released as the final single.

Critical reception

This album was critically praised for its fresh, excitingly-new pop/rock sound. It become one of the best sellers in the 1990s and still to this day.

Personnel