The result is Charlie Green.
If you combine the simplicity of a Filipina-Cebuana and a British crooner, the result is unmistakably Charlie Green.
Green is the newest and probably the youngest among many half-Filipinos that recently came out of their shells and went back home to trace their Filipino roots.
Just recently, there was Sam Milby, who recently traced his maternal origin in the same Mindanaon place in Surigao, a five to six hour drive by land from Davao City .
The American-bred singer got the same warm welcome that most Fil-Ams get in trying to find their way to stardom in the country — recognition and Filipino patronage.
Filipinos are transnational. Any place where there are jobs and opportunities including Iraq and Afghanistan or even Lebanon, there are Filipinos. Be they basketball players in the pro loop or just plain members of the national football team.
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-Chinese, 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 his good showmanship in the show Britain ‘s Got Talents.
That the Filipinos are transnational and global is even more obvious in Charlie Green.
The newest child international singing sensation breezed into town with her Cebuana mother and English father wowing the crowd in Manila and in Davao.
When asked how old he was, Green promptly said Onse!, the Visayan-Spanish numeric equivalent of eleven.
He knows of the courteous Filipino culture, too. He says Salamat po, which is a gracious thank you fit for the British royal court. It was a glad response to the accolade of a nationwide television audience and in his tte--tte with Gary Valenciano during an episode of a Sunday variety show.
Charlie smiles like a Filipino, speaks the classical English of Sean Connery and belts out Frank Sinatra’s classy Summer Wind with Michael Buble’s revival beat.
To Charlie Green, the Filipino-British child international singing sensation, welcome to the Philippines! We hope you visit Davao. The festive Kadayawan is just around the corner. We would love to see you live in Davao, Charlie Green. Nindota nimo mukanta oy! (You’re such a great singer!) (PIA XI)
