Cebu Dancing Inmates MTV Version Michael Jackson They Don't Care About Us

Grabbed from loopzero1 on YouTube:

I love it!

Fave MJ moves

I'm not a fan of dance, but I do love MJ's moves.

Here are my top 7 favorite Michael Jackson moves. Most of them are from the Dangerous era, because that's when I really got to know and love MJ's music.

7. Will You Be There (Music Video, 1993)
This is one of my top 5 MJ songs. I love the sign-language moves of the backup singers in the video, as well as MJ's dance during the instrumental part.

6. Black or White (Music Video, 1991)
I'm not actually fond of the song, but I love the video because of how MJ infused his own style into different cultural dances.

5. Remember the Time (Music Video, 1992)
Iman is so beautiful! And the dance scene with all the Egyptian moves was cool.

4. Blood on the Dance Floor (Music Video, 1997)
There are so many things I love about this video: the red suit, the braided ponytail, Susie and the lamp, Mike and the maracas, Susie and Mike doing the salsa.

3. Billie Jean (Live - 30th Anniversary, 2001)
The moonwalk is MJ's trademark move. It may not be an original, but he certainly made it HIS. This, for me, is his best performance of Billie Jean.

2. Smooth Criminal (Live - Dangerous Tour, 1992-1993)
This one's from his Dangerous tour. Love the song. Love the suit. Love the intro. Love the theatrics. Love the moves.

1. Dangerous (Live)
I have no idea where this performance is from. I just discovered it on YouTube after Mike died. In the weeks after his death, I probably watched that video 50 times. It's the hottest dance of MJ ever.

Flash mobs are so cool - feat. flash mobs for Oprah and MJ, and by Improv Everywhere

Andrew sent me a YouTube link of 21,000 fans at the kickoff episode in Chicago of Oprah's 24th season. The Black Eyed Peas were performing...and the crowd stunned the world. It was sooo cool. Naluha ako sa huli sa sobrang mangha :P

I first looked up the definition of a flash mob when I saw the Stockholm dance tribute for Michael Jackson last July. Though it wasn't as massive as that at Oprah's, it was still awesome to watch.

But I think the first flash mob that I was made aware of was Frozen Grand Central. This was way cute, too :)

You might also wanna check out the rest of ImprovEverywhere's flash mobs, like No Pants Subway and Surprise Wedding Reception.

He would've been 51

Happy birthday, MJ.

Mourning "Michaels"

I just realized that I mourned for three consecutive "Michael musicians" in the past months.

Mike Francis, born Francesco Puccioni, died last January.

Francis M, born Francis Michael Magalona, died last March.

Michael Jackson, born Michael Joseph Jackson, died last June.

So ok, Mike Francis was a stage name, and Francis M never really used the Michael in his name, pero wala lang. Napansin ko lang.

In each case, a part of my childhood died along with their passing. But that's the beauty of music - it lives forever.

Billie Jean, Man in the Mirror, and other MJ songs on acoustic guitar

Here's Sungha Jung, one of my favorite guitarists, playing Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean", as arranged by fingerstyle guitarist Adam Rafferty.

Here's Rafferty's fingerstyle take on MJ/Jackson 5 songs (Billie Jean, I Want You Back, Rock With You, I'll Be There):

I just love how fingerstyle guitarists play different parts of the song (vocals, lead, bass, etc.) simultaneously on one guitar. Nakakabaliw panoorin.

Here's Tuck Andress (of Tuck and Patti) and his wonderful jazzy version of Man in the Mirror, my favorite MJ song.

It doesn't matter if he isn't their biological father...

...he was their DADDY.

Saw this on YouTube, some home videos of Michael with his kids - Prince thanking Michael for giving him ice cream, and Paris wanting to be a dancer and singer like MJ when she grew up (with Prince saying "Me too!" in the background - gaya-gaya hehe).

Never Can Say Goodbye, Michael...

I didn't even know this was a Jackson 5 song. I think I'm more familiar with the Gloria Gaynor version. Anyways...

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This morning's public memorial for Michael Jackson was one of the most touching events I've ever witnessed. Truly something befitting the King of Pop.

There were all these superstars paying tribute to who Berry Gordy of Motown called "the greatest entertainer that ever lived". There were all these common folks who simply wanted to pay their last respects to the King of Pop. But what really mattered was that there was this family grieving over the loss of their father, brother, and son - and they had the whole world to not only grieve with them, but, more importantly, to celebrate his short life with them.

Usher's "Gone Too Soon" was the most touching performance. You could feel his sorrow as he approached the casket of his idol and ended his song with a heartfelt sigh.

Brooke Shields' tribute was the most sincere, and the most candid. In that short span of time, we got to know Michael as very few people did. You could see by the way she shook and held back her tears that she was very distressed about the passing of a dear friend.

I love this shot. It's like Michael was showing the world his dear Brooke.

But it was Paris Jackson who had the most heartbreaking moment. There's nothing as painful as losing a parent. She was very brave to come forward and give her little tribute to dad. Too bad though because they keep playing it over and over now on TV; it takes away the solemnity of the moment.

It was all so bittersweet. Where was all this love when Michael needed it the most?

Rest in peace now, Michael. Like Marlon said, maybe they'll leave you alone now.

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P.S. Brooke Shields is still so beautiful. And Blanket Jackson is such a cute 7-year-old, what with the long black ponytail and the gum-chewing.

U2 pays tribute to Michael Jackson as they kick off world tour

U2 does a bit of "Man in the Mirror" and "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" towards the end of their performance of "Angel of Harlem" in Barcelona last June 30, 2009. Bono said the song was written for Billie Holiday, but for that night they were playing it for MJ.

http://www.nme.com/news/nme/45792 (Scroll down for an embedded YouTube video of the performance)

Image credit

Michael's still an awesome dancer at 50

Damn, Michael. At 50, you're smokin'

Too bad we never got to see that awesome show you were putting together.

Click to see video on CNN: Jackson rehearses with dancers

HIStory will never be forgotten

December 8, 1996.

I fell in line at the Asia World City at Paranaque (no idea where that place is now) to watch Michael Jackson’s HIStory World Tour with my classmate Shaty, her mom, and our physics teacher, Sir Dickerson Moreno. Somewhere in the queue was our classmate, Ivan, the biggest MJ fan I know.

I dunno if it was my first gig ever, but it was definitely my first time to watch a gig that big (55,000 according to Wikipedia). The only other gig I’ve attended that’s bigger than that was The Final Set of the Eraserheads, in nearby Manila.

It was my first time to watch an international artist. It was my first time to watch a gig with a teacher It was actually the night before our physics third periodic exam. So while we were in line, I was actually consulting with Sir Dickerson regarding some physics problem (sorry na).

My best friend Dyan was supposed to be with us instead of Sir Dickerson. But at the last minute, she wasn’t allowed to watch the concert, so she decided to give her ticket to Sir.

Photo op of Dyan giving her ticket to Sir Dickerson. Beryllium had just won the Paskorus then, so most of us Be people decided to treat ourselves to a pint each of Selecta ice cream

Without Sir, I would never have seen the actual MJ. Originally, the venue was at the Araneta (I think; hala, di ko na maalala). So when Dyan and I bought tickets, we bought the nearest seats we could afford, which turned out to be somewhere in the middle, I guess. But the concert producers changed the venue to the bigger grounds of Asia World City to accommodate more fans. So when I got to the actual gig, I was sooo far away from the stage, such that I couldn’t see MJ at all, and I had to watch most of the gig via the video wall

The two big Michaels are the video walls that I relied on to see MJ. The real MJ is somewhere in the middle, the brightest spot onstage. Took this pic by raising my cam waaay above my head.

It didn’t help that aside from the thousands of heads and shoulders between me and Michael, there was a bulky 6-footer situated right in front of me.

Sucks. But MJ’s show is like no other, so even in that situation, I was simply happy to be there. Still, Sir Dickerson offered several times to lift me up so I can see Michael. I finally and embarrassingly agreed (anything to see Jacko!), so for a second or two, I actually saw Michael Jackson. Nevermind that he was prolly just as big as my thumb’s nail. It was Michael, in the flesh.

As we made our way out after the concert, MJ’s convoy passed right next to us. I didn’t see MJ himself, but just the knowledge that I was that close to him was awesome (sucks though if that was just a decoy, hehe). I think I did wave at the line of cars quickly passing by, hoping that in one of those cars MJ would see us fans bidding him goodbye.

That gig will always be one of my most treasured memories. Have you ever seen how fans just simply lose it at MJ’s concerts? They cry and wail and pass out. I wasn’t like that, but I felt the euphoria that causes a number of fans to eventually lose it.

I still have my concert merchandise to remind me of that awesome gig. I was going through it earlier today – a nice, big (15” x 12”) souvenir program of sorts, especially made for the HIStory tour. I think it was official concert merchandise – it’s of great quality so I assume it’s not a bootleg. Seeing all those bright and colorful pictures of MJ dancing, posing, smiling lifted my spirits a bit. Still, knowing that this awesome artist has left us too soon is just too much to bear.

12-8-1996 and 6-25-2009, two of the most unforgettable dates I will ever know.

- - - - -

Born to amuse, to inspire, to delight
Here one day, gone one night

Like a sunset,
dying with the rising of the moon
Gone too soon

Rest in peace, our gloved one.



- - - - -
http://www.myspace.com/michaeljackson (Full album streaming)
http://mjtkop.ning.com/
http://www.michaeljackson.com/ (Memorial Wall)
http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2009/michael.jackson/index.html
http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2009/michael.jackson.remembered/

Pagpupugay ng mga Cebu inmates sa King of Pop (GMA News, CNN)

From GMANews.tv:

CEBU, Philippines – The Filipino inmates who shot to global fame with a YouTube video of their "Thriller" dance swayed and stomped again Saturday in a behind-bars tribute to their idol, Michael Jackson.

Watch the video

After being told of Jackson's death Thursday in Los Angeles, the 1,500 inmates at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center hit the exercise yard, practicing for nine hours Friday night – and into the wee hours of Saturday morning – for the show.

They took breaks only to eat or when it rained, said professional choreographer Gwendolyn Lador, hired by the prison to teach the inmates the dance.

"I felt sad because we lost our idol," said inmate Wenjiel Resane, who plays the role of Jackson's girlfriend in the video.

Crisanto Nieri, 38, was feeling a little extra stress. He danced Jackson's part in "Thriller."

"Even as a kid, he was already my idol," said Nieri, who is serving seven years on drug charges. "I am happy that our video became famous, but I feel some pressure to perform well."

A crowd of 700 Cebuanos and foreign tourists watched the performance from a second-floor corridor, swaying to the music and applauding as the inmates, dressed in orange prison T-shirts and sweat pants, stomped and clapped in unison in the hilltop prison, behind thick stone walls topped by electrified razor wire.

Other numbers included "Ben," ''I'll Be There." and "We Are the World." The inmates then held up a 5-by-10 foot (1.5-by-3 meter) tarpaulin showing Michael Jackson holding a sword with his name written below it.

Others waved the flags of the Philippines and other nations.

Before the show, the performers dedicated a prayer to Jackson's family.

"I was sad because one of the songs of Michael Jackson, 'Thriller,' made us famous around the world," said Francis Mercader, 36, who has spent a year in detention while on trial for drug charges.

Byron Garcia, the Cebu provincial security consultant who came up with the idea of adding synchronized dancing to poorly attended exercise sessions, said he was surprised by the popularity of the 2007 video – one of more than a dozen inmatedance numbers he has posted on YouTube.

"Thriller" has attracted 24.3 million hits since it was posted two years ago, with nearly a million of them in the 24 hours since news of Jackson's death spread.

The inmates "consider Michael Jackson as a god here," Garcia said. "If not for Michael Jackson, they would not have this international recognition."

"The fame brought them back their self-esteem," he told reporters. "So that's why we have these public performances."

Inmate Alfredo Gaballo, 52, says Jackson "inspired us, so we are all sad about his death."

"The performance today has been amazing," said Karen Benrad, 29, from London. She and about two dozen foreign and local tourists later joined the inmates at the prison quadrangle, dancing to the tune of "Macarena" and "I just can't get enough."

Kim Hua-sung, a 23-year-old South Korean student in Cebu who watched the inmates' performance, said he is also a Jackson fan. "I'm sad that I can't listen to more songs from him."

In Taiwan, two top Michael Jackson impersonators donned fedora hats and sequined outfits Saturday, moonwalking to "Billie Jean" in their own tribute to the pop star.

Thirty-year-old Wang Chih-wei told The Associated Press he secured a photo op with his idol during Jackson's whirlwind tour in 1993 after winning an impersonation contest.

"I didn't know much English so I could only tell him, 'I love you,'" Wang said. "He was very friendly. I melted when he put his hand on my shoulder for the photo." - AP

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From CNN:

CEBU, Philippines (CNN) -- Amid the tropical heat of a Philippine prison, convicted murderers, rapists and drug dealers on Saturday paid tribute to Michael Jackson with a reprise of their YouTube dance hit, "Thriller."

Watch the video

A rendition of Jackson's 1980s smash hit by prisoners at the Cebu Detention and Rehabilitation Center in the central Philippines garnered more than 24 million views since 2007, when prison supervisor Byron Garcia first uploaded it to the video-sharing Web site.

The prison has since posted other dance videos, including performances to Van Halen's "Jump," Queen's "Radio Ga Ga," and Phil Oakey and Giorgio Moroder's "Together in Electric Dreams."

Jackson, known as the "King of Pop," died Thursday in Los Angeles, less than two weeks shy of the first in a series of comeback concerts in London, England.

When he heard the news, Garcia, himself a fan of the 50-year-old pop icon, organized a free tribute performance by inmates for local people in the prison courtyard.

Dancing was introduced at the prison in 2007, as a means of rehabilitating prisoners at a facility once notorious for its gang problem.

Every able-bodied prisoner must dance. If they refuse, they lose privileges, mostly conjugal visits. According to Garcia, the dancing occupies up to five hours a day. However he rejected claims he's abusing the prisoners' rights by forcing them to dance so many hours a day.

He said it gives them a renewed sense of worth and confidence, breaking them of their violent ways. He is convinced his prison is a model for prison authorities everywhere, an example of how to crack the plague of violent prison gangs.

"It brought back their self esteem. We have happy inmates now -- we don't want to go back to the old jail where we had mad, sad inmates," he said.

In searing temperatures, 1,400 men in bright orange tracksuits performed the 15-minute "Thriller" routine perfectly. They rehearsed for 10 hours the previous day, finally stopping at 3 a.m. to rest ahead of the show.

The superbly-choreographed moves, energy and obvious enthusiasm of the prisoners had the audience -- swelled by journalists from around the world -- captivated the audience. Several inmates even invited people from the crowd to dance with them.

"I never thought I would ever find myself dancing with a prisoner," one excited local said.

A local journalist even described the performance as Asia's best way of paying tribute to Jackson.

Garcia, who says the prison has witnessed no violence in three years, paid tribute to the performers. "I'm so proud of them," he said. "They got the dance exactly right."

Although it was "probably wishful thinking," he added that he had actually wanted Michael Jackson to come to Cebu to dance and play the role himself. "Now it's not going to happen," he said mournfully.

Convicted robber Mavin Cabido, 23, said: "I feel so sad as we idolize him really. The moonwalk is my favorite -- I like that."

Long live the King of Pop!

I'd rather we were celebrating his music while he was still amongst us. But I'm pretty sure that wherever he is, he now knows just how much people the world over loved and adored him and his craft.

Michael, your music will live forever. Thank you.

I'll never let you part, for you are always in my heart.

Image credit

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Tributes from other musicians and celebs (personal picks):

...He was amazingly talented and largely misunderstood. I hope that the media will be kind and celebrate the genius instead of cashing in on the tabloid angles that made him a prisoner. I think he deserves that. - Chris Cornell (who did an awesome cover of Billie Jean)

Michael Jackson will always be remembered as one of the greatest performers in the history of popular music...the powerful thing about great music is that it will always live on. He was and always will be an icon. - John Legend

Dazed in the studio. A major strand of our cultural DNA has left us...I truly hope he is memorialized as the '83 moonwalking, MTV owning, mesmerizing, unstoppable, invincible Michael Jackson. - John Mayer

The incomparable Michael Jackson has made a bigger impact on music than any other artist in the history of music...For anyone who has ever seen, felt, or heard his art, we are all honored to have been alive in this generation to experience the magic of Michael Jackson. - Beyonce

For every Memory in your life that His music gave You may we all offer him dignity and respect as a token ? Respect The Dancer...RIP MJ - M.C. Hammer

...I also saw what a beautiful father he was. He was a beautiful human being. I am deeply saddened this evening...May you rest in peace sweet Michael. You gave us all you had to give. - Lenny Kravitz

Sending love and light to family and friend but especially his kids. I plea to the press to respect his wishes of maintaining the anonymity of his children. I plea to the public to refuse to consume media that does not respect the anonymity of Michaels children. - Ashton Kutcher

Michael you left such a legacy on this earth, have touched SO MANY!!! We thank you for such a driving inspiration in music & our lives!! This has got to be one of the saddest days in music history!! - Kelly Rowland

My heart... my mind... are broken...I loved Michael with all my soul and I can't imagine life without him...My life feels so empty. I don't think anyone knew how much we loved each other. The purest most giving love I've known...I keep looking at the photo he gave me which says, 'To my true love Elizabeth, I love you for ever'. And, I will love him for ever. - Elizabeth Taylor

AI8: Top 13 - Michael Jackson Night

I'm an AI fanatic. I'm a very very big MJ fan. And I've been in love with Robert Downey Jr. since the 90's. What more could I ask for?

Robert Danny Jr was H-O-T. Screw his haters. He's got talent and charisma. Definitely got looks. And finally his wife wasn't mentioned tonight. I hope that calms down his detractors. But it's still annoying how Paula gets all schoolgirl-giddy when Danny performs. Doubly outrageous when she virtually proclaimed him this year's Idol.

I love Michael Jackson. Weird outfits, troubled family life, and questionable behavior aside. He's one of those notorious artists that I choose to listen to even though nasty rumors and lawsuits constantly swarm his existence and sadly overshadow his artistry. His music is just SOOO brilliant, it's hard to ignore.

I love that a lot of songs tonight were taken from the Dangerous album. It's the album that introduced me to MJ back in 1993. I bought it for a school program; we were using "Heal the World" I was totally blown away by the album. My favorites were the ones picked by the finalists!

I liked Kris Allen's "Remember the Time". He strangely reminds me of a very youthful Christian Bale...can anyone explain that? I loved how he loved playing his guitar. And yeah, Simon was rude (as always) to mention the wife thing, but (as always) he was right - I was a bit disappointed to learn that Kris was married, hehe.

I liked Allison Iraheta's "Give In To Me". It was around '93 that I started to like rock, so I really dug this particular track from Dangerous. But I do wanna see a different side of Alyson.

I liked Scott MacIntyre's "Keep the Faith". Definitely one of the top songs in the album for me. But Scott's version lacked the "oomph" that MJ's had. Scott was right though - that's one totally inspiring song.

My faves for the night - Danny and Kris. Sorry, I'm driven by looks this season ('cause there isn't really that much talent to rave about, unlike with my uber favorite Season 5).

Folks I thought were ok but I guess that's just me - Michael (I like that he's an oil rigger who sounds like a boy-band-guy).

Folks I didn't like but I guess that's just me - Matt (not into his kind of thing), Adam (so do not like his glam rock persona...I mean, only Axl Rose and his crew would score points for that in my book).

Folks I hoped would step up but didn't - Anoop and Megan. Boo. Good luck with your next moves, because you kinda blew this one.

I wonder what the big announcement for tomorrow is...I'm guessing it's a change in the rules regarding who stays and who goes...Hmmm...