What's Martha Up To Now

If you haven't heard yet, Martha and her mother received a record deal from VIVA Records in the Philippines and there is some finalizing with their TV deal with either GMA or ABS CBN. Martha has finished recording her album and recent discussions see to point to an October 2008 release with 12 songs in English and 2 songs in Tagalog. The record label is quite impressed (and so they should be) on how trained her vocals are and how quickly Martha was able to record in the studio. With a population of almost 100 million one can easily see how Martha really has a great shot at being a huge artist in the Philippines. Of course Martha has great odds when she has the Queen of Asia, Pilita Corales as her co manager. I've subscribed to GMA through my local cable company but looking forward to a trip to the Philippines this December to celebrate Martha's 18th.

Results Show August 8, 2007

Well I'm sure it will not come as a big surprise that a male was eliminated. With controversy heightening around the fact that the last 3 eliminations were

1) Female
2) Visible Minorities

I'm sure the producers were pretty close to the edge of having a complete backlash. If John Brunton and his sister Barb Bowlby were trying to save the show by eliminating Greg then I'm not sure it really worked.

I am becoming more convinced that the producers have and continue to exercise their contractual rights to over ride the show's voting process by choosing their preferred eliminations all in the best interest of TV ratings and sponsorship pressures.

It seems that this season is based on viewer curiosity rather than talent. CTV and Insight Productions are taking an enormous risk with a "shock" and "awe" production. The strategy to allow instruments in the competition has had little to no impact whatsoever and it is becoming increasingly apparent that all key players behind the scene of season 5 are displaying some obvious hints of desperation.

As for Martha and our family, the Idol hangover is finished. Martha is in great spirits she's back on Facebook and messenger hanging out with friends and family. Our family is strategizing the bright future of Martha and it is very exciting. The support for Martha continues to flow in and Canadians really do miss her.

And in case you didn't know, Enrique sent Martha a beautiful floral arrangement the following day of her elimination, expressing his feelings of her elimination and some inspirational thoughts to keep pushing on (http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/columnists/story.html?id=11086b2a-4c70-49ac-9f28-4121a23d32d0). I can tell you that the feeling she got from that small gesture was out of this world and quite honestly I don't think winning the Canadian Idol could even be a close second. It is a real validation coming from a super mega star.

Thank you Enrique for your gesture it really has had an impact to Martha and our family more than you'll ever know.

Canada You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet!

Martha Joy- July 31, 2007 Results

They say never discount a mother's intuition. But it wasn't only just Sonia's, it was our ENTIRE family. We all knew it was coming. After listening to Jake Gold berating Martha Joy for weeks on major radio stations in Toronto, we felt that Mr. "I'm not feeling it" was on a personal crusade to tarnish Martha in her hometown. It would be a different situation if he was flying out to Alberta and trashing Martha there but to do it in Toronto against the only competitor from Toronto was just sickening!

The family cried all day on Tuesday July 31, 2007- like a lamb to a slaughter house we all filed into John Bassett for the last time to watch the hopes of our Martha Joy come to an end. Words cannot describe the feelings of our family. To add further insult to injury, July 31 2007 is Arlindo's birthday. Yes, the father of Martha Joy had to celebrate his birthday watching his precious daughter eliminated from the competition. It was a dark day.

We all knew that we had to be strong for Martha, to fight back the tears and the look of disappointment. As with tradition, the entire family made its way to little Portugal to our usual spot in the patio of Barraida's Portuguese restaurant. As we were greeted by the staff, where the routine question was "what's Martha gonna sing next week?" the look on our faces said it all. Quickly, word spread throughout the restaurant that Martha was eliminated. People were shocked.

About an hour later Martha arrives and as she makes her way through the restaurant, patrons begin clapping and giving her a standing ovation. Martha once again is brought to tears.

How can Jake Gold say that Martha shows no emotion, when on every single elimination including her own, Martha shows such vulnerability.

Things happen for a reason and while many may theorize why Martha was eliminated there is no denying that Martha is gifted. She has in my opinion, given millions of Canadian a chance to hear her gift and Canada has become the first stop on her journey as Enrique Iglesias would say "conquer the world".

Our family finds comfort and hope that a mega star like Enrique can appreciate Martha's gift and go so far as to say this girl is going to "conquer the world". What the producers of Idol did not show in that pack was that Enrique had never seen a 16 year old with so much control of her vocals. Enrique was truly mesmerized by Martha Joy and so was Martha by Enrique.

What does Jake Gold know anyway when it comes to artistry when a multi platinum artist is standing on his desk, and all Jake Gold can do is lick the souls of Enrique's shoes. I thoroughly enjoyed that part!

This is not the end for Martha but the beginning of her journey to conquer the world and for that we thank all the fans and welcome the new ones.

Martha is in great spirits, she has had overwhelming support coming through various channels and she knows that this is just the beginning. She finished her media this morning and she's hanging out swimming and just unwinding, looking forward to enjoying the balance of her summer break with her family and friends.

I will continue my blogs on a weekly basis to share with all of you what Martha Joy is up to.

Canada You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet!

Martha Joy- Results July 24, 2007

It's 5:00 pm on Tuesday July 24, 2007. I call my aunt on her cell phone to tell her I'm running late, she says not a problem but she sounds pre occupied. I can totally relate, having spent a number of hours working the phones with family members on Monday night, the general feeling was "we love Martha". It's natural to react to the responses of the judges and if anyone is familiar with the term "judges" it's Sonia. It's the first time that most of the praise went to everyone but Martha, I have to admit it wasn't easy for me to listen to. Martha made a calculated decision, on how the judges and Canada would react to a song where Martha did not showcase her beautiful vocal range and guess what, everyone wants to hear those vocals again. Good on you Martha!

Martha has such a great heart, that when she was summoned to the stage as being the first contestant to be in the bottom three, all she could think about was Khalila. Hoping that the host, Ben Mulroney would not say such a name, it was all for naught. As Khalila made her way to represent the second competitor of the bottom three, Martha was fighting back the tears for Khalila. Across the stage in Row O seat 24 and 25, Sonia had the look of worry, it's that same worry every parent has for a child. As I whispered into my aunt's ear advising her not to worry, I could here sobs a few rows behind me. Hoping my aunt would not hear what was being said behind us, I graciously provided her with an interesting fact, I told her that previous idols have been in the bottom 3 before, and this is to be expected.

Ben Mulroney announces Brian Melo which was not a shock to me considering, that he has made that trip before. As Ben attempts to transition to commercial, he announces Martha is "safe". Now sitting in John Bassett Theatre with 2 cameras in your face in front of millions of people is not a cake walk either. I am proud of Sonia and how she held up through the whole process. Sonia is one tough customer and it doesn't take too long to realize why Martha can put on a brave face in the midst of adversity.

As we make our way to the stage after the performance, Martha is still very upset that one of her fellow competitors' Khalila Glanville is leaving them. After all that has just happened in the last 10 minutes, Martha knows, that even though the camera's are off there are many who line up at the foot of the stage for her autograph and picture. Martha understands this and puts her emotions about her friend Khalila, mother and even her trip to the bottom 3 on hold as she tends to the fans.

For those of us in our family, who has journeyed every week to John Bassett theatre, we know the drill after each performance. The idols do photo shoots and sign autographs. We all decide let's get something to eat and make our way to an excellent restaurant on College street in the heart of Toronto's Portuguese community. As I make my way into the restaurant, in the window of course, is a beautiful picture of Vote For Martha Joy on Canadian Idol.

Seated in a beautiful backyard patio, with perfect weather, we're all waiting anxiously for Martha and her dad to arrive. At the table are some friends of Sonia and also big fans and soon after Martha arrives she is immediately recognized by patrons and is requested for an autograph, she happily obliges (even though today was a tough day at the office). We order from the menu and eat our meal with no reference to tonight's show.

We talk shop, share thoughts and offer advice. I get different perspectives on theories such as: Why are all the girls getting eliminated? Why has it been 5 girls and 1 guy in the bottom 3?

I chalk it up all to "great television". You have to credit John Brunton, Barb Bowlby and Sue Brophie they are seasoned producers who know what its all about.

Next week it's Canadian Idol's "unplugged" and those vocals of Martha that Canadians missed this week are going to come through your speakers LOUD AND CLEAR. Crank up your surround sound because you don't want to miss this!

Don't forget to support the "Help the Idols Build a House" by purchasing the song from http://www.puretracks.com/catalog/details.aspx?pid=sony_888880254191

Canada You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet!!!

Martha Joy's Performance #10

Sitting inside the John Bassett theatre sitting 4 rows from the stage on the right side gives one a sense of nervousness, thoughts running through your mind on how Martha will perform and how her fellow competitors will too. As any Filipino will tell you, that when you are suppose to show up at a function add an extra half hour to an hour before they actually arrive. Of course, if you're the mother of the next Canadian Idol that rule does not apply.

I left the office early to make my way across the 401 to pick up Sonia (my aunt, Martha's mom) and on route had to join a conference call while trying to not to forget my exit. Sonia, looked good and was in good spirits and felt nervous as most parents would on the eve of a big performance.

We made our way down through Scarborough with a slight detour picking up another aunt of mine. As we headed west in Eastern Ave, we passed Canada Post's South Central mail processing division, immediately bringing back vivid memories of some of the hardship Sonia endured to provide for her daughter. Working part time from midnight to eight am, Sonia would find some nights just impossible to bare as Martha would stay awake in the wee hours of the morning from her grandmother's house missing her mom. The hard ship of a single mom.

As we journey further west along Richmond, Sonia fields more calls on her cell phone, apologizing profusely for not getting back to other non family members who have been intensely pleading for tickets. Sonia offers up a results performance without success. You see, these are hard core Martha Joy fans who would rather see Martha live than to watch an established superstar perform. No surprise there.

We go south on John street and Arlindo (Martha's dad) calls wondering where the theatre is, Sonia provides directions to find out that Arlindo was 30 feet away from the entrance. I park in front of John Bassett and quickly assist with both my aunts trying to get out of a sports car. A line up has already started outside of the entrance and other parents greet Sonia.

As we queue up for our assigned tickets we see many fans of the competitors and some who just whisper "that's the mother of Martha Joy". I know a little Portuguese and I turn to Arlindo and swear in Portuguese not thinking anyone would understand and as luck would have it, a Carly Rae fan starts laughing and begins speaking Portuguese to Arlindo.

We sit down at our seats and start to rummage through our pick of what signs we will hold up for Martha.





We find out 10 minutes before the show that Martha is singing in the 8th spot. I was a little shocked but that's television. I won't comment on the performance of the others only to say that I was happy when Martha sang.

Ben Mulroney announces what Martha is going to sing and the entire studio hums in shock. Anyone who has half a brain knows that Power of Love by Celine is a very very difficult song. Chatter fills the studio and quickly my ears pick up conversations like "there's no way she'll hit those notes".

Martha begins her performance and all of my aunts and uncles are sitting forward, restless waiting, nervous for her even though she has been singing this song since she was 12. Martha hits the first note, we're screaming at the top of our lungs and then we wait and wait and then the second note comes and she's belting it out flawlessly, without effort but with so much emotion and it is simply breathtaking.

We wait for the judges, Zack confused but still ends with your the best singer. Farley gets it, finally! Jake and his utter theory of "milking it" but thought she sang well but did not like the way the song was arranged. Sass, who referred to Bryan Melo as Ryan and then forgot what she was going to say, looks over and says that was "sleepy".

Martha was the star of the performance and she came to show everyone that she is the best and the most deserving. This is just the beginning of how Martha will capture the hearts of every Canadian.

Here is a nice critique from someone who knows what they're talking about:

http://masterclasslady.com/2007/07/18/vocal-masterclass-for-canadian-idol-season-five-top-ten-singers/#mj

Canada You Ain't See Nothing Yet!

Martha Joy- Eve of the first TOP 10 Performance

I have had a chance to talk to my Aunt (Martha's mom) this evening and she's feels good about tomorrow. I will be there along with my other Aunt's and Uncle's. Now that Martha has checked into the "mansion" in the infamous part of Toronto called The Bridle Path, where you are surrounded by $5-$10 Million dollar homes as a parent there is always some sadness when you're away from your child. I could sense it my Aunt's voice and of course I wanted to hear my aunt smile over the phone so I shared some feedback that I have been receiving from my co-workers, dentist, friends etc. Of course all of it is positive:)

We try and stay away from negative discussions about people posting harsh things about Martha. I must admit, at first I was reading those posts alot but realized it was taking too much energy from me and I decided that I would read all the great inspirational posts about Martha. Posts from complete strangers who have fallen in love with her voice. I was most surprised to see a post from my brother Daniel.

Our family is extremely excited on the song Martha has chosen for tomorrow, it is my opinion that this will be the beginning of Martha showing Canadians that she truly has what it takes to win over the hearts of Canadians. It has always been my belief that strong vocals will trump anything-including stage performance. At some point between now and Top 7, the judges will demand that some of the competitors show some vocal range or risk being harshly criticized.

As I write this post, Martha is still at the John Bassett theatre, where her mother waits patiently outside to drive her across town for additional appointments.

Martha has the ability to tap into a wide age demographic because of her powerhouse vocals. Just like many young and old Canadians fell in love with Celine Dion so too will they with Martha Joy.

Canada You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet!

Martha Joy finishes work and joins the family

The weather wasn't exactly cooperating with our annual picnic but it didn't matter. Canopies were set up to shelter all from the drizzle. As always, there is plenty of food and desserts a common tradition in the Filipino culture. It was great to see the family and extended family. Martha did not get a chance to join us at the park but it worked out anyway as we decided that it was time to change venue and go for real shelter. Most of the family headed back to our aunt's banquet hall where there is always a spare party room for the Lim's. Martha was pleasantly surprised to walk in to see the various signs my cousin Lea had made up. There was some really catchy signs, and look for me to be holding them up in performances to come. Martha had a chance to share a little about the much talked about move to the "mansion" in Toronto, sounds very exciting.

With all the family trying to get air time with Martha, I had a chance to have great discussions with my uncles and aunts about the overall feeling they have and hypothesize various scenarios that the producers might take. Given that 90% of the scheduled themes are posted, my aunts and uncles discussed song selection. This has been a tradition of the Lim family, where we enter into sometimes colourful discussions about song choice. We weigh the pros and cons and give different perspectives, knowing full well that Martha will end up making an informed decision based upon input from her family. At the end of the day, Martha will do what she feels comfortable with and for the family, it doesn't matter because we just love to hear her sing.

I think the most memorable moment for me was a little bonding with my brother's (Daniel) daughter Sabrina. She's such a cutie :)

The other moment was getting a chance to talk to my cousin Joseph. It seemed forever, since we have had a chance to talk and we caught up on the latest stuff going on in our life. For those who don't know Joseph, he has been a boxer for over 10 years and was on the B team for Seoul Olympics. He's got a great career in the technology sector and still stays in shape with playing Beach Volleyball and regular workouts at the gym.

Canada You Ain't See Nothing Yet!