Category Archives: Music

Film and TV, Human Interest, International, Law Enforcement, Music, The Media, Travel

WILL THE ‘UNDOCUMENTED’ ROSE FOSTANES PLEASE STEP FORWARD?

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imageTel Aviv, Israel – The  story of  a Filipina caregiver who captivated the world for winning the first-ever X Factor Israel this week is one of “rags to riches.” After winning the singing competition, 47-year old Rose Fostanes is on her way to recording contracts and professional gigs that would pay millions of dollars.

But, STOP THE PRESSES!

While Fostanes the caregiver is documented in Israel, Fostanes the singer is not. Like with most immigration laws anywhere in the world, foreign nationals are granted work permits to get paid for the specific jobs that they were recruited for. In Fostanes’ case, she can legally work in Israel only as a caregiver.

This means that Fostanes cannot get paid for recording contracts or professional concerts and appearances within Israel.  This has become a big dilemma for the producers of X Factor Israel.

But no worries. The producers have come up with a brilliant idea to skirt around the country’s immigration laws.

Beginning next week, Fostanes will go on a road tour throughout Israel, visiting hospitals and convalescent homes, singing for the sick and elderly. All her appearances will be televised and she will get paid for it.

“We will be paying her as a caregiver, not as a singer,” the producers said, “so we will not be violating any Israeli law or the conditions of her legal work permit.

All’s well that ends well.

Film and TV, International, Music

ROSE FOSTANES AND SUSAN BOYLE TO RECORD NEW SINGLE

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Boyle, left, and Fostanes, right
Boyle, left, and Fostanes, right

London, Great Britain – Filipina Rose Fostanes and Scottish Susan Boyle have many things in common. Both have humble beginnings: Rose is a caregiver working in Tel Aviv and Susan was a trainee cook in her native Scotland. They have incredible musical talent and joined television singing competitions at past 40 years old which is really irrelevant to this story. Audiences were skeptical, almost  cynical, about their winning the competitions.

Both are singing champions in countries other than their own: Susan winning in Britain’s Got Talent and Rose winning in this week’s X Factor Israel.

Today, being the entrepreneur that he is, Simon Cowell who originated both shows in Great Britain, announced that he is producing a new single that would feature a duet by both women.

The song was composed by Sir Elton John and is titled “I Dreamed It My Way.” Susan, of course, became famous for her rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” during her audition on Britain’s Got Talent and Rose’s finale song on X Factor Israel was Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.”

Pre-orders of the single, yet to be recorded, have already reached One Million.

Film and TV, International, Music

FILIPINA WINNER STRIPPED OF X FACTOR TITLE

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imageTel Aviv, Israel –  On Tuesday night, Rose Fostanes, a Filipina caregiver working in Tel Aviv, was named winner in the first-ever X Factor Israel, the local version of the popular reality TV singing competiton originated by Simon Cowell in Great Britain. She won the most number of viewer votes in the finals, besting three other contestants.  Fostanes was the only non Israeli.

But just minutes after the telecast, producers of the show stripped Fostanes of the winner’s title, citing widespread nationwide protests. Producers said their television network was deluged with angry calls insisting that a foreigner should not be declared winner of what was obviously a contest for Israeli nationals. “There is a reason the show is called X Factor Israel, ” the protesters complained, “in the same way as other shows are called American Idol or Britain’s Got Talent.”

While producers acknowledged that talent-wise, Fostanes truly deserved the title, they understood the sentiments of the complaining viewers. They said they wished her well and are confident that if she joined X Factor Philippines in her home country, she would handily win the title.

Fostanes’ winning song was Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.”