Rose Fostanes, “Osang” ushers in a CAREGIVER success story. TRIBU productions is proud to bring in another Philippine pride to the Canadian-Filipino music performance scene. The concert tour on it’s inception took on a soul and form embodied in the title itself. “INSPIRE, a Tribute to Ultimate Dreamseekers” is an uptake of the journey of the artist towards the crowning goal of the grand champion to the initial run of the Israel X-Factor in 2014.
The decision to jump into the fiery bowl of a competition of this caliber takes turmoil out of self validation, self-doubt and a lot of push from oneself and that of peers. These are just some of the things we can learn from Osang’s experience throughout her journey. For some of us that followed that through her journey through social media, we somehow were vested on her success because we have sympathized with her. The two things that was obvious in her endeavor was her push to make her life and that of her loved ones better and a sheer talent that had she apparently nurtured throughout the years. To top this was an overwhelming dose of humility on her part and taking on stride her fears of not being the right fit for the competition. Herewith are her personal take on a few questions asked of her.
Question: WHO DO YOU MOST ASCRIBE AS YOUR INFLUENCE IN DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR TALENT?
ROSE: I can say that my Mother played a big role in honing my talent, in the sense that she played as my biggest inspiration. Through my mother’s selfless sacrifice of bravely raising her children, I was able to instill in my mind the importance of hard work and I made use of my talent to make her proud of me in return even if she’s already in Heaven.
Q.: WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO JOIN THE X-FACTOR
ROSE: My X-Factor journey was really a tough one. At first, it was accidental. One fine day as I while doing a gig a friend of mine asked me to audition, I was hesitant at first but eventually the call of my love for music overpowered my hesitations. “I’ve decided to join the X-Factor to show my talent and to prove that there is no small dream, if we are determined to make it a reality”. I built a dream out of that hesitation to join and eventually made that X-Factor dream into reality.
- WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS OF THE CANADIAN AUDIENCE?
ROSE: Well, I am here to make sure that I will give the Canadian audience a good show. A show that will not only entertain them but a memory that will linger in their minds for a long time. I am pretty sure that they will also give me their warm welcome. I am expecting a good interaction with the audience. We will be singing and dancing as family. This early, I want to thank all of you for having me!
- WHAT IS YOUR AIM IN TOURING CANADA?
ROSE: Aim is your intention of achieving and one of my aim is to come up with a good and successful show. Secondly, I am looking forward to reach out to Canadians as well as the Filipino Community through my music so that more singers will have a chance to showcase their talents in your country. I want to get a chance to know and inspire more people to dream big. And lastly, who would not want to see the beauty of Canada, my aim is to see nice and historical places in this country.
Q: CANADA HAS A LOT OF FILIPINO CAREGIVERS AND SERVICE WORKERS, WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO THEM?
ROSE: I’ve been an OFW myself and I know all the hardships not just physically but also emotionally that they are going through. I understand the feeling of being away from home. I know the significance of every
teardrop of sadness and every single thought of longing for our love ones back home. I understand how cold the night can be without our family by our side.
All I want to tell them is to hang on to their dreams and goals in spite of all the hardships. Love your work and the people who care for you. Continue to dream because, everything begins in the heart and mind.
Believe in your dream, you PLAN it, WORK for it and believe me, take it from my experience, time will come when you will eventually ENJOY the reality of that DREAM. Love life and dream BIG… (probably bigger than me… Smile)
Q: WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHY WE SEE A LOT OF FILIPINOS WITH IMMENSE SINGING TALENTS?
ROSE: One fact that every Filipino would agree on is that Pinoys are music lovers. Aside from our love for food, I think there is no better way to express our feelings than singing; that is the way we are. Filipinos see music as a way to express emotions and to celebrate life. We are basically happy people who finds contentment in singing.
Be it pain, happiness or even disappointments Filipinos will always find a way to shrug it off their shoulder and sing; and that’s amazing!