To be honest, I’m just excited about the fact that he’s in the same time zone again woohoo!!

Anyways, the Archies in the Philippines have been pretty darn busy giving David an amazing welcome at the Manila airport (serious kudos to them) and keeping us updated about the happenings over there. In fact, Manila’s TV5 and their crew have also been amazing in giving us updates. For latest happenings on David and the show, check out the website that they specifically set up just for this Project!!!

http://followarchuleta.ph/

Also the Manila Archies got an amazing opportunity to sit down and talk to David for a couple of minutes and have a Q & A more or less and some of his answers are pretty interesting particularly about the mission and what other projects he’s doing. Hopefully it will allay some of the fears that he will be totally incommunicado during the two years as he said he’ll try to keep us updated and stay in touch even during his mission! Yay!

He also said that after this project, he’ll be headed back to do some recordings and hopefully, we will get some songs released during his two year absence! I really hope his plans pan out because going cold turkey without D’s music for two years would be pretty darn difficult…

Check out the video of the Q & A with the fans below:

On the miniseries, “Nandito Ako” (which translates to mean “I am here” I think) David will be playing a mixed Filipino/American guy named “Josh” who left the Philippines after he was separated from his mother in a fire when he was five. Apparently he saved a girl during the fire and now he’s a singer and is back in the Philippines to look for his mom.

You know, I have never seen a Filipino mini series and have absolutely no idea how it is like but seriously, I’m just stoked to have more David news and see him on my TV again especially before the long drought. [Okay so maybe not on MY TV, but you know what I mean]

Here are some promo pics to whet out appetite.

So what are your thoughts on David the TVStar folks? Are you stoked?

It is quite impossible to effectively wrap all that has happened  into one neat package. There are just too many instances, images and moments that are precious and unforgettable to say definitively that any one of them defines the special connections that David has forged with us. The tapestry of David’s journey with his fans all these years does not easily lend itself to being  woven.

I suppose the only meaningful way to pay homage to what David has meant to us is through his music. And in this, there is one piece of music that really stands out for me which – with its message – I think is a very fitting expression of what has transpired in recent days.

I don’t know whether it was by intent or by accident but for one brief 3 minute interval in the past the clueless folks at American Idol somehow got David. They understood him and saw where he was coming from and it resulted in a sublime recording in the studio version of ‘Think of Me‘. This song as all of you must recall was during Andrew Llyod Webber week on American Idol where David and his fellow contestants had to tackle stage musical numbers. It is an iconic number from The Phantom Of The Opera and performed by a female soprano.

But in David’s tender male tenor voice the song has been given a smooth contemporary pop feel. It’s evocative without being sappy, the emotional impact is sustained without the histrionics of lesser vocalists and although the arrangement is simple the vocals are no less powerful.  It was such a mature performance – far more than his 17 years at that time.  It’s a travesty that he has not been given more credit than he deserved for his beautiful interpretation of a classic.

It is also a shame that he has never sung this song in public since he graduated from American Idol. I hope that in the next 2 years as he embarks on his mission he will revisit some of his past performances and realize that in this song he really came into his own and displayed the potent vocal talent that has not surfaced much since then – largely due to the quality of material that he has had to deal with. In this rendition he truly lived up to his reputation of someone ‘born to sing‘. I hope that somehow David will find that same voice again, or at least some producer with a keen ear, in the near future as it is a shining example of his ability to weave pure gold out of hay.

Recall those days, Look back on all those times

Think of the things we’ll never do

There will never be a day when we won’t think of you..

Hasta leugo David…. for now.

As you all know, Amy went to David’s My Kind of Christmas Tour in Santa Rosa, and she handed the video through Janey of FOD to be passed on to David .. Hoooray! Thanks Amy!

The CD Cover

Can you believe it??? I still remember when he was a shy 16 year old on American Idol. It’s been a truly awesome  journey that he has taken us on and what an amazing ride it has been!!

We’re not sure what David did for his 21st birthday but the AAMers had a grand time celebrating it here in Malaysia!!!

Here are the AAMers “armed” with our brand new David Archuleta wristband courtesy of the awesome SandyBeaches

You probably can’t tell from just looking at the pic but the age difference between the youngest and the oldest here is approximately half a century!!! What other young singer can lay claim to such a diverse fanbase? It is truly quite amazing if you think about it!

And of course, we had to cap off the night with a little birthday wish Malaysian style:

This vid may be a bit lot dark but the voices are loud and clear

Thank you to all the AAMers that joined us for this outing even if the notice given was a little short and Happy 21st Birthday again to the amazing David Archuleta!! May you have many many more and may all your wishes come true….

Also, if you haven’t seen this yet, here’s a beautiful birthday vid made by the super talented Kelvin Beh..

Lastly, this birthday vid is not ours but its definitely a must see for all David fans. Take your tissues out guys: