Charice Pempengco, the little singing wonder of the Philippines, has made major waves internationally. First she wowed the public on Ellen and Oprah and then she had that little cameo on that rodent movie and then she had a hit single, "Pyramid". She's all over the place. Now she's part of the cast of the super popular American series, Glee. (Premiering its 2nd season on Tuesday, September 21.)



But did you know that there's a musical sensation even tinier than Charice that's quietly taking the world by storm. Meet Mistula. Standing less than 2 feet tall, they're the world's first doll band and they have internet hits in U.S. and in the U.K. They have human and doll fans from all over the globe. Personally,  I'm a fan of their undying patriotism (and killer fashion sense). True to their nature as the Philippine's first virtual band, they only sing in Filipino with a crew powered by Philippine creative heavyweights Joey and Rey Tiempo. Here's an interview they did for QTV:



I got to chat with the bandleader and drummer, Lugosi, and he answered some of my pressing questions.


1. Are you guys Filipino? Aren't you all Japanese?

Foreign in mold, Filipinos at heart. Us boys were made in Japan and Manx, in Korea, but it is in the Philippines where we were given life, where we were essentially "born".



Band Members: Lobo, Bella Lugosi, Manx Minuet, and Uno

2. Mistula's songs reflect a deep love for the country? Where is that passion coming from?

We believe you can only be truly passionate about something if you know it dearly. And as Filipinos, being Filipino is what we know best. We aren't going to pretend we understand other cultures because we don't. You won't catch us singing about "oppa" that's for sure.






3. What does Mistula think of our new president? What he said during the SONA? Are you all inspired this 2010?


We think our new president represents one of the most important steps we, as a nation, have taken in recent years. His State of the Nation Address has got to be the first honest assessment of the country's situation that we've heard in a very long time. It's not all roses, that's quite evident. But for once, the sense of "hope" - that general feeling of optimism which was very successfully extinguished by past administrations, can once again be felt. And that leaves us very inspired.




4. Can you talk a bit about Mistula's new single to help the victims of Ondoy?

After the series of devastating typhoons we experienced last year, we found it odd that all relief efforts were focusing on the financial and physical side of things, when we are very much known to be a highly spiritual people. So we did something about it. Our new song is a prayer, "Panalangin sa Panahon ng Bagyo", and it's also a church song. We plan to donate it to the church so the choirs can incorporate it during the mass, hopefully, to inspire strength in times of crisis. The whole project has been one huge labor of love for everyone involved. And the outpouring of support from the wonderful, talented individuals who have breathed life into this project has been very inspiring. For updates on the song, please check our official website, www.mistula.com.


Be a fan and check out their blog. Smoldering pictures combined with well-written stories. Awesome!