Rising and shining next-gen stars you’ll be stanning next

A new generation of celebrities poised to dominate the entertainment industry were the center of attention recently.

Carmella Ford opened the lineup of up-and-coming talents, accompanied by the affectionate assistance of her mother and co-manager, Karla Estrada. Carmella, who was selected as one of the Mythical Six at the recent Star Magic All-Star Games, aspires to play roles with lots of action. When asked about her plans for her showbiz journey, she said, “I hope to grow and to prove myself, and to create my own path here in the industry.”

Also introduced was Iñigo Jose, the actor James Blanco’s son. His brother and mother, Tania Creighton, were among his family members who supported him at the event. Iñigo is committed to making his own way in show business, with a distinct goal of becoming both an action star and a lead in a romantic comedy. Thinking about the challenges he might face in his career, he expressed, “Sa challenges… syempre pag humarap naman sa akin ‘yun (of course, if it comes to face me), I’ve just got to face it with grace.”

Even though she is the youngest member of the group, Michelle Garcia, 12, has a lot of stage experience. Michelle Garcia, accompanied by her delighted parents and co-managers Patrick and Nikka Garcia, demonstrates that talent transcends age with her stage presence and love of dancing. At the Grand BINIverse performance at the Big Dome, she has already played as the front act. Also under Star Music, she shared about how her passion for performing began: “Actually my dad didn’t influence me; it came from me. I would watch K-pop, P-pop, everything! So from watching that, I wanted to perform.”

Ice Almeria, Time to Dance grand champion, known for his standout dance moves, proved that there’s more to him than meets the eye. Ice expressed how grateful he was for Star Magic: “From Time to Dance to Star Magic, I am really beyond grateful. Siguro po nakita ni Lord (Maybe the Lord saw) how I started nine years ago. This is really what I’ve prayed for…Hindi pa rin ako bumibitaw sa munting pangarap na may mararating ang pagsasayaw (I still haven’t let the dream go that I will reach something through dance).”

The Mitra sisters, Ezri, Julia and Tasha, nieces of Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez-Alcasid and daughters of concert producer Cacai Mitra and well-known musical director and composer Raul Mitra, are prepared to establish themselves in the business. Ezri, the oldest sister, explained to the audience what sets their group apart: “Something unique about us is that we’re not afraid to fight, because we’re sisters, we’re very upfront with each other, and we tell each other everything that we need to know straight up. Because at the end of the day, we’ll be okay, because we’re doing it with good intentions.” The trio is also currently working on original music under Star Music

Producer Neil Arce’s son, Joaquin Arce, was a dynamic addition to the group. This Korean drama enthusiast aspires to be an actor and is excited to take the stage and start his career in the spotlight. He shared, “It’s an honor to walk alongside the best to ever do it. To walk alongside them and the cast and crew behind them just means that I have to keep up and do my very best… so it means a lot to me.”

Christof, a rising rock star, followed, accompanied by actress Gladys Reyes, his mother and co-manager. Christof, who is also a recording artist under Star Music, is prepared to pursue his passion to new creative heights. Thinking about being famous while remaining loyal to oneself, he stated, “Not only do we as celebrities have to keep ourselves authentic, but in return, we also want to see authenticity in our audience.”

One of Star Magic’s newest bright spots, Angelina Cruz, completed the new group. Even though she just signed, she already appears with Paulo Avelino and Kim Chiu in the upcoming Kapamilya series The Alibi. When asked about her ultimate dream, Angelina said, “My ultimate dream is to play a lead role in a teleserye or movie. Speaking of serye, watch out for me in an upcoming Kapamilya serye coming out very very soon, I’m so excited!”Iñigo JoseAngelina Cruz