Latest news with #Rouge
The South African
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The South African
'Run For Me' charity fun run to ignite this Youth Day
On Monday, 16 June 2025, the 'Run For Me' Charity Fun Run will take place simultaneously in Johannesburg and Bloemfontein. This inspiring event aims to raise crucial funds for Talitha Cumi Place of Safety, a sanctuary dedicated to children who have been abandoned, abused, or orphaned. The 'Run For Me' symbolises hope and a brighter future, with each participant wearing a race number featuring the name of a child from Talitha Cumi. This personal touch transforms every step into a meaningful gesture of support. All proceeds will go directly to the home's ongoing care and expansion projects. Joining the run is South African rapper Rouge, who brings her passion for giving back to the youth to the forefront, according to Gauteng Lifestyle Magazine. 'It's more than just putting on cute gym wear, gathering with friends, and lacing up my sneakers,' Rouge shares. 'It's about supporting a cause that touches the lives of children living at the home and giving back to our community.' Rouge's involvement highlights the event's spirit of fun and charity. She encourages everyone to participate, reminding us that running for a cause can be both enjoyable and impactful. Talitha Cumi Place of Safety was founded in 2008 by the CRC Church. What began as a single home for 26 children has blossomed into a vital refuge for vulnerable youngsters across South Africa. Today, the home cares for 41 children, providing a safe, loving, and structured environment where they can heal and thrive. In 2010, Talitha Cumi expanded to include a second home dedicated to newborns and toddlers up to two years old. This facility offers specialised, high-level care to babies often abandoned at birth. Over the years, many children and youth have been placed in loving foster or adoptive families through the home's efforts. The future of Talitha Cumi lies in its ambitious Village Project. This long-term vision aims to provide residential care for orphaned and abandoned children up to the age of 21. So far, the team has built five homes. They have fully furnished one, making it ready for occupancy, and they plan to register two more this year. These homes will offer full-time care, mentorship, and a stable foundation for the next generation. Pastor AT Boschoff, who has led the ministry for 17 years, emphasises the importance of this work. 'Since our registration, over 1,130 children have been successfully placed in homes,' he says. 'We remain committed to providing safety and hope for children removed from neglectful or abusive environments.' The 'Run For Me' Charity Fun Run offers South Africans a unique chance to make a difference. With Discovery Vitality proudly partnering in this initiative, runners can enjoy a day of fitness, fun, and philanthropy. Whether you're an experienced runner or a casual jogger, your participation will help transform lives. This Youth Day, run with purpose. Run for hope. Run for the children of Talitha Cumi. Together, South Africans can create a future filled with love and opportunity for those who need it most. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
GMA Network
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
Atin Ito: Sea concert a 'love song' to WPS, its defenders
Before voyaging to Pag-Asa Island for their third civilian mission, Atin Ito convenor Rafaela David on Monday said that the sea concert that they will hold would serve as their 'love song' to the West Philippine Sea and the people who protect it against all odds. In a press conference in Palawan, David said that artists coming from different countries who will be performing in the concert want to show that they altogether want peace and solidarity in the region. 'This is our way of showing that our mission to make sure that a people powered campaign, activity is our way of showing aggressors in the West Philippine Sea that we are standing up to what they're doing,' she said. 'At the same time, this is our way to show, highlight, and amplify the voices of those who are most affected—from the fisherfolks to frontliners who are bearing the brunt of what China is doing in our own seas,' she added. David also emphasized that they want to tell the world that their commitment to the West Philippine Sea is 'not through militarizing or war-mongering but in compassion, community, and culture.' 'What we want to do is to build bridges, using the language of music. Our nations may be far apart but we know that we are connected by the music that we share—music of peace, music of solidarity,' she explained. According to David, a concert will be held at sunset on Monday, and they are planning to also conduct a second concert on Wednesday morning as they welcome a 'new dawn.' Among the performers expected to participate in the third Atin Ito civilian mission are Ebe Dancel, all-women rock band Rouge, rap collective Morobeats, and P-pop group HORI7ON, Japanese artist Fumi, Indonesian and Malaysian musicians Viona and Kai Mata, as well as South Korean K-pop girl group I:Mond. Aside from musicians, the third Atin Ito civilian mission will also include artists, fisherfolk, and civil society leaders from the Philippines and neighboring countries to promote peace, dialogue, and cultural exchange. Volunteers from the Atin Ito Coalition boarded on Sunday M/V Kapitan Felix Oca which would sail to the West Philippine Sea for a third civilian mission. Atin Ito's first civilian mission was held in December 2023, when its Christmas convoy slipped past Chinese vessels and arrived at Lawak Island, part of the Kalayaan Island Group of Palawan, to deliver gifts to Filipino soldiers patrolling the area. The group was supposed to go to Ayungin Shoal where the BRP Sierra Madre has been intentionally grounded, but Atin Ito altered the convoy's route after China Coast Guard used its water cannon against Philippine vessels on a routine resupply and rotation mission to the dilapidated ship. In May 2024, Atin Ito conducted its second civilian mission to WPS, reaching Bajo de Masinloc, also known as the Scarborough Shoal, despite a blockade of Chinese vessels to deliver provisions to Filipino fishermen in the area. —KG, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
Atin Ito volunteers board M/V Kapitan Felix Oca to prep for 3rd WPS civilian mission
The M/V Kapitan Felix Oca docks in Manila prior to sailing to El Nido, Palawan on Sunday, May 25, 2025. Atin Ito Coalition Volunteers from the Atin Ito Coalition have boarded on Sunday the vessel that would sail to the West Philippine Sea for a third civilian mission. The volunteers embarked the M/V Kapitan Felix Oca, which was set to depart Manila at 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, May 25, for El Nido, Palawan. A pre-departure musical event will be held in El Nido on Monday, and from there, the ship will proceed to the general vicinity of Pag-asa Island on Tuesday for a sea concert calling for peace and solidarity. Volunteers have been setting up the concert stage and preparing materials for participants on M/V Kapitan Felix Oca. Among the performers expected to participate in the third Atin Ito civilian mission are Ebe Dancel, all-women rock band Rouge, rap collective Morobeats, and P-pop group HORI7ON, Japanese artist Fumi, Indonesian and Malaysian musicians Viona and Kai Mata, as well as South Korean K-pop girl group I:Mond. Aside from musicians, the third Atin Ito civilian mission will also include artists, fisherfolk, and civil society leaders from the Philippines and neighboring countries to promote peace, dialogue, and cultural exchange. 'We aim to uplift coastal communities by amplifying the lived experiences and aspirations of our fisherfolk, and to foster regional harmony through shared cultural and maritime narratives. We will sail not with warships, but with songs; not with hostility, but with harmony and solidarity,' Atin Ito convenor Rafaela David said. To recall, the Philippine government sued China before an international arbitral tribunal in The Hague in 2013. It ruled in favor of the Philippines in July 2016 when it junked China's nine-dash claim over the South China Sea. China, however, rejected the Philippines' call to comply with the 2016 arbitration ruling, calling the decision 'illegal and invalid.' —KG, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
Third Atin Ito civilian mission to feature musical concert in WPS
The third Atin Ito civilian mission in the West Philippine Sea will feature a musical concert on board a ship by Filipino and other Asian artists near PAGASA Island, according to Atin Ito convenor Rafaela David. The civilian mission, which is set from May 26 to 30, will also kick off with a sunset musical event at the jump-off point in El Nido, Palawan. Among the performers expected to participate in the third Atin Ito civilian mission are Ebe Dancel, all-women rock band Rouge, rap collective Morobeats, and P-pop group HORI7ON, Japanese artist Fumi, Indonesian and Malaysian musicians Viona and Kai Mata, as well as South Korean K-pop girl group I:Mond. 'Tutuloy tayo sa pagconduct ng concert sa ating EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone). Basta makapag-concert tayo within our EEZ, panalo na 'yun. Napakahalagang panalo na iyon in standing up to China. Tinry nila mag-blockade noong natin kung haharangan ba talaga nila ngayon. Pero sa dulo, we plan to ensure na makapagconcert tayo sa ating EEZ kasi karapatan natin iyon,' David said Thursday. (We will conduct a concert in our EEZ. As long as we can hold a concert within our EEZ, that's a win. That's a very important win in standing up to China. They tried to blockade us in the past... We'll see if they really block us now. But in the end, we plan to ensure that we can hold a concert in our EEZ because that's our right.) David also maintained that they are ready for any possible contestation incident. 'No contestation [incident ang nakalagay] doon sa ating itinerary, but in case there are contestation, we can possibly expect shadowing. Kasama iyan sa ating tinitignan. We expect that it is going to happen, pero klaro din sa atin na hindi tayo magpapatinag,' David added. (There's no contestation in our itinerary, but in case there are contestations, we can possibly expect shadowing. That is part of what we are looking at. We expect that it is going to happen, but it is also clear to us that we will not budge.) Aside from musicians, the third Atin Ito civilian mission will also include artists, fisherfolk, and civil society leaders from the Philippines and neighboring countries to promote peace, dialogue, and cultural exchange. 'We aim to uplift coastal communities by amplifying the lived experiences and aspirations of our fisherfolk, and to foster regional harmony through shared cultural and maritime narratives. We will sail not with warships, but with songs; not with hostility, but with harmony and solidarity,' David said. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China's claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had "no legal basis." The decision also ruled that the Ayungin Shoal, the Spratly Islands, Panganiban or Mischief Reef, and Recto or Reed Bank are within the Philippines' EEZ. Further, the Hague court outlawed Chinese aggression in the Philippines' EEZ by stating that Scarborough Shoal, a rich fish resource, is a common fishing ground. China, however, refused to recognize the court ruling to this day and is undeterred in deploying aggression against Philippine vessels and personnel, including firing water cannons and ramming Filipino-manned vessels. Still, David assured that the Atin Ito contingent remains unfazed. 'Kung saan man tayo abutan... the whole route of convoy, ang mahalaga sa atin ay maipakita sa China that this concert will happen whatever maneuvers they will do,' David said. (Wherever we go for the whole route of convoy, what's important to us is to show China that this concert will happen whatever maneuver they will do.) —VAL, GMA Integrated News
Time Out
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Madame Rouge and the power of being unapologetically yourself
Labelled a teen for being 'too much,' Madame Rouge now runs Bangkok's most fabulous entertainment empire – where every show is sparkly, surreal and just a little unhinged. Just the way she likes it. In the middle of Bangkok's Chinatown, inside Chop Chop Cook Shop, a five-storey shophouse that now serves as a nostalgic tribute to old-world cookshops and neon-lit alleyways, something magical came to life. Our latest digital cover shoot with Madame Rouge, Bangkok's burlesque powerhouse, captures contradictions, cinematic tension and the spirit of a woman who refuses to live a double life. She steps into frame wearing sequins, satin and all the sass in the world. But make no mistake – what you see isn't a persona she puts on. It's who she is. 'I've been this person my whole life,' she says. 'Even as a kid I was confident, dramatic, opinionated (when I was a toddler, my parent's friends gave me the nickname Auntie Jade). That kind of boldness wasn't always welcomed. I was relentlessly bullied during my awkward teenage years. Acne, weird fashion choices, big energy. But I didn't know how to be anyone else. Born in Hong Kong, raised across continents from Canada and the U.S. to Beijing and now based in Bangkok, Madame Rouge – also known off-stage as Jade – channels her life's winding journey into her art. Her brand is burlesque, but her power lies in how she stitches together East and West, nostalgia and absurdity, grit and glam. 'Growing up as a third culture kid taught me adaptability in the most intense way,' she reflects. I became someone who could walk into any room, read it and figure out how to thrive… usually in heels. Thailand is a fascinating place because it holds so many beautiful contradictions, she adds. It's traditional yet open-minded, conservative in some ways and wild AF in others. Bangkok itself pulses with this duality. It's a city of contrasts where the ancient meets the modern. The traditional street vendors dish out local delicacies next to upscale rooftop bars. The hum of traffic, the scent of incense, and the glow of neon lights coexist. The clash of old and new is celebrated here. And it's this mix of the conservative and liberal that defines Thailand's current cultural moment. 'What's even more exciting is that this country is going through a special moment. The new generation of creatives, venue owners and tastemakers are craving something bold. That's where we come in. People are more curious, more open to being surprised. They want experiences that feel different.' And I'll keep doing what I do, not to change the culture, but maybe add a little more Rouge to it. Madame Rouge sees herself as part of this cultural shift, adding her own flavour to the creative revolution. Those heels now carry her through Bangkok's most extravagant performances, but her roots and references run deep. The Chinatown photoshoot with its gold necklaces, red paper lanterns and faded tiles wasn't solely for aesthetics, it was personal. 'This location screamed Hong Kong nostalgia which I am a sucker for. It let me remix my heritage with everything else I've become.' That remix is what makes Madame Rouge a phenomenon. Since founding her namesake company in 2019 – almost accidentally, after pitching burlesque for a weekly event – she's built something bigger than a stage show. With a 10-person core team, an in-house studio called Maison Rouge, and a full-blown entertainment agency under her belt, she's turning Bangkok's nightlife into a space of empowerment and sparkle-fuelled soul. 'People are craving more than a fancy dinner or a nice view. They want experiences. That's where we come in.' From fire performers to aerial acts, from lavish themed soirées to creative consulting, her team's reshaping what entertainment can look and feel like. But at its heart, Madame Rouge is still about people. And feeling. And chaos – of the best kind. 'The way we work is chaotic to say the least. Perfectionists would cry if they saw our process. But somehow it all comes together.' Her approach to leadership is as fierce as it is freeing. She's not a micromanager; she's a ringmaster of organised chaos, letting her team thrive in their own brilliance. 'I show up as myself,' she says, 'and the ones who work with me long-term know it makes for a more honest, fun and collaborative experience.' Beyond the feathers and rhinestones, her true power is in the way she lifts others – especially women. From performers-turned-choreographers to a designer who started as an intern and now runs his own team, Madame Rouge's universe is built on growth, glitter and grit. 'Watching people grow into their confidence is one of the best parts of my job,' she says. 'I used to have terrible stage fright. Now I'm more comfortable in the spotlight than in daylight. After all, I'm a nocturnal creature.' As the entertainment scene in Bangkok evolves post-pandemic, Madame Rouge is charging forward – flaming batons in hand. Her latest venture is Flame Fatale, Asia's first all-female fire troupe. And in between all the sparkle, she's also consulting, dreaming of touring and maybe one day opening a permanent space that fully embodies her world. 'There's always something brewing in the background. The second things start feeling too easy, I know it's time to shake it up again.' So what is the world of Madame Rouge, really? A fevered dream cloaked in silk and sequins? A femme-powered fantasy soaked in jazz and neon? A flickering memory of some jazz-soaked Chinatown that never truly existed? Perhaps it's all of those things, stitched into a universe where performance becomes protest, femininity becomes power, and storytelling happens through gesture, glance and glorious costume change. 'I want people to leave our shows feeling like they just stepped into an alternate dimension, but a sexy, hilarious, slightly unhinged one. Because when you do what you love, with people you trust, the energy becomes infectious. It's not just the sparkle… it's the soul behind it.' 'We're weird. We're extra. But we're also real as hell,' she says with a wink. 'And we put our whole hearts into this thing. If people walk away feeling inspired, entertained, or even slightly confused in a good way, then we've done our job.' This is her world where contradictions don't cancel each other out – they create chemistry. Where glamour isn't superficial, but radical. And where being 'too much' is beyond acknowledged but celebrated.
