New Year's Eve Countdown Party 2020 with the URB Band at Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! 🎉

Since we've been doing New Year's Eve Countdown Parties for Shangri-La KL since 2002, I've actually lost count how many times already. But since we came back on the road in 2015, we have done the New Year's Eve Shows for the past 4 consecutive years. It's that one day in a year that I've always been looking forward to where they let me conceptualize the show to unleash our best onstage. It's that one day that often takes weeks of preparation, sometimes even months.

This year, we did it again at the posh Lobby Lounge of the Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur. The way they turned the whole lobby into a mini-concert hall is really amazing. This year was slightly different from the past years because they have set up an LED wall as our backdrop onstage. My 8 backup dancers are from 2Twenty2 Studios this year headed by the choreographer Zaidy and it was a breeze working with them. I had 2 outfit changes and I managed to sing one of the songs I've been wanting to do for the longest time - the Queen Of The Night / Fifth Element Aria Mashup. Everyone had a good time and that's what's important for performers like us.

Anyway, this year, since Marlou has been doing vlogs and was so eager to vlog about the evening, I let him edit the video. Check out his New Year's Eve vlog below and please subscribe to his Youtube channel - The Singing Wanderer!

DANCE MONKEY by Sarita | URB Band at Shangri-La KL

I first heard this song on the radio sometime in October 2019 while I was sitting inside a Grab car in Kuala Lumpur. I couldn't distinguish who's singing it but I was wildly guessing it's Sia Furler. Then I used the Shazam app on my phone to find out the title - which never failed. Hmmm... Dance Monkey... but where is the title in the lyrics? Then when I Googled for the name of the singer "Tones and I", I thought it was the wrong singer or maybe I searched for the wrong song because I was expecting the singer to look like Lady Gaga, Ava Max, or maybe Billie Eilish. So I thought Shazam failed for the first time ever over the past years.

But no, Shazam didn't fail. It was accurate. So I got curious and went on to Goodle. When I read about Tones and I's biography how Toni Watson, the singer's real name, got discovered from being a busker or street musician in Australia and how young she is, I felt a sudden admiration for her and her talent despite her young age of 19. She's actually a year younger than my daughter!

This song "Dance Monkey" turned out to be a smashing hit song, not only in Australia but around the world. The song stayed in the UK Charts for 11 weeks, breaking the record for the longest-running #1 single by a female artist! Then it only reached the US soil and debuted in the US in December 2019. And now it's all over the world!

Then the song got stuck in my head over and over again, that I knew I had to sing it. Been singing it since December but I never get the chance to ask for the videos taken by our guests. Luckily for me, my friends Judy and Steve Hursey dropped by one night and took a lot of videos of us! Thanks Babe Judy!

Anyway, enjoy my "Dance Monkey", performed at the Lobby Lounge of Shangri-La Hotel Kuala Lumpur!

Jalan-Jalan in Changkat Bukit Bintang and Jalan Alor // Testing My Stabilizer

Another treasure in the trash - this was a video that I totally forgot to post! This was originally taken on Christmas Eve in 2017 when we went to meet our friends in Jalan Alor for a late supper after work. But the Grab car couldn't go through Changkat Bukit Bintang as the road was closed. So it was a perfect chance for me to test my then-brand new stabilizer, which is the Zhiyun Feiyu Smooth Q Stabilizer, which I even didn't know how to use at that time because I just unboxed it! LOL! Anyway, it's still the perfect season to repost this coz it's December now.

BATU CAVES in KUALA LUMPUR - Is It Worth Climbing?

Been to the Batu Caves for the nth time but it's my first time - in the past 23 years we've been here in Malaysia - to actually climb it, as what they say "DO IT FOR THE VLOG". And since hubby is starting out as a vlogger, I accompanied him way up to the top and inside the temple cave. Was it all worth climbing for? Check out the video.

Perfect/If I Ain't Got You/Shallow

Some snippets of the following songs taken on a normal night by our friend Dev Kumar. I was actually sick that night but the show must go on... and it did. Enjoy!

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SARITA CARREON & POWER COUPLE TRAVELS

Power Couple Travels to ANGKOR WAT

Power Couple Travels to Angkor Wat

This video is wayyyy long overdue! I have tons of backlogged videos and I just thought of sharing them to you anyway, no matter how long it has already been. I'm just taking my sweet time editing them as I know it will still be as helpful as it was back then.

We arrived to Siem Reap by bus all the way from Bangkok, so if you want to watch how to cross the Thailand-Cambodia border by bus, you can watch the video HERE.

So anyway, when we arrived to our guesthouse at 6PM that day, there was a tuk-tuk driver outside waiting and we casually asked him how much it would take for him to take us to Angkor Wat. His name was Jim and he told us that he would charge us USD 18 for a whole day tour. Deal done, and we had an early night to prepare for a whole day's adventure the next day.

We woke up at 4AM and prepped up for the day. We made sure that all the batteries of our phones and gadgets are all charged up as Angkor Wat is far from the Siem Reap. The tuk-tuk driver was right outside when we got out, and we felt a little underdressed as our driver was all dressed nicely in a long-sleeved shirt and black slacks. LOL!

The wind was freezing cold as we tread down the highway up to the suburbs and into the Angkor City. We arrived there around 5AM and the jam to the ticketing booth was already bad and the cue for the tickets was already long - mainly because the best time to go there is during sunrise. We didn't have the chance to buy the ticket the day before but it would be a great move to do that if you have ample time.

Now since we've been reading blogs and watching travel videos, we know that the tour to Angkor Wat won't be done in just a day. So instead of taking the 1-day pass at USD 25, we opted for the 3-day pass for USD 40 each. Their ticketing system is great and your ticket could well serve as a personalized souvenir ID, too, because you'll have your photo taken in the booth and put it on your ticket.

After securing for tickets, the tuk-tuk drove us again to where we should be starting - right opposite the Angkor Wat facing the sunrise. It was freezing that morning and soon enough, it started to drizzle a little bit. The sun didn't shine majestically as expected and it was all cloudy. When the drizzle turned into rain, we all ran to the food stalls to wait up. There were different stalls there named after famous movies and Hollywood celebrities. We had our light breakfast in a stall named after a famous Hollywood actress and Tomb Raider herself, Angelina Jolie.

When the rain finally stopped, we got out to the same spot where we left off to take more photos. I was approached by a girl and told me that since I was wearing shorts, I won't be allowed to get in the temple premises as there's a dress code. So I went to a clothes stall and bought a colorful sarong. Forgot how much I haggled for the price but it became the trademark of our Angkor Wat trip!

We actually didn't know how humongous the place was until we got there. We thought it's just an area where temples are right next to each other. It is an entire city, dude! That's why it's wise enough to book a tuk-tuk for the whole day to make your life easier.

You can see how we explored Angkor Wat in our Angkor Wat travel video below, followed by a slideshow of the awesome photos! Please watch, like, comment on our video and SUBSCRIBE TO OUR Youtube channel: Power Couple Travels. Hit the notification bell to get notified of our new uploaded videos. ENJOY!!!

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SLIDESHOW OF PHOTOS:

FUNDAY IN MELAKA - Marlou's 1st VLOG EVER!

Someone has joined the bandwagon... Welcome to the vlogging world, The Singing Wanderer!
Subscribe to his new Youtube channel ➡️http://bit.ly/TSWonYT

Gorgeous Maya's Birthday 2019

The Gang

It was indeed a fun night to remember as our friend Gorgeous Maya celebrated her birthday with close friends and loved ones at the Cedar on 15 of Impiana KLCC Hotel.

Music was provided by Harmony & Rhythm Band. Crazy fun was provided by the young ones and the young-once-upon-a-time - just figure out which group I'd fit in. LOL! Watch the video below.

Sundays at Fashala with URB Band | Shangri-La Maldives

The Night Before The Tragic Easter Attacks in Sri Lanka

URB Band at Sapphyr Lounge

Taken exactly a week ago, that Saturday night before that fateful Easter tragedy that struck our home, Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo, and the rest of Sri Lanka. 🇱🇰

We remember it clearly. It was a fun Saturday night at the Sapphyr Lounge as people came back from a week-long New Year hiatus and our regulars came to celebrate with us. That happy night that will be etched in our hearts and memories forever. ❤️

Looking back, we’re just so thankful that we were unharmed. We are safe right now and being well taken care of. And we feel sorry for those who suffered and died on #EasterAttacksSL. ✝️ 

UPDATE: 

Hotel is still closed until further notice and we are currently on standby with what their decision will be. Will keep you guys posted. Thank you for all your concern and sweet messages. 🙏 

URB Band Goes UNPLUGGED on Earth Hour 2019 | Shangri-La Colombo

Candelights made the Earth Hour more romantic

Earth Hour is an annual worldwide event that most establishments and businesses look forward to every year as it has become pretty much more of a commercial event, rather than being an environment awareness for global warming and climate change. But yes, turning off the lights for an hour between 8:30-9:30PM in every timezone all over the world does make a lot of difference. It is a simple proof that a change must start from ourselves to make a huge impact in the effects of global warming.


For us musicians, it's an event which we're excited about as most of us go unplugged and serenade guests in a candlelight setting. Definitely something very different from what we do every night as a sequencer band.


And for the second consecutive year, we were once again part of Shangri-La Hotel Colombo's Earth Hour celebration. For a set, Marlou and I serenaded our guests at Sapphyr Lounge with some standard songs without a mic, with the piano accompaniment of our Sri Lankan pianist Shahen.