or Athena Tibi is a

Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...

singer, YouTuber, stage actress and movie actress from Manila, Philippines and raised in Saitama, Japan. She is best known for her role as Kristine Santos in the 2009 film ''A Journey Home'' by Paul Soriano and as Reena San Jose in the 4th Wall Theater Company production of ''Rivalry'', by Jaime Del Mundo and Ed Gatchalian, based on the

Ateneo–La Salle rivalry The school rivalry between Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle University began when both educational institutions participated in the National Collegiate Athletic Association of the Philippines (NCAA) and has carried over to the Unive ...

between two universities in the Philippines. She announced her debut live show in Japan on November 18, 2012. She now has a YouTube channel called "Athena TV" where she posts travel and life in Japan videos.

Biography

Background

Athena was born in

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

, but moved to Japan at age 3 when her family relocated due to her father's work. She grew up in

Koshigaya is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 345,353 in 158,022 households and a population density of 5700 persons per km². The total area of the city is . It is famous for producing daruma dolls ...

in Saitama, then returned to Manila age 10, having mastered Japanese alongside English and Tagalog. She went to High School at St. Paul College Pasig before moving to La Consolacion College in

Pasig Pasig, officially the City of Pasig ( fil, Lungsod ng Pasig), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 803,159 people. It is located along the ...

. She graduated with a BA in Management from the

University of Asia and the Pacific The University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P; Filipino: ''Pamantasan ng Asya at Pasipiko'') is a private university in the Philippines. It traces its beginnings to the Center for Research and Communication (CRC), which was established on August 1 ...

, a private research University located in

Ortigas Center Ortigas Center is a central business district located within the joint boundaries of Pasig, Mandaluyong and Quezon City, within the Metro Manila region in the Philippines. With an area of more than , it is Metro Manila's second most important bu ...

Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the capital region, seat of government and one of three List of metrop ...

in 2009.

Acting career

Athena's first acting role came in daily TV series ''Sarah the Teen Princess'' as recurring character Tiny, a friend of the lead character played by

Sarah Geronimo Sarah Asher Tua Geronimo-Guidicelli (, , born July 25, 1988) is a Filipino singer, performer and actress. Geronimo rose to prominence after winning the television singing contest '' Star for a Night'' earning her a recording contract with Vi ...

in 2004 on

ABS-CBN ABS-CBN (an initialism of its two predecessors' names, Alto Broadcasting System and Chronicle Broadcasting Network) is a Television in the Philippines, Philippine Commercial broadcasting, commercial broadcast broadcast network, network tha ...

. Athena next appeared as Cristy in 2004's ''

Lastikman Lastikman, originally spelled Lastik Man, is a fictional character and Filipino comics superhero created by Mars Ravelo and artist Mar T. Santana. Lastikman or the original spelling of Lastik Man debuted in comics format in ''Aliwan Komiks'' ...

'' by director

Mac Alejandre Mac C. Alejandre (born December 8, 1972) is a Filipino film and television director, as well as the head of The 5 Network's artist management division "Talent5" ( a/k/a TV5 Talent Center). Filmography Television * '' For Love or Money'' (2013) ...

, based on the character created by

Mars Ravelo Marcial "Mars" Ravelo (October 9, 1916 – September 12, 1988) was a Filipino comic book cartoonist and graphic novelist who created ''Darna, Dyesebel, Captain Barbell, Lastikman'', ''Bondying'', '' Varga'', ''Wanted: Perfect Mother'', ''Hiwag ...

. The story tells how the rubber-tree powered

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...

(played by

Mark Bautista Mark Arazo Bautista (born August 10, 1983) is a Filipino singer, actor and commercial model. Bautista received his career break when he became a grand finalist on the Philippine reality TV talent search ''Star for a Night'' where he placed third ...

) fights back against bullying and captures the heart of Lara (

), the girl he loves. In 2006, Athena played Princess Gabrielle in a production of ''Gabrielle'' by Joachim Emilio Antonio, which won the second prize for a One-Act Play at the

Palanca Awards The Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, popularly known as the Palanca Awards, are a set of literary awards for Philippine writers. Usually referred to as the "Pulitzer Prize of the Philippines", it is the country's highest literary ...

, awarded for literary achievements since 1950. During 2007, Athena starred in a series of plays and musicals, including

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...

's play ''

The Importance of Being Earnest ''The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People'' is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious ...

'' as

Cecily Cardew ''The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People'' is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious ...

, ''

The Girl Who Was Plugged In "The Girl Who Was Plugged In" is a science fiction novella by American writer James Tiptree, Jr. It won the Hugo Award for Best Novella in 1974. Plot summary The story takes place in a dystopian future where the world is controlled by a capitalis ...

'' as P.Burke and ''

High School Musical ''High School Musical'' is a 2006 American musical television film directed by Kenny Ortega and written by Peter Barsocchini. The 63rd Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM) and first installment of the ''High School Musical'' film series, th ...

Onstage'' as

Sharpay Evans The following article is a list of characters appearing in the ''High School Musical'' film series. Currently, the characters who appear in ''High School Musical'', ''High School Musical 2'', and '' High School Musical 3: Senior Year'' are liste ...

, alongside actor

Sam Concepcion Samuel Lawrence Lopez Concepcion (born October 17, 1992) is a Filipino singer, dancer, actor, VJ and host. Concepcion emerged as the winner for the Big Division of the first season of ''Little Big Star'' in April 2006. Concepcion currently ha ...

. Athena's next project was as the lead in Jerry Bach's romantic comedy ''Pizza Girl'', premiering in June 2008. In 2009, Athena appeared alongside

Joem Bascon Joseph Emmanuel Bascon, popularly known by the stage name Joem Bascon, (born August 29, 1986) is a Filipino actor. He is currently a freelance actor under Regal Entertainment and Viva Artists Agency. Career Bascon's first relevance in the ent ...

and

Toni Gonzaga Celestine Cruz Gonzaga-Soriano (; born January 20, 1984), better known as Toni Gonzaga, is a Filipino singer, host, actress, producer, vlogger and entrepreneur. She is the former lead host of long-running reality show, ''Pinoy Big Brother''. To ...

in Paul Soriano's A Journey Home, described as "an inspirational indie movie with central themes of forgiveness, family solidarity and the upholding of moral values." Athena played Kristine, one of two children reunited with their estranged father after their mother's death, who is the more accommodating to her father's return to rebuild relationships. The premiere was held at the

SM Megamall SM Megamall, simply known as Megamall, is the third largest shopping mall in the Philippines and the thirteenth largest in the world that is developed and operated by SM Prime Holdings. It is located in Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong, Philippi ...

on October 3, 2009. Back on stage, Athena played

Sally Brown Sally Brown is a fictional character in the comic strip ''Peanuts'' by Charles Schulz. She is the younger sister of main character Charlie Brown. She was first mentioned in May 1959 and throughout a long series of strips before her first appeara ...

in Kultura and UA&P's production of ''

You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown ''You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown'' is a 1967 musical with music and lyrics by Clark Gesner and (in a 1999 revision) Andrew Lippa. It is based on the characters created by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz in his comic strip ''Peanuts''. The musical ...

'' at the Insular Life Auditorium in

Ayala Alabang Ayala Alabang, in terms of land area, is the third largest barangay in Muntinlupa, Metro Manila, Philippines. A large portion of it came from Barangay Alabang. Its land area of includes Alabang Town Center, Ayala Alabang Village, El Molito, Ma ...

in January and February 2010. In 2011, Athena was one of the VJs of the show "The Daily Top 5" on Viva TV, alongside

Nikki Bacolod Nikki Bacólod (born Monique Echieverri Bacólod on August 18, 1989), is a Filipino people, Filipina singer, television host, swimmer and actress. She is best known for placing as first runner up in the 2005 season of ABS-CBN's Search for the ...

, Barbie Salvador, and other

Viva Entertainment Viva Communications Inc., formerly known as Viva Entertainment Inc. and simply Viva, is a Philippine media and entertainment company headquartered in Pasig City. It was founded on November 11, 1981, by Vic del Rosario and his sister Tess Cruz. ...

artists. In 2012, Athena played Reena San Jose in the 4th Wall Theater Company production of ''Rivalry'', based on the

between two universities in the Philippines, which opened to unanimously positive reviews such as by ''

The Philippine Star ''The Philippine Star'' (self-styled ''The Philippine STAR'') is an English-language newspaper in the Philippines and the flagship brand of the Philstar Media Group. First published on July 28, 1986, by veteran journalists Betty Go-Belmonte, ...

''; "Filipinos are naturally gifted singers, particularly, the lead female protagonist whose vocal timbre reminded me of a younger

Lea Salonga Maria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga (; born February 22, 1971), known professionally as Lea Salonga, is a Filipino singer, actress, and columnist. Nicknamed "Pride of the Philippines," she is best known for her roles in musical theatre, for supplyin ...

." Set in 1968, the story follows the tensions as the Ateneo Blue Eagles and the La Salle Green Archers prepare to meet in a basketball final, Athena's character described as "a beautiful

Maryknoll Maryknoll is a name shared by a number of related Catholic organizations, including the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers (also known as the Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America or the Maryknoll Society), the Maryknoll Sisters, and the Mary ...

er named Reena San Jose, who, after enduring heartbreak, promises herself that she’ll never get involved with another guy again."

Music career

Athena High School Musical Tour as Gabrielle Montez

Athena appeared on the

Viva Television Viva Television Corporation is a Philippine television production company owned by Viva Communications. History Viva Communications ventured into television production in 1986 with ''The Sharon Cuneta Show''. Cuneta's big screen success easily ...

show '' Star for a Night'' broadcast on

IBC IBC is an initialism that can stand for: Broadcasting *Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation, Channel 13, Philippines * International Beacon Project, Worldwide network of radio propagation beacons *International Broadcast Centre *International ...

, as a semi-finalist. Presented by renowned singer and actress

Regine Velasquez Regina Encarnacion Ansong Velasquez ( ; born April 22, 1970) is a Filipina singer, actress, and record producer. She is considered one of the most influential figures in Philippine popular culture and is known for her vocal range and beltin ...

, and eventually won by

, Athena sang

Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...

That's the Way It Is That's the Way It Is may refer to: *'' Elvis: That's the Way It Is'', a 1970 documentary film about Elvis Presley * ''That's the Way It Is'' (Elvis Presley album), a 1970 album by Elvis Presley * "That's the Way It Is" (Mel and Kim song), a 1988 so ...

. Athena was then spotted and signed to

, based in

Quezon City Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...

in 2002. Athena debuted as an artist as one part of three-piece unit 3Yo in December 2002, with Ketchup Song. 3Yo's self-titled debut album was released on December 3, 2004. In 2004, Athena was a guest on

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

's ''MTV Lokal'', hosted by

KC Montero Casey Wyatt Miller (born June 17, 1978), known professionally as KC Montero, is an American radio DJ and actor currently based in the Philippines. He is currently the Vice President of Marketing and Head of Content at Kumu. Personal life He wa ...

, where she represented Levi Music Festival, singing an original song "OK" written by Adrienne Sarmiento and renowned Filipino drummer Nino Regalado. The song was then included on an album release titled ''1st Levi Music Festival''. In April 2005, Athena joined 4-member unit Fairgame, releasing one 4-track self-titled CD. Fairgame promoted in malls across The Philippines as an opening act for various

artists. Athena performed her first solo show at UA&P on September 13, 2007 at an event called 'Hanging Out with Athena Tibi', performing a range of pop, R&B, rock and acoustic songs. On August 9, 2008, Athena joined

, Cheska Ortega,

Enrique Gil Enrique Mari Bacay Gil V (; born March 30, 1992) is a Filipino actor, dancer, and commercial model. Gil has appeared in various films and television shows such as ''Mula Sa Puso'', ''Budoy'', '' Princess and I'', '' Muling Buksan Ang Puso'' an ...

and Nelsito Gomez to sing the opening and closing song for the launch program of TV channel TV5. Athena's own YouTube channel includes her renditions of songs by popular

J-Pop J-pop ( ja, ジェイポップ, ''jeipoppu''; often stylized as J-POP; an abbreviated form of "Japanese popular music"), natively also known simply as , is the name for a form of popular music that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1 ...

singers such as

Yui Yui may refer to: People *Yui (name), a Japanese name *Yui (singer) (born 1987), Japanese singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and actress *Yui people or Ibi, a Timucuan-speaking people in what now is Georgia, United States Places *Yui, Shizu ...

and

Yuna Ito is an American-born former singer and actress who was active in Japan. She was born in Los Angeles and was raised in Hawaii. Ito made her musical debut in Japan with the single, "Endless Story", which was used as one of the theme songs for the ...

. In October 2012, she announced her debut solo live performance in Japan on November 18, 2012, at

Shibuya Shibuya ( 渋谷区 ''Shibuya-ku'') is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. As a major commercial and finance center, it houses two of the busiest railway stations in the world, Shinjuku Station (southern half) and Shibuya Station. As of April 1 ...

Lounge Neo in Tokyo. She also submitted demo CDs to major Japanese labels such as

Pony Canyon , also known by the shorthand form , is a Japanese mass media publishing company founded on October 1, 1966. The company publishes mainly physical home media on compact discs, including music, films and TV shows and video games. It is affiliate ...

and

Sony Music Japan , often abbreviated as SMEJ or simply SME, and also known as Sony Music Japan for short (stylized as ''SonyMusic''), is a Japanese music arm for Sony. Founded in 1968 as CBS/Sony, SMEJ is directly owned by Sony, Sony Group Corporation and is ...

Filmography

Feature films and television

Television appearances

Theater

Discography

3YO

* 3YO – Ketchup Song (2003) * Viva Popstars Christmas album (2003) * 3YO (2004) * Levi Celerio Music Festival (2004)

Fairgame

* Fairgame (2006)

Athena

* Athena (2012) – Available on Spotify

References

External links

Official YouTube channel "ATHENA TV"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tibi, Athena 1988 births Living people Filipino women pop singers People from Saitama (city) Participants in Philippine reality television series Actresses from Manila Singers from Manila Actors from Saitama Prefecture Musicians from Saitama Prefecture University of Asia and the Pacific alumni Filipino emigrants to Japan Viva Artists Agency Viva Records (Philippines) artists 21st-century Filipino singers 21st-century Filipino women singers