“... the thing that I want people to understand is that what I do with my music ... it defines my existence and what I live for”.
When: April 02, 2009
Where: Chic Chinoise Restaurant & Lounge
214 King Street West, Toronto, ON
You may know Mikey Bustos as the one who shocked the judges with his amazing vocal cords on the first season of Canadian idol. Not only did he showcase his talent on National TV, but also by opening for Christina Aguilera and the Pussy Cat Dolls. He has made his mark not only in Canada, but also worldwide such as the Philippines, Dubai and of course our neighbour – the United States. I was caught off guard by Mikey’s positive laid-back energy, which made the being Frank interview a lot smoother. We enjoyed our Dim Sum in the chic decor of glass bubbles and white leather booths. We tasted everything on the menu from curried octopus to haw gau and ... oh our favourite sauce that Mikey had called it the million dollar mixer – the mango dipping sauce is just to die for. Chic Chinoise should definitely bottle up that goodness.
Mikey – Up Close and PERSONAL
iBFrank “Now I tried to Google you and ended up finding a lot of YouTube videos and short bios, but I wanted something more deep and hard core so I stalked you on FaceBook and ended up reading Mikey’s notes. Since I couldn’t Google you, would you say you’re a private person?”
Mikey “Not intentionally, I guess people just don’t care (LOL). Music is my main love, besides animals”.
iBFrank “Animals – do you have any?”
Mikey “I do – 3 dogs. My largest is Mission, a Great Dane.
iBFrank “Why the name Mission?”
Mikey “Because he is a mission to take care of. Pinoy is a Chihuahua, who is married to Mission and goes on tours with me because he can be counted as a carry on. And there is Kuya who is a Jack Russell Terrier”.
iBFrank “Who looks after your dogs when you’re travelling?”
Mikey “In Toronto, my family and in Montreal my friends”.
iBFrank “Now, you’ve expressed your love of food and said you’re not a picky eater ... given that do you also cook?”
Mikey “When I’m living alone yes. I prefer it to fast food especially in the states”.
iBFrank “Besides eating well, how do you train?”
Mikey “Mentally, I meditate a lot, I read a lot especially self-help books, reading people stories, generally just talking to people. If you listen, you will learn a lot”.
iBFrank “Was there an autobiography that surprised you?”
Mikey “Christina Aguilera and Maria Carey both hit home. Actually, I went through a dark period, the Metro covered it after the Idol. I wanted to sing but found it hard because I was not in top shape and my voice was not at par. I saw a Driven episode of either Christina Aguilera or Maria Carey and it prompted me to quit and a year later Canadian happened and it totally changed my life”.
iBFrank“ How do you train yourself physically?”
Mikey “Well, I have been going to the gym for 5 years, after Idol to get fit. The voice is a whole body instrument, so you need to align the body and mind to maximize your performances. It helps with your breathing which is so important for singing”.
iBFrank “How do you know what workout to do to align your body?”
Mikey “Kind of just learned it from talking to people, reading books about my body and how it reacts to certain things like food. I try to go to the gym 3 – 4 time a week. Even when I’m working and I don’t have access to a gym, which is rare because most hotels do, so there are no excuses”.
iBFrank “Besides being physically fit, you look like you also groom yourself. Do you have a skin care regimen?”
Mikey “Yes I do. I mix my face lotion with baby oil after I shower. I also take a skin supplement, which is an antioxidant and amino acids that helps your liver and as a by-product it cleans your skin and also makes it fairer”.
iBFrank “So it helps to reverse the signs of sun damage also?”
Mikey “Yes, when used in conjunction with Vitamin C and Alpha-lipoic acid. I was introduced to the supplements in the Philippines because all the stars have to have light skin so they are all on it. I noticed a great difference in my skin”.
iBFrank “You’ve had bad skin before?”
Mikey “I did growing up. I was acne ridden. Also I vacationed a lot, so when I get tanned I’m as dark as this table (which is a dark chocolate brown wood). I have to be careful of the things I use all the time such as lotions and soaps. I like the organic stuff that has ingredients such as papaya extract and stuff and that has a low fragrance”.
iBFrank “Having the experience of being on stage, video shoots et al., how did you find the Male Species camouflage (aka make-up) that we used on you at the Fashion District Nikki Clarke Inc. Fashion Show”.
Mikey “Love it! Thought it was totally great, not heavy. Usually with stage make-up at the end of the night it’s a total mess because of the heavy texture and it looks bad. But with the one you used it looked totally great when I went home.”
iBFrank “That’s why we love the Male Species Camouflage because it’s water resistant and sweat proof. How was the Illicit cologne?”
Mikey “I love it. I caught the other models following me with their nose and I got a lot of compliments on it. It kind of reminds me of another fragrance that I wear. Nicole Scherzinger from the Pussy Cat Dolls made a comment on it when we were all taking a group photo. She had her arms around me and smelt me and said “mmmmm you smell nice.”
iBFrank “No way – I would be drenching myself in that cologne because she is hot! Which fragrance is it?”
Mikey “it’s in a round bottle, I should now know ... Caroline ...”
iBFrank “Carolina Herrera?”
Mikey “Yes, that’s the one”.
iBFrank “It’s not burgundy is it?”
Mikey “No, it’s silver. All I know is that the Bay sells it and I just go right to the bottle”.
iBFrank “Oh, it’s the original one – that one does smell good. I thought it was the burgundy bottle which is the newest one called 212 sexy and it isn’t sexy”.
Mikey “No, it’s definitely the original and the Illicit cologne I tried reminded me of it”.
iBFrank “On your Face Book Notes, you mentioned living in Montreal. Do you find Montreal more fashion forward?”
Mikey “Yes, there is more attention being paid to what you are wearing and how you look in Montreal. For example women always have their hair done each week, never messy. Everybody is so friendly there because of the European influence, it’s not so formal”.
iBFrank “I know what you mean. When I was in Chicago last month, I noticed some street guys wearing Roca Wear, Triple Five Souls etc and they all had perfect shaped eyebrows. I love it! When was the first time you got your eyebrows done?”
Mikey “It was done by an ex-girlfriend with tweezers and it hurt, but I noticed it looks a lot better in pictures. It still hurts whenever I still get it done. I’m lying down and my heart is beating. I can take the pain everywhere else, but that area still hurts”.
iBFrank “Do you wax anywhere else?”
Mikey “I have not waxed anywhere else because I generally don’t have hair since I’m Asian. It scares me and I’m afraid they will take off too much. I don’t mind people knowing that I up keep myself. It’s actually more showbiz. It was first popularized by Puff Daddy and everybody followed suite”.
iBFrank “I guess it got the P Diddy stamp of approval. How do you feel about Camouflaging?”
Mikey “When I go to shows and they don’t have a make-up artist available, I have my own stuff to get rid of the shininess. My previous manager always told me to bring my own loose powder so I don’t look shiny”.
iBFrank “Do you bring a concealer?”
Mikey “Is that the little stick? - then yes I do”
iBFrank “and lip balm?
Mikey “Yep, the regular chapstick. I have it in my pocket (reaches into his pocket and pulls out the chapstick) it’s vanilla mint with SPF 15. My lips are big and they chap easily especially in the winter”.
iBFrank "Have you seen the Men's fashion for Summer 09?"
Mikey "No, I haven't".
iBFrank "It's all about colours".
Mikey "Love colours because the more dull colours ages me and my CEO agrees”.
iBFrank "Any favourite colours?”
Mikey "Red & blue are my favourite"
iBFrank "Like the accents on your shirt, hey that's a cool shirt"
Mikey "Thank you, it's one of my corporate sponsors – The Way Of. They also sponsor Danny Fernandez. I love their stuff, it's more urban and they are completely Canadian”.
iBFrank "love supporting the Canadian companies. I just wish there were more options for male skin care”.
Mikey fashionably dressed in “The Way Of”
Mikey Getting Down to BUSINESS
iBFrank "So I wanted to listen to your Album before our interview. But realized my friend Tazzy took the signed copy you gave me to burn".
Mikey (LOL) “That's great, as long as the music spreads".
iBFrank "I noticed the description of each title of your song flowed like a story. It shows how personal and involved you were in the album creation”.
Mikey “I’m really happy how it came together. In the beginning I didn’t know how I was going to do it but I personally wrote all the tracks except for one”.
iBFrank “How long did it take for you to write it?”
Mikey “I started in February – March ’08, completed in Fall – 8 months. Every song has a meaning, it’s symbolic for those who don’t believe in the laws of attraction, but can still apply it”.
iBFrank “I believe in The Secret too”
Mikey “I sent the writers of The Secret my album & they totally loved it”.
iBFrank “That’s awesome. I noticed you also started a company – Bustos Entertainment Inc”
Mikey “Bustos Entertainment was something I always wanted, but needed a good leader. Don Berard is the CEO and lives in Calgary. He also owns a cosmetic line called Beauté and a clothing design line.”
iBFrank “Beauté Cosmetics?”
Mikey “It’s a high end cosmetic line that is sold at Holts Renfrew and down in LA and New York luxurious boutiques”
iBFrank “What’s the design style of Don’s line?”
Mikey “It’s out of the box style, eccentric ... I would wear it in a show. My CEO helped with getting the company together and also designs. We’ve been working and connecting to top-notch people.”
iBFrank “Can you comment on a quote I read on your notes? “The world of Showbiz sucks and everyone wanting to enter it better open their eyes because it’s definitely not what it’s all cut out to be!”
Mikey “That is a very old philosophy. That was the initial blue print I had in mind when I decided to first record my album because I was jaded. I realized later from living in Montreal that what I did in music was the best thing in the world.”
iBFrank “Are Montreallers open to English music?”
Mikey “They are open to English Music, especially if you try to speak French. I tried to incorporate it into my performances to interact with the crowd. Going back to the quote, it was something I learned from The Secret - my gratitude. It helped me to realign myself with a sequence of success, and I’m glad I didn’t release a jaded album”.
iBFrank “How do you find album sales in times like these?”
Mikey “Surprisingly good – people need an escape especially in these times. Me, myself notice a boost in these times. A lot of industries are finding there’s a boost, especially in cosmetics. I was talking to my CEO and he was saying that his business has definitely not crippled.”
iBFrank “That’s good to hear. I find that women are still buying their cosmetics, but they’re not going to their regular luxurious products, they’re down grading a bit. Like in the past, I had female customers who would spend $425 on a face cream, now they are looking for other alternatives”.
Mikey “Really! What’s in that cream?”
iBFrank “I believe orchid extracts, it’s like botox in a jar”
Mikey “Wow - I have promised myself to stay away from cosmetic surgery. It's difficult to not, especially in this industry. I wasn't always happy with my features growing up, but I've come to love them, especially when I get positive responses”.
iBFrank “I find guys are more willing to opt for surgery than to pay a lot for a cream to wait for the results. Do you look up to any musicians?”
Mikey “A few, I like Mary J. Blige. I find we are doing sort of the same thing. The soulful essence. If I don’t feel the essence of the song, then I find it kind of mechanical which is fine because a lot of people can appreciate it as well, but it’s not as fun for me if I can’t do more with the song.
iBFrank “Do you do any vocal training?”
Mikey “I have in the past. I never really had a vocal coach, on a few occasion. I think every singer should have one to start them off or have any questions. In the past from my old manager I had a man I visited in LA and I treated him as a voice doctor to help me with a song. I learned the majority of my music theory from high school and my first year of University”.
iBFrank “Is it difficult to find one?”
Mikey “There are a lot out there and their fee is well worth the expense. The key is not so much finding the best vocal coach, but the one that fits you”.
iBFrank “I have a question – why is it when British people sing, they don’t sound British?”
Mikey “We actually sing in a British accent, so when we listen to British people sing. We wonder where their British Accent went. They think the same thing because they think we sing in a British Accent, but speak with this American accent so it’s this big cycle. It’s a set diction when it comes to singing English that everybody accepts and are used to it”.
iBFrank “Have you ever gone to England?”
Mikey “I have not gone to England, but would love to go because the music scene is huge and they are more open”.
iBFrank “How do know to trust those you work with?”
Mikey “You don’t know, you just have to trust them like in any industry. A good portfolio in the music industry speaks volumes. You have to have to make sure you have a good entertainment attorney and that everything is contracted. I’ve been with mine for six years and she’s negotiated and looked over contracts. It’s usually best through referrals.
iBFrank “Is that how you met Nikki Clarke?
Mikey “I met Nikki through Tyse. She used to work with him. It was to get me on her show ThatChannel.com. It was great for connecting to the fashion show and with iBFrank.”
Mikey on ThatChannel.com with Nikki Clarke (MikeyTV being filmed)
iBFrank “She is a really nice person and has helped us connect to a lot of artist and events. Did you like being on Canadian Idol?”
Mikey “It was so wonderful. I originally joined to give people my demo tape and it ended up taking up my whole summer. I’ll send messages to the idols on Face Book here and there, people from the staff. The Executive Producers from CTV are supportive, they had me come in for an E-Talk interview.”
iBFrank “That’s awesome. I think that’s the first time I saw you. What’s a question you wish people would ask you?”
Mikey “That’s a good question, I’m not sure”.
iBFrank “Something you wish your friends would know about you?”
Mikey “I’m pretty open about my ideology, my drive and philosophy. That’s out there. I say a lot of people who interview me and make sure they know what I’m about as an artist. I think the thing that I want people to understand is that what I do with my music is really a big part of my life, and something I take seriously, and it defines my existence and what I live for. It’s to that degree! It’s not just something I like to do. It’s more than that. That’s why I think it’s wonderful what the both of you guys do. I identify with your mission. It’s ground breaking and I know you will be big one day.
iBFrank “Awww thanks Mikey, iBFrank is in our blood, it’s our passion and our drive in life. Now, that we have the formal interview taken care of, here is your way to really get out what you’ll like to say: Mikey’s 101 Questions and answers.
I have to admit; I was drawn to Mikey’s positive aura and outlook on life. The effects made me want to pick up The Secret and re-read it again. Mikey Bustos is definitely a force to be reckoned with. To be that young and have the passion and drive in an industry that can corrupt the whole being – is extremely refreshing. That being said, iBFrank felt the Bustos Entertainment passion and is also a corporate sponsor of Mikey Bustos by making sure Mikey will always have his best face forward for his fans. Stay tuned for more updates of iBFrank fuelling Mikey’s super hero powers.
Find out more on Mikey Bustos and future events: http://www.mikeybustos.ca
Mikey Bustos Memoirs of a Superhero: buy it now at www.itunes.com Purchase iBFrank Products: www.ibfrank.com(Products mentioned: Billy Jealousy Illicit Cologne and Male Species Camouflage) Additional Links:
Beauté Cosmetics: www.beaute-cosmetics.com
Chic Chinoise: www.chicchinoise.com
Fashion District Inc.: www.thefashiondistrict.ca
Nikki Clarke Inc.: http://www.thatchannel.com/andthebeatgoeson
That Way Of: www.thewayof.com
