July 22/23: Oh yes, we cheerfully sizzled with so much fun on both days at Fun Philippines’ Street Festival on Bathurst n Wilson (called Little Manila). On its second year, the street fest had about 1,000 plus food vendors with top famous Pinoy foods (lechon , sisig, kare-kare, BBQ, etc) and unlimited choice of drinks (aaah, the sugar-cane bev, coconut mix, boba/gel of your choice that all spell YUM!) Congratulations to its organizers, PLACA (Philippine Legacy and Cultural Alliance)
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So, did we have 7,000 diverse cuisines to represent the number of islands in Pinas? Maybe beyond that, ha ha. Each of the 1,000 plus vendors in colorful tented stalls offered more – the amazing aromas led us to hop around. I think it is the food more than the music and entertainment that brings Pinoys together.
They remind us of home sweet home, to the days when our Lola cooked bibingka, when our Nanay added santol, sampaloc and now pakwan to our sinigang. Remember the once plain sago gulaman? It has emerged into a varied tapioca/jelly drink enriched with all the flavors in the world!
Who was it who said that Food gives us a sense of identity, a link to our past, present and future. It helps us foster community, even when we’re thousands of miles away from home. Through the food we eat, we create a home away from home, or a new sense of what it means to be home. That’s exactly what I felt last weekend – the joy of recalling our best Christmases in Manila and the other sad occasions which also broke our hearts and made us whole again. Sharing food is a natural form of connection appreciated across the world, with its benefits extending beyond the obvious pleasure of eating with friends.
David’s Glorious Return
Anyway, David Pomeranz led the entertainment pack at the FunPhil’s street festival. His love songs always hit us in the core of our hearts. Ah! “Maybe the old songs, will bring back the old times, maybe the old lines will sound new, maybe she’ll lay her head on my shoulder, and maybe old feelings will come through, maybe we’ll start to cry and wonder why we ever walked away, maybe the old songs will bring back the old times, and make her wanna stay…” a composition by David that tugs at your heart strings, later it was also recorded by Barry Manilow.
(If you don’t know David too well, let us tell you that Pomeranz’s songwriting and recording projects have generated 22 Platinum and 18 Gold albums, selling over 40 million records internationally. He’s written songs for scores of artists such as Barry Manilow, Missy Elliott, Freddie Mercury, Isaac Hayes and Bette Midler, to name a few.)
David has performed here about three times, the last one was in 2016 with Joey Albert. The first time was for Filipinos Making Waves show in 2008 at Ontario Place followed by Got to Believe in Magic concert in April of 2010. Mon Torralba of Placa/FunPhils was the musical director for those 3 events.
“Instantly, we became friends on his first visit when he found out that we have a common playground – where we play, record and compose music.” Mon revealed. So it was really easy for David to fly back here and reunite with Mon and his wife Tere – and you must not forget that he’s a favorite performer in Manila, which he considers his second home.
My very dear friend Ricky Lo, entertainment editor of Philippine Star, had chronicled most of David’s concerts in Pinas. I informed David of Ricky’s passing in 2021, actually 3 months after Ricky wrote about David and Jim Brickman doing a show together for the first time during the time of Covid entitled An Evening with Jim Brickman and David Pomeranz (shown virtually).
David was sad to hear about Ricky, “I didn’t know, oh my God,” David reacted. “He’s such a good friend, he always supported me.”
Back on stage here in Toronto, David was given a rousing welcome by his diehards as he did some of his greatest hits like Got to Believe in Magic, Born for You, On This Day, Old Songs and was so gracious to do duets with our local talents Lysa Grace Datu (If You walked Away) and Chyrell Ronquillo (Tell Me). Chyrell, who was celebrating her bday, was in tears when David asked the audience to join him in singing Happy Bday to her.
But what really touched us was David’s kindness – he chose to stay longer at the cordoned grounds after he left the stage to spend time with his fans signing autographs and posing for pics. We were amused (or rather very disappointed) when a security guard (he had an attitude) tried to block some admirers from
reaching out to David. “It’s okay,” David told the guard.
From Toronto, David will fly to L.A. (where he lived for 28 years befiore he moved to Florida) for another engagement after which he is slated to do a concert with Vina Morales.
“So, will I see you soon in Manila?” he sweetly asked us.
I remember the soundtrack from the film ZAPPED where he did Got to Believe in Magic and King N Queen of Hearts. David said the soundtrack was sold out beyond his expectations.
Of the hundreds of songs he has written and recorded, which are his favorites?
“One is Trying To Get The Feeling Again because it’s a well-written song. Then, there’s This Is What I Dreamed because it says something beautiful and it says it well. Another – On This Day. I love it; it’s a good song, although nobody seems to listen to it or forgets about it. Have you heard Tangled and Tied? It’s a cute song about a guy who is painfully shy and he comes up to a girl and he’s so clumsy that he gets tangled up and tongue-tied. One line says, everytime I get around you my thoughts all stumble and collide; I’m left with a grin and a quivering chin…It’s very cute! I was that way when I was young.”
If he were to serenade a woman and try to win her heart, what song would he sing?
“Probably Born For You. Why? Because it has a very indirect way of saying, ‘I love you!’ It says ‘I love you!’ very well without saying those words.”
Does he write songs from experience?
“It’s better and easier to write songs from experience so you put real feelings into them. Do I write better when I’m heartbroken? I can but it’s painful. I write more beautifully when I’m happy — and in love.”
Meanwhile, here’s the latest from David.
“A while back, I recorded a cool album containing some of my favorite Pop Radio Hits – mostly from the 80’s and 90’s. It consists of songs I didn’t write, but I thought it’d be fun to record them as if I HAD written them! I’ve just recently remixed and remastered the tracks, and they sound amazing!
The album’s called, You’re The Inspiration, after the Chicago song) – which he sang on stage here
originally recorded by Peter Cetera.
The album features 10 versions of classics like, “The Search Is Over” by Survivor, Heart’s “These Dreams”, “As Long As You Love Me” (Backstreet Boys), Richard Marx’s “Now And Forever” and Toto’s gorgeous, “I’ll Be Over You”.
So listen, you David devotees. You can get it on Tidal, iTunes/Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, Amazon, or wherever you buy music online. Grab it, I will.
SB19 – ZINO ZILA???
Hot topic among the bagetz here in Toronto – the new young group SB19. Who? My generation and the immediate next with raised eyebrows are wondering: why the name? showbiz ba? who? what? I constantly heard the name for 2 days at the recent street festival
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SB19, a boy band with a K-pop connection, wants fans ‘immersed in Filipino culture’, a line came up when I googled. At the Republika and B2B stalls, the youngish peeps reacted, “Tita,” addressing me (hahaha, it used to be ATE lang during the Nora-Vilma era, and during the SUSAN-AMALIA reign, I was the one addressing the queens as Ate SUE and Ate NENA (Amalia). Hmmmm.
Getting ‘younger’ I suppose. “SB19 represents the latest generation of P-pop purveyors, retaining some of the sentimental, emotional elements of OPM but more influenced by South Korea’s hyperkinetic musical export, K-pop. SB19 singles ‘Alab (Burning),’Bazinga’ and ‘What?’ are adrenalized bangers, with sophisticated production, hard raps and inspirational vocals,” they added.
Who is in SB19? The group is made up of five members – Pablo, Stell, Ken, Justin and Josh. Pablo, 28, is the leader of the group – a vocalist and the main rapper. Josh, 29, is also a lead rapper and sub vocalist. Stell, 27, is a lead dancer and main vocalist while Ken, 26, is also a main dancer and lead vocalist. Justin, 24, is the youngest member of the group and the creative lead of the band. Do you follow?
SB19 has cracked the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart with their newest track Gento. The music video for the song was released on May 19 and already has more than three million views on YouTube. Although they debuted in 2018, the band has grown in popularity over the past few years.
They’ve also become the first Filipino and Southeast Asian act to be nominated in the Billboard Music Awards for Top Social Artist and are the first Southeast Asian act to enter the top 10 of Billboard’s Social 50 charts. Performing here at The ARENA PICKERING on Aug 11, 8 pm. I want to watch and see for myself the new headliners.
Teachers Love BONG
There were 22 senators whovoted in favor of Senate Bill No. 1964, or the Kabalikat sa Pagtuturo Act. “The current cash allowance also includes a P500 allocation for medical examination, if we deduct that from the purchase of teaching materials and equipment, it will only drop to P22 pesos per day. A box of chalk costs P68, a ream of bond paper costs P120, not including the internet load,” said Sen. Bong Revilla, sponsor of the bill.
Under the bill, the teaching allowance gradually increases from the current P5,000 to P7,500 for school year 2023 to 2024 and P10,000 per teacher in the succeeding school years. Bumped into Sen BONG online and I asked him, what makes you different from your co-senators?
BONG: Ask Portia here with me (he meant his special assistant Portia Ilagan.)
PORTIA: Bong is his own man. He listens to all sides of a matter on hand and makes his own decisio. He discusses with his legislative staff proposed bills and resolutions that are timely and most needed by the Filipino people, especially the poorest amongst the poor. He uses English and Pilipino in his privileged speeches and Senate floor hearings and activities. He is an understanding and patient fellow Senator amongst his peers. Willing to learn more about ropes of the legislative department of government. He has a perfect attendance so far, in the 19th SENATE CONGRESS.
BK: Give me 5 things that the public does not know about BONG
PORTIA: He is a health buff and exercises for 3 hours at his mini gym at their Bacoor compound 3X a week, religiously. He has routines and weights for his muscles, heart, tendons, and lungs. He Loves playing PRANKS lalo na to his friends, staff, house helps, and his bodyguards.
BONG: Mahaba ang pasensiya ko, pero kapag sobra na medyo nagrereact. I cannot stand name dropping.
PORTIA: Pantay-pantay ang mga karapatan ng mga tao para sa kanya. Walang special!
SHORTS: Congratulations to 2 very good friends for their recent awards from PMPC Star Awarrds for the Movies: CHARO SANTOS for winning the Movie Actress of the Year for her performance in the critically acclaimed ‘Kun Maupay Man It Panahon’ and Helen Gamboa, receipient of the Nora Aunor Ulirang Artista Lifetime Achievement Award. We spoke to Charo who told us that she had to rush to St. Luke’s Hospital (her husband Cesar needed immediate assistance).
Re Helen – it was so sweet for TitoSen (Tito Sotto) to react to their daughter’s congratulatory message for Helen on FB. Tito sweetly asked ‘Pwede bang mahingi ang mobile number nyan?’ (meaning Helen’s CP). O, di ba? Talk about marital bliss.
TOPAKK has been selected to be part of the prestigious Locarno Film Festival, Fuori Concorso Section! Directed by Richard Somes, Topakk (Triggered) tells the story of a security guard, played by Arjo Atayde, who was previously discharged from the military due to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The film, produced by Nathan Studios, Strawdogs Studio Production, and FUSEE in association with Raven Banner Entertainment, also stars veteran actors Sid Lucero and Julia Montes. The 76th edition of the Locarno Film Festival will take place from 2 to 12 August 2023.
Congratulations to our own Michael Masangkay, producer of Raven. Michael is on his way to Locarno where he will be joined by Arjo and Julia. Good luck! And our greetings too to Arjo Atayde who will soon tie the knot with Maine Mendoza. Maine, 28, and Arjo, 32, got engaged in July 2022 after four years of dating.
How about me? My best moment so far this summer ? Meeting in person our Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at FunPhil’s Streetfest. See you again in 2 weeks, enjoy the heat.