Kudos to Angeline Q and K Brosas!
When I first heard that K Brosas and Angeline Quinto were coming to town as a team, I wondered what would they do together to captivate the Torontonians. Darren Espanto and Jonas had recently performed and I was among those who said this was fantastic and I wished they had played to a bigger audience. Darren and Jonas were gloriously regal, not just hitting the high notes – but they truly gave a new definition to the word concert…Now, enter K Brosas and Angeline. Hmmm..what would they do together. Of course they could sing. But what was the plus, I asked myself. At the mini-presscon there was a promise of guaranteed laughter with a bonus list of skyscraping gem tunes. I said good enough maybe. (I heard their Araneta gig was a hit – but then at the Pinas dome, they had VIP guests.)
48 hours later at TD Pavilion, I came late missing most of the front act numbers and thanks to producer Ms. Ami and Von Canton who led me to the front row. Vantage point? You bet. I could hear even the quiet pause of the local talents between lines, sometimes punctuated by deep sighs. So I sat there, my special seat (remember front seat, center) reminded me of the good ole days in Manila when I was given the red carpet treatment to cover shows and performances – the era of Rico J, Hajji, Basil V, Kuh, etc – I migrated to LA when Martin, Pops F, Gary V and Zsa Zsa were starting to be the new LODIs).
And so, it happened! K Brosas stepped in (I looked at my watch, I said I could go out in a few minutes to grab a quick snack, it was dinner time). She dished out some rib ticklers, making fun of herself – focusing on her low cleavage? A lot have done that before but K Brosas seemed to be different and several layers above that which made the embracing aficionados noisily rising into deafening guffaws. I was giggling in my seat and told my seatmate Beverly Vergel de Dios, an actress/director, “Oh wow, she’s good!” Bev whispered, “You should google her – she’s just amazing, so galing!) I looked at publisher Tess Cusipag to Beverly’s left – she was now laughing aloud. And here dashing in front of us to get nearer the stage was Great Smilles (a famous dental place) owner Lenlay Mamita handling some folded cash (was it 200$?) to K Brosas. “I just want to show my overwhelming admiration!” she told me. KB gratefully responded with ‘salamat po’.
As Angge now joined K Brosas, the humor doubled. A burst of spontaneous exchange of one liners – this two did extremely well in a live setting. As they rocked with Kill this love, Don’t cha and Naughty Girl and later followed with Natatawa ako and the heartbreaking Kunin Mo Na ang Lahat sa Akin, I knew I was going to stay tied to my chair and permenantly strapped with an invisible seat belt. Who cared about sneaking out to get some snacks? This show was getting us intoxicated with delight.
K Brosas led us to an uncontrollable alarming dosage of joy when she impersonated singers of before who performed raw and in an almost lethargic state with abarupt movements, it was howlarious. She did not simply grab a mike and told a joke – she moved, strutted and delivered with her legs arms and even her eyes perfectly in sync.
As Angeline did her top seller Patuloy ang Pangarap, her vocal chords ascended like an earthquake vibrato, motivating her acolytes who knew the lyrics so well to sing with her. What a night! An hour later, the last pulsating beat was the VST medley – all of us gyrating as we discoed with the inimitable duo.
So, what could K Brosas and Angeline do together – as I have earlier asked? EVERYTHING! 10 stars!
*****
My very very dear friend Charo Santos is back from her South African adventure (sayang, we were supposed to be with her!).
“i must say that this is one of the most memorable trips I’ve ever had. It brought me out of my comfort zone and made me appreciate the beauty of life even more,” Charo said.
For the first time, Charo ate zebra meat “which is a bit on the sweeter side than beefmeat Ive been so used to (I heard this meat has just one tenth of the fat found in a same size beef steak); kudu meat ( from the antelope family) which is rich and gamy, and, ostrich meat, the leanest of the three.“
Charo is thankful she made a lot of new friends and “having a shared experience of this trip makes me believe that we have just begun a meaningful relationship that can only deepen through the coming years. In fact, when we got home, there was this “sepanx” feeling (separation anxiety) and we all wanted to have a reunion right away. There was real bonding that I can see possibilities of future travels.”
The rich history of Africa has amazed Charo. “Oh i bought quite a few books about its history and people. I revisited Mandela’s LONG WALK TO FREEDOM and watched a lot of youtube videos about him. I am in awe of the man.
“The BIG FIVE: Water Buffalo, Elephant, Rhinoceros, Lion and Leopard…GOSH, We were lucky. We saw all of them, and more…giraffe, zebras, hyenas, different kinds of antelopes, hippos, monkeys, different kinds of birds, etc. it is wonderful to see them in their natural habitat. Respect them and you are good and safe!
“Going to Africa is communing with nature. It brought back memories of my childhood in the province where life was simple and quiet. We were “friends” with the plants, flowers, the birds and the bees. It was kind of a spiritual journey for me. A time to discern things that truly matter. A time for meditation. A time for peace and silence.
“Africa made me experience the beauty of life, the glory of God. It made me appreciate the sound of wind and water, the beauty of sunrises and sunsets, the unforgettable safari rides, the breathtaking views of the mountains and the cape peninsula and most especially , the warmth of the people.
It was a life-changing trip. I came home enriched and humbled.”
Will Charo film in South Africa after this unforgettable experience? “I am inspired – why not? Maybe I need a good material for this.” Abangan! Meanwhile Charo is doing a special role in the teleserye STARLA.
*****
Flashback photo: It is now WINTER if we’re to believe the early snow – though the official season starts on Dec 21. I am reminded of our filming (Merika directed by Gil Portes and also starred Bembol Roco) in New York with Nora Aunor in the winter of January, 1984. This pic was taken during a shooting lull and we found time to watch Scarface (Al Pacino) and Silkwood (Meryl Streep). Take a look at the billboards behind us. It was not so cold that evening. After watching, we walked to a nearby Asian place to eat Ramen.
By the way, we are happy to hear that our Superstar will star in a reboot of her 1989 film with Tirso Cruz III, Bilangin ang Bituin sa Langit. Freelance actress Mylene Dizon, who returned to GMA-7 early this year for the prime-time series Sahaya, is also part of the cast. Also in the series: Isabel Rivas, Gabby Eigenmann, Zoren Legaspi, Ina Feleo and Yasser Marta. Laurice Guillen directs.
******
Coming soon: Concerts this 2020 – Timeless with Tirso Cruz III, Edgar Mortiz and Christipher de Leon; Kuh Ledesma with Basil Valdez and Ariel Rivera and Nonoy Zuniga; Martin Nievera and Pops Fernandez. I just hopes playdates do not clash against each other.
I’d like to say thanks to these 2 professional fotogs Bing Mariano and Ramon Miras whio always provide us with materials for our coverage.
And before we say bye bye, do not miss to watch BROMANCE, the comedy written and directed by Beverly Vergel de Dios tobilling our Torontonian stars. Preem nite is on Dec 12 at the Yorkdale theater.
See you next ish!
Is the full maker there?