Fil-Am sax artist Giga Yanong stars in ‘Hiyas Bisaya’ tonight

Amihan Club of America Inc., with its past president Mr. Leandro Lapa, once inspired Giga Mangubat Yanong to perform for a charitable cause in Illinois, as it supports the Dangpanan Shelter of Cebu which provides safe and loving home to orphaned children.

Amihan (Sugbuano term for northwest wind) brings to Cebu Coliseum Chicago-based Filipino-American saxophonist Giga to perform tonight at 7 p.m. for his much-awaited homecoming concert dubbed “Hiyas Bisaya” (Pagmahal sa kulturang Bisaya diha sa mga awit, huni, sayaw, balak, ug mga dula).

Aside from English songs, Giga is set to play more of the Bisdak all-time favorite tunes to pay homage to great local composers – Ben “Iyo Karpo” Zubiri, Vicente “Inting” Rubi, and Domingo “Minggoy” Lopez, among many others – who blazed trails to make that distinct Bisdak musicality known, recognized, and appreciated both here and abroad.

Though admitting that he is having a hard time putting aside his American twang, Giga picked to play the “Usahay” on his sax as he knows so well how much this classic Visayan lovers’ anthem means to us Bisdaks.

“Disiplinado gyod si Giga; maminaw gyod siya. Bisag lisod para niya ang mga sabtonon nga lyrics sa Usahay, he paid attention to my instructions,” says musical director/conductor Febes “Doy” Montaña highly of Giga.

“I am thankful that he is a focused musician. I told him to study the piece to understand it. Anha ra man god ka makahatag og saktong emosyon sa kanta kun masabtan na nimo,” Doy added.

During the rehearsals, Doy said he even joked about being passionate in delivering the said piece. “Make women wet with your version,” Doy teasingly challenged Giga.

“Hiyas…” will also have 1970 Tawag ng Tanghalan champion Novo Bono, Jr. as special guest onstage aside from being the show’s director, along with Sam Costanilla and Dr. Warfe Engracia.

Joining Giga are the “birit” queens of Cebu – Thea Domingo, Sheryl Panes, Athena Ever Engracia and Lady Michelle Arizabal, with Edison Monternel and the Diwa-Sugbu Company of the Cebu Normal University.

Sheryl is a singing host of the Calma Search for a Recording Artist. Calma stands for Cebu Association of Legitimate Musical Artists. The Calma search was staged from 2003-2004 at the E-Mall every Wednesday and was aired over dyRB and Channel 13 SkyCable. Then the search moved to the Celebrity Hall of the Gaisano Main-Colon from 2004-2007, done on Fridays. Currently, she is hosting the program “Kaplag sa Bitoon” every Sunday at the Gaisano Country Mall. She has also served as assistant voice instructor for summer workshops at the Ayala Center from 2004, and also at the Gaisano Metro from 2005. Sheryl is a regular singer of the “Doy Montaña & His Band”.

Meanwhile, 25-year-old Thea Domingo works at a call center and dabbles as a licensed real estate broker. She started singing at three years old. At nine, she already played Ariel in “The Little Mermaid”; Cinderella when she was 10, and the role of Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar when she was 11. These opportunities to shine on centerstage all happened when she was studying at Maria Montessori. Right now she is involved with the Praise Ministry of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement.

Further, Athena Ever Engracia will have a duet with Giga through “Usahay” and will give her rendition of Girlie Lapinid’s “Langit ug Yuta”. Edison Monternel, a grand champion of the Calma search in 2004, with Lady Michelle Arizabal, champion of the same search in 2005, will complete the lineup of performers.

Rei Villegas does the choreography; Tita Domingo sweats it out in the marketing aspect, while Clemente Yanong, Jr. acts as producer/consultant.

Expect a gigabyte of poetry to flow out of Giga’s sax tonight that promises of explosive details centering on the marriage of humanitarian work and the Sugbuano’s brand of music.

The show is organized by the Cebu Malay of Composers, Artists and Producers, Inc.; Dr. Remegio Vibar and Dr. Procopio Yanong, also of the Amihan Club with Lydia Cadungog as incumbent president. Other sponsors are The FREEMAN-BANAT News, Perfect10, SkyCable, Lavilla Travel and Real Estate, Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc.; Julie’s, Mutya Audio-Video Mix, Inc.; Sangguniang Kabataan Federation, Salonga School of Music, Nature’s Spring; International Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Sarua Records, and Large Form Ads for the benefit of the aged and sickly musician-members of CEMSCAP.