• Julio Iglesias coming for show •

Curtain-raisers:

• In a Funfare item last Monday, Maritoni Fernandez said that she and boyfriend Hans Montenegro hope to have a son together, both of them already having one daughter each with their former partners. Maritoni’s wish might be fulfilled six months from now. You see, she’s three months pregnant and she’ll soon take a maternity leave from the ABS-CBN soap It Might Be You where she plays a kontrabida.

• Somebody should advise Alma Moreno to spend as much time with her son Vandolph as she reportedly does with her, ehem, "good friend" Gerald Madrid. The other night, Vandolph got involved in a car accident with, among other companions, his girlfriend. Vandolph was on the wheel when his Expedition fell into a big hole along Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City. Barely three years ago, Vandolph slipped into a long coma after he was badly injured in a car accident on the way to Baguio. He should be more careful. Mama Alma should, as I was saying, spare some time for a mother-son talk with Vandolph. Now, could it be true that Alma and Gerald are now living together and that she has left her other children in the care of ex-husband Joey Marquez? Ah, love! You must be wondering how terrible Gerald’s wife and children are feeling these days. Have some heart, Alma, please?

• Another star who got involved in a car accident (last Monday night) was Rita Avila. Luckily, she and her companions (her yaya and the driver) were not hurt. Only the car’s front was badly damaged.

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Here’s good news for Julio Iglesias fans: The world’s No. 1 Latin singer will come for a concert at the Araneta Coliseum on Dec. 11. This piece of good news was confirmed to Funfare by no less than Madame Stella Marquez de Araneta (she and husband Jorge Araneta are the best friends of the Iglesias couple, Julio and Miranda).

The last time Iglesias performed here (at the Manila Hotel) was more than 15 years ago, just a few years after his first single, To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before, was released and turned into a monster hit worldwide. The song, a duet with Willie Nelson, paved the way for the release of more unforgettable hit ballads, with the latest album (a love-songs compilation) covering nearly a decade and a half of Iglesias’ illustrious career. Iglesias has been listed in the Guiness Book of Records for being the solo artist with the most number of records sold.

His Big Dome show on Dec. 11, entitled Love Songs (also the title of his new compilation album), is not Iglesias’ first in that venue where he drew an SRO crowd years ago. Iglesias’ other well-loved songs (most of which he might perform on his show) include Crazy, Vincent, And I Loved Her, Feelings, Historia de un Amor, If You Go Away, When I Fall in Love, Moonlight Lady and the haunting Mona Lisa.

Filipinos consider Iglesias "one of us" because his first wife, Isabel Preysler, is a Filipina with whom he has two sons, Julio Jr. and Enrique, who are both popular singers in their own right. Iglesias has four beautiful children with his second wife, Miranda.

Incidentally, did you know that every Christmas Iglesias never fails to send Christmas cards (with the Iglesias kids on the front portion) to some Filipino journalists (among them yours truly and Sounds Familiar columnist Baby A. Gil) he has met before? Very, very, very few artists (especially of his stature and reputation) ever make such a simple but heart-warming gesture (yes, of appreciation).

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This next piece of news will, I’m sure, elicit mixed reactions from Funfare readers and the public in general: Kris Aquino’s late-morning ABS-CBN show Good Morning, Kris will fold up end of this month. There’s no confirmation yet from ABS-CBN bigwigs what show will take GMK’s timeslot.

With no more show in the morning effective next month, Kris will have more time for herself. She is overworked, almost sleep-walking through her punishing taping schedule (for the soap Hiram, etc.), so she should look at the show’s ending as a blessing in disguise.

Kris doesn’t need that many shows, I guess – and neither does she need any more money. Besides being seen daily on Hiram, she also co-hosts The Buzz Sundays with Boy Abunda.

Right now, poor Kris is bedridden with a bad case of acute bronchitis, due to exhaustion I’m sure.

But knowing Kris, she’ll soon resurface in another show. You bet?

One more Pinay wins in singing contest abroad

More and more Filipino talents are making great waves on the international music scene. Add the name Maria Michelle Maboloc-Sajulan to the fast-growing list.

According to a report by Funfare reader Dr. Maribel R. Ismael, Maria won the grand prize at the Music City/Baywanderers Pop Contest held in Ireland last July 19, besting 11 other contestants. A nurse working in Dublin, Maria is from Bohol who used to work also as a nurse at the Medical-Dental Service House of Representatives.

Her single will be released in London on Oct. 1, with a pre-launching concert on Sept. 30.

Congrats to Maria. Keep up the good work!

What’s up?

• The 2nd Australian Film Festival will be open on Sept. 17 with the screening of Walking on Water, directed by Tony Ayres, which won as Best Feature Film at the 2002 Berlin Film Festival. Venue is Cinema 2 at The Podium, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City.

• Lav Diaz’s nine-hour film Ebolusyon will have its world premiere at the Visions Program of the Toronto International Film Festival next month, along with 20 other films from 14 countries. Visions focuses on innovation and spotlights works that enter new cinematic territory, use unconventional approaches to story-telling and employ new technologies in distinctive ways.

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