Humperdinck back at Big Dome June 22

It’s confirmed: Besides Usher who’s coming for a concert on July 9 (with Fearless Productions as producer), also expected for another return engagement is Engelbert Humperdinck on June 22 at the Araneta Coliseum, with Renen de Guia’s Ovation Productions as producer. Humperdinck has performed in the Philippines for a few times, the last having been three years ago.

Dubbed as Engelbert Humperdinck Live In Manila!, the musical presentation brings back to the concert scene one of the world’s greatest singers and performers who has charmed millions with his rich repertoire that encompasses a broad range of musical genres.

Among the classic hits immortalized by Humperdinck’s sweet, powerful voice are Release Me; Quando, Quando, Quando; The Way It Used To Be; Strangers In The Night; After The Loving; Dance The Night Away; Spanish Eyes; There Goes My Everything; Am I That Easy To Forget; and many more.

Humperdinck’s concert comes on the heels of the release of Legacy Of Love, his new album that he is promoting with a world tour of the same title that is taking him from Paris to Pennsylvania, Moscow to Manchester, and Las Vegas to Vienna.

The CD, where the artist revisits many of his greatest hits, is the latest addition to his unmatched musical heritage that includes sales of a staggering 150 million albums worldwide, including 64 Gold and 24 Platinum, during a successful career spanning more than 40 years.

It also follows A Taste Of Country, his 2009 album that pays tribute to the musical genre that launched his early career and which has been recorded with his patented Humperdinck “stamp.”

(Note: Engelbert Humperdinck Live In Manila! is sponsored by The Philippine Star, BusinessWorld, Edsa Shangri-La Manila and RJ 100.3 FM. It is also supported by 105.1 Crossover, 96.3 Easy Rock, 90.7 Love Radio, 97.9 Home Radio, 104.3 DWBR and OptimaSignsolutions. Tickets are priced at P4,500, P3,500 P2,500, P1,000 and P500 and are available at all Ticketnet outlets at SM Department Stores and at the Araneta Coliseum box office. For inquiries and reservations, call Ticketnet at 911-5555 or Ovation Productions at 532-8883.)

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Congratulations to Connecticut-based Bessie Badilla and Albert Almendralejo whose movie, Bakal Boys, has just won the D-Cinema Award at the Barcelona Asian Film Festival last week.

This piece of good news was confirmed to Funfare’s Toronto-based “international correspondent” Ferdinand Lapuz by the festival programmer, Amaia Torrecillia.

Titled Children Metal Divers for the international market, Bakal Boys was directed by Ralston Jover.

This is what the Barcelona jury says about the movie:

Children Metal Divers is a film that portraits with appropriate distance the difficult life of the children of Baseco, one of the poorest suburbs of the city of Manila.

Jover has a lyrical and delicate way of dealing with matters such as friendship and games, which these children trapped in very real threats like pain, hunger and death strongly need. The film shows a crude reality without letting the characters ever lose their dignity.

Children Metal Divers is an honest film. It manages to give the sea an appearance of respect and endows it of a certain mysticism. We feel it is important to emphasize that the inevitable didactic repercussions to such a complex social matter are reduced to a minimum. Jover has managed to not lose track of the “human” aspect in this film, his first in which death seems to be the only possible redemption.

Said Ferdinand, “It is Bakal Boys’ fourth international recognition after winning Special Mention in Vancouver and Thessaloniki, and the Chiaputti Award in Torino, Italy, last year.”

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A self-proclaimed “psychic” must be hiding his(?)/her(?) face in shame. Why? Well, that person predicted that there wouldn’t be any election last May 10. As the whole world knows, the first automation elections were held, with the results known the next day.

“I’m glad na hindi nagkatotoo ang kanyang prediction,” said Funfare’s Big Apple correspondent Edmund Silvestre (of The Filipino Reporter). “Siguro malabo ang kanyang crystal ball.”

But Edmund is mum on observations that Sarah was not, after all, an effective endorser in the May 10 elections. Sarah was among the stars who pushed for presidentiable Manny Villar and his running mate Sen. Loren Legarda. She didn’t fulfill her commitment to campaign for Joy Belmonte who won by a landslide for vice mayor of Quezon City. Who knows, had Sarah openly endorsed Joy, “baka nabawasan pa ang boto ni Joy,” according to a non-Sarah fan.

Meanwhile, here’s good news from Edmund:

Sarah Geronimo will join Christian Bautista as guest performer in the Philippine Independence Day grand parade and festival in New York City slated on June 6. The annual celebration is organized by the Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. (PIDCI).

“Every year, the event draws tens of thousands of Filipinos from various states,” said Edmund.

Sarah and Christian, along with fellow guest performers Carlo Orosa and Kitchie Nadal, Broadway actors Paolo Montalban and Liz Cassasola, and NY’s Chapter 2 Band, to mention some, will ride a special float during the grand parade along Madison Avenue (the advertising district of NYC).

Following the two-hour parade, the artists will entertain thousands of spectators at the cultural extravaganza. Sarah, Christian and Carlo will be part of the festival’s TFC Hour.

According to long-time community leader Vivian Velasco of PIDCI, the participation of Sarah, Christian and Carlo in this year’s celebration is made possible by ABS-CBN/The Filipino Channel, the Belo Medical Group/Belo Skin Care Products, the Law Offices of Michael Gurfinkel and TFC’s Citizen Pinoy.

Dr. Vicki Belo and immigration lawyer/TV host/STAR columnist Michael Gurfinkel will also be part of the line-up of guests of honor to be led by Consul General Cecilia Rebong; Philippine Ambassador to the United Nations Libran Nuevas Cabactulan; Deputy Consul General Melita Sta. Maria-Thomeczeck; Parade Grand Marshals Benjamin H. Santos, RN, and Zenaida E. Santos, MD; political and civic leader Loida Nicolas Lewis; the PIDCI officers headed by its president Bernie dela Merced; and the Diwa ng Kalayaan (Spirit of Independence) beauties led by the newly-crowned Christine Soriano, 18, of New Jersey.

The traditional flag raising ceremony will be held at 8 a.m. in front of the Philippine Center on Fifth Avenue (between 45th and 46th streets). It will be followed by a thanksgiving Mass at the Kalayaan Hall with Msgr. Oscar Aquino, a prominent Filipino priest in New York, as the main celebrant.

The theme of the celebration is Bagong Pagsasama. Bagong Bayanihan. Bagong Pagbabago.

Briefly noted

Marco Sison (photo) has just signed up with Star Records for the release of his latest album, Hindi Ko Akalain, which was produced and recorded in the US by Bodjie Dasig and his wife Odette Quesada.

The carrier single, May Iba Na Ba?, is a paean to love’s uncertainties. Star Records head Annabelle Regalado said that the single might be used as theme song of an ABS-CBN soap.

Other cuts on the album: Try My Number, Don’t Know How Long I’ll Be Away, Right Beside You, Friends of Mine, I Don’t Want To Be Your Friend, Huwag Na Lang and Till I Met You.

Marco is the featured performer at PAGCOR Parañaque on May 19 and 26. On May 28, he will perform in Subic and on May 29 he joins The Hitmakers (Rico J. Puno, Rey Valera and Nonoy Zuñiga) in a concert in Davao City.

(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph or at entphilstar@yahoo.com)