Even now that he has beautifully blended with the other Journey guys as the group’s vocalist replacement for the Steve Perry, Arnel Pineda hasn’t been spared by a few detractors.
“I can’t do anything about them,” conceded Arnel during a brief phone interview with Funfare. “Everybody is entitled to his own opinion. They can talk and talk, and my only pakiusap to them is this: Huwag lang sila violent. I’m with the Journey now and (my detractors) can’t bring back what is not there anymore.”
The Journey with Arnel has just come out with its second album, Eclipse (released locally by MCA Music, Inc.), consisting of 12 songs. Arnel wrote one song, To Whom It May Concern, and co-wrote another, City Of Hope, with guitarist Neal Schon and keyboardist Jonathan Cain.
When Arnel talked to Funfare, he and the other Journey members were in New York as part of their US concert tour that will end mid-October.
“We’re having a break,” said Arnel who preserves his vocal cords by not talking too much, getting as much sleep as he could and exercising.
“Journey is my life now,” added Arnel who felt burned out during his first tour with the group four years ago. “I’m used to the Journey routine now,” which means keeping a back-breaking schedule. “Before kasi, my comfort zone was doing shows only in the Philippines and other places in Asia. The Journey tour covers all of USA and I sing all the songs.”
He said he didn’t feel homesick like he used to because his family is now with him.
His detractors notwithstanding, Arnel continues to win more hearts and get good reviews, like the following excerpt from a review of the Journey concert a few weeks ago in Birmingham, UK:
Talking of heroes, Journey has a new one. Their Philippines-born Arnel Pineda has clearly grown into his role over the past four years and was on a mission to win hearts and minds as he led the band through possibly the greatest back-catalogue in melodic rock.
While lead guitarist Neal Schon is the beating heart of the band, Pineda brings along a youthful vitality and enthusiasm, a non-stop energy and a voice that is as near is humanly possible as perfect replacement for Journey’s much-missed singer Steve Perry.
Kicking things off with Jonathan Cain’s keyboard intro to Separate Ways (Worlds Apart), Journey raised the roof with both singles and fan favorites, from the ballads Open Arms and Faithfully, to Stone in Love, Lights and Wheel In The Sky. Drummer Dean Castronovo impressed as ever when he took over on lead vocals for a spine-tingling Mother, Father.
Three tracks from the band’s new album Eclipse were aired with the single City Of Hope — dedicated to Pineda’s hometown of Manila — showing that Journey has not lost the knack of crafting a perfect and uplifting, melodic rock gem.
Of course, while the night was about more than just one song, when that song did arrive it almost lifted the roof of the arena out of sight. It’s easy to forget that the chorus of Don’t Stop Believin’ only appears at the very end of the song after a mighty long tease. Post Glee it was time for Journey — and their fans — to reclaim melodic rock’s greatest classic, and both did so in magnificent style.
After the last song of the main set, Anyway You Want It, Journey returned for their traditional encore, Lovin’ Touchin’ Squeezin’, and a chance for the fans to sing themselves hoarse one last time.
Hopefully, any fans who think last night’s concert was just a dream have this review to prove that it really did happen. And then some.
Theater actor also makes djembe drums
To date, the African djembe (percussion) is used mostly by reggae and acoustic bands, and ethnic/tribal artists like Joey Ayala, Grace Nono and the Pinikpikan band.
It’s understandable because the djembe was introduced to the Philippine music scene only three years ago by theater actor Romeo Ed Abaigar, a Waray who hails from Catbalogan City, Eastern Samar.
“But more and more musicians are discovering the djembe,” said Romeo who has set up a community of djembe players called Kayumanggi Drums. “I put up the community together with other djembe players.”
Romeo fell in love with the djembe during one of his trips abroad. The djembe originated from Africa, played by the tribes there. It’s carved from a single piece of wood and makes three different sounds more thunderous than those of other drums. They come in different designs and different sizes.
Before he put up his own djembe-making shop, Romeo stayed for two weeks in Indonesia to observe how a djembe was done.
“There’s one whole barangay in Indonesia that makes only djembe,” said Romeo who proceeded to demonstrate how the djembe is played — that is, secured between the player’s legs the way tribal players do. The placement is very sexual (see photo on this page), admitted Romeo.
When not making djembe drums, Romeo works in theater and soaps. He played the title role of Diablo in Tao (Isang Tagumpay), a Frank Rivera opus inspired by Cecile Guidote-Alvarez’s musical play Tao which is based on the medieval morality play Everyman; as Haring Alibaba in Florante at Laura, Jose Rizal in Country in Search of a Hero, Anton in Ambon, Ulan, Baha and Stripe in Hope for the Flowers.
He has also acted in TV shows Maalaala Mo Kaya, Pieta, The Last Prince, Kung Tayo’y Magkakalayo, Beauty Queen, Mara Clara, Little Star, Bantatay and Captain Barbell, and currently seen in GMA shows Futbolilits and Pahiram ng Isang Ina (directed by Joel Lamangan).
“Working with direk Joel was quite an experience,” admitted Romeo who was unsettled when Joel gave him the “scream treatment.”
“First time na nasigawan ako ng direktor,” added Romeo who was given nine paragraphs (pronto!) on the set. “I thought, ‘Paano kaya ito?’ I asked the production manager if it was okay for me to just get the whole thought of the nine paragraphs and it worked. During the shoot, he had to provide me impromptu lines. Good take. Nagustuhan naman nila.”
Pinay artist in US reality-TV show
When Work of Art: The Next Great Artist premieres on Bravo TV on Oct. 12, you will see a Filipina artist among the featured artists. She’s Sara Jimenez who happens to be my now Toronto-based colleague Baby K. Jimenez’s niece. Sara is the daughter of BKJ’s first cousin Manny Jimenez.
The show is co-produced by Sarah Jessica Parker whom Sara has met, along with Parker’s husband Matthew Broderick.
“We are proud of Sara,” BKJ wrote Funfare. “Her brothers Nicholas, Sebastian and Simon are equally proud of her.”
According to BKJ, Sara is based in New York where she’s taking up her master’s degree in Fine Arts at Parsons School of Design. It was a friend who called Sara’s attention to an ad for an NYC casting call for Season 2 of Bravo TV’s Work of Art: The Next Great Artist, a reality show for budding artists; knowing how difficult it is for these artists to get a break, the friend encouraged her to apply.
“Sara was at first hesitant but then she figured that she had nothing to lose so she applied,” said BKJ. “She was asked to go to a studio in NYC (there were other calls in LA, Chicago and several other cities I think) to present her portfolio. There were many applicants in NYC alone. Luckily, she was then called back for a second interview and then a third. Finally she was flown out to LA for screen tests and then told she had made the final 14 who were going to be in the show! During each episode, a contestant (or two?) is eliminated by a panel of judges until the top three face off in a finals.”
BKJ furnished Funfare a copy of Sara’s link to Bravo:
Upon completion of her BA from the University of Toronto, Sara moved to New York City where she cultivated a signature style of painting through the use of unusual mediums. Sara has dabbled in installation work, such as her participation in Thom Sokoloski’s The Encampment on Roosevelt Island in 2007. She has displayed pieces in various shows at prominent locations including the Space Womb in 2010, The Puzzle Project (Osaka, Japan), and Salon, a show she participated in and acted as co-curator. Sara initiated and developed “MUSE: Movement to Uncover Self-Expression,” a non-profit workshop for women in the Lower East Side in 2010. As evident in her paintings, Sara explores and deconstructs concepts in womanhood, identity, spirituality, and the subconscious in her unique works of art.
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