Joe Mari's old songs make the audience swoon

Curtain-raisers:

• BREAKING NEWS: Krista Ranillo is expecting for her and husband Niño Jefferson Lim’s second baby. The couple’s first child, Nate Jacob (in photo with Krista), turned eight months old last Dec. 6. It means that the couple will have to again postpone their church wedding next year, although they plan to come home early in 2012 to attend the wedding of their friend. Krista and Niño are happily (and quietly) settled in an elite subdivision in Valencia, California.

• Rhian Ramos (photo) is on leave. But it’s not true that she has been dropped as endorser of some products and member of the cast of some GMA shows because of the ugly controversy her ex-boyfriend Mo Twister has gotten her enmeshed in. Here’s the GMA Network statement on Rhian’s request for leave:

GMA Network received a request from artist Rhian Ramos for a few weeks leave from her work schedule because of the trauma she is going through. She asked that she be replaced in The Beloved as she feels that she cannot give her best to the show given her current state of mind. She also asked for a few weeks leaves from her shows Manny Many Prizes and Party Pilipinas.

GMA understands her request and will allow her to take some time out from her obligations to the Network. Once she comes back from her break she will resume appearing in her shows Manny Many Prizes and Party Pilipinas. She will also resume work on her new movie project with GMA Films.

Meanwhile, GMA Artist Center head Ida Henares, Rhian’s aunt, said she’s filing “legal action” against Mo Twister (Mohan Gumatay in real life) for saying that she’s among those who “pressured” Rhian into having an alleged abortion. Here’s Ida’s statement, through her lawyer Kapunan Garcia & Castillo Law Offices/Atty. Deanna Melissa S. Lorenzo-Singian:

Our client, Ms. Ida Henares, does not want to dignify the acts of Mr. Gumatay with an explanation. However, since he has dragged her into this media fiasco he has created she has no choice but to speak up and categorically state that there is absolutely no truth to the allegations of Mr. Gumatay. These are all false and malicious statements and she has already referred this matter to her lawyers for appropriate legal action.

• Congratulations to Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos and husband Sen. Ralph Recto (photo) who celebrated their 26th anniversary of togetherness yesterday, Dec. 11 (seven years living-in and 19 years after their fairy-tale-like wedding). Asked what the secret of their stable marriage is (an exception in showbiz which is notorious for short-lived relationships), Vilma said, “Love and respect. The two should go together. Also, we put God at the center of our family.” (And happy birthday to Raoul Tidalgo, Joey Sevilla and Dante Lagana of Tempo, Dec. 11; Jojo’s mom Nene Gabinete; PLDT’s Gary Dujali’s mom Laling of Molave, Zamboanga del Sur; and Ian Cabanilla whose brother Ranille recently won Slimmer’s World International’s Mr. Great Bodies 2011.)

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As I’ve been saying, nothing makes the audience swoon more effectively than old familiar love songs. This was proven once again during the The Songwriter and The Crooner concert of Jose Mari Chan and Richard Poon at the PICC Plenary Hall Friday night of Dec. 2.

“I was misty-eyed listening to Joe Mari’s old songs,” Balikbayan journalist Baby K. Jimenez now based in Toronto) told Funfare, “including Refrain and Mr. Songwiter.”

So effusive was BKJ in her praises for Joe Mari that I wished there was two of me, one in a previous appointment and the other at the PICC.

Joe Mari told the audience that he chose Poon as co-star because it was his way of introducing himself to the new generation of music-lovers. Not necessary, really, considering that Joe Mari’s songs are, to quote the title of one of his hits, “constantly” played on radio and even in private homes, his songs being perfect for easy listening pleasure. I know some people who listen to Joe Mari’s songs as therapy. Yes, the songs have that curative effect, too.

“He was humble enough to hint that the audience that night comprised mostly of young people, presumably Poon’s fans,” noted BKJ who put the concert “priority” in her homecoming agenda. “He also thanked the audience and said that he was flattered that even if his concert was sabay with those of Charice and Noel Cabangon, they preferred his and Poon’s show.”

Joe Mari’s opening number with Poon is the theme from BBC (Big Beautiful Country) which he wrote as theme song of the old ABS-CBN Channel.

A welcome number was Hahanapin Ko, sung by Poon, the same song that Joe Mari wrote years back when his family was staying in New York where he managed the family’s sugar-trading business from their office at a Wall Street skyscraper in Manhattan (I look out and I see the rain as it falls on my window pane…fluctuations in the market scene fill my Dow Jones with every beam from Refrain). Recorded by Anthony Castelo (“Joe Mari said he didn’t record it himself as he thought it was not suited to his vocal range,” said BKJ), Hahanapin Ko is a love song, all right, love of country. It’s such a sad song that it never fails to make Filipinos cry especially if they listen to it while miles away from home. Poon’s rendition was well-received by the audience.

BKJ observed that the show “lagged a bit” during Poon’s numbers but guest performer Pokwang came to the rescue by materializing among the audience with Mahal as her and Poon’s baby. “Kwela sa audience,” said BKJ.

Much-applauded was the participation of Vancouver-based Noelle Cassandra, said to be the only Asian harpist-singer (“Fluent in French,” said BKJ) who did a duet with Joe Mari of Please Be Careful With My Heart, which he originally recorded with Regine Velasquez. Then Joe Mari thanked Canadians in the audience for supporting his recent (successful) show in Vancouver.

Joe Mari and Poon’s last duet was Christmas In Our Hearts, a “double-diamond” song recorded by Joe Mari with his daughter Liza, and that’s when the audience rose to their feet, singing along with The Songwriter and The Crooner as their way of giving them a standing ovation.

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. You may also send your questions to [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos visit http://www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on http://www.twitter/therealrickylo.)