After all those reunion shows that they had been doing with members of the former Circus Band, you would think that those guys with The New Minstrels of the ’70s era should have run out of steam by now and are just looking forward to their next concert tour. But no, they are not resting on the laurels from their successful series of shows. Instead, they are cooking up something new that their fans will surely enjoy.
And here is that something new. Ta-Da…Presenting The New Minstrels Divos. This new offshoot of The New Minstrels is an all-male group who can sing pop, rock soul, classical, etc. It is made up of Eugene Villaluz, Ding Mercado and Chad Borja, three of the frontrunners in the blockbuster reunion gigs, and a new addition. Rene Puno. Surprised? He has every right to be with these Divos.
Rene is a successful lawyer, who is the managing partner of the Law Firm of Zulueta, Puno and Associates. But before he got into law, he was a first-generation New Minstrel. He was part of the group’s early recordings for Villar Records that included their landmark versions of Filipino classics Buhat and Balut. He performed in all their gigs and even recorded a solo single, the Louie Ocampo composition Mahalaga. And then he gave up all that to get into the family business, law practice.
But once an entertainer, always an entertainer. But, while the law makes for an exciting lucrative career, nothing really compares to the so-called roar of the grease paint. Besides, it was inevitable that Rene would get the call to perform again while watching his friends and colleagues pack one show after another. And the time has come. Rene has returned and the group is The New Minstrels Divos.
Catch Eugene, Ding, Chad and Rene as The New Minstrels Divos in their very first performance ever at 8 in the evening on June 27 and 28 at The Teatrino at The Promenade in Greenhills, San Juan City. Tickets are now available at Ticketworld, 891-9999 and at Teatrino, 721-6726 and 721-0635.
Watch and remember the good old days with romantic songs from the ’60s and ’70s like Cherish, Let It Be Me, The Seventh Dawn, Distant Shores, Never My Love, Come Saturday Morning and marvel at their tribute numbers to the greatest balladeers of all time, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Perry Como, Vic Damone, Steve Lawrence and many others.
From four decades ago, we now go to the very recent past. In fact, just the past two months when the best-selling Wattpad book-turned-motion picture Diary Ng Panget made box-office history. Here is good news for all those who enjoyed the picture and fell in love with the young and talented cast. After performing live at the Skydome in SM North EDSA last July 11, they will be at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino on July 18.