HERITAGE-LIKE SONGS

xxxxxxxx

The Heritage Conservation Society of the Philippines held their Benefit Dinner last Saturday. Headed by Gemma Cruz, former Miss Philippines, the Society hosted an exclusive dinner affair for Manila’s distinguished heritage advocates and supporters. Aptly, the Benefit Dinner was held at Mother’s Garden, a surprising haven in Zamora Street, Pasay City. The Mother’s Garden venue is actually the family compound of National Artist Pablo Antonio. We understand that the heritage house on it was being used by the society wedding couturier Malou (Antonio) Veloso until the time it was turned into an events place. (Some of Ms. Veloso's gowns were still in the rooms.)

The Neos were tapped to entertain the elite group who were more than gracious listeners. The mature audience engagingly corrected the Neo’s claim that ‘Java Jive’ is a 70s song. (They were one in claiming that this is a real oldie). The highly civil audience visibly enjoyed the Neo’s kind of retro music and was generous with their praises of the Neo performance even up to the time the party ended. Dinky, who is a member and technical adviser of the Heritage Society, drew chuckles as he produced his spiel during the performance. In general, he introduced the Neo members as ‘antiquities’ with their ‘heritage’ songs albeit productive enough to be prime examples of ‘adaptive reuse’.

The accolade of the audience was more than enough satisfaction to the Neos in exchange for all their effort to prepare for the event. Oni and Hector arranged to come three hours early to set up the Neo’s own equipment. (it took some time for the inexperienced pair to fix the feedback problem). The rest of the Neos came soon enough to hold a sound check that had its share of problems. (The promised CD player of the place malfunctioned). Through all the debacle, the Neos managed a successful presentation with comparatively expressive harmonics this time. One reason is the probably the fact that Hec took it upon himself to manipulate the mixer throughout the show. This allowed the Neos to finally hear/feel each other (ala CAFASinger days) while singing together.

The raffle after the show saw Oni get lucky. His stub number was called out and he took home an orchid plant prize that the non winners looked upon with envy. Paintings were also raffled out including an Alcuaz original that was auctioned. For the Heritage Society, everything seemed to fall into place for a successful event. As late as a couple of weeks before the show, the Neos actually feared that they had to make do as an all male group. Delfa just came in from her mission in the Gobi desert (with a cold) and Irene had her Alum homecoming event on the same night as the show. The Neos even thought of having Ofels Monroy (original Neo lady) to fill in but fortuitous events happened. Especially for those who know Ofels, please say a little prayer for her Dad who passed away last Friday. In a way, the Neos dedicate their songs last Saturday to Ofels and her family.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

XXXX

Last week, some of the CAFAs had a get together in New York. Bili and Oni Mayo were visiting America so East coasters Tong and Rita Salgado and Sam and Sandy Sta. Maria made it a point to see them. The busy Nore caught up with the group in Chiams, a trendy 52nd St. resto, although she still left earlier than the rest for another dinner appointment. Tito and Girlie Valbuena and Fiel Zabat were supposed to join, but they couldn’t make it at the last minute. The group also missed Rody Picar who was reportedly in the Philippines.

The party was fun and the details of which I’m posting as described by Sam in his email. I couldn’t have described it better. The blow-by-blow of the event by Sam is depicted below (albeit edited for flow) and now embellished with photos. I completely agree with Bess that Sam should really do a US CAFA whirl Blog soon. Sam’s report:

Ito ay para sa mga US residents whom we missed at our dinner last Friday, May 29. What a great time we all had, trying to get in as many topics of conversation between Chinese entrees that included duck and jellyfish (?) I can’t recall the exact dish name but it tasted good. Since most of us were famished (after a day’s work), second platters of food had to be ordered quickly. The waiters did a good job of moving us along by scooping the last morsels into anyone’s plates and clearing the empty dishes posthaste. I lost count of my allowable daily quota for sodium and sugar intake, which hopefully got burned up when Sandy and I walked from 46th to 34th for our subway ride to NJ. Times Square was nice, as Oni will attest, since it is now closed to traffic, and people were in beach chairs in the middle of the street gazing at the neon billboards.

Retirement has its challenges for Tong. First, a botched cataract removal procedure has left one eye with a fixed lens instead of one that adjusts focus automatically. I hope I got that description right. It’s like having an old Kodak Instamatic with a fixed aperture instead of an auto-focus Nikon. Since he got some sort of credit for the less than perfect procedure, I suggested that he demand a complimentary face lift and nose job, too. Stay tuned for the new, improved Arthur Salgado. Then there are his arthritic knees! I feel your pain, Tong. Sometimes I do, too. Ritz, don’t you think this is Tong’s grand scheme to escape from taking out the garbage and increase his golfing time? He say’s he needs the walking exercise, preferably on the fairways.

We briefly discussed Dinky’s food poisoning bout. Could it have been caused by his disgruntled tenant in hacienda Silay? If you must know, Dinky and Milou have leased out a piece of their lot in Silay to a restaurant. Maybe just lactose intolerance then, and a longing for more TLC from Milou. Meanwhile, Don Rody Picar must be checking on his holding company in Manila. A giant billboard for Picar Holdings has been spotted thereabouts, according to Perez Hilton.

Nore is now the consummate ZooYorker, zipping via subway from her new condo in Harlem to all points in Manhattan (something she never did until this year?) This leaves more time for Didi to strum his guitar and possibly hobnob with their famous neighbor, Pres. Bill Clinton. Didi, was that the reason you were not with Nore last Friday? The weekend experience inclusive of the cooperative weather was simply gorgeous, presaging a glorious ZooYork summer. So to all CAFAs, come on down and visit NY soon to experience the same.

After the early dinner, the CAFAs hung around a nearby public sitting area (for more chika and photo op) while waiting for the bus schedules of the Jersey and Rockland residents in the group. Oni and Bili haven’t seen Sam and Sandy since Vermont. Sam and Sandy are still ever fretting over the whereabouts of their darling Adrienne now 15. (Sandy made the check up call during the dinner. Adrienne now has a bf). Tong assured them that there’s no need to worry. From his hunting days, Tong has a lot of guns that he said he can always give to Sam so he can be like Gwendolyn’s policeman father. (Remember Gwendolyn - dancing to slow drag at her prom in Hilton Head?)

In line with Dinky’s Email inquiring about the next CAFA reunion from Alice, Oni posed the issue to the group for their suggestions. It seems that the theme, place and the timing for the next reunion still remains to be determined. A musical show theme akin to the last reunion would be a natural activity for CAFAs and would be guaranteed fun. If that's too hard to bring about (due to the rehearsal process), an alternative would be to showcase other CAFA skills in dancing, fire-eating, glass-walking body-piercing and extreme sports! The time between now and the next reunion can be a good opportunity for the CAFAs to practice their acts. Seriously, some ideas that came out of the Montreal Summit (among the Calleys, Lims and Mayos) to make the reunion interesting were: 1) a coffee book project that showcases CAFA friends and family; and 2) a Karaoke session in the reunion program. For the book project, Nore, Sam and Oni (others?) have publishing experience to help the CAFAs put it together. Meanwhile for the Karaoke event, Bess and the NeoCAFAs can assist in the preparation of M1s for the Paul (Potts) and Susans (Boyle) in the group. What say?

THE CANADIAN ESCAPADE

XXXXX

For two days in May, some of the CAFA family from the East Coast had a weekender in Montreal, Canada. The three pairs of Sarah & Charlie Calley, Nore & Didi Lim and Oni & Bili Mayo had a mini-reunion in that wonderful French-speaking city. The group stayed in Marriot Courtyard, a convenient 3 star hotel along Sherbrooke Street. Recommended by Sarah, it had a 2-day incentive package (plus a $50 promotional discount certificate in a French restaurant) that suited the purpose.

For the Mayo tourists in the USA, the Canadian adventure started on May 14, Thursday when the Lims picked them up in Manhattan in their trusty Montero. It was a scenic 6 hour drive up chilly upstate NY that gave the foursome enough time to exchange news. The conversation was spiced with Nore's continuous appeals for the daredevil Didi to watch the speed limit. The overcast sky, light drizzle and gusts of wind that tend to nudge the Montero out of lane added to Nore's concern. But Didi the adventurer was unperturbed and up to the task. Did you know that Didi had participated in squabbles with border guards of Latin American countries for being too adventurous? In the middle of the trip, the phone rang and it was good to exchange greetings anew with guess who . . .the now Texan, Romy Ballesteros. Ever the considerate CAFA fellow, Romy just wanted to say hello and I'm glad to hear that everything's fine at his end.

The Calleys came to Montreal direct from nearby Vermont. Over dinner the three couples had a fun time trying out the different fares in the menus and exchanging news and views. Did you guys know that the Calleys produce their own meat? Charlie is now quite a rancher that he can actually command his herd of sheep and cows to behave themselves while he and Sarah go on vacation. (the electric fence keeps them in place and their food is, well, on the ground). In addition, the enterprising couple also produce commercial maple syrup (so tedious to extract and expensive to buy) from the many maple trees in their estate.

It was like old times. For two days, the CAFA group traded stories; sampled the fine Montreal streetscape, sights, weather and cuisine; and discussed future plans that included the next CAFA reunion. The group had fun conjuring the scenario for the next reunion. It could be a laid-back kind of get together or something else (that gets the juices flowing). If the reunion will be a stress-free simple get-together there would still be the need for a champion to research the sites, places to see and overall guide us to the interesting and affordable (cheap?) places.

The original plan to hold it in the US remains a popular option. The options for other places like Canada and even Shanghai however look interesting. Our Canada experience was great and wish that the gang can enjoy it too. Meanwhile, Nore will participate in a food fest in Shanghai next year and we can take that opportunity. For the adventurous, Mexico and Afghanistan are out of the question, I think.

If the reunion will ultimately be in the USA, places like LA, Santa Barbara, and Las Vegas were mentioned. And if the reunion were to be anytime soon, it would be necessary for the group to come to a consensus on the date, the place and the activities. And of course, the point man will be necessary. Any volunteers?

The floor is now open for suggestions and comments.

PARTY AVENUE

XXXXXX
Party Avenue is a music bar located in the Timog, QC area, or Scout Tuason to be exact. Last April 24, a fund raising musical show was hosted by the St. Scholastica Marikina alumni. And you guess it, the organizer is the HS class of Irene de Quiroz, erstwhile Neocafasinger! Despite the absence of Delfa who is on work mission outside the country, the Neos came not only to enjoy the Friday evening out but also to give moral support to a fellow Neo. The show program is simply designed around the talents of the St. Scho class members. The classmates would do their thing first and then the Neos would enter later in the evening. As the program started, the St. Scho batch lived up to their billing and set out to entertain the crowd sans inhibition. You really have to hand it to Pinoys (and Pinays) for carrying a tune. I thought that the St. Scho girls did well and can only surmised that they must be karaoke veterans!


Whereas the host class is the Batch of HS 81, you can compute for yourself the average age of the audience there. However, when the singing started the music was dominantly retro - our kind of music! To me, this is just another proof that the better songs for singing today is not the current pop music. When the Neos took the stage after the program, there was a little apprehension when Irene tried to explain the Neo group (or rather why she was visibly among Seniors!). The ice was broken when Dinky said that the only reason the Neos came to sing was because of one of the sponsors. We heard that they were distributing anti-aging cream!

Despite the unbalanced mics (Hec and Alex said they had no sound while Irene's was full blast), the tight stage (I was standing on wires and trying not to be strangled by Alex's crossing wire) and the garbled monitors (the feedback was louder than the melody), the Neos got on with it. Like real pros, the show must go on! Later Dinky tested the humor of the young audience by introducing the final song. In his UP drawl, he declared: "We are now singing Stasera, an Italian song. Baka kasi akala nyo wala kaming class!" Despite everything, I think they liked it.

TONG & RITA & TETRIS

This February, it's the 97th birthday of Rita's Mom. Usually, it's only Rita who comes home, but this time her whole family came - Tong, Rita, Thea and hubby, Ariel and little Simone. Like their usual visits to the Philippines, the Salgado's have their hands full with activities. Golf was in Tong's mind whenever he can get on with it, otherwise he and Rita are heavy on family activities - with Ating in New Manila, Rita's Mom in Marikina and other relatives.

Yesterday Sunday, the Neos had dinner with Tong and Rita at Oni and Bili's house in Greenmeadows. Nore and Fe were expected but unfortunately, they committed earlier to other engagements. Sosyal! The balikbayans were prompt coming to the dinner party and the NEOs as usual, were late. Over dinner, the serious part of the conversation centered on family (Ariel's body tatoos, Simone's music, jobs and ages of the children, etc.), retirement (Tong has an offer to do engineering service in Qatar but I understand he's passing up this one), jobs (Delfa is slated to go to the Gobi desert and then to Laos and Vietnam) and of course the music (Eva Cassidy, Paul Byrom, and what else - the NEOs!).

The NEOs had just performed at Tetris debut in Makati two days before. You guys remember Tetris - she was one of the original NEO gals. She is now 18 and a Rihanna look alike! For everyone's info, Tetris is presently into drama and is a member of the Repertory Philippines. For her party, the NEOs did a token performance of four songs. Of course, Tetris sang with the group to the amazement of her classmates from Assumption. But those who seemed to really enjoy the songs were the lady friends of Tetris' Mom, Carmen Prieto (friend of Alex). At the end of the party, the NEOs got a shock when some of these ladies asked where they can get hold of a NEO DVD! Yes Virginia, they are willing to pay money for it! There was also an immediate invitation to sing in a reunion party of one of the ladies (of course, this was after we mentioned that Neo's don't charge friends.) Talk about making one's night! Oni had finally obtained the 4 part voice for Steal Away, that distinctive acapella song by the Celtic Thunder. The NEOs are thinking that the song harmonics of Steal Away is not so simple, but Tong wasn't inhibited when he heard it. Iba talaga ang CAFASinger - walang kamatayan! Alex is still deciding whether his range is best for the Alto or Tenor part or the Soprano in falsetto! (Alex has discovered the IPod and is now practicing at every opportunity.) The resulting voice lines done by a new arranger are surprisingly individualistic and calls for alternating melody line on chorus and second voice on verse as the song hops from key to key. Oni was saying that once the Neo's get the song down pat, no one else will likely be able to duplicate it easily. If any of the CAFAs are interested, I can email the voices to you.


And so, another CAFA get together is done. If for nothing else, everyone is still keen on that second concert in the States. Bess and Ely, we need to think about it already since the months (and soon years) are passing by. Fe, Pearl, Harvey and other concert patrons, your Reunion Concert DVDs are ready for pick up.

FIRST QUARTER CAFA BIRTHDAYS

It was Nore's birthday last February 7, but she generously involved the other Birthday guys in the celebration. These were Oni (January) and Didi & Alex (February). The celebration was held at Lynn and Rene Sunico's rest house cum vegetable farm in Alfonso Cavite. A two-hour drive from Manila, the farm lot site is practically part of Tagaytay hence, the party was blessed with the cool breeze and lush vegetation of the area.

Family and family friends, the Fine Arts bloc and of course the NEOs graced the occasion. As usual, the food was great. The plentiful dessert was a Diebetes Festival in the words of Francis R. Santos. Even as everybody had a feast, the running video of Claire and Alex's grand wedding was playing throughout. The video captured the great moments of the wedding including the reception decor, the bridal entourage introductions and including Didi's exuberant dancing. The Neo's heart-rending Sunrise Sunset song was also aptly recorded. (the video showed a closeup of a tearful bride and groom as they listened to Nore's sentimental favorite of a wedding song).

The rest house has complete amenities with a wrap-around terrace. It had videoke facility in the living room. The Neo's plus Francis, Didi and the other musically inclined guest thus took the opportunity to give vent to their golden voices in song. During the break, Alex twitted Oni to sample some of his original song compositions that he had been working on. Oni said that that would be the first public presentation of the songs and so he would expect that the privileged guests would at least indulge him by promising to buy the CD when it comes out! (if ever...)

Apart from the usual rooms, the rest house has a loft where guests could bunk if necessary. This gave the idea that perhaps the CAFAs could one day plan out an overnight excursion to the place. The Neo's were so at home in the environment that before leaving, they told the owners (Rene and Lynn) that since the Neo's might takeover their private bedrooms, they could also bunk in the loft if they want.