Only in Hollywood
Becca, Mon, Charmaine in LA jazz concert
By Ruben V. Nepales
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 18:41:00 10/03/2008
Filed Under: Entertainment (general), Music
LOS ANGELES, California—Big shows featuring Filipino talents in LA are usually prepackaged concerts from Manila. “Jazzmopolitan: A Celebration of Music” is a rare Pinoy musical event in LA, because it’s an original production.
Featuring Becca Godinez, Mon David, winner of the 2006 London International Jazz Vocal Competition, Charmaine Clamor and other LA-based talents, “Jazzmopolitan” is the first concert of the Filipino American Library (FAL), the first and largest Filipino library in America that actively promotes the history, culture and professional achievements of Filipinos and Filipino-Americans through its book collection, leadership development and cultural programs. We support the noble goals of this nonprofit organization and its library, which is located in LA’s historic Filipinotown.
Highlights
FAL is breaking away from its tradition of holding glamorous dinner events at the famed Biltmore Hotel. Instead, the only library of its kind in the US has decided to hold its annual gala and Spirit Awards in a concert format on Oct. 11 at the Aratani Theatre in LA’s Little Tokyo. The gala dinners were star-studded affairs, not your usual run-of-the-mill occasions. Memorable highlights included an evening when Martin Nievera and Lou Diamond Phillips hammed it up in a spontaneous number.
The concert should be just as fun and exciting, considering the musical talents involved. The irrepressible Alec Mapa, a sassy presence in Adam Sandler’s recent smash comedy, “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan,” and currently seen on “Desperate Housewives” and “Ugly Betty,” is one of the awardees. He will be receiving FAL’s Role Model Award—his acceptance speech is probably going to be a hoot.
Alec, who’s also known for his work on Broadway, actively supports organizations like the Human Rights Campaign, AIDS Project Los Angeles and Project Angel Food. Interesting trivia: Did you know that he appeared in R.E.M.’s seminal video for the song, “Losing My Religion,” as the boy tied to a tree with an arrow in his heart?
Also performing in “Jazzmopolitan” are jazz pianist Tateng Katindig, Three of a Kind and sax player, Michael Paolo. Ted Benito, who is serving as the show’s director, told us: “Becca, Mon and Charmaine will be doing a 20-minute set each. The house band is composed of Tateng and his band. Accompanying Charmaine are guitarist Richard Ickard and percussionist Gustavo Garcia. Becca Godinez will be performing new arrangements of bossa nova songs, and Mon David has something special from his upcoming CD.” With such a lineup, it can only be an electrifying evening, musically speaking.
Becca wrote us via e-mail: “Ted knows that I have a background in jazz. It was the second vocal specialty I took in college, the first being classical. He also knows I’ve always loved Brazilian bossa and samba way before I met Morris (Albert, her ex-husband). I do speak Portuguese (from my time with Morris—and living in Rio de Janeiro).
“Ted asked if I would accept his invitation to sing samba and bossa at the ‘Jazzmopolitan.’ I’m very excited to do it. The numbers will be something many people haven’t really heard from me. I’ve chosen four fun numbers that I believe the audience will like. I’ve asked my friends, Belen Miranda, Marian Luna and Grace Saenz-Tinio, to join in the fun. They backed me up during Simbang Gabi in LA last year. Fun onstage equals fun for the crowd. I always work toward making certain the people present get to have as much fun as I have.”
Groove
Also via e-mail, Mon shared some of the songs he’ll be performing: ” ‘Estate (In Summer),’ a song written by singer/songwriter Bruno Martino, with English lyrics by Jon Hendricks, the bridge of which I’m planning to sing in Italian and Filipino; ‘Moonlight Serenade,’ a Glenn Miller classic rearranged with a jazz/funk/samba groove—I’m planning to include this in my forthcoming CD; ‘No More Blues,’ a Jobim classic with a new twist (fast bossa and swing) and lyrics by Hendricks, and ‘Ang Pipit,’ my version of Lucio San Pedro and Levi Celerio’s Pinoy classic, but with Kapampangan lyrics.”
Mon added: “This set list is 70-percent sure, but some things will depend on the outcome of rehearsals with the band. I’m excited to be joined by Abe Lagrimas on drums, Benedict on bass and Tateng Katindig on keyboards. We hope to raise funds for the Fil-Am Library.” He issued a call to Pinoys in LA: “Please join us and do invite your music-loving friends!”
For his part, Tateng said: “I will be the musical director of this show. I’m looking forward to backing up our very own topnotch Filipino artists who are now based in the Los Angeles area. I’ve worked with Charmaine, Mon and Three of a Kind in past shows, and the chemistry has always been unbelievable! This will be my first time working with Becca Godinez and Michael Paolo.”
The son of sax legend, Eddie Katindig, who’s carving his own niche in LA’s jazz community, continued: “As an artist, I always strive to do 110 percent of my capacity to contribute to the success of shows like ‘Jazzmopolitan’! I hope our kababayans will support our own jazz artists.”
Contributions
Other recipients of FAL’s annual Spirit Awards, which acknowledge contributions to the Filipino community, include Ester Soriano-Hewitt (posthumously for community service), The Asian Journal (for community-building journalism) and Macy’s (for corporate philanthropy). Denise Dador, ABC7 news anchor and health reporter, serves as honorary gala chair.
More than 800 guests are expected to attend the gala this year. Net proceeds from the event support the library’s worthy projects. “Jazzmopolitan” begins at 6 p.m. with a VIP reception. Visit www.jaccc.org for more information.
E-mail rvnepales_5585@yahoo.com, and read his blog, “The Nepales Report,” on http://blogs.inquirer.net/nepalesreport.
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