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For the past 20 years, The Filipino Express has provided the Filipino American community the best news, arts and entertainment coverage from around the United States and the Philippines.
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WHY do bands disband?
It has always been the million dollar question, especially for multi-million selling bands that decided to pack it up and move on.
Like for instance, The Beatles. In 1969, the Beatles were the masters of the musical universe. They have become the biggest selling rock act eclipsing the deity-like Elvis Presley. They have broken and set new records in record sales, concert attendance, and re-wrote the new codes of society and pop culture. But for some reason still unclear, the Fab Four became tired of the whole game and just called it a day.
A band as gigantic as The Beatles has no reason to call it a wrap. Not when they are the most recognizable musicians in the planet, and the most successful rock group in history. But history tells us that in 1970, the band did break up. Why?
What reason greater than money, fame and power could break up a band as huge as the Beatles? The reason is the death of fun.
Fun is the most compelling reason why a little kid would pick up a guitar or sit and tinker on a piano -- not future royalties, concert gate receipts, Grammy Awards and groupies
Music is fun. Playing music with a group of friends is super fun. Being in a real working band is a joyride. And no matter what age a musician is, they still crave for the natural high of playing music -- it never grows old.
From the opening notes until the ring of the last chord, playing music is all about fun. And when this factor dies, so does the music and of course, the band.
The Beatles may have had every conceivable riches brought by their music and celebrity, but once the fun left them, they knew that it wasn’t worth fighting for anymore.
Leave your egos and other fun killers
Perhaps the biggest fun killer inside band life is ego. Ego kills. Ego destroys. Ego can split even the tightest brotherhood in the universe.
When a band becomes a working band, members often get praises for their great song-writing, awesome playing skills and magnetic charisma. These overwhelming torrent of praises often bloats band members’ egos and as a result, would turn them from humble musicians into arrogant persons with bratty attitudes. Once ego comes in, the bands clock is ticking towards its inevitable demise.
Ego causes rifts among the members due to pride and jealousy. Remember the famous scene in the Beatle movie “Let it Be” -- when Paul McCartney was showing the part that George Harrison is supposed to be playing? It was a classic example of a band drowning in its own blood. Their egos were eating them up alive.
Ego begets pride and pride begets envy.
Once these factors come into play inside the life of a fun and happy working band, they can kiss their careers goodbye.
The End
As fans, we often feel cheated when great bands breakup. We often hate the people involved in dissolving these bands, and we place these ‘culprits’ alongside history’s major offenders. But as John Lennon said after the Beatle break-up: “ The magic was gone. It wasn’t fun anymore. It’s not the end of the world, it’s just a rock n’ roll band that made it very very big. The records are there, go ahead and reminisce.”
We can judge Lennon as naive and insensitive here, but that’s exactly what one feels when his or her band is on the brink of curtain fall - the end.
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MANILA -- Did Pops Fernandez and Jomari Yllana call it quits?
It looks like they did. Jomari was not among those close to Pops who greeted her on her 20th anniversary in showbiz on the AVP which “ASAP ‘06,” prepared for her last Sunday. What brought Pops to tears were her two sons, Robin and Ram, and her ex-husband, Martin Nievera who greeted her on the video.
In “ASAP ‘06” last Sunday, there was a tribute number for Pops presented by young talents Erik Santos, Christian Bautista, Mark Bautista, Sarah Geronimo, Sheryn Regis and Rachelle Ann Go who sang her earlier hit songs.
Pops has just returned from a series of concert abroad with Martin. According to Pops, it was Martin who facilitated her immediate return to the country.(MNS)
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RACHEL Alejandro has found a new love, real estate businessman Philip Palma, after Lee Robin Salazar. We saw them together in Sydney, Australia and “bagay sila.”
“Dati ko na siyang kilala,” she says. “Late last year, I bumped into him again and he got my number. We started hanging out and we’ve been on since February. He’s very supportive. When I joined the World Championship of the Performing Arts in Hollywood, he even accompanied me.”
Some quarters say she did not win anything there.
“But I did. After that kasi, I stayed in the US doing shows for two months. Ngayon lang ako nakauwi rito, so they didn’t know what I won. When my manager (Girlie Rodis) asked me to join it, I said I won’t join the Pop category kundi Rock, for a change. I also want to see how the jurors, who have no background about me, would react if they hear me singing a rock song. I sang ‘Sweet Child of Mine’ and I won the gold prize. I also joined the original song category, singing my own composition, ‘The Rain,’ which I wrote for my sister, Barni, and it also won gold. In the Broadway category, I sang ‘Home’ from ‘The Wiz’ and won silver. So I won two golds and one silver. I had fun. Talagang saludo sila sa Filipino talent.”
Now that she’s home, Alpha Records is releasing her “Greatest Hits” album of 18 songs plus a CD lite with choice cuts from the concert she had last year featuring ‘80s songs with the South Border.
“I’m going back to the US to do shows with Geneva Cruz, with whom I’m doing a demo tape for international producers. Then when I return here, I’ll do a concert with my dad (Hajji Alejandro).”
Rachel’s food business is also doing well. Her Sexy Chef at White Plains has branched out with two kiosks at Gold’s Gym Galleria and Glorietta. Aside from distributing South Beach meals, they’ll also come up with Fit Meals that offer healthy eating, as devised by her friend, Ricky Rivero. We were surprised to see Ricky again as he has lost 165 lbs. “I used to weigh 335 lbs. but due to healthy eating and exercise, I’m now only 175 in eight months,” he says. (MNS)
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MANILA -- Vina Morales got the role in the upcoming ABS-CBN teleserye “Flordeluna,” which was formerly assigned to Kris Aquino, who gave it up after learning that she was pregnant. It’s the role popularized by PR lady and part-time actress Emma Yuhuico in the early ‘80s.
“It’s a dream role,” said Direk Jerry Seneneng, who is tasked to direct the series. “Although, ‘di gaanong mahaba. The character will die soon. Pero, babalik-balik siya sa mga susunod na mga eksena.”
This does not bother Vina a bit as she said that she really needs time to do her concerts abroad. But now that she’s home, she’s really raring to do a teleserye.
Eula Valdez will play the role which noted director Laurice Guillen portrayed in the original series. For the title role of “Flordeluna,” Direk Jerry said that they have chosen child star Elisa Pineda. Elisa played the part of Piolo Pascual’s daughter in the Piolo-Judy Ann Santos movie, “Till There Was You.”
The two other important roles which they have yet to fill up, said Direk Jerry, were the roles of Dindo Fernando and Herbert Bautista, (now Vice Mayor of Quezon City). They are currently auditioning new and old talents for the roles.
It was Janice de Belen who originally played the title role in “Flordeluna.” (MNS)
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SO it’s confirmed that Willie Revillame is now officially separated from his wife Liz.
Her lawyer is hotshot attorney Katrina Legarda, a champion of women’s rights. Atty. Legarda has confirmed that Liz is suffering from battered wife syndrome.
The case they filed is now under Judge Elsa de Guzman at the Q.C. Regional Trial Court. This confirms the rumor that physical violence is one of the reasons why Liz decided to call it quits with Willie.
A temporary protection order has been issued forbidding Willie to approach her and their child up to 300 meters. Liz wants to convert this into a permanent protection order which is allowed by Republic Act 9262 or Violence Against Women and Their Child Act.
This means that Liz must really be that mad against Willie or she would not have filed this prohibition against him.
“Well, she’s been properly warned pero matigas ang ulo niya at itinuloy pa rin niya ang wedding nila kahit tutol ang parents niya, lalo na ang father niya,” says someone who knows Liz.
Will the annulment be granted considering that the wedding is so recent? Remember that in the case of Amy Perez, her husband Brix Ferraris has abandoned her and their son for nine years, but the court still didn’t approve the annulment. “Well, alam mo naman dito sa atin, depende ‘yan sa lumalakad,” says our source. “We wouldn’t be surprised kung ma-grant agad ang request ni Liz sa korte as they know some very powerful people. Nakatagpo talaga si Willie ng katapat niya.”
This is Willie’s second marriage that ended in disaster after his first marriage to Princess Punzalan. The ones who are having the last laugh now are the women who filed sexual harassment cases against Willie that did not prosper in court since you know how the justice system in our country works. Liz even defended Willie then. Now, she has also filed a case against him.
As someone quips: “Talagang hindi natutulog ang Diyos.” (MNS)
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MANILA -- Television host Willie Revillame seemed unperturbed while hosting the noontime show “Wowowee” despite being evicted from their conjugal home after his estranged wife filed for a petition annulling their marriage.
Revillame had spent the night in a hotel near ABS-CBN after receiving the court order evicting him from his house in Quezon City Thursday night.
Revillame hosted “Wowowee” on Friday, offering the studio audience and those watching from their homes another fun-filled afternoon.
His wife, Liz Almoro, filed for annulment including a temporary preventive order before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 88 citing mutual psychological differences as the basis of the petition.
It was learned that the order prevents the couple from discussing the details of their separation while the case is in court.
Even the executive producer of “Wowowee” said the show’s staff are not allowed to issue statements about Revillame for 30 days.
The couple’s marriage lasted for a year and six months. They were first wed in civil rites by Lipa City Mayor Vilma Santos in March 2005. A church wedding followed three months later at the Sanctuario de San Antonio in Forbes Park, Makati.
Almoro was already pregnant with their child, Juan Emmanuel, when she and Revillame tied the knot. (MNS)
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