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For the past 21 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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This website includes selected articles from this week's edition of the Filipino Express. Not all the stories published in the printed version appear on this site.
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(Ted Reyes is a musician, composer, record producer and journalist based in NYC. If you have any comments you can visit his website at www.tedreyes.com or email him at tedreyes@mac.com)
I FINISHED reading “This is your Brain on Music” by Daniel Levitin and I like it very much. I wouldn’t think of music the same way again.
One theory that really etched a deep groove into my view of music is his theory about music’s role in the evolution of the human species. According to Levitin, Charles Darwin himself thought music precedes language in importance in the adaptive capabilities of our species to survive.
Levitin supposes that music is directly related to procreation. In simple terms, music gets people laid. Musical talent is a big turn on– even bigger than wealth. In an interesting experiment to prove this theory, a group of scientists observed a number of women during their fertile periods. The purpose is to know their motivations in selecting the man that would father their offspring. The scientists made these women choose between two fictional males: One–a musician male with little financial resources, and the other, a rich but artistically challenged male.
Surprisingly, 80% of these women chose the musician with no money than the financially secured male. The reason being, artistic qualities are embedded in the genes and will certainly pass on to the offspring, while financial and material wealth are accidental attributes that does not necessarily translate to a better human specie. This instinctive behavior, according to these scientists, is instilled in our genes and a product of thousands of years of human evolution.
The scientists believe that these women believe that choosing the musician would give their offspring a better chance of survival through stronger gene makeup. Yes, better genes make better people, right? Hence, between Mick Jagger and Bill Gates, women would always go for ‘Satisfaction.’
We could only appreciate music’s role in the evolution of the human species if we go back to pre-history. Archaeologists have found flutes made of bones and percussion instruments made of animal teeth. And these pre-historic humans were certainly surrounded by females who also had the same instinct to carry the child of these talented people to make their offsprings better species.
Music has evolved with our species because it is essential to our survival, said Levitin. Perhaps, that explains why the dinosaurs were wiped out of this planet. Perhaps, they just couldn’t get their groove going.
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MANILA -- Megastar Sharon Cuneta said her daughter KC Concepcion and actor Richard Gutierrez are just good friends. Cuneta made the statement in response to reports that Concepcion and Gutierrez are now partners on and off the screen. The two will star in an upcoming movie by Star Cinema.
"It is her first movie. She's nervous but excited. And she's happy to be working with Richard, who she is not dating by the way. They are good, good friends. I'm proud to say that they have good, good heads on their shoulders," Cuneta said.
"They know their priorities that's why lalo kong nirespeto si Richard. They know that it is not the right time to get into anything so they are friends," Cuneta added.
When asked if she will allow Richard to court her daughter, Cuneta said, "Oo. Anak ni daddy groovy ko iyan at saka ni Tita Annabelle at kung siya ay kasing disente ni Tonton wala akong problema sa buhay kung sila."
Cuneta is proud that her daughter is making her own mark in the world of showbusiness.
"Ako I'm very happy proud and happy. I made it very clear from the beginning that there's a very clear distinction between KC's career and my career. We are not a package deal- never were and never will be.
"Ang dali-dali to do a movie with your daughter and we always encouraged and supported yung kagustuhan niyang to make her own mark and make a name for her self and get out of the shadow of her mom, papa, dad," she said.
She is also happy that her daughter has taken on the role of being a celebrity like a natural.
"She has done it successfully first as an endorser and I'm glad actually that she's enjoying herself which she really had no choice. She had no choice between staying, becoming a private person and being a celebrity.
"She became a celebrity from the moment she was conceived so I'm happy that she's enjoying it. She just embraced it I think," Cuneta said. (MNS)
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MANILA -- LEA Salonga is celebrating her 30th year in showbiz with a special two-night anniversary concert, “Lea, My Life... On Stage,” at the PICC Plenary Hall on May 23 and 24, 8 p.m. There’s really much to celebrate as she’s the most successful Filipino entertainer in the international music scene, having won such prestigious honors as the Tony and Olivier Awards.
“I was six years old when I first auditioned for Repertory’s ‘The King and I’,” she recalls. “My cousin Ria Barredo told my mom about it and so we went to Insular Life Auditorium and I sang ‘Do Re Mi’. Then I was asked to recite a poem but I don’t know any so I recited my Girl Scout’s oath. After which, I shouted to my mom who’s at the back: ‘How did I do?’ My mom was so embarrassed but Tita Bibot (the late Rep stalwart Zeneida Amador) said in her booming voice, ‘You did fine, now get off the stage’. Oh how I miss Tita Bibot.”
It was in 1989 that she played Kim in London’s “Miss Saigon.” She eventually also played in Broadway then went on to do more musicals like “Les Miz” (where she played Eponine and later, Fantine) and “Flower Drum Song.”
“Being able to look back to my 30 years of performing is a great opportunity for me to show to the audience how much fun I’ve been having during my entire career. And I’m glad my brother Gerard will be with me at the concert because he was there beside me in all the highlights of my career, from the first night of ‘Miss Saigon’, the awards nights I attended, and we’ve both made sacrifices for one another. But as envisioned by my director, Freddie Santos, the concert will not be just a looking back at the past but also a look at my present and into the future. That’s why the process of song selection for the concert is quite arduous because I want to show in all my songs my emotional connections with them as it also reflects my personality, even my wicked sense of humor. But, if during the show, something touches my emotions, then I’ll also just let the tears flow.”
What would she have been had she not made it internationally?
“I don’t know. I was taking up pre-med when I auditioned for ‘Miss Saigon’. I would have probably gone on to be a doctor. But obviously, God has planned my life, so I don’t want to dwell on the what might have beens. I just feel so blessed that I’m doing something I really love and I’ve never wanted to quit because this business has been very good to me and my family.”
Lea will be performing not only with Gerard as musical director but also the Filharmonika and guest artists Menchu Yulo, Chari Arespacochaga, Analin Bantug, Robbie Guevarra, Michael Williams and Raul Montessa. You can visit the concert website on www.mylifeonstage.com and get your tickets at Ticketworld, 891-9999. This is one musical event you really shouldn’t miss.(MNS)
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MANILA -- In popular mythology, goddesses–known locally as dyosa or mga dyosa– are described as women who are possessed of an almost unnatural beauty. However, that’s not all they have to recommend them. They are a rare breed, one that can balance beauty with strength of character.
Since no other female star in local showbiz fits that description better than Anne Curtis, it is fitting that she has been tapped to star in "Dyosa." The show’s drumbeaters say it is one of the biggest and most expensive fantaseryes mounted by ABS-CBN.
"Dyosa" is the story of a girl who discovers that she is descended from the legendary Mariang Sinukuan and
Bernardo Carpio, two of Philippine folklore’s most powerful figures. Apart from her origin, she also discovers that she has power over three elements –land, air and sea. Again, this is fitting because as her character can shift from one element to another with ease, Anne is a versatile actress who can shift from comedy to drama to fantasy with little to no effort at all.
Aside from "Dyosa," Anne is riding high on the box-office success of "When Love Begins…," her movie with heartthrob Aga Muhlach. Her performance earned plaudits from fans and critics, who said her acting was effortless. Result? The movie earned P50 million in its first five days in theaters–not bad for a local movie facing stiff competition from a slew of Hollywood films!
Says Anne of her movie’s success, "I’m very happy that it’s done this well. This is my first real mature film role, so I’m proud that the fans and the critics have received it as well as they did. I’m also very thankful that Aga chose me to be his leading lady. It’s an honor I’ll treasure forever."
The stellar performance of "When Love Begins…," coupled with the success of her previous movie "Ang Cute ng
Ina Mo"–which has just been certified as one of the biggest earners in the history of Philippine cinema–has made Anne a force to be reckoned with in terms of box-office success. FYI, some quarters are saying that Anne’s irresistible sex appeal helped make "When Love Begins…" such a success. Male moviegoers who would normally have to be dragged into a movie theater by their girlfriends to watch something like this have actually done so more than once–of their own volition, mind you. (We suspect that the many shots of Anne in a bikini had something to do with that.) Viva and Star Cinema are already sifting through tons of scripts to find suitable material for her next movie.
"I’m sure whatever they will come up with will be great," says Anne. "Star Cinema did well choosing ‘When Love Begins…,’ so I’m confident they can do it again."
Anne is truly an actress in every sense of the word– someone whose dedication to her craft shines through all that she does. (Kind of like a young Vilma Santos, don’t you agree? (MNS)
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MANILA -- Matinee idols Piolo Pascual and Sam Milby have dropped the P12- million libel case they lodged against entertainment columnist and talent manager Lolit Solis.
Pascual and Milby formally withdrew the case against Solis after the columnist made a full retraction in her column published in the Pilipino Star Ngayon tabloid.
Aside from the retraction, Solis also apologized to the two top actors of ABS-CBN at the sala of Judge Jose Mendoza of the Manila Regional Trial Court branch 55. The apology was made in front of Pascual’s and Milby’s manager Johnny Manahan and their legal counsel Joji Alonzo. Both camps have also agreed never to discuss the case again.
On May 7, the two actors went to the Department of Justice to get an assurance from Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez that their libel case against Solis will be treated fairly after they received information about the columnist’s supposed connection inside the department. (MNS)
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MANILA -- Life, and love, can be cruel even to movie stars.
An obviously hurting and devastated Jericho "Echo" Rosales gave a television interview that was simply painful to watch. At one point, Echo was asked if he's angry. Echo replied that he's not, then immediately said that yes, he could be. Then said he's “cool.” He admitted that he's still in denial over Heart breaking up with him.
When asked about his rumored affairs with co-stars in two projects, Echo flatly denied the rumors and said Heart was influenced by false accusations made by some people he did not identify.
Talk has it that American actress Brianna Evigan, whom Echo worked with in "I Luv U Virus," a Holywood flick, and Malaysian actress Carmen Soo, a co-star in a Malaysian soap opera, were the reasons Heart broke up with him.
"I know where all this is coming from. It's all because of the things being told to her, the lies,” the actor explained.
Echo said that for the interview, he wore clothes and accessories that were all gifts to him from Heart. He showed Abunda two necklaces, a ring that "are not expensive but very valuable" because they came from Heart. Even the shirt he was wearing was from Heart.
"I'm full of Heart right now. Heart is written all over my whole personality and character," Echo said.
Echo also denied that their break-up had something to do with Heart's decision to move from ABS-CBN to rival network GMA-7. He said that he does not want to discuss rumors that Heart's parents are involved in the break-up. Throughout their three-year relationship, it was common knowledge that Heart's parents, who are restaurant chain magnates, objected to the match.
"I know how parents are, and I'm touched how much Heart’s parents love her. They have wonderful dreams for Heart and I'm sorry that our relationship got in the way of their dreams for her," Jericho said, already in tears.
Echo also said that he's fine with some showbiz pundits' analysis that his relationship with Heart was bad for both their careers, since the public never accepted their tandem, either onscreen or off. (MNS)
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