SYNCHRONICITY TAKES YASMIEN KURDI. How do you go on a Valentine’s date when you are the the lead actress of a drama series set to pilot during Love Month?
In the case of Yasmien Kurdi, lead actor of GMA 7’s new afternoon drama series Hindi Ko Kayang Iwan Ka as helmed by Neil Del Rosario that pilots on February 26, she has no option but to do it by chance. It so happened that her husband, pilot Rey Soldevilla Jr., was flying to Japan on said day and she had a taping break so they took the opportunity to spend it in romantic Japan as his Valentine’s gift to his lovely wife.
“Sabi ng husband ko, hindi raw naman niya matitiis na malamig ang Hearts Day ko. Kahit super lamig ngayon sa Japan, no problem dahil kasama ko ang asawa ko. We will enjoy mag-loving-loving doon,” Yazmien coyly admits.
Aside from Yasmien, Mike Tan, Jackie Rice and Martin del Rosario make up the lead cast. Ms Gina Alajar leads the supporting cast with Ina Feleo, Charee Pineda, Seth dela Cruz, Caprice Cayetano, Mike “Pekto” Nacua, Sharmaine Centera-Buencamino and and Catherine Rem.
A preview of the advocacy series clipped to “advocaserye” in the grand presscon of Hindi Ko Kayang Iwan Ka revealed a clear and clean videography that assures viewers’ satisfaction. It is full of highlights that will engross followers with the narrative.
‘LOST BOYS’ FIND HOME. It’s official! Tale of the Lost Boys director Joselito Altarejos’ new Taiwan-shot feature headlined by millennials Oliver Aquino and Taiwanese actor Ta Su will have its Philippine premiere in competition at the Sinag Maynila 2018 from March 7 to 13.
His first Asian film, Tale of the Lost Boys traces the gay gender preference as based in the separation from their mothers regardless of nationality and how they can find their identity in reconcialation.
Featured at the 4th & Proud Yangon Film Festival in Myanmar from February 1 to 4, Tale of Lost Boys is director Jay’s reboot to gender films that expose the LGBT experiences and culture for the desired acceptance in society. He got his wish to have a theatrical run in the Philippines.
FRANCIS M AND THE SMITHS IN UKELELE. Over 150 fuchsia-topped Ukulele Underground Philippines musicians from three generations of different levels (beginners/ intermediate/ advanced) performed together some of Original Pilipino Music’s best-loved hits in Pasinaya 2018 on February 4, 2018 at the CCP open grounds.
The all-Pinoy repertoire listed the rousing mashup of Heber Bartolome/Francis M’s “Tayo’y Mga Pinoy”/“Mga Kababayan” and covers of Sugarfree’s “Hari ng Sablay,” Aegis’ “Halik” and VST & Company’s “Tayo’y Magsayawan.”
Kawayan 7 rendered two original compositions, “Ewan Ko Ba” and “Ako’y Pinoy Ika’y Pinoy” plus two covers. “Himig ng Pag-ibig” in reggae version & “Kaleidoscope World.” Para sa Sining (Alpas/Adinkra Lumads Djembe Community/Pintig) also presented Spoken Word with original World Music songs with the audience joining in the sing and dance along.
This was organized and they were tutored by Filipino culture forward Lawyer Dulce Punzalan of Kawayan 7 band.
A sub-genre of the acoustic idiom that evolved in Hawaii, the ukulele sound is now the acclaimed music trend of millennials in the metro. Millennials feel cool and cerebral playing the handy nylon-stringed, easy-on-the-fingers guitar.
With Moira Dela Torre’s “Titibo-tibo,” the ukulele-driven fun track as plucked by Lolito Go about a young lesbian behaving like a lady upon falling in love with a guy, bagged First Prize at “Himig Handog 2017.” It is now the music motif of the Jodi Sta. Maria, Robin Padilla and Richard Yap starrer, “Sana Dalawa Ang Puso.”
Perennials attribute the craze to the fascination of two Beatles for the downsized instrument. Paul McCartney crossfades with ukulele notes in the solo-recorded track of “Ram On.” George Harrison fades out with ukulele chords in the “Beatles’” digital rework of the John Lennon composition, “Free As A Bird.” In the George tribute, Paul introduced the Quiet Beatle’s best song, “Something,” with a ukulele.
Eugene Domingo gets to express cinematic heartbreaks strumming the ukulele while dubsmashing Jona’s “Forever if Not Enough” in “Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 2.” She is spotted strumming and/or holding that she had claimed as her own by giving it the pet mane of “ugelele” every chance in her GMA 7 shows. This revival is really up with us.
Perhaps a reaction against loud music, “Pagod na ang tenga ng tao sa booming music – pagod na ang soul natin kaya we seek for an alternative form,” theorizes acknowledged jazz guitarist Bobby Fider.
No doubt death metal guitarist Rio Bertillo Mata of Neverending band, a regular source of music details for this writer, has no input on this issue.
But not Bobby. “Music, as in all art, is a matter of action and reaction. Good art transcends spacetime. The uke has been around since... forever. And its revival attests to the rightful place in world music history,” he shares.
In his case, its soothing sound serves as “a great stress reliever” especially when played by his daughter, the self-efficient singer/musician Christi Fider who just released a ukulele adaptation of LANY’s “Yea, Baby No Way.”
We’ll find out soon enough if Cristi picks dad’s offer to coach her in uke-playing.
DESIRING TO GROPE COCO MARTIN? Apo Whang-Od, traditional tattooist of Buscalan, Kalinga, Mountain Province, so badly wanted to practice her art of batok on Coco Martin, the lead actor of FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano and the new Ang Panday. They finally met in a posh hotel in Quezon City when she was airlifted to the metro by helicopter to join a traditional art showcase.
But she failed to mark him as he had no time. For sure, it’s that or Coco does not want to frustrate the old artist who has this habit of groping male clients. Dakma? Yes, this freebie of feeling about with certainly, not uncertainty, his crotch with the hand.
The reported 100-year-old mambabatok attracts locals and foreigners who want to get inked by her as she can get extinct anytime soon, taking with her the bragging rights to witness or experience how she executes her rare art.
Most famous for her tattooing art, she is also said to be notorious for her habit of grabbing the crotches of her male guests. I thought the old lady who loves wearing flower-print pant with her Igorot accessories is a groper. I took this asempty buzz until Nhoie Gurrobat posted on Facebook an unapologetic album doing her “art,” a naughty grin on her heavily wrinkled face, her dentures showing.
It is the kind of lurid tale shared by her unwitting victims. In this age of mobile phones, their companions keep evidence of Apo Whang-Od caught in the act, shared on Facebook without hesitation.
Nhoie collected all the ‘dakma’ photos floating on social media to show the naughty side of the self-claimed, 100-year-old tattoo artist, who has not claimed her century-old benefits as she has not presented her birth certificate.
Although it looks like it is not entirely against the will of her mostly half-naked male clients as shown in the 10 or so photos in the file, they appear surprised and letting out tremendous nervousness with a polite smile, some with a wild scream.
Does she derive pleasure from it? She gets away with the shocking act as play, no doubt, because of her advanced age. But the frequency in which she does it strongly suggests it is part of her ritual — or it is already an addiction?