Chris B. Millado, 2019 Cinemalaya Festival director, said Aug. 9 that additional screenings will be made for this year’s top-grosser. The two films are: Arden Rod Condez’s “John Denver Trending” and Joji Villanueva Alonso’s “Belle Douleur.”
Ibarra C. Mateo
The 50th season of the Ballet Philippines (BP) opens with Swan Lake featuring Mariinsky Ballet principal dancer Andrey Ermakov and first soloist Elena Evseeva in two performances accompanied by live orchestra.
The Mariinsky Ballet is the resident classical ballet company of the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Founded in the 18th century and originally known as the Imperial Russian Ballet, the Mariinsky Ballet is considered as one of the world’s leading ballet companies.
Principal dancer Ermakov was a recipient of the Spirit of Dance prize in the category of “Rising Star” (Ballet Magazine, 2013). He graduated from the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in 2005 and joined the Mariinsky Ballet in 2005. He is a principal dancer since 2019.
First soloist Elena Evseeva is an “Honoured Artist” of the Udmurt Republic (2011) and 1st prize International Ballet Competition winner (Seoul, 2009). She joined the Mariinsky Ballet Company in 2008.
Swan Lake will run on the following schedule: Aug. 30, Friday, 8 pm (with live orchestra and performance by Evseeva and Ermakov); Aug. 31, Saturday, 2 pm; Aug. 31, Saturday, 7 pm (with live orchestra and performance by Evseeva and Ermakov); Sept. 1, Sunday, 2 pm and 7 pm; Sept. 7, Saturday, 7 pm; and Sept. 8, Sunday, 7 pm.
For more information, call BP at 551-1003.
Connect to Ballet Philippines online through the following social media networks:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/balletphilippines
Instagram: @balletphilippines
YouTube: balletph
Website: http://www.ballet.ph
Ballet Philippines Photo
By Ibarra C. Mateo
More than a decade ago, while I was doing research for an investigative report on how illegals drugs from foreign sources enter the country, a retired senior official showed me satellite photographs of Philippine coastal towns littered with “blocks” of drugs.
The satellite photographs displayed “blocks” of drugs in different colors, depending on what kind of illegal substance was inside the water-proof “containers”.
Syndicates, using modern speedboats, pick up illegal drugs “dropped by much bigger vessels in the high seas,” the official said. “But not all are collected, a big number are washed up, and these package end up lining the coastal towns,” the official said.
Now, Mina-Anud, a film directed by Kerwin Go closes the 2019 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival on Aug. 10. Screening will be at 9 pm, at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater).
The one-hour-and 44-minute film follows two surfers, Ding and Carlo, who must decide whether the lure of big money is worth risking family and freedom, after three tons of cocaine landed on the shores of a peaceful seaside community.
Go said the film was inspired by true events.
In 2009, in the province of Eastern Samar, waves tossed cocaine “blocks” along the shores of the province, “things turned downright surreal,” Go said.
“Being one of the poorest provinces in the country, people there lived a hand-to-mouth existence. Profits from the sale of cocaine enabled them to taste a little bit of a dream as they bought flatscreen TV sets, gadgets, motorcycles, cars, and jewelry. I was there and witnessed this first hand,” Go said.
Actors Dennis Trillo and Jerald Napoles headline the film, with special participation of Matteo Guidicelli as Paul.
The film also stars Dionne Monsanto, Elia Ilano, Anthony Falcon, Marc Felix, Mara Lopez, Lou Veloso, and Richard Manabat.
“The characters in the film are based on the director’s friends and acquaintances who gave in to the temptation of easy money. Several benefited financially. Others were not so lucky and wound up in jail, Go said.
A big fan of bungled crime and dark comedies, Go described Mina-Anud as “a black comedy film with a heart.”
The greed and corruption caused by arrival of the cocaine was a ripe breeding ground for black comedy, he said.
“They say you should make a film about something you know, and that there are stories out there that only you can tell. For me, that would be this story,” Go said.
The 2015 Cinemalaya Awards Night will be on Aug. 11, 7 pm, also at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater).
Cinemalaya Photo
By Ibarra C. Mateo
In what may be an unprecedented move, the organizers of the 2019 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival appointed four Filipino directors as members of the jury for Cinemalaya and the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC).
Dr. Andreas Ungerböck chairs the Cinemalaya jury for the full-length films in competition.
Born in 1960 in Thomasberg, Austria, Ungerböck has a degree in theatre, film, and journalism studies from the University of Vienna. He wrote his doctoral dissertation on the films of Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
In 1997, he directed a short documentary about Hong Kong cinema before the handover to China. The documentary was aired on German-French Arte Channel. He had curated several retrospectives of Asian Cinema including Hong Kong in Motion (1990, 1991, and 1995), Taipei Stories (1996), Korean Cinema (1998), Cinema Asia (2003), China Now (2004), and Asia 3D (2013). From 1994 to 2002, he was the catalogue editor for the Viennale Film Festival.
A freelance journalist since 1987, he was connected with publications such as 2006 Spike Lee (co-editor), 2009 Ang Lee (co-editor), 2012 Real America (co-editor), and Josef Hader, Filme und mehr (2017).
Currently, he is the co-publisher of ray, Austria’s second largest film magazine which deals with mainstream cinema and focuses on arthouse movies, TV series, DVD and blu-ray releases, film, books, and soundtracks.
Joining him is Korean director Park Kiyong.
After graduating from the Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA) in 1987, Park has worked on various film projects as producer and director. Films he produced include “To the Starry Island,” directed by Park Kwang-su in 1993, which was the first Korean co-production with Channel Four TV, a European company; and “Cinema on the Road,” directed by Jang Sun-woo in 1995, the Korean episode for BFI’s The Century of Cinema series.
In 2000, he also produced “Jang Sun-woo Variations,” a documentary about a controversial Korean director Jang Sun-Woo by a prominent British film critic Tony Rayns.
His films as a writer and director are: “Motel Cactus (1997)” and “Camels (2001),” which have won numerous awards including the New Currents Award at the Busan International Film Festival and the Grand Award at the Freiburg International Film Festival. His other films include: “Tears of Mokpo” (2019); “Noli Timere” (an official film of the 2018 Winter Paralympic Games); and “Old Love” (2017).
Another member of the jury is Filipino director Keith Sicat. He is the man behind notable cinematic works such as “Rigodon,” “Woman of the Ruins,” and “Himala Ngayon,” a documentary on the making of the Nora Aunor classic film directed by National Artist for Cinema Ishmael Bernal. His latest directorial work is “Alimuom,” a sci-fi film which won 3rd Best Picture at the ToFarm Film Festival and garnered two FAMAS nominations.
Working professionally as a documentary TV editor and producer in New York City early in his career, Sicat branched out to feature-length documentaries and narrative-feature films. Working in animation, he was the story consult for the first computer generated animated feature film “RPG: Metanoia” and headed the development team for the first Tagalog language Japanese anime co-production “Barangay 143” with TV Asahi.
Filipino Director Dwein Baltazar joins the Cinemalaya board. Stylist-turned-filmmaker Baltazar began her career in 2008, styling for independent films. In 2012, she made her directorial debut via “Mamay Umeng,” which was produced through a film grant from Cinema One Originals. It won the Best Picture at the 14th Jeonju International Film Festival.
She also directed two of the most celebrated films in 2018 – “Gusto Kita with All My Hypothalamus,” and “Oda Sa Wala,” both have won awards here and abroad. This year, Baltazar made waves in the digital platform with her 7-episode mini-series “Past, Present, Perfect.” Baltazar is currently writing her fourth film, to be produced by Black Sheep.
Completing the jury is Filipino Director Mes de Guzman. His film “Sa Kanto ng Ulap at Lupa (Of Skies and Earth)” won the Best Picture and Best Director in the Cinemanila 2011, while his film “Diablo” bagged the Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Asian Film (NETPAC Award) at the Cinemalaya 2012.
His latest Cinemalaya entry was “Ang Pamilyang Hindi Lumuluha,” starring actress Sharon Cuneta, in 2017.
His other films included: “Nora Aunor’s Ang Kwento ni Mabuti,” “Sitio,” and “The Road to Kalimugtong,” bagged the Altadis New Director’s Prize at the 2006 San Sebastian International Film Festival (Spain), two Best Picture awards from the Golden Screen Awards and the Festival De Cine De Los Pueblos Del Sur in Venezuela.
His short film “Batang Trapo” won the L’Etoile (Golden Star) Grand Prize for Short Film at the Festival International Du Film de Marrakech in Morocco, as well as Best Short Film at the Gawad Urian Awards, 1st Prize and Best Short Film for Children at the Gawad CCP for Film and Video, and the Ishmael Bernal Award for Young Cinema, and Cinemanila International Film Festival.
NETPAC Jury
Film advocate Indu Shrikent, filmmakers Kan Lume, and Jerrold Tarog will be the NETPAC jury members.
Shrikent will be the chairperson of the NETPAC jury. Born in 1948 in New Delhi, India, she started her film journey in 1993 when she joined Cinemaya, The Asian Film Quarterly, a journal devoted to Asian cinema, where she became the deputy editor.
For over two decades Indu has written articles on films, filmmakers, and film festivals.
A founding members of the NETPAC Indian chapter, Indu Shrikent promoted Asian cinema extensively in India by organizing film appreciation courses, screenplay workshops, and holding film weeks, culminating with the launch of the Cinefan Festival on Asian Cinema in New Delhi in 1999. She was co-director of the Cinefan Film Festival since its inception in 1999 and contributed to the steady growth of the festival in both the number of films as well as audience.
In 2012, she became the festival director of Osian’s-Cinefan Film Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema.
Indu started the Hello Cinema film club in 2013 to promote “meaningful cinema.” She was invited as director program for organizing the 19th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) in 2014.
Presently, Indu is working in Osianama Film Archive and Research Center. Her area of research is Asian Cinema.
Kan Lumé is a multi-awarded filmmaker who received his degree in film and television from Bond University in Australia, with a double major in Film.
Considered as one of the most prolific filmmakers in Singapore, he has taught film in film schools such as New York University Tisch Asia, School of Audio Engineering, Singapore Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, and Makassar SEA Screen Academy. He is an associate artist at Substation Home of the Arts, and has done commissioned works for the Embassy of Germany in Singapore, The National Gallery of Singapore, and the Asian Film Archive.
His debut feature film “The Art of Flirting” won Best ASEAN Feature at Malaysian Video Awards 2005. His 2nd film “Solos” bagged the Best Newcomer Award at Torino GLBT Film Festival. His 3rd film “Dreams from the Third World” received the MovieMax Award at Cinema Digital Seoul 2008. “Liberta” picked up special mention at Cinema Digital Seoul 2012 and the NETPAC Award at Tripoli Film Festival 2013.
“The Naked DJ” earned Kan his 2nd NETPAC award for Best Asian Film at Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival 2014. His latest film “If This Is My Story” received the Best Actor at Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival 2018.
Director Jerrold Tarog is known for his films such as “Heneral Luna” and its sequel “Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral.” His films for Cinemalaya include “Mangatyanan” (2009), the short film “Faculty” (2010), and “Sana Dati” (2013).
He is currently working on the superhero film “Darna,” produced by Star Cinema.
2019 CINEMALAYA PHOTOS
Ibarra C. Mateo
This year, the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival marks its 15th year.
The Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Cinemalaya officials and staff are holding a grand ball to welcome the Cinemalaya fans and admirers.
Organizers said they are “making a striking move when they decided to open the film festival with Lav Diaz’s “Ang Hupa (The Halt).”
The festival opens on Aug. 2, 6 pm, at the CCP Main Theater lobby. Screening of the Diaz’s film is at the CCP Main Theater.
“For the first time in the film festival’s history, Cinemalaya will screen a four-hour-and-thirty-minute film to kickstart the most anticipated cinematic event in the country,” festival organizers said.
Known for defying filmmaking traditions, Diaz has been described as “a hardcore believer of slow cinema movement, having written and produced numerous films with longest narratives.”
Also, the films of Diaz are famous for being politically charged, with themes depicting the harsh social and political realities happening in the country.
‘Creative brain’
He is the “creative brain behind some of the best independent films in recent years,” such as including “Batang West Side,” “Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis,” “Ang Babaeng Humayo,” and “Norte, the End of History.”
“Ang Hupa” made its world premiere at the prestigious Directors’ Fortnight, the non-competition section of Cannes Film Festival, in France early this year.
The film is set in the year 2034 AD. Southeast Asia has been in the dark for the last three years, literally, because the sun hasn’t shone as a result of massive volcanic eruptions at the Celebes Sea in 2031. Mad men control countries, communities, enclaves, and bubble cities. Cataclysmic epidemics razed over the continent. Millions have died and millions have left.
The Diaz’s film, a mix of sci-fi and horror, is “about death of a dictator, the death of morality, the death of truth.”
Actor Piolo Pascual, veteran director-actor Joel Lamangan, and actress Shaina Magdayao topbill the film. Joining them are actors Hazel Orencio, Mara Lopez, Pinky Amador, Susan Africa, Noel Miralles, Joel Saracho, Philip Heremans, and Gala Athena Diaz.
Organizers said they are rolling out the red carpet during the opening night, with a spectacular pre-screening program, to be directed by Chris B. Millado, the CCP artistic director and Cinemalaya festival director.
The invitational opening night kicks off the Cinemalaya 2019, which will run from Aug. 2 to 11 at the CCP venues, and from Aug. 5 to 13 at select Ayala Malls Cinemas and Vista Malls nationwide.
Following is the list of the 10 full-length films in competition:
The 10 short films in competition are:
For full screening schedule, visit the CCP website (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph).
CINEMALAYA 2019 PHOTOS
#Cinemalaya2019
#CCP
Filipina international performer Joanna Ampil headlines the Cats 2019 international tour, playing the role of Grizabella, it was announced on July 11, 2019.
Last seen in Manila in 2010, the Manila leg of Cats 2019 tour opens on Nov. 6, at The Theatre at Solaire.
Ampil had been featured in several West End musicals, such as Miss Saigon, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Avenue Q. She played the role of Fantine in Les Misérables in London.
Also on Thursday, the producers have announced the names of the full cast for the Manila season of Cats.
Joining Ampil are: Luke Fraser Yates, George Hinson, Gavin Eden, Kirsty Ingram, Elizabeth Futter, Sally Frith, Erica-Jayne Alden, Amy Whittle, Ellie Young, Holly Willock, Danielle Cato, Gabrielle Coca, Cian Hughes, Rhys Batten, Thomas Inge, Mukeni Nel, Lloyd Davies, Abigail Dever, Alexandra Wright, Elly Shaw, Liam Buckland, Lee Nicholson, and Brian O’Muiri.
Resident director is Dane Quixall.
Cats is based on T. S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, which was a collection of poems describing the “psychology and sociology of cats” published in 1939.
The muscal Cats first returned to the West End in December 2014, reuniting the original creative team: Director Trevor Nunn, Associate Director and Choreographer Gillian Lynne, Designer John Napier, and Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Following a second season at the London Palladium in 2015 and a UK Tour in 2016, the production embarked on an international tour in 2017 and now continues to tour the world throughout 2018 and 2019.
Cats, one of the longest-running shows in West End and on Broadway, received its world premiere at the New London Theatre in 1981 where it played for 21 record-breaking years and almost 9,000 performances. The production was the winner of the Olivier and Evening Standard Awards for Best Musical.
In 1983, the Broadway production became the recipient of seven Tony awards including Best Musical, and ran for 18 years.
Since its world premiere, Cats has been presented in over 30 countries, has been translated into 15 languages and has been seen by over 73 million people worldwide.
Both the original London and Broadway cast recordings won Grammy Awards for Best Cast Album.
The classic Lloyd Webber score includes Memory which has been recorded by over 150 artists from Barbra Streisand and Johnny Mathis to Liberace and Barry Manilow.
The international tour of the Cameron Mackintosh and The Really Useful Theatre production of Cats is again presented by David Ian Productions.
For inquiries, please visit http://www.catsthemusical.com
LUNCHBOX PRODUCTIONS PHOTO
By IBARRA C. MATEO
Intended or not, the three plays in this year’s Set B of Virgin LabFest15 attempt to showcase variations in life’s daily disquieting disturbances and discoveries. And the discomforts and delights they bring.
In Layeta Bucoy’s “The Unreachable Star” directed by Mara Marasigan, the bipolar disorder of a a UP Los Banos student (Ali played by Lorrie Figueroa) unravels her parents (Tatay, Raffy Tejada and Nanay Tex Ordonez-de Leon) elaborate plans for her to seek political office, which will bring in cash they badly need.
To complicate the family friction, the boyfriend of Ali’s older brother (Kuya, Reynald Santos) has also plans to vie for the same political office.
Figueroa must summon gumption in order not be bowled over by the presence of the competent Tejada, De Leon, and Santos, notably during their heated arguments.
However, Marasigan’s able direction of the Bucoy material managed to maintain the tension during the 45-minute run, without descending into melodramatic morass.
“Anak Ka Ng …” by U Z Eliserio and directed by Maynard Manansala assembles Skyzx Labastilla (Connie, the mother), Krystle Valentio (Pina, daughter of Connie), and Rafa Tibayan (Niko, boyfriend of Pina).
OFW Connie returns to the Philippines after the death of her husband, the father of Pina, to settle family matters. And she eventually meets Niko.
During the caustic confrontation between mother and daughter, years of stifled anger and resentments explode. The usual story of OFW children feeling abandoned by their fathers or mothers who went overseas to earn money to better their lives. This is the daily narrative of more than 10 million Filipinos.
Despite the stale OFW plot, Eliserio’s script spins the story in a luscious fashion, which is utilized by Manansala to optimize the acting synergy between Labastilla and Valentino. Add the short but marked appearance by Tibayan, and you have a refreshing take on the trite OFW parent-children relationship.
Of the three plays in this set, “Wanted: Male Boarders,” by Rick Patriarca and directed by George de Jesus III, taunts the audience for its licentious content.
The three long-time residents of a Cavite boarding house are Ross Pesigan (Marco), Aj Sison (Ian), and Vincent Pajara (Andrew). Melody, played by Lance Reblando, is a new, transgender boarder.
It would be narrow to categorize this latest Patriarca work as appealing to the LGBTQ community.
In Patriaca’s material, the boarding house is a metaphor for a community or a locale, where residents (in this case all males) are trying to discover who they are and what they want in life.
De Jesus, as always, fully unleashes his originality and creativity in breathing life into the pages written by Patriarca. The time lapse turns the quiet audience into a rambunctious flock.
Cheers to Reblando, Pesigan, Sison, and Pajara.
Virgin LabFest 2015 Images
Two days after the Philippines marked the 158th birthday of National Hero Jose P. Rizal, “Noli Me Tangere, The Opera” by the J and S Productions, starts its limited run at the Cultural Center of the Philippines on June 21, 2019.
It runs until June 23, 2019.
Based on Rizal’s 1887 classic novel of the same name, “Noli Me Tangere, The Opera,” world premiered in 1957, featuring the music and libretto by National Artists Felipe Padilla de Leon and Guillermo Tolentino, respectively.
For this June 2019 run, the Department of Education (DepEd), National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), CCP, and the Enrique Zobel Foundation collaborated.
One notable feature of Noli, the Opera is its orchestral arrangements, which were influenced by kundiman and the Western classical music tradition.
Noli broke box office records at the CCP with three sold-out performances last March, which have also prompted this June re-run.
Alongside the opera’s triumphant return to the CCP, is an art exhibit titled “Ang Sampung Pangarap ni Rizal,” which features the artworks of the Pasig Art Club members and other guest artists.
Part of the proceeds of the art exhibit will go to 10 different youth organizations and groups, which include Tanghalang Mandaluyong, Natasha Goulbourn Foundation, Soup Kitchen of Pasig, Phil-Asia Assistance Foundation, Gota de Leche, Pasig Catholic College Center for Culture and Arts, Sagip Batangpalengke, Teach Peace Build Peace Movement, San Pablo Apostol of Tondo Youth Ministry, and Hospicio de San Jose.
“We’re thrilled that our stage production of Felipe Padilla De Leon, and Guillermo Tolentino’s ‘Noli Me Tangere, The Opera,’ which we first produced in New York City in 2013, will be back at the CCP this weekend, which also culminates the 158th birth-anniversary week of Dr. Jose Rizal,” J and S Productions executive producers Edwin Josue and Jerry Sibal, said.
Sibal is also the show’s director and set and costume designer.
“Noli Me Tangere, The Opera’ celebrates the timeless work of our national hero and two national artists, as well as the immense talent of our young classical singers and musicians,” the said.
Co-directed with veteran theater director-playwright Jose Jeffrey Camañag, the opera features the 53-piece Noli Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Herminigildo Ranera, who will bring to life the opera’s beloved arias such as “Kay Tamis Ng Buhay,” “Awit Ng Gabi Ni Sisa,” “Gising na, O Inang Ko,” and “Sa Lupang Pangako.”
The opera stars Bianca Lopez (Maria Clara), Mheco Manlangit (Maria Clara), Nomher U. Nival (Juan Crisostomo Ibarra), Ivan Nery (Juan Crisostomo Ibarra), Joseleo Logdat (Elias, Pilosopo Tasyo), Greg Abelardo de Leon (Elias, Pilosopo Tasyo), Nil’s Flores (Padre Damaso), Ronaldo Villaruel Abarquez (Padre Damaso, Kapitan Tiago), Miguel Espiritu (Kapitan Tiago), Allison Cervantes (Sisa), Bernadette Mamauag (Sisa), Miguel Suarez (Basilio), Matteo Teehankee (Basilio), Johann Andra (Basilio), Mia Bolaños (Doña Victorina), Charina Althea Balmores (Sinang), Micah David J. Galang (Andeng), Krissan Manikan-Tan (Tiya Isabel), Rare Jireh Yzel Columna (Victoria), Paul Dominique Galvez (Albino), Santino Juan Santiago (Crispin), Jose Mari Javato (Padre Salvi), Oliver Pineda (Tenyente Guevarra), Timothy Racho (Alferez), Ruzzel Clemeno (Don Filipo), Lorenz Edward Sarondo (Linares), Renz Nathaniel Cruz (Manlilibing), and Airo Saret (Manlilibing).
They are joined by Angeli Benipayo, Cris Go, Eden Lorrice Dumlao, Erielle Fornes, Katrine Jamar Sunga, Kevin Chen, Marifel Motilla, Mavel Bautista, Michael Del Rosario, Neomi Giron, Otepp Billeza, Sheila Gamo, Via Villasin, Ray Justin Cornelio, Courtney Gormley, Grace Pedrocillo, Larian Villamarin, and Marian Maxilom.
Rounding out its creative team are Dingdong Fiel, assistant musical director and pianist; Ronan H. Ferrer, voice coach and choirmaster; Albert Figueras, co-costume designer; Dennis Marasigan, lighting designer; TJ Ramos, sound designer and engineer, and Alan Dela Rama, graphics and video designer.
“Noli Me Tangere, The Opera” tells the timeless story about love, betrayal, and hope set against a repulsive backdrop of tyranny, torture, and murder. It follows Juan Crisostomo Ibarra who returns to the Philippines after pursuing scholarly studies in Europe. He plans to open up a school and marry Maria Clara, his betrothed.
However, parish priest Padre Damaso, the archenemy of the Ibarras, is out to hinder Crisostomo’s agenda.
“Noli Me Tangere, The Opera” paints a clear picture of the so-called “social cancer” that illustrates the rotten system of governance, the illicit way of the church, and the unfavorable trade of the privileged class.
The show is performed with English supertitles.
To buy tickets, call 0915 593 4777, 0947 168 1714, CCP Box Office 02 832 3704/06, or visit https://ticketworld.com.ph/ (Official hashtags: #NoliMeTangereOpera #NoliOpera)
J and S Productions Image
Acclaimed Spanish soprano María Bayo performs on June 25, 2019, 730 pm, at the Hyundai Hall Areté, Ateneo de Manila University.
Bayo, who won the Spanish National Award for Music in 2009, will be accompanied on piano by French Maciej Pikulski.
The show offers the audience a rare opportunity to listen to songs by Spanish contemporary composers inspired by traditional music, as well as some zarzuela.
The concert in Metro Manila, organized by the Embassy of Spain in the Philippines, the Instituto Cervantes and Areté. Before coming to Manila, Bayo performed in Beijing, Tokyo, and Jakarta.
“Acclaimed for the luminosity and clarity of her voice, for her technical virtuosity and her gifts for acting and expressiveness, for two decades María Bayo has been the most internationally renowned Spanish soprano,” the Instituto Cervantes said.
“She is considered one of the best performers in the world for feminine roles by Rossini and Mozart and has sung at the Teatro Real in Madrid, La Scala in Milan, the Staatsoper in Berlin, the Bastille and Palais Garnier in Paris, the Metropolitan Opera House in New York among many others.
“Chameleon-like and leaving no stone unturned with regard to music as well as acting,” it said María Bayo has an extremely wide repertoire which spans from Händel and Cavalli to Puccini, Debussy, Poulenc and Stravinsky.
Her interest in Spanish repertoire has also led her to record a large number of zarzuelas from all ages and revive many others that had been lost in obscurity, as well as operas and chamber music, collaborating with the most outstanding and respected conductors and directors of her generation.
“Her work to find the truth of a character and its psychological rough edges to then take it through her own voice to the stage or recording studio has earned her the highest acclaim in the world of music and culture,” the Instituto Cervantes said.
Pikulski is a soloist, chamber musician, and accompanist to leading singers, who has already performed in over 300 concert halls in five continents. The specialist music press has acclaimed Pikulski for his “poetic sensitivity” and “powerful technique,” praising him as a “magnificent musician” and “great pianist.”
He holds a professorship with tenure at the Centro Superior de Música in San Sebastian, Spain.
The program of the concert will include so-called “cultured songs,” such as songs from folk music that have been arranged with new, rich harmonies in line with the style of different 20th century composers.
The musical tradition that has inspired these compositions stems from Spain but has also made a round-trip to Latin America and thus, the works by Eduard Toldrá will bring us to the Mediterranean tradition whereas Xavier Montsalvatge’s will allow us to travel to the Antilles.
The program also includes songs by Óscar Esplá, Jesús García Leoz, Antoni Parera Fons, Antón García Abril, Astor Piazzolla.
Two zarzuela pieces will complete the concert: one by Cuban composer Gonzalo Roig and another by one of the best known zarzuela composers, Francisco Asenjo Barbieri.
The concert will take place at Areté, 7.30 pm on June 25, 2019. Tickets (Balcony: Php350; Orchestra: Php500) can be obtained directly from Areté or on-line through http://www.ticket2me.net.
For further information please visit Instituto Cervantes’ website (http://manila.cervantes.es) and Facebook page (www.facebook.com/InstitutoCervantesManila). INSTITUTO CERVANTES DE MANILA IMAGE
The annual Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards (CMA), or the search for the country’s most successful microentrepreneurs, has been launched on June, 18, 2019 at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).
BSP Gov. Benjamin E. Diokno and Citi Philippines Chief Executive Officer Aftab Ahmed led the launch of the 17th CMA, which honors microentrepreneurs who have overcome poverty by partnering with microfinance institutions that support the government’s financial inclusion and enterprise development initiatives.
Funded by Citi Foundation, the nationwide search is a partnership among BSP, Cit Philippines, and the Microfinance Council of the Philippines (MCPl).
“The partnership with MCPl and Citi Philippines remains one of BSP’s cornerstones in stakeholder engagement for financial inclusion. The Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards, as the fruit of such remarkable partnership, serves as an important platform to convey the message that collaboration with a strong shared vision, coupled with responsive policies and reforms, can bring the best out of the Filipino people, ” Diokno said.
This year’s national selection committee is headed by Diokno and Ahmed and committee members include Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez, SM Investments Corporation Vice Chair Tessie Sy-Coson, Ayala Corp. President Fernando Zobel de Ayala, JG Summit Holdings President and CEO Lance Y. Gokongwei, RFM Corp. President and CEO Jose Ma. A. Concepcion III, former Philippine Daily Inquirer Chair Marixi Rufino-Prieto, UP Diliman Chancellor Michael L. Tan, Samahan ng mga Pilipina para sa Reporma at Kaunlaran Philippines President lmelda M. Nicolas, and MSME Development Council Mindanao private sector representative Mary Ann Montemayor.
“We are thrilled that after 17 years, the CMA continues to provide economic empowerment opportunities for microentrepreneurs, including a growing number of young people. We take pride in the fact that this initiative has helped us make a meaningful and lasting contribution on the diversity front. A sizeable percentage of the award recipients have been women and the program has empowered them and helped them improve the lives of their families and communities,” Ahmed said.
The CMA has significantly helped several microentrepreneurs. 2018 Youth Microentrepreneur of the Year winner Mary Grace Bayalas said, “My win at the 2018 CMA helped me expand my business. It was not only the cash prize that was important but also the skills and knowledge I acquired from the training that CMA provided. I also deeply value the connections I have made with fellow microentrepreneurs.”
The awards are open to microenterprises with assets less than P3 million. To be recognized are the CMA National winner, regional awardees from the three major island groups (Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao), Youth Microentrepreneur of the Year and three special awards that are open to different categories including agriculture, green/sustainable business, community leadership, startup micro-business, persons with disabilities, social innovation, financial technology/digital enterprise, and preservation of traditions.
The CMA national winner will receive P200,000 while the three regional awardees, youth awardee and special awardees will each get P100,000. Loan officers and MFl branch partners of the awardees will each get a cash incentive of P10,000. Semi-finalists will get a cash incentive of P10,000.00
Deadline for submission of entries is July 19, 2019. Entries should be submitted to MCPl. Finalists will be chosen by the Country Team composed of officers of Citi Philippines, MCPl and BSP. The National Selection Committee will select the winners who will be awarded on November 26, 2019.
Aside from the prizes, CMA awardees also get access to supplementary tools that can help them grow their businesses. They will receive microinsurance coverage and a nine-day entrepreneurship training at the Citi Microenterprise Development Center, a laptop each and basic computer training. They also gain automatic membership to the CMA Alumni Network to build their market connections and to participate in a mentoring program that will help them further improve their businesses.
CMA was introduced in 2002 when Citi marked its 100th year in the Philippines and in Asia. The awards program has since been adopted as a global program and introduced in over 30 countries. In the last decade, it has honored over 100 Filipinos, many of whom have grown their businesses significantly in terms of profits and assets.
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