Last weekend, while most fans were scrambling for seats at the MOA Arena for an underwear show, fans of real musical talent cozied themselves up at The Theatre at Solaire for Jona’s Prima Jona concert with the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra.
And, much to their astonishment, the singer, showed they did not make a bad decision attending her show more than the much ballyhooed display of body and skin at the neighboring spot.
Jona Viray, one of today’s most in-demand Kapamilya singers, belted songs for her guests that paid for their tickets and braved the metrowide Saturday traffic.
The Star Music artist, now counting a dozen years in the business, teamed up with the excellent group of musicians under the baton of Gerard Salonga for an incredible show that highlighted her uniquely soulful yet powerful voice with a wide-ranging songs.
Joining the Birit Queen was one of her idols and music inspiration, Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez-Alcasid, as her special guest for a vocal showdown like no other.
Jona’s major concert caps off a yearlong of successes, which began when she introduced her eponymous album for Star Music in February, followed by the sold-out Birit Queens concert at MOA Arena and tour in Dubai and USA.
Three of her songs made it to BillboardPH Top 20 in June, including “Maghihintay Ako,” “Pusong Ligaw,” and “You.” Both “Maghihintay Ako” and “Pusong Ligaw” peaked at no. 3 and have remained in the charts for 22 weeks now.
Her songs are likewise big hits on YouTube, with “Pusong Ligaw” video now with 17 million views, “Maghihintay Ako” with 8 million views, and “You” lyric video with almost 7 million views.
She also bagged the Song Of The Year trophy for “Maghihintay Ako” in the MOR Pinoy Music Awards in August and also became the Best Female Recording Artist in the Alta Media Icon Awards held on Oct. 6. She was also hailed as “Most Influential Performer,” together with “Birit Queens” Morissette, Klarisse de Guzman and Angeline Quinto in the 7th EdukCircle Awards.
Jona is currently part of Himig Handog 2017 as one of the interpreters for the songwriting competition. She sings “Sampu,” an entry by Raizo Chabeldin and Biv De Vera.
Her sold-out Queen of the Night concert in November last year in KIA Theater paved the way for the singer to have another major show this year, in a grander stage at The Theatre at Solaire this time, for bigger performances complemented by the full orchestra.
* * *
The executive committee of the annual Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), last Friday, announced the four movies completing this year’s entries to the Metro Manila Film Festival,
National Artist Bienvenido Lumbera read out the titles along with the production companies behind the films and the stars that are in it.
The announcement was made at the Club Filipino in Greenhills with members of the press, and other media entities in attendance.
The four films are:
1. Deadma Walking (TRex Productions) – starring Joross Gamboa and Edgar Allan Guzman
2. Siargao (Ten17 Productions) – starring Erich Gonzales, Jericho Rosales, and Jasmine Curtis-Smith
3. Haunted Forest (Regal Entertainment– starring Jane Oineza, Jameson Blake, Maris Racal, and Jon Lucas
4. Ang Larawan (Culturtain Musicat Productions) – starring Rachel Alejandro, Paulo Avelino, and Joanna Ampil.
The four films join four others earlier announced by the committee in June – Coco Martin’s Ang Panday, Vice Ganda’s Gandarrapiddo: The Revenger Squad (originally titled The Revengers), Vic Sotto’s Meant To Beh, and All of You (formerly known as Almost Is Not Enough) starring Jennylyn Mercado and Derek Ramsay.
This year’s selection of entries is not without the usual controversy that mars the annual MMFF. Earlier in the year, four members of the executive committee resigned – Rolando Tolentino, Ricky Lee, Kara Magsanoc Alikpala, and Ed Lejano –resigned due to differences with the other members of the committee in the selection process.
As we see it, this year’s entries is a balance of highly commercial stuff, e.g. Meant To Beh, Gandarrapido, Ang Panday, the esoteric, e.g. Ang Larawan, and MOR (middle of the road), eg. Deadma Walking, Siargao, Haunted Forest, to please critics that complained of the kind of films the festival chose in the previous year, and to ensure that this year’s festival of local movies earn higher revenues for its beneficiaries.
The festival will kick off on December 23 to be hosted by the City of Muntinlupa where the Parade of Stars will be held. The awards night is on December 27.
* * *
A new talent management group –3:16 Events and Talent Management Company – introduced five young men – Marco, Karl, Sean, Clay and Josh – to members of the press last Saturday at the Circcle Events place as its flagship talents as it tries to swim in the waters of show business.
According to Kathy Obispo and Len Carillo, the boys underwent intensive training in acting with the PETA, voice lessons and personality development training.
“Ayaw namin na half-baked o hilaw ang Clique5 kapag isinalang namin sila.
Gusto namin prepared sila at ready talaga sa mundong papasukin nila,” the two said.
For its debut album, the management hired the services of award-winning songwriter (2014 Himig Handog P-Pop Love Song winner) Joven Tan who wrote the song “Tuwing Pasko” for the group, now available for streaming from music websites..
Other tunes Tan penned for the group include “Bakit Hindi?” and “Pwede Ba, Teka Muna” now on good rotation on various radio shows.
Three of the members were from the Circle of 10 search – Josh, Karl, Sean and Marco – the same search that launched the careers of Jennylyn Mercado, Jason Abalos, and Dion Ignacio in show business.
Music graduate Vienna-born Clay had been hand picked to join the four earlier members.