Come to Punta Bar

Sometimes we feel lonely growing old. We’re losing our friends and having a difficult time making new ones. Sometimes I’ve wished there was a place I could go to; somewhere to meet new people and just talk. But I don’t know of any such places. Then one day, I discovered a place we call Club Lee. It is a condo up in the sky owned by Loy Ventura, a semi-retired lawyer who loves to sing.

Let me introduce the group at Club Lee — or Loy’s Harem, as we call ourselves — chronologically from the oldest to the youngest.

As a young man Loy already loved to sing. When he was studying for the bar his father gave him a reel-to-reel tape recorder and he recorded himself. When he listened he swore never to sing again. But as he grew older his cases always involved him in anger, fights, feuds. He needed something to take him away from those hostilities. Also he discovered laser discs and karaokes. He taught himself to sing. Now some folks say he sings like Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. I think he has his own wonderful style and he sings remarkably well.

All guests at his condo he encourages to sing. Sometimes they are too shy, in which case he reassures them. Other times they just don’t want to sing. He leaves them alone... for a while. And there are those who just can’t sing. A few of us are among the shy ones. However, on March 1, a few of us are going to sing publicly.

You know that I always wanted to be a torch singer, now apparently called a “lounge singer.” I take voice lessons from Papo Pardo but I am still very shy about singing. However, since Loy became my singing mentor, I must say I have somewhat improved. Fifty-six years ago I went to Lausanne, Switzerland to study. There I learned French songs and have always been perplexed. When I sing in French, my voice does not break. When I sing in English it breaks. But on March 1, I will sing La Vie en Rose and Hey, Big Spender sexily. I hope to get away with that.

Another shy lady who has recovered quite a bit is Marilou Pellicer, a very beautiful Spanish mestiza who will sing a killer Tagalog song, Kaibigan by Anthony Castelo. Marilou is very pretty, very feminine and she has a style that reminds me of Joni James though she doesn’t sound like Joni James. I’m willing to bet that if I made Marilou sing in a room full of men, she would get at least one marriage proposal from a suave gentleman who would absolutely sweep her off her feet to get her to say yes.

Then comes Maricris Heras, who used to sing when she was in school. She belonged to a group called Tinkerbells and was known for her beautiful voice. Our pianist, Edwynn Castillo, said that she sang “New Wave,” meaning only that she sings the more modern songs.

And last but certainly not the least is Chay Rodriguez, our rocker and belter, who reminds me somewhat of Tina Turner though she is more beautiful and she doesn’t sound like Tina Turner. I think maybe it’s the color of her hair. She too will sing newer songs, though not that new. 

I dare all of you readers to come and listen to us. But I must take a few steps back. For many years now I have watched our senior groups.  They have money. They have talent. But they have no place to go. I thought of putting up a place where seniors could go just to make friends and to listen to the songs they used to like, at a decibel level that does not offend their ears, as the contemporary bands do. But I didn’t know how to do it, didn’t have the money for it, didn’t know where to start.

When I met Loy the idea did not surface either, until I realized how much fun I was having at Club Lee and how it had changed my life.  Then I wanted to share that fun — the laughter, wine and song — with all the seniors around. That’s what hatched the idea of the Young-at-Heart Friends Circle at the Punta Bar, Mandala Mall, on Shaw Boulevard. Go to Shaw from EDSA. Go straight past S&R and Puregold. When you see Kentucky Fried Chicken turn left at the entrance to Mandala Bar. Go to the back and you’ll see Punta Bar. Or you could go to Shaw through 9 de Febrero, in which case Mandala Mall will be on your right. When you see KFC turn right at that entrance and proceed to the back. Lots of parking space at Punta.

On Wednesday, March 1, we will have our first night at the Young-at-Hearts Friends Circle. The doors will open at 4 p.m.  If you’re 60 and above please pay a P250 gate fee. If you’re 59 and below, please pay a P350 gate fee. Both come with a free drink. You can order anything you want and talk to anyone you want. You can also sing. But we will also sing from 6 to 9 p.m. after which you can decide whether to stay or go home and go to bed, satisfied that it is no longer so lonely to be growing old.

* * *

Please text your comments to 0998-9912287.