The Baron and his Bride
When dashing lst Capt. Arnulfo Rogado Ramirez, the “Baron” of PMA class ’57, won the heart of pretty Chini Nakpil Tapales 50 years ago, it was a romance that captured the hearts of everyone who knew the couple.
They were perfect for each other, the strong, ram-rod straight, top-of-the-class Peemayer Ramy and the lady-like Maryknoller Chini, daughter of violinist and UP College of Music Dean, Prof. Ramon Tapales. The happiest among Ramy’s batch was another young officer, now Executive Secretary, Eddie Ermita.
You see, he played “Cupid’ to the two and when Chini and Ramy celebrated their golden anniversary with a Mass and dinner at the Club Filipino recently, he proudly confessed his role in the match.
Ramy’s classmates who attended the celebration included Gen. Rolando Pattugalan, Gen. Tagumpay Jardiniano, Gen. Rene de Villa. Principal sponsors included Manolo Lopez, Eddie Ermita, Antonio Puyat, engineer Ernesto Villaluna, Yvonne Yuchengco, Dr. Isabel Nadal, Annabel Brown and Edith Nakpil Rabat. Secretary Ermita escorted the couple’s only daughter Rhia.
Only son Bombit read a love letter from his dad to his mom when they were married 50 years ago and there was not a dry eye in the crowd of friends and relatives, especially the bride who had preserved the hand-written missive.
Following in his famous great grandfather’s musical steps, the couple’s only grandson, Nicolo, played the violin during the evening.
Alicia in wonderland
Music-loving Pinoys have a monumental reason to be giddy about: world-renowned rhythm and blues, soul and neo-soul artist Alicia Keys is coming to
This forthcoming rendezvous with her Filipino fans promises a heftier line-up of intoxicating tunes from her latest studio album As I Am. In her third offering, Keys satisfies the need for meaning and depth in every song while venturing into her own unique interplay of soul, R&B and hip-hop. Diversity comes into play with upbeat melodies such as No One and Teenage Love Affair, and endearing ballads such as Superwoman and Prelude To A Kiss. This superb offering should up the ante of the usual musical fare that Keys already masterfully delivered to her Pinoy audience in her first concert in the
Milestones
American singer-songwriter, pianist and actress Keys has won the hearts of legions of fans all over the world, having sold over 25 million albums worldwide and earning numerous distinctions including 11 Grammy Awards, 17 Billboard Music Awards, three American Music Awards and 14 NAACP Image Awards.
Keys (or Alicia J. Augello-Cook) has been playing the piano since age seven, performing classical pieces such as Beethoven, Mozart and Chopin.
She began her musical career with her debut album Songs in A Minor, which sold over 10 million copies worldwide. It featured the chart-topping single Fallin’ and was awarded a record of five Grammy awards in a single night.
Keys soon followed her first album with The Diary of Alicia Keys, which sold over 618,000 copies worldwide making Keys the sixth biggest-selling album by a female artist and the second biggest selling album by a female R&B artist. The album is widely remembered for its popular hits such as If I Ain’t Got You and You Don’t Know My Name, earning her four Grammy Awards.
In 2007, Keys launched her third studio album entitled As I Am, which debuted No. 1 on the charts. The top single No One showed the world that Keys is back in her element, earning her the “Best Female R&B Vocal Performance” and “Best R&B Song” at the Grammy Awards this year.
Big Event, Big Venue
Alicia Keys Live In Manila 2008 will be staged at the open-field area of the SM Mall of Asia, the country’s largest entertainment venue. Given Keys’ huge global following, this rare production is expected to draw massive crowds that this new and expansive facility at the SM Mall of Asia can ideally hold. Filipino music aficionados will be spellbound by Keys in a grand outdoor setup that guarantees a musical milestone without limiting access.
(To reserve tickets, call TicketWorld at 891-9999 and call for sponsorship inquiries, call MTV Philippines at 706-1580.)
(You may e-mail me at [email protected])
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