Instant Singers

Manila being a city of surprises, ambassadors and their ladies surprised their audience at The Manila Hotel as they sang for a good cause–the Linis-Ganda program chaired by Narda Camacho who, in fact, had turned the diplomatic corps into instant singers.

Performing with varying degrees of enthusiasm and vocal skill were Saku Karunasiri, Michelline Jess, Irmgard Krepela, Soomchit Philakone, Binh Slavicky, Marianna Hubbard, Clara Colesanti, Consuls Fortune Ledesma and Evie Costa. They filled the air with Broadway hits; Thai Ambassador Busba Bunnag sang Dahil sa Iyo by memory and Saku Karunasiri, a Philippine medley.

A real "pro", Brazilian Counsellor Carlos Carvalho didn’t surprise anyone with two Spanish songs.

Manila mayors’ wives headed by Corazon Abalos, Mrs. Vince Perez, wife of the Energy Secre-tary, also became instant singers.

Artists Napoleon Abueva, Allan Cosio and Rafael Pacheco, journalist Nestor Mata and jeweller Benjie Yap were likewise sporting vocalists. DENR Secretary Sonny Alvarez danced to his own choreo-graphy; dilg Sec. Joey Lina similarly awed the audience with "The Impossible Dream", thus summing up the evening’s message: with Narda as "impresario", nothing is impo-ssible.

Earlier, German’s Ambassador Herbert D. Jess continued his own role as "impresario" by presenting concert pianist Leonor Kilayko in a recital soon after he had exhibited paintings by the celebrated Manuel D. Baldemor. Miss Kilayko, who has studied and concertized in Germany, inevitably interpreted German composers Beethoven, Handel, Schumann, Brahms and Mendelssohn.

Hearty applause came from, among others, Vince and Tina Carlos, Lourdes Morales, Ambassador Enrique and Letty Syquia, Jose M. Cruz, SJ, Klaus and Pinky Zeller, Nedy Tantoco, Patrick Jacinto, Oscar and Connie Lopez, Ramon Ilusorio and Nanding Josef.