Nora is like Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who has endured demo after demo, coup plot after coup plot, resignation after resignation of cabinet members and yet, she remains the President of the Philippines. Same with Nora, the queen of endless heartaches. Dumaan na yata si Nora sa lahat ng pagsubok sa buhay. Totoo matutumba siya sa lakas ng dagok sa buhay pero babangon at babangon muli para makibaka sa daigdig na ito na puno ng intriga at mapagimbot na kaluluwa. Yan si Nora Aunor, ang paborito ng Pilipinong masa hanggang ngayon. I have proven that when Nora had a concert in Seattle, “The Power of Two,” with Kuh Ledesma. During the show’s press conference, Nora’s fans screamed on top of their voices. They simply adored her. Wala pa ring kupas si Nora. Hanggang saan kaya lalagi si Nora sa ganitong buhay?

Yes, La Aunor is bouncing back. I talked to Suzette Ranillo the other day and she told me that they are doing a road show of Nora’s movie, CareHome filmed in the United States. CareHome’s executive producer is a friend of mine, Juni Ramillo. He is based in San Francisco. For those who may not know, Juni, Suzette, and Mat Ranillo are children of the Visayan movie actress, Gloria Sevilla. The cast of CareHome includes Gloria Sevilla, Rebecca Quintana, Dranreb Belleza, Leilani Navarro, Juni Ranillo, Glenda Kennedy, Jo Awayan, Thage Montecarlo, Justin Fernandez, and Divina Valencia, considered a “sex bomb” during my time.

CareHome is the story of a Filipina caregiver, Claudia (Nora Aunor), who moves her mother, Corazon (Gloria Sevilla) to the home where she works. Her mother feels hurt and unloved. Like Many Filipinos, Corazon believes a care home is tantamount to rejection. Corazon refuses to forgive and reconcile with Claudia. Eventually, mother and daughter come to a crossroad in their relationship, and Corazon faces an important decision for her future.

Suzette’s project would include a road show not just in the United States but in Europe as well. She plans to bring her mom, Gloria Sevilla, and Divina Valencia because she is sure our overseas kababayans would still love to see them. Both Gloria and Divina have been in the film industry for a long time and they are considered icons in the field of acting. Suzette mentioned in our conversation that the premier night of CareHome in San Francisco was a success. The audience cried and laughed. “I intend to share the movie to as many people as we could,” said Suzette. “This is our story, the Filipino immigrants.”

The other day, I received an email from Danny Cobarrubias promoting the forthcoming concert of Nora Aunor, “Mula sa Puso.” The concert date is September 16, 2006, 7:30 p.m., at the Ikea Performing Arts Center. For tickets, call (206) 295-7393 or email ritzleyproduction@yahoo.com.

Kasama ko ang maraming mambabasa ng aking column na dumadalangin na sana magpatuloy ang mabuting kapalarang dumarating ngayon sa buhay ni Nora Aunor. Sana makabawi si Nora sa tinatawag niyang, “lowest point” in her life. She is no longer young. It’s about time she thinks about a future when she can no longer be active in the entertainment world. Marami akong kilala na dating mga sikat sa larangan ng pelikula na ngayon ay mga naghihirap sa buhay. Nung panahon ng kanilang kasikatan, para silang walang kamatayan. Ubos biyaya, wika nga ng mga matatanda. It’s too late when they realized that they should have saved for the rainy days.

One of the highlights of my birthday party on October 6 is the performance of the University of the Philippines Concert Chorus (UPCC). For the finale, I am doing a special number with the UPCC. To better prepare myself for this event, I am taking voice lessons with Julie Cascioppo.

I am so fortunate to have met Julie. She is very thorough in her teaching techniques. She teaches not only voice but also body projection and how to emote to a song’s mood.

Julie is the daughter of a Sicilian meat cutter and a cool blonde Norwegian beauty. Julie grew up in Seattle’s multiethnic Ballard neighborhood and attended Western Washington University.

“There was music playing constantly in my house. My parents played all the great singers on their stereo – Frank Sinatra, Jerry Vale, Dinah Washington, and Mel Torme. It was bombarded into my psyche. I didn’t have any choice,” said Julie of her involvement in music.

“I was on a holiday in the Caribbean and a French father and son heard me sitting in with the hotel band and he told me I should come to Paris. So I did,” Julie narrates. She stayed in Europe for four years. Among the venues she played were fashionable and chic clubs like Le Palace, Les Bouchones, the Hollywood Savoy, the Hotel Lafayette, the Hotel George V, the Plaza Athenee and a cozy piano bar amid the lacy iron girders of the Eiffel Tower.

Julie has performed in Istanbul, Rio del Janeiro, Bangkok, Hong Kong, London, Hamburg, Sicily, Brussels, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Ketchikan, the Canary Islands, and on board international cruise ships. She told me she would like to visit Manila.

In 2002, Julie reinvented herself as a more integrated solo artist. “All the creativity I used to put into my characters, I now try to put into my focus, into my tunes.”
That’s Julie Cascioppo. Her contact number is 206.286.2740 in case you want to take voice lessons.