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Thanks to ‘rondalla’ tradition, Filipino folk music lives on
By Ludy Astraquillo Ongkeko, Ph.D. Music is a lot of things to a lot of people. But to Filipino Americans it is a well-cherished tradition over time. And to pioneers of lovers of string instruments, their music is their universal language that has won many hearts worldwide. Tradicion Rondalla was born in 1995 in the […]
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Leila Benitez McCollum re-emerges, wins Empowerment Award
By Cristina DC Pastor She is not a recluse, and neither is she driven to staying private and mysterious. She attends mass at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament on West 71st, hosts family dinners in her Manhattan apartment, and played golf every once in a while. Last year, she made sure to attend a […]
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Intriguing plot, heart-pounding action in ‘Mission Impossible’
By Wendell Gaa I recently had the joy of taking my parents out to the movies to see the latest installment to Tom Cruise’s popular “Mission Impossible” espionage film series. As I hoped for and expected, the movie was superbly entertaining. When it comes to Tom Cruise, one of Hollywood’s most bankable leading men since […]
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The riotous Minions: In search of a worthy leader
By Wendell Gaa We are in the middle of the summer movie season, and that can only mean we can expect to see more family-friendly features from Hollywood on the big screen. Alas, we need not look further than the newly-released “Minions,” from the same studio that brought us all the riotously funny “Despicable Me” […]
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‘Heneral Luna’ premieres at Asian American film festival
The historical film “Heneral Luna,” directed by Jerrold Tarog, will make its world premiere at the 38th Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF) to be held July 23 to August 1 at various venues in Manhattan and Queens. Following the life of one of Philippine history’s most brilliant military men, “Heneral Luna” is the story […]
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When emotions battle for control, which one wins?
By Wendell Gaa One of my favorite attractions at Disney’s EPCOT Center in Orlando, Florida was this very amusing audio-animatronic show called “Cranium Command,” where you as the audience get to experience the inner workings of an everyday school boy by literally seeing how the inside of his brain operates, wherein his body parts are […]
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Singing along, holding hands at an Air Supply concert
By Grace Labaguis I grew up grooving to ‘80s music. Chicago; Earth, Wind and Fire, Bread, Journey, Cindy Lauper, Madonna, and the legendary Michael Jackson! Their music was incredibly varied and evoked emotions in me that are often romantic and inspiring. So when I learned that Air Supply was having a concert in New York […]
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Film project explores relationship between a Filipino boy and his gambling-addicted father
“The Sound of Coins Hitting Brass” is a film about the moment a child no longer sees his parent as a perfect person. The story follows Manuel, 10, a Filipino American who accompanies his enigmatic father, Andres, on his gambling binges. This small family leads an unpredictable life that revolves around Andres’s fleeting obsessions with […]
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June 28 PAFCOM parade a family, community celebration of PHL-U.S. friendship
By Jujo Conol The Philippine American Friendship Committee, Inc. (PAFCOM) is inviting Filipino Americans across the Tri-State to its 25th Philippine American Friendship Grand Parade to be held on June 28 in Jersey City. Jersey City has one of the biggest Filipino populations on the East Coast. PAFCOM wants to make the parade a family […]