Dec 5, 2021 at 3pm, Filipino American vocalists Mon David, Louie Reyes, Miguel Vera and Annie Nepomuceno perform Holiday music with a live band. The Merry & Bright MusicFest heralds the return of live music for presenter Philippine Patrons of the Arts USA and helps raise funds for the Save Lives, Donate Vaccines for the Philippines campaign of the FACC Foundation and the Coalition of Filipino American Chambers of Commerce (COFACC).
The Holiday show is set to be a joyous celebration of great music by these exemplary vocalists, who will be doing duets and group numbers for the first time at this show. It will also be a celebration of community, highlighting organizations that bring vitality to the lives of Filipino Americans through the arts and networking.
Music Director Tateng Katindig, a popular performer in mainstream jazz circles, leads the band. Opening the show and providing “Paskong Pinoy” feel is the premiere performing arts group Kayamanan ng Lahi Philippine Folk Dance.
Co-produced by Music Arts Events Inc and Varsobia Foundation, the concert shall also be the very first US-based concert to be livestreamed on KTX.ph, the leading digital platform, operated by ABS-CBN Films Production Inc. The event’s media sponsor is TFC The Filipino Channel.
In-person tickets for those who want to watch live at the Aratani (244 San Pedro St.) are $100 VIP Patron, $55 Orchestra and $35 Balcony. Livestream tickets at KTX.ph are $25. Make your ticket purchase and help the cause at
www.musicartsevents.com.
Partners are Filam Arts, SocalPinoys, Philippine American Chamber of Commerce of Oregon and The Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Greater LA. Tickets to the After Party at Noypitz (downtown) are also available at
www.faccgla.org.
Sponsors include TFC The Filipino Channel, St. Cabrini Medical Services, Mondrose Business Solutions, David Banes of Onyx Auto Collection, Toto’s BBQ, Auntie Dees’ and Fiesta Fastfood.
MON DAVID
Mon remains one of the most inventive and creative singers on the L.A. scene. The winner of the 2006 London International Vocal Jazz competition was reviewed by LA Jazz Scene’s Scott Yanow, who describes Mon as “A major jazz vocalist who can sing any type of music with credibility, creativity, heartfelt emotions and wit.” Jazz critic Roger Crane writes, “David can swing you into bad health and then, turn around and break your heart with a ballad.”
With eight multi-awarded albums to his credit that include, Mon continues to captivate jazz audiences at music festivals all over the world, from the North Sea Jazz Festival to the Segerstrom Theater crowd and mesmerize listeners in prestigious venues and art galleries like Catalina Jazz Club, The World Stage, The Blue Whale, Vitello’s, Vibrato, The Merc, Yoshi’s, LACMA, Artshare LA, The Ford Theater and many more jazz venues.
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LOUIE REYES
A familiar voice in the Philippine scene, she was a popular concert artist before she toured with the celebrated Australian tour of “The King and I”. As one of the more illustrious members of the famed New Minstrels, Louie Reyes’ hits include her duets with Eugene Villaluz including “Nothing I Want More” and the dance tune “Parang Langit”. She also presented major solo concerts worldwide and performed with International Artists like David Benoit, Noel Pointer & Diane Reeves.
Before Covid, Reyes had been travelling a lot for reunion concerts, a hot ticket in the concert-going crowd of the Philippines. Ms. Reyes received several best vocal awards and citations in the Philippines and was awarded one of the 10 Outstanding Women of the Nation in 1999. She is an experienced teacher in voice teaching and coaching Philippine renowned stars: Joanne Lorenzana, Joey Albert, Gino Padilla, Janice de Belen and more.
MIGUEL VERA
Having played lead roles in various musical plays, one of the biggest breaks was playing the role of Thuy in
Miss Saigon, in the Manila, Hong Kong, and Singapore performances. Vera’s pivotal parts include Cultural Center of the Philippines’
Rama Hari, as Jose Rizal in
Ilustrado and the lead actor in the
Noli and
Fili musicals. Critics likewise lauded him for his portrayal of Emilio Aguinaldo in
Aguinaldo : 1898.
Vera’s appearance in the
Bagong Tunog TV commercial made him a household name in the Philippines. He has also done three albums, in which all received Platinum Record Awards, appeared in local movies and television series of ABS CBN. This well-traveled versatile artist has already performed for Filipino expats in various countries such as Spain, Greece, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Brunei, and Papua New Guinea and also had special shows in Canada, Guam, Hong Kong and Australia.
ANNIE NEPOMUCENO
As a Vocalist, Musical Arranger, Music Teacher and Concert Producer, Annie Nepomuceno has been actively performing in Los Angeles for over a decade. Annie has supported Filipino American artists by producing numerous concerts at the Ford Amphitheatre, The Aratani, the Alex Theatre and the like. She has also performed in musical theatre, appeared as a regular in a local TV show, and toured the US & Canada as a session vocalist for Filipino artists.
She started her music career in the Philippines at the age of 8 as a session vocalist, acapella/choral arranger and music arranger. From singing in children’s choir to performing with a prize-winning choral group to her own pop vocal trio, Annie has performed for both Resident Artist and Outreach Programs of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Her work ranges from musical theatre such as playing Lady Thiang in “The King and I” to featured vocalist of the Filipino-American Symphony Orchestra. Annie is a Katha and Awit Award winner (the Philippine Grammy) for her vocal arrangements.