Ang Kalatas Volume V September 2015 Issue | Page 12

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THE MESSAGE. BRINGING INTO FOCUS FILIPINO PRESENCE IN AUSTRALIA
www.kalatas.com.au | Volume 5 Number 12 | SEPTEMBER 2015

ENTERTAINMENT

Fiesta Kultura 2015

Yana Yap

Gabby Escubio

Rica Alido Sey

Susana Downes

Dulce Victoria
De Borja

Edlyn Maree
Townsend

Jerelyn Tabuan

Haressa Casquejo
Schrapel

Pageant kicks off annual Filipino fiesta
EIGHT young women are vying for the 2015 Miss Philippines
Australia and Miss Charity Queen titles in a beauty pageant that has
been a traditional highlight in the annual Fiesta Kultura organised by
the Philippines Australia Sports and Culture Inc.
THE young women age 16 to
25 take part in promoting a positive contribution through partnership with charities, sponsors,
families and friends.
The eight candidates this
year are: Dulce de Borja, Edlyn
Maree Townsend, Rica Sey, Susana Downes, Gabby Escubio,
Jerelyn Tabuan, Yana Yap and
Haressa Schrapel.

The candidates exemplify
the modern day generation and
also enrich themselves of the
culture of their parents and ancestors.
The modern women candidates also develop their sense of
humanitarian services as they
go and visit different charitable
institutions in the Philippines
and in some instances disaster

places ravaged by storms and
typhoons.
Winners of the 2015 Miss
Philippines Australia and Miss
Charity Queen recently distributed the charity donations raised
from the beauty pageant, visited recipient institutions and met
students receiving scholarships.
There are other titles to be
won at the festival beauty pag-

eant such as Miss Popularity or
The People’s Choice for everyone can vote either by online at
the Miss Philippines Australia
website and by the ballot found
at the souvenir program on fiesta day.
Voters can drop the ballot at the box not later then 4pm
on the day of the 27th Fiesta Kultura, Monday 5 October

2015 at Fairfield Showground,
Praeriewood NSW.
Photographers also select
the Most Photogenic, candidates vote for the Miss Friendship and of course the panel of
judges determine the coveted
Miss Philippines Australia and
the highest fund raiser gets the
Miss Charity Queen title.
**Photos by Bob Reyes

Performing at Manly

Charito - world class jazz artist
THIS year’s Manly Jazz Festival features a few
foreign artists renowned in the world of jazz. One
such artist that’s on the list is Charito, a prominent
jazz vocalist in Japan and indeed her country in the
Manly Jazz Festival roster is listed as Japan.
BUT unknown to many, Charito is actually the Philippines’ pride in the jazz
stage. She’s the Filipina who has done
multi-awarded albums including a collaboration with the legendary Michel
Legrand.
Charito has reaped accolades from
all over the world as a jazz singer and
yet, according to a Philippine Star article, she “remains quite unheralded in
her own country.”
Born in Manila to parents who
hail from La Union and Tuguegarao,
Charito settled in Japan in the 1990s
from where her singing career took off.
With Tokyo as a rising jazz capital, she
burst into the music scene with her first
album ‘This Girl’ launched by Nippon
Crown.
She had worked with top notch musicians in the likes of Harry Whitaker, Alex Blake and Wallace Rooney
on Swing My Way, Maurice White on
Shades Of Love, collaboration with
Cornell Dupree, Buddy Williams, David Espinozza on Love Of My Life.
Charito's artistry continues to establish its global presence with a string
of successful tours in Europe, Asia,
North and Latin America.
Her highly personal and expressive
vocal style incorporates the breadth of
her musical interests, from straight-ahead
soulful ballads to hard-swinging grooves
and improvisational adventures. Her approach is fresh and invigorating, paying
tribute to the jazz tradition.
In projecting herself as an artist,
she included in her albums two famous
Philippine love songs partly to affirm

her roots as a Filipino while promoting
a more positive image of her country.
For her efforts, she was honored with
an award of commendation as Ambassador of Goodwill, in acknowledgment
of her support to the promotional activities of the Philippine department of
Tourism in Japan.
In recent years she performed in
Manila's Polo Club for Joyful Jazz, Tokyo's Jazz Meeting and Affair to Remember CD release live at Sweet Basil, Yoshi's in San Francisco, Catalina's in LA promoting her new CD. She
also produced the Tokyo-Manila Jazz
& Arts Festival 2013.
In 2014 she performed for the
JAZZ JAMMIN' series in Manila in
her passion to keep the jazz fire alive
in the city.
Charito has produced 13 albums
with two of her albums "Non Stop to
Brazil" (2004) and "Nica's Dream"
(2006) awarded the grand prize in
the Vocal category of the Jazz Disc
Awards as hosted by the prestigious
Japanese jazz magazine Swing Journal.
Now, Pinoys in Australia have
a chance to watch her perform in
Manly. Charito is scheduled to perform as one of highlight acts in the
festival on October 3, 3.30pm at the
John Speight Stage (free). She will
also be a special guest at the performance of the Andrew Dickeson Band
on October 5 at the same venue, 2pm
(free).
For more details about the festival,
visit www.manly.nsw.gov.au. More
about Charito at www.charito.com.