Showbits

• Bilang selebrasyon ng kanyang pang-20th anniversary bilang singer, maglalabas si Martin Nievera ng dalawang album – Chasing Time Volume 1 & 2. Sa dalawang volume ay may apat na komposisyon ang popular na R & B singer na si Brian McKnight at meron rin silang dalawang duet ni Martin. I-re-release din sa SouthEast Asia ang nasabing album at magkakaroon din daw ng pagkakataon si Martin na maka-duet ang ilan sa mga kilalang singers sa rehiyon.
• Ni-launch kamakailan ang skincare products ni Joyce Jimenez sa ilalim ng brand na Private Joyce. Expansion ito ng business niya na nagsimula sa mga intimate wear. Ilan sa mga produkto niya ay body splash, moisturizing lotion, bath gel, massage oils, foot lotion at hand sanitizer.
• May bali-balitang nag-enrol na si Fernando Poe Jr. sa University of the Philippines sa isang special political course bilang paghahanda sa kanyang kandidatura sa darating na 2004 presidential elections. Ito rin daw ang kursong kinuha ni Vilma Santos bago siya tumakbo bilang mayor ng Lipa, Batangas.
• Isang baby girl ang isinilang kamakailan ni Ayen Munji-Laurel (ex-wife ng isang Prinsipe ng Brunei at ngayon ay asawa ng singer na si Franco Laurel). Pangatlong anak niya na ito (meron siyang dalawang anak sa Prinsipe).
• Balik-showbiz ang dating teen-singer na si Lilet. Ngayon ay mas gusto niyang kilalanin siya bilang Marielle.
• Ikakasal na raw si Isabel Granada sa boyfriend nitong si Gerry Genaskey sa darating na Disyembre. Pinaghihinalaang buntis ito dahil biglaan ang kasal at mukha raw tumataba ang aktres.
• Ang bagong girlfriend ni Troy Montero ay si Cher Calvin na isang TV talent ng ilang shows sa ABS-CBN. Laking New York si Cher pero pure Pinoy ang kanyang mga magulang. Dating artista ang ama nitong si Roger Calvin.
• Nililigawan ngayon ni Paolo Contis ang ex-girlfriend ni Lucky Manzano na si Nancy Castiglione, isang Canadian-Filipina na model-actress.
• Hotlegs dancer pala ang ka-live-in ni Michael de Mesa matapos nito makipaghiwalay sa asawang si Gina Alajar. Balak ni Gina mag-file ng divorce kaysa annulment laban sa dating asawa dahil pareho naman daw silang mga US citizens.
• Dahil sa sunod-sunod na mga bombahan ay maraming international na mga artists ang nag-cancel ng kanilang mga concerts dito. Ilan dito ay ang Oasis, Aaron Carter, Red Hot Chili Peppers at si Brtian McKnight.*

Ken Hirai's lullaby a big hit

by Hideo Kawakami

“When I try to recall my most favorite song as far back as I can, I always end up with My Big, Old Clock (Okina Furudoki),” says Ken Hirai, the Japan pop artist presently at the peak of his popularity. Featured on NHK’s Minna no Uta, My Big Old Clock (DefSTAR RECORDS/DFCL-1078) is rumored to have given him a big break.

Ken Hirai, a charismatic young crooner of trendy R & B with the best voice in town, is said to have first heard this song as a young boy from his mother. Even now, this is one of the best-loved songs reportedly etched in his heart.

With peculiarly pain-filled lyrics and melancholy melody, this lullaby condenses all of what he thinks should be conveyed to the next generation. This song was reportedly born 120 years ago in 1876 in the United States.

In summer last year, Ken Hirai himself tried to re-trace the roots of this song for a TV program. He traveled to the United States and met with the family that is supposedly in possession of this clock in order to have a clearer grasp of this song’s background. Backed by a choir, he passionately sang both the English and Japanese versions of this song in a church associated with Henry Clay Work, composer of the song. Bating their breath, the audience reportedly broke into a standing ovation by the time he clinched the last beat.

To borrow the words of Tetsuya Shibasaki, director of NHK’s Music Cocktail, “His rendition of the Japanese and the original English version My Grandfather’s Clock on TV was indeed a beautiful feat. Try listening to it while recollecting your youth. On summer’s close, one can really feel sentimental in a beautiful sense.”

Like a poem dabbed in colors by Hirai’s exquisite voice, this song deserves special mention for giving the listener a feeling of being gently embraced.

Having breathed new life into a lullaby whose beauty spans distance and time, Ken Hirai is indeed a personality to look forward to as his vocal talents continue to unfold. * (Translated by Benigno D. Tutor, Jr.)

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