By JOSEPH G. LARIOSA

(© 2009 Journal Group Link International)

Filipino-Australian Band Holds Concert Tour in the United States

C HICAGO, Illinois (JGLi) – A 16-piece Filipino-Australian Blacktown City Community Band (BCCB) is touring the United States, performing in key cities with large Filipino-American populations.

A press release emailed to this reporter by Domingo “Nonoy” Perdon, publisher-editor of Philippine Bayanihan News based in Sydney, Australia, said the band got a warm and enthusiastic welcome on their arrival on Dec. 19th.  It was asked to hold an impromptu performance last Dec. 23rd at the Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Orlando, Florida.

They were on a sightseeing tour in Orlando when they got the invitation for a tune-up of their two scheduled performances in New York.

The band led by music maestro Jun Javier from Blacktown, New South Wales, performed at a Christmas party attended by some 300 church members and guests, including members of the city’s Filipino American community.

They kicked off their performance at the Elmhurst Hospital Auditorium on Sunday, Jan. 3^rd, at 5:30 p.m. in New York City.

They will perform next at the Philippine Consulate’s Kalayaan Hall at 556 5th Avenue, corner 46th Street on Tuesday, Jan. 5th at 7 p.m.

The band is composed of young Filipino-Australian musicians aged 12 to 18. They were trained at the Jun Javier Music School near Blacktown City, a suburb of New South Wales. Blacktown has 40,000 Filipino population, the largest Filipino community in Australia.

Funding for the band comes from parents of the members of the band and proceeds from a series of fund-raising performances prior to their departure from Sydney. The entourage totals 31 individuals, including parents and support persons.

The BCCB band has been a permanent fixture of a Fil-Australian veterans' delegation in the big annual ANZAC day civic parade in April as well as Philippine Independence day celebration in June both in Sydney for the last four years.

From New York, the band will proceed to Los Angeles and San Francisco, California and Las Vegas, Nevada. It will leave U.S. for Taipei, Taiwan, on Jan. 18th and will finally be back in Australia on Jan. 23rd.

The band is composed of alto saxophone and clarinet -Clarissa Bock, Gian Buhat, Katrina Saludes, Joanne Eden (plus flute); trumpet - Gelli Buhat, John Manaloto, James Eden and Alex Agaciak; trombone - Ian Manaloto, Clarence Fiala, Zac Roy (plus piano); tenor saxophone - Roel Fiala and Jeffrey Estrella; drums - Sam Hernandez and Sophie de Silva (plus guitar).

Special participant is former Sydneysider and now U.S. resident Joanne Javier de Asis.

The band is managed by Sydney businesswoman and former Australia-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industries Inc. (APCCII) president Mrs. Carolyn Manaloto, mother of two teen-age musicians. Concert producer and adviser is Mrs. Regina "Jingji" Gadi Javier.

The tour's contact in New York are Mark de Asis, ph. (646) 717-1308, email: markgaildeasis@yahoo.com, Michael Ruivivar, Tel. (212) 391-9090, nikerui@gmail.com; and Bishop Arnold Cabalquinto, Tels. (347) 453-5364 or (718) 291-5530.

O ther places and dates of the BCCB band's itinerary after New York are follows:

SAN FRANCISCO-Friday, Jan. 8th, 7:30 pm - Philippine Consulate, PCMB Social Hall 447 Sutter St., Suite 528 San Francisco, California 94108. Contact, Donald Manuel, Tel. +1(415) 713-2733, email: donald_manuel@coamerica.com.

LAS VEGAS- Tuesday, Jan. 12th, 1:00 p.m., Nevada Adult Day Health Centers, Inc. 2008 South Jones Blvd. Las Vegas NV 89146-3151. Contact, Pastor Roberto Joshua Pajarillo Tel.+1(702) 788 3212, email ghjoshua@yahoo.com.

LOS ANGELES – Friday, Jan. 15th at 7:00 pm, St. Philomena Catholic Church, 21900 South Main St., Carson CA 90745. Ticketed- event contact, Marivel Tabalon.

Saturday, Jan. 16th, 2:00 p.m., Immaculate Heart of Mary School Auditorium, 1055 N. Alexandra Ave., Los Angeles CA 90029. Contact, Bob Shrouder, Tel. 1(818) 395-8936, email bobshro@yahoo.com  or Marivel Tabalon, Tel. +1(310) 729 8635, email mitabalon@sbcglobal.net.

Main contact in the U.S. is Joanne Gaddi Javier-deAsis, Tel. (646) 717-1307, email: joannejavier@gmail.com.  # # # (lariosa_jos@sbcglobal.net)

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