VERY timely ng pagpapalabas ng kauna-unahang musical play featuring the music icon Jose Mari Chan’s classic hit songs in time for the Christman season. Billed “Going Home to Christmas: A Jose Mari Chan Musical.” Repertory Philippines will give life to most of the veteran singer-songwriter’s hit songs tulad ng “Beautiful Girl,” “Tell Me Your Name,” “Afterglow,” “Refrain,” “Please Be Careful with My Heart,” “Love at Thirty Thousand Feet,” “Constant Change,” “Deep in My Heart,” “Can We Just Stop and Talk Awhile,” “A Love To Last A Lifetime and more including his classic Christmas songs “Christmas in Our Hearts,” and “Perfect Christmas” among others.

The very first-ever jukebox musical of the theater company to feature Jose Mari chan’s classic songs will be staged at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati City from November 29 to December 15, 2024 at 8 p.m. with matinee shows on other dates, November 29, December 1 and December 7 at 3:30 p.m.

It was in 1967 at kaga-graduate pa lamang noon ng singer-songwriter from Ateneo de Manila University where he finished Economics nang unang ilabas sa market ang debut single ni Jose Mari na pinamagatang “Afterglow” which he himself composed. But he started composing at age 13 when he was still in high school.

As a young boy, na-expose na si Joe Mari sa musika. His Cebuana mother plays the piano habang ang kanyang maternal grandmother ay mahilig magpatugtog ng radio sa kanilang bahay sa Cebu.

Nakikita ng Chinese father ni Joe Mari ang talent at pagkahilig ng kanyang panganay sa musika kaya sinabihan niya ang anak na gawin lamang itong hobby at mag-focus ito sa kanilang family business, isang paalaala na hindi kinalimutan ng singer-songwriter and successful businessman.

When Joe Mari had his very first performance at the Carnegie Hall in New York City, USA, he was surprised by his dad who watched the show and was so proud of him but reminded him that his music is just a hobby and their business will be his top priority.

In fairness to Joe Mari binalanse niya ang kanilang negosyo at ang kanyang passion for music.

His father, Antonio Chan was only 13 when he migrated from Fujian, China to the Philippines and eventually started a sugar trading company in Bacolod. When his father was of age, he met and married Florencia Lim, an only child of a Chinese-Filipino couple from Cebu. Ang mag-asawa ay nagkaroon ng mga anak at si Joe Mari ang panganay, the only one in the family na nagkahilig sa musika.

Naging inspirasyon noon ni Joe Mari ang mga singers-songwriters na sina Paul Anka at Neil Sedaka. When his father passed on, he took over the operation of their businesses with the help of his siblings pero hindi pa rin siya tumitigil sa kanyang passion sa pagsusulat at pagkanta and performing. He continued writing and singing his songs.

In 1975, Joe Mari left for the US to oversee their business there at nanatili siya roon sa loob ng 11 taon and returned to the Philippines in 1986. While in the US, patuloy pa rin umano siyang nagsusulat ng mga kanta and would send his songs to the Philippines for other artists to record.

When he returned to the Philippines in 1986, muli siyang naging aktibo sa mga TV and concert guestings. Three years later in 1989 ay muli siyang naglabas ng bagong album na pinamagatang “Constant Change,” na naging simula ng pagiging aktibong niyang muli sa recording at ang paghahatid niya ng sunud-sunod na hit songs tulad ng “Beautiful Girl,” “Please Be Careful with My Heart,” “My Girl, My Woman, My Friend,” among others.

“I wrote “Constant Change” while making the transition from living in New York back to Manila,” paglalahad ni Joe Mari.

Since then, there was no stopping the veteran singer-songwriter sa paghatid ng mga hits, new albums, theme songs ng mga pelikula and even commercial jingles for various popular products tulad ng Alaska, Knorr Chicken Coup, Philippine Air Alines, Hallmark Cards at iba pa. Naging in-demand din siya hindi lamang sa mga corporate show kundi sa mga concert all over the Philippines maging sa ibang bansa.

Ang nakakatuwa lamang kay Joe Mari ay never itong nagbago kahit kailan sa kanyang pakikitungo sa mga tao. He remains grounded and approachable.

AT 79, wala pa umano sa kanyang plano ang pagre-retire hangga’t may kumukuha pa sa kanyang kumanta at mag-perform.

Joe Mari and his wife Mary Ann Ansaldo-Chan have five children and nine grandchildren. Ang isa sa kanyang limang anak na si Liza ang kanyang naka-duet sa biggest-selling Filipino Christmas song of all time, ang “Christmas in Our Hearts” considering that it was Lea Salonga ang kanyang first choice at second choice naman si Monique Wilson. Hindi pinayagan si Lea ng kanyang former recording studio to record the song with Joe Mari for another record label. Si Monique naman ay nawalan ng boses a few days before the actual recording of the song.

Namumrublema na noon si Joe Mari kung sino ang kanyang ipapalit nang i-suggest ng kanyang misis na si Mary Ann na kunin na nito ang anak na si Liza who was busy then for her exams.

When Joe approached his daughter, pinag-aralan niya ang kanta and the next day, they recorded the song not them knowing na ang nasabing Christmas song ay gagawa ng kasaysayan sa Philippine music industry.

Although seasonal ang kanta, taun-taon ay ito ang nangunguna sa lahat ng mga Filipino Christmas songs sa tuwing sumasapit ang `ber’ months.

Ang “Christmas in Our Hearts” song and album remain to be the biggest-selling Filipino Christmas song and Christmas Filipino album of all time.

Hindi man aktibo si Liza sa kanyang singing career except for some duets with her father, she will be forever grateful to her dad for the opportunity to record “Christmas in Our Hearts” with him.

Lahat ng limang anak ni Joe ay musically-inclined pero nag-focus ang mga ito sa negosyo more than their talents in singing and writing songs na minana nila sa kanilang ama.

Jhong walang experience sa unang sabak

DURING our exclusive interview with the Streetboys na may kinalaman sa kanilang reunion dance concert ngayong Friday, November 8, 2024 at 8 p.m. sa New Frontier Theater, inamin ng isa sa mga original members ng `90s popular all male dance group, ang dancer, singer, actor, host and politician na si Jhong Hilario na aksidente umano ang kanyang pag-aartista. Tumawag si Direk Marilou Diaz Abaya kay Direk Chito Rono (manager ng grupo) kung may maibibigay itong male actor sa kanya para sa kanyang pelkulang “Muro Ami” na pinagbidahan ni Cesar Montano. At that time ay si Spencer Reyes pa lamang ang nag-aartista sa grupo kaya si Spencer ang ibinigay ni Direk Chito. Nang mabasa ni Spencer ang script, umatras siya dahil naka-brace umano siya noon at hindi babagay sa role na kanyang gagampanan. Kaya si Jhong Hilario ang pangalang ibinigay ni Direk Chito at Direk Marilou.

Walang acting experience noon si Jhong kaya nakaramdam din umano siya ng kaba lalupa’t si Direk Marilou ang director ng pelikula. Kinakabahan man, nakapag-deliver si Jhong at na-impress sa kanya ang yumaong lady director at muli siyang isinama sa dalawa pa nitong movie, ang “Jose Rizal” at “Bagong Buwan” na parehong pinagbidahan ni Cesar Montano at dito siya nabigyan ng kanyang first acting award bilang Best Supporting Actor.

Thankful si Jhong kina Direk Chito at Spencer dahil sa opportunity na ito.

“Kung hindi tumanggi si Spencer sa role, hindi siguro ako makikilala ni Direk Marilou at baka hindi ako artista ngayon,” pagbabalik-tanaw ni Jhong na isa sa mga regular hosts ng noontime program na “It’s Showtime” ng ABS-CBN.

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Aster Amoyo