SPECIAL GUEST PERFORMER MS LOUIE REYES

Excerpts From Philippine Post magazine article

LOUIE REYES: LIVIN LA VIDA IN AMERICA

She began her professional career with an all female singing trio called Babsie, Chit and Louie, established herself as an accomplished performer with the popular New Minstrels, recorded and released several albums, and received standing ovations for her stage and theater performances in the Philippines and abroad.

As the Philippines' Queen of Jazz, she performed with several mainstream jazz artists such as Joe Sample, Bob James, David Benoit, Noel Pointer and Dianne Reeves. She won international acclaim by bagging the grand prize trophy at the Seoul Song Festival, placing second at the First Asean Song Contest, and the Pacific Song Contest in Canada. Then, in 1992, she bagged the Green Room Theatre Award, Australia's version of the Tony, as Best Female Artist in a Supporting Role for her performance in "The King and I." The award was something she never expected, and never even knew she was nominated for, until the organizers called her from Australia to relay the news. And although she didn't get to receive the gold medallion in person (organizers sent it from Australia), the award cemented her status as one of the Philippines' best performing artists.

As a Filipino musical artist, Louie Reyes had attained the kind of success and respect most of her contemporaries in the entertainment field could only dream of. She also had it all: happily married to Cesar de la Fuente, her co-singer with the New Minstrels who eventually became her manager when she decided to go solo, and two adorable sons who seemed to have inherited their parents' musical genes.

Louie, Cesar and their two sons migrated to the US in 1997. Within the karaoke-crazed Filipino-American community, Louie has found a steady stream of students eager to learn the rudiments of singing, either professionally or simply as a hobby. Also known as "voice teacher to the stars," Louie holds the distinction of being vocal coach to popular entertainers Joey Albert, Gino Padilla, Janice de Belen, Angelu de Leon, Donita Rose, Gelli de Belen, Dawn Zulueta, Nora Aunor, among others. As soon as she set foot in California, Louie shed her own star image and donned her teacher's cap, a profession she now lives by as she conducts voice classes for aspiring Fil-Am entertainers.

"I still manage to do a couple of shows a year -- a privilege I must say, since some of my colleagues have already retired. I am thankful for every chance to connect with an audience because it is always a pleasure to meet people from all walks of life. And of course, applause does warm the heart..." she admits with candor.

"The Fil-Am audience here is a little different -- they are somewhat kinder. They are just eager to see artists from 'Pinas whom they miss; and they will savor every moment. It must be like being able to eat manggang hilaw with bagoong, unrestricted."

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CATCH MS. LOUIE REYES LIVE ON OCTOBER 14, 2006