Archive - Arts & Culture

By PABLO A. TARIMAN
THE Ilocos roots of Joyce Vasquez-Kasparian in her native Paoay town played a big part in her present role as wife to American pianist Raffi Kasparian and mother to another budding pianist, Roman Kasparian, 13, who are performing in Laoag City on July 14.

By PABLO A. TARIMAN
THE moribund opera climate in the country brightened up anew with the recent staging of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly at the CCP with a fairly good international cast.

By ELIZABETH LOLARGA
CALLED “the heroic generation,” these are baby boomers who forsook their parents’ post-war dreams for them to finish a college education, find a stable job and settle down but instead took tremendous risks in defying the state’s force to fight for seemingly abstract rights that today’s youth take for granted, freedom of expression and being able to vote for the President of one’s choice, among others.

Text by ARTHA KIRA PAREDES
Photos and Video by VINCENT GO
RODALLIE Mosende was a homeless girl who appeared destined to be one of many poor people prowling the streets of Quiapo. That is, until documentary photographer Rick Rocamora chanced upon her and took her picture.

By NORMAN SISON
MOJITO and Piña Colada, move over. Here comes the Manila Sunshine. In mid-May, one of the top hotels in Manila unveiled an alcoholic bright yellow cocktail, precisely designed to be the Philippine capital’s signature drink. That brought plenty of cheer to Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez, who concocted the idea. However, there is more to just making it in the universe of mixology.

Text and photos by ELIZABETH LOLARGA
BACK in the years when dynamic cultural administrators produced free outdoor performances, from poetry readings to full orchestra concerts,Paco Park was a destination for the culturati and the hoi polloi.

By PATRICK KING PASCUAL
Coming to terms with one’s self is not easy for homosexuals in a society where gender is limited to either male or female. Raymond Alikpala, 46, a lawyer and formerly a seminarian, knows very well the anguish of living in the shadows having done so in the first 38 years of his life.

It’s June 12, Independence Day, and for some Filipinos, it meant a trip to the birthplace of the Philippine Republic in Kawit, Cavite, a lesson in geography, and even photo opportunities with the country’s first president, Emilio Aguinaldo.

By ELLEN TORDESILLAS
Photos and video by MARIO IGNACIO
PEOPLE go to the gym for a variety of reasons. One overweight male journalist thought it was the best place to ogle at shapely beauties. He later realized, as he was sweating and panting, that there are less strenuous ways to indulge in girl-watching.

By ELIZABETH LOLARGA
THE weather bureau released in alphabetical order the names of typhoons that may hit the country this year, a sign that the dry season is officially over. That shouldn’t discourage those with adventurous palates to squeeze the most out of weekends and holidays and eat their way to a satisfactory burp in the provinces or towns nearest home base.

By ELLEN TORDESILLAS
THE real beauty of Ballet Manila’s latest project bringing together eleven international ballet stars in a once-in-a-lifetime production is that it will benefit talented Filipino students in public schools who dream of becoming ballet dancers.

By YOLANDA L. PUNSALAN
THIS is one most meaningful fashion statement from Sen. Loren Legarda. The National Museum recently inaugurated two of its permanent textile galleries enhanced by loans from the collection of Senator Loren Legarda, chair of the Senate Committee on Cultural Communities.