Engelbert Humperdinck in Manila for 50th Anniversary Tour on Nov. 23, 28, 30

International music legend Engelbert Humperdinck will celebrate with Pinoy fans his 50th anniversary in the music industry with an array of classic love songs and romantic ballads when he returns for a live concert on November 28 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City.

The pre-Christmas presentation from Ovation Productions is part of a three-city concert series that also includes shows on November 23 at the LausGroup Event Centre in San Fernando Pampanga and November 30 at the Alonte Sports Arena in Binan City, Laguna.

It is part of the Asian leg of “Engelbert Humperdinck 50th Anniversary Tour,” a global touring celebration of half century of the successful musical career of a singer considered as one of the hottest male pop idols of the ‘60s.
The milestone pays tribute to the outstanding achievements of the crooner dubbed as “King of Romance” and who has charmed millions worldwide with his rich repertoire that encompasses a broad range of genres.

It will take the audience to a memorable time of love and romance as it showcases the musical brilliance of Humperdinck, an ultra-smooth balladeer whose beautiful interpretation of lyrics and excellent vocal technique have earned him an enduring place in pop music.

Among the hit songs he has popularized in his sweet, powerful voice are “Release Me,” “Quando, Quando, Quando,” “The Way It Used To Be,” “The Last Waltz,” “After The Loving,” “Man Without Love,” “Spanish Eyes,” “Love Me With All Your Heart,” “Am I That Easy To Forget,” and many more.

Engelbert Humperdinck’s passion for music drew inspiration from a life lived with a love for music that started at an early age when, as Arnold George Dorsey in Leicester, England, he began studying music and playing the saxophone at the age of 11 and discovered his vocal talent for impersonation at 17.

With the outrageously memorable name of Engelbert Humperdinck (after the Austrian composer of the 19th century opera, “Hansel and Gretel”), and with his deep voice and thick sideburns, he burst into the music scene in the ‘60s along with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Tom Jones, and was catapulted almost instantly to the status of world icon.

His debut single “Release Me,” became an instant hit when it went into the Guinness Book of Records for staying 56 weeks in the charts and became No. 1 in 11 countries.

Humperdinck was subsequently hailed by The London Times as “the premier voice of the 20th century” for his inimitable three-and-a-half octave range and ultra-smooth onstage charisma that captivated fans of every generation in many parts of the world.

During the next four decades, he has generated record sales in excess of 150 million records, including 64 gold albums and 24 platinum albums, and won four Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Aside from touring the world before sold-out crowds in Great Britain, United States, Australia, Germany, Belgium, Canada and Southeast Asia, Humperdinck has performed for Queen Elizabeth II, several US presidents and many other heads of states.

In 2007, he marked four decades in the music industry with his critically-acclaimed 40th Anniversary Tour, a 100-city worldwide celebration that coincided with the release of “The Winding Road,” his album which featured “contemporary British classics” by such great musicians as John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Sting, Eric Clapton, Christine McVie and James Blunt.

Five years later, he represented the United Kingdom in the finals of the Eurovision Song Contest in Baku, Azerbaijan, where he set a record by being the oldest singer to participate in the competition at the age of 76.

His double-CD of duets, “Engelbert Calling,” was released in the United Kingdom by Conehead Records last March 17, 2017 and charted in the UK Top 40.

The album features the singer in the studio with musicians like Charles Aznavour, Elton John, Il Divo, Johnny Mathis, Lulu, Willie Nelson, Olivia Newton-John, Cliff Richard, Smokey Robinson, Kenny Rogers, Neil Sedaka, Ron Sexmith, Gene Simmons and Dionne Warwick

Together with Humperdinck’s other hit, “I Followed My Heart,” the “Engelbert Calling” album is now available to stream in Spotify and other major streaming platforms.

“Engelbert Humperdinck 50th Anniversary Tour” will bring back the 81-year-old singer to the Philippines for the fifth time in the past 12 years after completing its swing across major US cities in September following shows in the United Kingdom, other parts of Europe and Asia over the past few months

As he embarks on his sixth decade in music and show business, Humperdinck remains a formidable figure in pop music, a true icon of entertainment who radiates excellence in his honeyed, mellow voice and inspires people of the present age who exalt him as an extraordinary performer and a quintessential romantic balladeer.

(Engelbert Humperdinck 50th Anniversary Tour” is presented by Ovation Productions. Tickets for the Smart Araneta Coliseum concert available through www.ticketnet.com.ph or call 911-5555. Tickets for the Laus Group Event Centre in San Fernando Pampanga and Alonte Sports Arena in Binan Laguna tickets available through www.smtickets.com or at SM Customer Service).

Color Manila Brightens Up Tanay's Skies with CM Blacklight Run

Wazzup Pilipinas!

LIKE FIREFLIES. Two thousand runners gather at Tanay Park, located at Tanay, Rizal Saturday night, for COLOR MANILA’s CM Blacklight Run.

Two thousand runners participated in COLOR MANILA’s CM Blacklight Run, which took place at Tanay Park, in Tanay, Rizal last Saturday night.

This was COLOR MANILA’s second event held this year at Tanay, Rizal, with the first one taking place early this year.

Runners had the option of choosing between 3K, 5K and 10K and had a blast enjoying the color festival, which took place at the end of the evening.

COLOR MANILA VP Justine Cordero says, “We are glad that we have a growing partnership with the municipality of Tanay. Tanay also has a growing race community, and we at COLOR MANILA, intend to be back very soon.”

COLOR MANILA’s next CM Blacklight Run will be held at Clark, Pampanga on December 2, 2017. Last year’s end of the year affair at Clark, Pampanga, gathered an estimated 6,000 runners.

Registration is still ongoing. For more information, www.colormanilarun.com for more details.

Training for Future Leaders: Dualtech and Suzuki Partnership

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Human resource is considered as the most valuable asset of a company and Suzuki Philippines Inc. recognizes this. Known as the manufacturer of superior quality Suzuki Motorcycles and the exclusive distributor of Suzuki Automobile, Suzuki Outboard Motor and Suzuki Genuine Parts (SGP) in the Philippines, the company takes pride in its highly competent workforce that provides exceptional service and care to every Suzuki product available in the market today.

Suzuki Philippines continues to provide local employment opportunities as part of its social responsibility through the Suzuki Foundation Inc. and its Suzuki Helps, Aids and Rebuilds (SHARE) program to help uplift the country’s economy and along with this is its ongoing partnership with Dualtech Center. Dualtech Center is a project of Dualtech Training Foundation Inc. and is a private vocational school project that pioneered in adapting the German Dual Training System in the Philippines. It aims to help alleviate the widespread poverty in the country by offering a 24-month course focusing on holistic development of students centered on technical skills, work attitude and personal discipline through wherein pupils were taught at the school and the industry. 

Suzuki is one of Dualtech’s partner companies which provide the students with in-plant training. The partnership started in 2012 when the Japanese giant moved its motorcycle manufacturing plant in Canlubang, Laguna where Dualtech Center is located. The deployment of dual trainees in Suzuki after their 6-month training at school provided venue for them to learn-by-doing with working opportunity in an actual plant environment with compensation. This set-up is also beneficial for Suzuki as it helps the company to solve the skills mismatch thru the development of homegrown talent/skilled trainees who has the potential to be absorbed as full time employees and eventually supervisors and managers in the future. To date, Suzuki has already accommodated around 150 in-plant trainees; more than 10% of them were taken in as regular employees.    

Other than providing a venue for in-plant training, Suzuki is also extending aid for the Center’s various needs. The most recent is the establishment of its cafeteria so that students can dine in a more conducive environment rather than the existing kubos that they currently have now. 

The ceremonial turnover of donation was held during Dualtech Center’s celebration of its 35th Founding Anniversary at the Partners’ Recognition Day on October 26. Present at the turnover were Dualtech Center’s President Mr. Arnolfo Morfe and Corporate Secretary Mr. Marvin Adolfo and Suzuki Foundation Inc.’s President and Suzuki Philippines’ Managing Director Mr. Norminio Mojica as well as Human Resources Department Head Atty. Joselito Calivoso Jr.

“We are always and forever grateful with our partners for without them Dualtech will not be where it is today. For the past 35 years, we have been striv ing and are contin uously working hard to develop quality - trained, skilled, productive, enlightened and morally upright persons who are potential leaders to fulfill the needs of industry and the community. Suzuki Philippines have been a great venue for our students to be trained and we are more than happy that some of our graduates are already part of the Suzuki Family,” said Mr. Morfe during the turnover.

“Suzuki shares Dualtech’s goals in lessening poverty through dual - training. It has been working really well for both of us because we have produced very reliable and highly skilled employees and we can attest to that. And it is certain that Suzuki will continue to be a partner of Dualtech in the years to come ,” Mr. Mojica said during the interview.