JAMIE Rivera (left) sings a “Miss Saigon” duet with Jeffrey Hidalgo.
DUBAI—What a delight it was to start off 2014 by visiting this place again. Being in the City of Gold felt like the universe’s way of telling me to go for gold this year.
My endless thanks to the wonderful Gonzales family (Danny, Christine and Ayna), and my “angel” in the United Arab Emirates, Jonathan Gulmatico, for making my third Arabian adventure possible. Special thanks to my sweet amiga, Mila Castaneto, for being my “partner in crime” in Camelandia.
Main event of my trip was the concert of Jamie Rivera and her special guest, Jeffrey Hidalgo, at the Al Nasr Leisureland. Mounted by Striker Events (www.strikereventsdubai.com), it was held on Jan. 10. The Pinoys came in full force to show their support for the “Inspirational” Diva in her first-ever Dubai show.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that beneath Jamie’s pious monicker, she has such a riotous sense of humor! She cracked jokes about her age, outfit, songs and her London experience during her “Miss Saigon” days.
Jamie sang her signature hits, “Hey It’s Me,” “I’ve Fallen for You,” “Pangarap Ka Na Lang Ba” and “The Jubilee Song.” Jamie also belted out a “Miss Saigon” show-stopper, “I’d Give My Life for You.”
Everyone got misty-eyed when videos of the wrath and aftermath of Supertyphoon “Yolanda” were shown while Jamie sang “Heal Our Land.”
LA GHIE, a Pinay singer who’s making waves in Dubai
Part of the concert proceeds will be donated to the survivors. Jamie may be petite, but she was 10-feet tall that night as she charmed her way into the hearts of our homesick kababayan.
Jeffrey “Jepoy” Hidalgo did a duet, “Sun and Moon,” with Jamie. He regaled the crowd with the Smokey Mountain ballad, “Can This Be Love,” and suave renditions of Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours” and Bruno Mars’ “Treasure.”
We later learned that Jepoy had ventured into directing, with his first movie “Silong,” top-billed by Piolo Pascual and Rhian Ramos. Jepoy is no stranger in UAE because he went to film school in Abu Dhabi.
To celebrate the concert’s tremendous success, we partied the night away at a fab Pinoy hangout, the Kita Kits of the Marco Polo Hotel.
I also got to meet La Ghie, a gorgeous Filipino chanteuse who’s making waves in Dubai and other countries. Her rendition of an Albanian song, “Moj E Bukura (Beautiful Remix)” became a YouTube sensation in Albania, Macedonia and Kosovo. Check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArB4ZsTJRKk
Her solo concert in Dubai was sold out and a repeat is in the works. What a big break for La Ghie that she’s been tapped by Pascal International Production and Heat Creative Media Group to represent the Pinoy community and perform UAE’s tribute song, “We Are the Emirates” (www.wearetheemirates.com), alongside superstar artists from various nations such as Asha Bhosle (grand diva of India), Samira Said (top diva of Mena region), Gaitana (top pop singer in Ukraine and Russia) and more.
They will launch the song on UAE’s National Day in the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi and perform at the Cannes International Film Festival in France.
Bravo, Jamie, Jeffrey, La Ghie and also to the Pinay named UAE’s Woman of the Year 2013 (Mary Jane Alvero Al Mahdi) for shining brighter than all the gold in Dubai’s Souks and soaring as high as the Burj Khalifa!
Personal
Thanks, from the bottom of my heart, to my old and new-found friends in Dubai for making me feel like an Arabian Princess—Ghie Sanchez, Sandy Bedonia, AJ Fabia, Geraldine Feliciano, Ejay Alia, Oriel Padura, Bibo Mendoza, John Carlo Dizon, Boyet Sanchez, Queenie Cruz, Jean Ilagan, Kathleen Senora, Alvin Pancito and Kalfan Saeed Al Shamcu.