When Noel Cabangon met James Taylor

James Taylor (left) and Noel Cabangon —PHOTO COURTESY OF NOEL CABANGON

Local front acts at concerts of foreign artists are usually booed and hissed at. But Noel Cabangon and Ice Seguerra are an exception to that. When they opened for James Taylor’s (JT) show at the MOA Arena, the OPM icons outdid themselves and wowed the crowd.

Just a trivia for Swifties, their idol was named as such because her parents are fans of James Taylor.

Kudos to my friend, Renen de Guia, whom I fondly call CP (concert producer) King, and his Ovation Productions for JT’s successful concert.

It was a dream come true for Noel to meet his music hero. JT’s song, “Secret of Life” is Noel’s personal anthem. True to the title of JT’s hit song “Your Smiling Face,” Noel is beaming from ear to ear after that once-in-a-lifetime moment.

Here’s Noel’s story: I gave JT a ceramic candle holder made by Lanelle Abueva-Fernando. In the card, I wrote that he is an inspiration to me as a musician and how his music influenced me. If felt surreal talking to him.

It was unfortunate that I wasn’t able to bring any of my albums. He asked me if he could bring home a copy, but I told him that I didn’t bring any because in my mind, it was unusual for an icon like him to ask for a copy of my album. But he went on saying that he will find me and my songs. I was stunned.

He asked me if I will be touring, too. I told him that I have a concert tour in Canada and US in October. Then after the show, he asked me about it again. I wanted to tell him that I hope he will watch my concert.

I told him the first time I watched him was in 1994 [when he performed] with his son Ben at the Folk Arts Theater. He was trying to recall it.

It was a beautiful concert. Even if JT is already 76, he still knows his songs by heart. The musicianship of the band was great. It was a meeting of boomers and Gen Xers.

Cesar Montano —NICE PRINT

Cesar Montano gears up for Cannes

BFF Buboy (aka Cesar Montano) just got back from Turkiye. He flew there to search for possible locations for his next project. That’s how serious BFF is about his craft. His next destination is France, where he will attend the Cannes Film Festival.

BFF’s short film, “A Boy’s Dream,” is included in the second International Film Festival Manhattan Industry Screening (noncompetition) at the Short Film Corner of the Cannes Marche du Film (Film Market) on May 22.

Another Pinoy entry is “Pugon” (Furnace). After Brillante Ma Mendoza’s and Jaclyn Jose’s respective triumphs years ago, it’s Buboy’s turn to show that the Filipino “Can-nes.”

Moira dela Torre —MOIRA DELA TORRE/INSTAGRAM

Moira dela Torre’s self-love

Most streamed Pinay artist, Moira dela Torre is the face of Bona Slim’s (BS) 15-in-1 coffee mix. The OPM sweetheart’s fitness journey is summed up by the tagline of the coffee brand, “Looking good starts from feeling good inside.”

Moira composed and sang the catchy jingle of BS. Just like her hit songs, it has that “last song syndrome” vibe.

But losing weight didn’t come easy for Moira. “I tried all sorts of diets from vegan to keto to intermittent [fasting],” she shared. “I even became bulimic at some point. But when I stopped putting pressure on myself to lose weight, that’s when the transformation began.”

Aside from slimming down, Moira is a more relaxed version of herself after her marriage ended. “The healing I experienced inside led to my physical changes,” she quipped “We must be unapologetic when we choose ourselves. Self-love is not a selfish thing.” More amor à la Moira.