NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Jubilate: A Celebration of 20 Years of Filipino Musical Artistry in the East Coast

Kayumanggi Chorale of New Jersey hosts special concert at South Orange Performing Arts Center in Orange, New Jersey, in collaboration with ABS CBN Foundation International

Orange, New Jersey (October 14, 2011) -- In celebration of 20 glorious years of splendid artistry, the Kayumanggi Chorale, Inc. (KCI) will present a choral concert entitled “JUBILATE”, to be held on October 29, 2011, Saturday, at 7:30 P.M. at the South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC), South Orange, NJ. This major musical milestone will be presented in cooperation with the ABS-CBN Foundation’s “Bantay Bata”, a social welfare program launched in 1997 which aims to shelter impoverished and abused children through a nationwide web of social services in the Philippines.

Kayumanggi Chorale has performed in major concert halls and venues in the past including Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, Florence Gould Hall, CAMI Hall, the Equitable Auditorium as well as Princeton University’s Richardson Auditorium.

JUBILATE will present an impressive array of songs in a repertoire that has never been presented in any of the group’s past concerts. It includes works by Sweelinck, Tamaela, spirituals arranged by Hogan and Halloran, a selection from “Les Miserables”, operatic arias and a chorus from Bizet’s “Carmen”, as well as Filipino religious songs, folk songs in various dialects, classics and contemporary OPMs.

The choir also takes pride in presenting two songs especially arranged for this concert: choir member Bong Dadap’s modified version of “Santo,Santo,Santo” from his “Missa Caelestis” and Joel Navarro’s a capella arrangement of De Pano’s “Dakilang Katapatan”. This concert will be directed by Dennis Bernardo, on his final year as the choir’s music director, and will be ably supported by concert pianist Hector Martinez. Erwin Argonza is the current KCI president, and noted coloratura soprano Lani Misenas would provide special solo numbers.

“Our chorale’s stated mission is to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the Filipino people through choral music and to increase awareness of the Filipino’s musical artistry,” says Musical Director Dennis Bernardo. “Through these concerts the group has also fundraised and donated over $35,000 to various Philippine charities and institutions that are regularly called upon in times of national disasters and calamities. We are pleased to support ABS CBN Foundation International this year.”

KCI’s resume also includes a tribute performance for then President Fidel V. Ramos during his official U.S. visit held at Newark Symphony Hall in October 1995, participated in a gala celebration of the Philippine’s Centennial Celebration at the American Museum of Natural History (June 1998), and in hosting and sponsoring the first Fil-American Choral Competition held in Alice Tully Hall in June, 1995.

“ABS CBN Foundation International is pleased to partner with the Kayumanggi group of New Jersey on the occasion of their 20th anniversary,” says J. Robbie Fabian, President of ABS CBN Foundation International. “As our mother company—ABS CBN—is mainly an entertainment conglomerate we believe in the power of the arts to preserve and promote culture, bring communities together, encourage dialogue and contribute to the betterment of our lives.”

Tickets to JUBILATE are priced at $25 and $50, and can be obtained by calling the SOPAC box office at (973)-275-1114, or (201)739-2259, (908)425-7803, and (646)321-0946.

##

ABOUT ABS CBN FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL:

ABS CBN Foundation International is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of disadvantaged Filipino children and their families in the Philippines and around the world. Its flagship program, Bantay Bata (Child Watch), is a child abuse rescue operation that responds to an average of 15,300 calls for assistance a year. The program assists more than 21,000 children and families in relocation communities and feeds at least 4,400 severely malnourished children a year. Its education program serves 4.2 million elementary school children and their teachers.

In the United States, the organization partners with Filipino-American organizations and associations in addressing community issues--youth truancy, housing, issues affecting the elderly, health, and emergency needs. For more programs and information, visit www.abscbnfoundation.org.

.....................................................................................................

Related Links
ABS-CBN International
Sagip Kapamilya
Bantay Bata 163
E-Media/Educational (ETV)
Bantay Kalikasan
Bayan Microfinance
BayaniJuan