Joemari hosted lunch to give awards to the singers, arrangers and artists who worked with him in his “Going Home to Christmas” album that has achieved Double Platinum status and has 22 uplifting Yuletide ditties. He laments that, with the coming of the digital age, OPM (Original Pilipino Music) seems moribund, with some recording companies having shut down. People no longer buy CDS’s as it’s now so easy to copy and download songs through the internet.
The awarding was held at Caruso Restaurant in Makati and the recipients include Father Johnny C. Go, SJ; Joel Trinidad; Homer Flores and daughter Hannah; Moy Ortiz and The CompanY; Psalmo 47; Jun Latonio; Mary The Queen Children’s Choir; Ria Villena-Osorio; Kitchy Molina; Jude Roldan; Yaron Gershovsky; Robert Delgado; Alan Smallwood; Loren Steele; Junie Devecaiz: and Joe Mari’s musician sons Jose Antonio, Michael Philip Ciprian and Francisco Rafael, and granddaughter Ramona Isabel. Those who failed to make it include Jimmy Santiago, Gerard Salonga, Freddie Santos, Ogie Alcasid, Pinky Valdes, Shiela Valderrama, Noelle Cassandra, Teenee Chan, Louie Ocampo, Trina Belamide, Noel Mendez, Marvin Querido, Rudy Lozano, Khalil Refuerzo and Liza Chan Parpan.
“The success of an album is the work of not just any well-known artist, no matter how established he is, but the collective effort of other artists, the musicians, composers and arrangers,” says Joemari. “That’s why I am giving these Double Platinum awards in recognition of all those who help me in making ‘Going Home To Christmas’.”
In the album, Joemari sings not only with his children (Joe, Michael, Franco and Liza) in the song “Christmas Moments”, but also with his and wife Mary Ann Ansaldo’s 10-year-old granddaughter Ramona Isabel Buñag Chan. As you can see, music is really in the genes and running in the blood of the entire family. It’s no surprise then that Joemari’s fans are wondering as to when he will have a concert that will include all the members of their very talented family. That’s really something worth looking forward to, isn’t it?
