San Francisco Filipino-American Jazz Festival
2009 Artist Roster
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Mon David:
MON DAVID is recognized as one of the most respected singers in the Philippines, as well as a remarkable songwriter and musician.
He was the drummer and vocal coach of the country’s most enduring pop icons – the Apo Hiking Society for seven years until he decided
to pursue a solo career.
In 2006 he was the Grand Prize Winner at the First London International Jazz Competition for Vocalist.
Recently relocated in Los Angeles, Mon is now part of the LA Jazz scene with regular performances in the area.
He has appeared at the LA FilAm Annual Jazz Festival. Currently with FreeHam Records, he is scheduled to release a
CD in the Fall of 2009. Mon David shares with the whole world his unique artistry and his philosophy that music that
comes from the heart can indeed heal, build, inspire and unite.
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Anna Maria Flechero:
Anna Maria Flechero, a child of an African-American mother and a Filipino father, was born in San Francisco and resides in
the area to this day. Even though she was raised by her grandmother, “Big Mama,” Anna Maria was heavily influenced musically
by her mother, Leola; a pianist and choir leader for several local churches. Learning to play the piano by ear at any early age,
she began composing songs and writing lyrics influenced in part by the Motown sounds of Marvin Gaye, as well as the Latin rhythms
of the Mission District where she lived.
Anna Maria’s soulful and unique voice is an adventure through textures, colors and rhythms that leaves you wanting to hear more
of her artistry. Anna Maria in her own words describes the core emotion behind this release. “I’ve never lost my dream to sing
and create music. Music is my soul; it runs through me all the time.”
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John Calloway:
Jazz flutist, arranger and percussionist JOHN CALLOWAY has built a solid foundation as a musician, arranger-composer and educator.
His credits as a performer/arranger include work with Israel “Cachao” Lopez, Omar Sosa, Pete Escovedo, Max Roach,
Chocolate Armenteros, Carlos “Patato” Valdez, Jesus Diaz, Quique Cruz, Wayne Wallace, Rebeca Mauleon and John Santos.
John holds an M.A. degree in Music Education from San Francisco State University, and is currently working on his doctorate in
international and multi-cultural education at the University of San Francisco. His passion outside of music is to advocate for
quality arts education for all children in the public schools, and is a firm believer in social justice for the marginalized
students he has been teaching for many years. He has a myspace at www.myspace.com/johncallowaymusic.
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Tateng Katindig:
TATENG KATINDIG Born Eddie Katindig Jr., he is known to his family, friends and the music circle as "Tateng" is
making waves as a Jazz pianist in the Los Angeles area. He was born in the Philippines and studied at the University
of the Philippines majoring in composition and keyboard concentration. He had stints in Asia like Singapore with the
Luis Tan trio. He toured with Kevyn Lettau in the Philippines and did a show with Eric Marienthal.
He has worked as a musical director for big concert events playing R&B, pop, standards, etc. Some of his musical projects
include the Jasmin Trias/JR show done in Los Angeles and San Francisco, the Vernie Varga/David Pomeranz show in Los Angeles,
and the Jeff Timmons CD launching at the Hard Rock Cafe at Universal Studios. Now firmly established in the LA jazz scene,
Tateng, the son of the saxophone great Eddie Katindig and Remedios Hernaez, is a much sought-after musician who frequently
performs with the best artists in the area.
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Abe Lagrimas Jr.:
Abe Lagrimas, Jr. is one of the most gifted musical artists to emerge from the state of Hawaii. A drumming sensation from an early age, he participated in prestigious music
programs including the Betty Carter’s Jazz Residency in Washington D.C., where Abe made his debut performance at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
He attended Berklee College of Music as a North American World Tour Scholarship recipient. Predominantly known as a drummer, Abe is equally proficient on the
vibraphone and the ukulele as well as the piano, guitar, bass, and percussion.
Today he performs and tours throughout the United States, Korea, and Japan. Abe regularly performs with “Prelude”, a South Korean group that
signed with SonyBMG records in 2005. A 2006 Na Hoku Hanohano nominee for his album Dimensions and a 2008 Hawaii Music Award recipient and
Na Hoku Hanohano nominee for his album A Pass Out Records Christmas, Abe signed his first major record label debut entitled Lovers Uke on
Universal Music Japan in August 2007. He is currently signed to Universal Music Japan records and current resides in Los Angeles, CA.
You can visit him on the web at www.myspace.com/abelagrimasjr.
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Raquel:
Raquel Berlind is from the neighborhood of San Juan (in Manila, the Philippines) and migrated to the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1990s.
Along with her husband Alexey Berlind, she co-leads the band Boleros y Más. In the last few years, they have built a fine reputation and a
loyal following, performing at local festivals, corporate events, and clubs. The Cuban influence in their music is undeniable, and with
the help of the talented musicians in the band, Raquel's award-winning voice is showcased beautifully. Her style is sultry, with a comfortable
and elastic range that allows her to softly express boleros like Cómo Fué, or drive Cuban/salsa classics like Bilongo. Of special note to
the Pinoy jazz audience is her own composition Soy Filipina.
Award-winning singer and composer Raquel Berlind has been performing with her band Bolero y Mas since the year 2000. That same year
she won the Premio Ganador at the international Latin Music competition, La Festival de La Cancion, for her composition Mi Vida Contigo.
In 2005 she returned to La Festival, winning the award for Best Performance and the Premio de Plata for composition for Cuando Te Vas,
as well as an Honorable Mention for Puedes Hacer Todo. Raquel's CD Soy Filipina was recorded in the SF Bay Area as well as Vera Cruz,
Mexico, and offers Latin Rock and Pop, Salsa, Bolero, Timba and Danzon. The songs are primarily in Spanish, though two are in Tagalog.
These beautiful arrangements feature some of the finest musicians of the genre, including her husband--percussionist, vocalist and co-producer Alexey Berlind.
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Ann Marie Santos:
Ann Marie Santos started singing and playing the piano at the early age of six inspired by a home atmosphere that continually permeated with talk
and practice of jazz music. Her father was a composer and arranger and played jazz on the piano in Japan, Okinawa and Las Vegas. Her mother,
a well-known jazz singer, sang in Hong Kong's Paramount Night Club. Ann Marie continued her music studies, taking composition and voice
classes at the prestigious University of St. Thomas. Shortly after winning the prestigious Star Search of Asia Award, Ann Marie became
a regular guest at various TV shows like the hugely popular Noontime Matinee and the Sunday night musical and comedy show called Vaudeville that ran for three years.
She was selected as a representative for the Asian Countries Tour and performed with other South East Asian stars. This exposure
allowed her to perform at some of Manila’s premier five-star hotels like Hyatt, Hilton, Mandarin Hotel and Inter-Continental as well
as doing regular TV and musical variety shows. One of the highlights of her career was getting a recording contract with Blackgold
Records and Villar Records where she recorded her own compositions: I Was Only Dreaming, I Guess, Sulyap, and Nasaan Irog. She is
currently coaching adults and children at her home business in Millbrae, CA called “Sing A Song With Passion” and occasionally
teaches voice lessons at different music schools in the Bay area.
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Parangal Dance Company:
Parangal Dance Company is a Filipino Folk Dance Group based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Their mission is to give tribute to our
Philippine heritage by preserving and promoting our ethnic costumes, music, and dance. Founded in May 2008, their company consists
of members who share the same passion and love of Philippine folk dancing. Through their research with experts and indigenous groups
in the Philippines, public and private performances, and free dance workshops, they aim to entertain, inspire, encourage, and educate
the Filipino Americans and diverse communities so that they can gain a better understanding and appreciation of the Philippine life,
culture, and tradition.
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Al Manalo:
Allan S. Manalo is a Filipino American writer, director, producer, and stand-up comic, who began his stage career in Hawaii where he
studied theater. In 1986, he moved back to California to pursue stand-up comedy in San Francisco and has since performed in over 400
colleges and comedy clubs throughout 47 states. Manalo was the co-creator and Artistic Director of the Filipino American experimental
comedy troupe, Tongue In A Mood. After several sold-out performances at a black box theater called Bindlestiff Studio, Manalo took
over operations in 1998 and converted Bindlestiff into a Filipino American performing arts epicenter of the San Francisco Bay Area.
He was Managing/Artistic Director of Bindlestiff Studio for several years before moving to Manila in 2003 where he taught and produced
standup comedy. After returning to San Francisco earlier last year, Manalo was hired as the new Artistic Director for Bindlestiff Studio
once again. As a writer, Manalo was a regular contributor to Filipinas Magazine, Manila Times, Manual Magazine and has written works
published in Stage Presence: Conversations With Filipino American Performing Artists, Liwanag II, and ZYZZYVA Literary Journal.
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Socorro De Castro
Socorro de Castro is a world class multi-keyboardist and graduate of Berklee College of Music. She captured the First Prize in both the
International Yamaha Electone Grand Prix Concourse in Japan and the National Yamaha Electone Organ Festival in Houston, Texas in the 1980’s.
She went on to do concert tours in the Philippines as a Yamaha artist for the Department of Tourism. Upon returning to Manila, she was
immediately hired as house producer for Vicor Recording Co. and subsequently gained recognition as a composer, arranger, and producer.
She went on to distinguish herself as leader of her own jazz and Top 40 bands, and also served as musical director and/or accompanist for
many of the top artists of the country.
Now a long-time California resident, Socorro has had the recent distinction of writing the first English hit song for singer/songwriter
Ogie Alcasid, entitled Hello, and being musical director of the Filipino Women's Network (FWN) production of The Vagina Monologues from
2004-2007 in San Francisco and in NY in 2006. In 2008, she was invited to perform at the 3rd Philippine International Jazz Festival in
Manila with an array of international jazz artists including Lee Ritenour, Omar Sosa and Incognito. Recently, she performed with the
Kruger Brothers at the Bluegrass Festival in Carolina.
De Castro has a CD entitled Socorro and a new release called The Audacity of Hope, a tribute to President Barack Obama, both on Lamp88 Records.
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Art Khu:
Arthur Khu grew up in New Haven, CT. He was four years old when he started piano lessons,
violin at seven, organ at nine, and guitar and bass at thirteen. In high school,
Art studied chamber music, composition and conducting. He also studied Music Theory
and Ear Training at the Yale School of Music where he also studied classical piano
with Donald Currier. Art earned a Bachelors of Music in Piano Performance from
Oberlin Conservatory where he studied classical piano with Sanford Margolis
(who also taught Herbie Hancock) and studied jazz with Donald Byrd. Currently,
Art lives in San Francisco and freelances as a jazz pianist. He has played
in many of the nations finest establishments including the Blue Note in New
York City, Sculler's in Boston, Yoshi's in Oakland, Catalina's in Los Angeles,
Blues Alley in Washington, DC, Jazz Alley in Seattle and the Cellar in Vancouver, BC.
Internationally, he has performed in the Reus International Jazz Festival and at
Calle 54 in Madrid and Jamboree in Barcelona and at the Prague International Jazz Festival.
