spot_img
27.5 C
Philippines
Friday, March 29, 2024

Making good music together

- Advertisement -

By Jimmy L. Montejo

Musician Leo Romero and singer Diego are making beautiful music together, literally and figuratively. Age-wise, they are father-and-daughter apart, but the professional relationship that binds them transcends time and space.

Diego, aka Anna Katrina Zamora, (left) with her father Leo Romero

They live miles apart. Leo, who is 60 something, goes home to Fairview, Quezon City while Diego (born Anna Katrina Zamora), 25, hies off to Marilao, Bulacan by midnight, or a bit later after crooning it out onstage for their adoring fans of night club and resto-bar habitues.

Leo, who is also an inexhaustible guitarist, struggled in the local music circles for more than 40 years as a folk singer, having alternated on stage with such big names as the legendary Freddie Aguilar of the world-renowned “Anak” ballad, and the indomitable Florante de Leon.

Circa 1983 when the amazingly fabulous Leo started performing at the now-defunct Hobbit House on Mabini Street in Malate, Manila owned by the late former American Peace Corps volunteer Jim Turner.

- Advertisement -

Hobbit House is an incredibly amazing story in itself.

The indefatigable Turner, a native of Iowa, put up Hobbit House from scratch in 1973, so named after the little people he rescued from the hazardous streets of Manila and employed them as pint-size waiters and waitresses of the joint. Observers say it was one-of-a-kind worldwide.

“The empty hall is made up of dark wood that smells of old mothballs. A section of the wall leading to the bar is filled with photographs of famous celebrities posing with staff. There are legendary tales of Marlon Brando mumbling for drinks at the Hobbit House in between shooting days for Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 classic, Apocalypse Now,” Shirin Bhandari wrote in her December 2018 tribute to Hobbit House.

Bhandari, by the way, is an Indian artist and writer who obtained her college degree at the University of the Philippines.

Turner died in 2016. Two years later, Hobbit House served its last cocktails and closed shop, along with its sister resto-bar Remember When. Both folded down under the sheer weight of financial incapacity. 

Leo’s band disbanded (no pun intended) sometime in 2014, but the show must go on. Kat turned out to be an expedient replacement, and the seed of partnership between her and Leo was sowed—and it blossomed through the years.

To date, the duo still looks inseparable, onstage and backstage, albeit they go on separate ways to go home when the show is over. There’s no such thing as “when the fat lady sings” because Kat or Diego (whichever name you’d like to call her) is a slender songbird—with shapes in the right places. Know what I mean?

Leo, who hails from Bulan, Sorsogon, discloses that he presumably inherited the musical talents of his parents. He admits that he knows of no other craft but singing and strumming.

Thus far, Leo has put together with Alpha Recording a 10-song album entitled Simply Leo Romero, bannered by the songs As Long As I Live and Tampo. Hope springs eternal, and Leo still looks forward to the day when his name—and his songs—will make it to the hits list.

Diego (Kat, if you may) shares Leo’s visions on this score. She, too, dreams of making it big in the music industry—and she has the instruments to do that.

Without doubt, both are good at what they do best, and promise to go on entertaining to the end.

The petite Diego (she was given that masculine moniker by admirers, specifically the prolific businessman-publicist Dante Vino) was born and raised in Marilao which she still calls home. Leo gamely conspired with the name changers. Dante, by the way, is co-owner of the Hideout restaurant and music bar on Scout Rallos St. in Quezon City where Leo and Kat perform every Wednesday.

Kat obtained her bachelor’s degree in Education from the Bulacan State College last year, but for her, the call of singing is louder than the tolls of the school bells.

How does she see herself five or ten years from now? “I’ll still be a singer, I guess,” she professes.

Kat reveals she also plays the guitar, having learned the chords all by herself, but would rather have Leo do the act in their performances.

Oh, yes! She says she’s also good at the drums, but very rarely flaunts the sticks around.

My friend and drinking buddy Ray Enano, business editor of Manila Standard, likens Diego’s voice to that of the incomparable American crooner Connie Francis, but Diego (Kat) herself believes she’s more of a Brenda Lee sing-alike.

Leo and Kat still have to think of a name for their partnership, but apparently have no time to go about it.

Meanwhile, they will never run out of songs. They both believe that as long as they sing together, they will stay together. No spats or discords can put them asunder.

Like love and marriage, like light and shadow, like sunburst at the break of dawn.

- Advertisement -

LATEST NEWS

Popular Articles