‘Diva 2 Diva’ up close

"Diva 2 Diva Up Close" with Kuh Ledesma and Zsa Zsa Padilla was a commercial and critical success in Vancouver. The two Divas performed at the Queen Elizabeth Theater last October 15. The enthusiastic response should encourage businesswoman/impresario Nellie Vandt to bring to Canada more up-market shows that will please both the ethnic Philippine community and the multi-cultural residents of the city. Both ladies are world class and need a wider audience.

In the past, we only get to see "Pinoy na Pinoy" shows that are geared mainly for the "masa." However, things are changing fast over here. It is a fact that the demographics of the Philippine community in British Columbia has been changing for the past five years. The increase of urbane professionals and well-educated new immigrants will hopefully change the type of performers who will be booked to entertain Filipino Canadians.

I am sure there are alternatives to Sharon Cuneta, Choppy and Porky, Regine, Martin and Gary V mega-shows. Hopefully, the likes of Lea Salonga’s Carnegie Hall Concert, Grace Nono’s new age folk music, Jacqui Magno’s smouldering native jazz and Richard Merk’s urban ballads will reach us in Canada who are hungry for more sophisticated presentations. We need more class and less crass.

"Diva 2 Diva" was a superior act because both ladies are extremely talented. However, what I found offensive and invasive was Kuh Ledesma’s prolonged and repetitious spiel on God, Jesus and the Bible. Somebody should have informed her that in Canada we are generally more spiritual and are not religious fanatics. Manila performers who come to town should know that Vancouver is not a third world country peopled with preachers and blinded followers. Religion is a personal and private issue.

On the other hand, Zsa Zsa Padilla showcased her talent as funny lady. She was natural, honest, comfortable with herself and her sexuality. She was never arrogant, uptight, controlling and has no hang-ups. Overall, the Diva show was memorable with two sensational vocalists, one is a realist, the other a fantasist.

Ms. Michaela Jean is our new Governor General and I am in full agreement with her honest interpretation and concept of multiculturalism. The government’s outdated policy and multiculturalism encourages people to stay in ethnic ghettos and leads to all sorts of absurdities. It is for this reason why so many Filipino immigrants have not integrated into the Canadian mainstream of life.

Governor General Jean said "Citizenship means living together but does multiculturalism really propose us living together? We are given money so that we will each stay in our own separate enclosure. There’s a kind of proposition of ghettoization that is there, and that is financed. It is terrible, when you think about it. My dream is that we reflect much more deeply on citizenship, on belonging which is not a negation of where we come from our heritage."

It common knowledge that some ethnic community leaders and organizations make their living off multiculturalism through government fundings. Many are professional fund-raisers.

Here’s a warning to Filipino professionals thinking of immigrating to Canada. Most immigrants to Canada can find work within two years but it is difficult to find jobs in their chosen fields. There are several problematic factors such as a lack of Canadian work experience, language barriers, inability to adjust their qualifications are not recognized in Canada.

According to new survey results, nearly one in five Canadian employees hates going to work each day and another one in three feel their job is just a job. Meanwhile, nearly one-third of respondents admitted to faking a sick day in the last year. And more than one-third said they changed jobs three or more times in the past five years.

British Columbia was named the province with the best air quality with ground level ozone measured at 48 parts per billion compared to 53 in Alberta, 56 in Manitoba, 66 in Saskatchewan and 90 in Ontario.

Canada’s Association for the Fifty-Plus reported that the 50-plus age group is the largest single segment of the Canadian population, with over 9 million people. This means a strong economic clout.