Franco’s own baby coming soon!

Since he and wife Ayen (Munji) are celebrating their first wedding anniversary on March 18, Franco Laurel will certainly be swamped all the more with questions why he and Ayen don’t have a baby yet – Franco’s own baby (since Ayen has two from her previous marriage to a Brunei Prince, Yela, 11, and Kiko, 7).

"Ayen and I will start buckling down to having our first baby in July," said Franco who has been a good father to Yela and Kiko (they used to call him Daddy Franco but now only and very simply Daddy). "I love kids, so from the very start, close na sa akin sina Yela at Kiko. Did I have qualms about being an ‘instant daddy’? None at all. It’s fun. As I’ve said, mahilig ako sa kids."

The couple actually planned to start on their "joint venture" in May last year, two months after their very private wedding (to which several of Franco’s relatives were not even invited). But their manager, Biboy Arboleda, requested them to postpone it since they both have albums to work on and promote. "But only until July," Franco and Ayen told Biboy. "The baby can’t wait."

Ayen has been promoting her self-titled album which will be formally launched on March 20 while at the same time Franco is also busy promoting his own, With You (by Viva Records, just like Ayen’s album). Produced by Eugene Villaluz, With You carries 11 compositions, two of them by aspiring songwriters Franco wants to help, namely Iisa by Vicente Wongaham and Sana’y Magkita by Andre Castillo (lyrics by Edith Gallardo), and one the Tagalog version (translation by STAR columnist Baby A. Gil) of Spanish singer Luis Miguel’s (former boyfriend of Mariah Carey) Ayer (Yesterday), retitled Noon.

The album’s carrier single, With You, is a duet between Franco and Ayen, a song composed by Danny Tan for Ayen a long time ago.

"I asked Danny to rearrange the song into a duet," said Franco, "and it became our wedding song."

Besides love for music and movies, what keeps the couple happy together is their love for food.

"We just love to eat," gushed Franco. "Ayen is a good cook. Her specialty is Sardines Pasta. We are also both movie addicts and we watch a lot of movies at home. One of our favorites is Notting Hill (Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant) because our love story is similar to the movie’s plot."

When Franco first met Ayen a few years ago as one of the stars of the million-peso musical Rama at Sita (which Ayen produced), he said that he didn’t have an idea that Ayen was a Princess (then married to Prince Jeffrey of Brunei, younger brother of The Sultan). It was during the acquaintance party for the cast. When I looked around, I realized that everybody was a theater veteran; ako lang ang greenhorn. I felt like a little boy lost. I could hardly mumble a word when I was introduced to Ayen who smiled at me and asked, ‘How old are you?’ I told her I was 25. It was only much later was I told about Ayen’s real identity."

As everybody must know by now, Franco and Ayen clicked and became even closer when they became neighbors at a suburban subdivision. The friendship soon developed into a romance. At that time, Ayen was already divorced from the Prince.

"It has been a blissful year," gasped Franco, assessing his and Ayen’s first year together as man and wife. "Ayen gave my life a really good direction."

And like the couple in Notting Hill, Franco and Ayen look forward to living happily ever after for years and years to come. On their first wedding anniversary, they plan a quiet and simple celebration, just like their wedding, maybe with both the immediate members of their respective families.

Franco said he and Ayen hope to have twins as soon as they start on their "joint venture," promising to work double time. You see, twins run in Ayen’s family, her mother being one of identical twins whom Franco’s mistook for each other during family gatherings.

"I would greet Ayen’s mom and when I turned around, I’d see Ayen’s aunt and wonder why her mom was able to change her clothes that fast. But now, I can tell one from the other even with their backs turned to me."

Jose Mari concert in Chicago

Jose Mari Chan didn’t have any Valentine concert here (although you can catch his post-Valentine TV special, entitled A Heart’s Journey tonight on RPN 9, starting at 9 o’clock) but he’ll have one on Feb. 22 at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Chicago, produced by Donnarich Productions, with Carol Banawa as special guest and Lerrick Santos as musical director.

In fact, Joe Mari seems to be more in-demand for personal appearances abroad where he counts legions of followers in Filipino communities who drive for miles just to watch his concerts.

This time around, Joe Mari will be doing, aside from his old familiar songs, selections from his new album, A Heart’s Journey (with Easier Said Than Done as carrier single) which he continues to promote hereabouts (doing radio guestings and, why not, a mall tour as soon as he comes back?).

Readers’ reactions

Here are two reaction letters to Funfare’s recent item on Ryan Cayabyab:

• From Cito Gazo of Wellington, New Zealand: You mentioned that Ryan forgot the name of the composer of his favorite song, All The Things You Are. Here are the talents behind that classic song – Prime artist: Ella Fitzgerald; arranger; Nelson Riddle; album title: Jerome Kern Songbook, disc 15; lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II; music: Jerome Kern; producer: Norman Granz; and orchestra: Nelson Riddle. The song also has versions by Johnny Desmond, Sarah Vaughn, Peter Nero and others.

• From Cynthia Concio Atencio of 65 times St., West Triangle, Quezon City: Your article, On the Wings of Song With Mr. C, was very timely. Through your column, I would like to congratulate Ryan Cayabyab for placing second in the Onassis International Cultural Competitions in Germany and for his latest achievement. I do this on behalf of my former classmates, the "Golden Girls" of High School Class ’52 of St. Scholastica’s College, Manila. Isn’t it a coincidence that the Mother house of the Benedictine Nuns is at Tutzing, Germany!

Recently, my Alma Mater celebrated its Annual General Homecoming with this year’s Jubilarians-Diamond, Coral, Sapphire, Ruby, Golden-as honorees. A distinguished member of High School Class ’52, Maureen Tiongco, who trained in New York, later getting into the cast of the original Broadway hit, The Flower Drum Song, conceptualized our dance number for the homecoming program using a portion of Harry Belafonte’s Coco-coconut and eventually Ryan’s original composition, Buco-Buco Nut as sung by Yoyoy Villame.

Maureen did the concept a year ago before she returned to New York where she and her husband, retired Metropolitan Opera Singer Harry Theyard reside. While she was away, choreographer Tony Fabella of CCP and his assistant, Jesse started rehearsing The Golden Girls. And some two weeks before the playdate (on Feb. 10, 2002), Maureen arrived to become our lead star.

It was only during our despedida party for our Balikbayan classmates when we learned that the great Ryan Cayabyab was seated in the balcony of St. Cecilia’s Hall of St. Scholastica’s College cheering during the interpretation of his composition. Although we never got to meet him – nor were we aware as to whether we did justice to his music – still our warnest congratulations to him. More Power!

What’s up?

• Fr. Ric Torrefiel of San Bartolome Parish in Malabon City will hold a fund-raising concert, dubbed as Fr. Ric and Friends in Concert: Just For Love... Just for the Church.. just for You and Me, tonight at 8. Venue is the San Bartolome Parish Church. The proceeds will be used for the renovation of San Bartolome Church, one of the oldest churches in the country, the first stone of which was built in the year 1622. Special guests are Marco Sison and Lindsay Custodio. Tickets are priced at P300, P200, P100, P50 and P20.