Aliw honors artists with lifetime achievement awards

MANILA, Philippines - The Aliw Awards Foundation, Inc. (AAFI) is slated to bestow honors to two music icons, a cultural advocate and a choral group as the 25th Annual Awards unfolds on Nov. 26, 6 p.m. at the Fiesta Pavilion of Manila Hotel. Alice Reyes, AAFI founding president, reveals that song-artists Jose Mari Chan and Imelda Papin, cultural advocate Danny Dolor and the 50-year-old UP Concert Chorus will be recognized for their achievements that brought honor to the entertainment industry and to the country. They will all be the recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Jose Mari is a noted singer-composer who burst into the live entertainment scene way back in 1966 as host of the television program 9 Teeners. From then on, he catapulted to prominence via songs Constant Change and Refrain followed by a long list of hit songs. Concerts and live performances, in and out of the country, ensued.

Imelda is a music icon and Reyna ng Masa of the local entertainment world. She came to the big city in 1972 coming from the coastline of a Bicol town on her own only to be recognized by the public through her phenomenal songs like Babaing Makasalanan, Lalaking Salawahan, Bakit, Huwag, Mahal, Saan Ka Nanggaling Kagabi and Isang Linggong Pag-ibig in the ’90s. She’s the undisputed Jukebox Queen and gained the tag Asia’s Sentimental Songstress in Bangkok, Thailand where she first became popular as performer in various hotels and nightclubs. Imelda was first awarded The Most Promising International Performer by Aliw Awards in 1977 and another followed a year after. She garnered awards and recognitions, left and right, both here and abroad.Her performances went on to the top of the list including that at the Caesars Palace in Atlantic City in New Jersey, alongside other international celebrities. Papin performs in Las Vegas.

Danny Dolor

Danny Dolor founded Tribung Pinoy Filipino Foundation and its musical arm called, Tribung Pinoy, a group of classically-trained singers to promote the love and interest in national, traditional Filipino music, especially among the youth. He also pioneered the first traditional all-Filipino repertoire concert at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) in 1979, the first such concert to be held there.

The UP Concert Chorus (UPCC) came into existence in 1962 at the advent of the late Carlos P. Romulo as University of the Philippines president. The group has metamorphosed from being a simple university chorale into a big choral group. The choral group has received awards and recognitions.