Nagubot

Through the years, I have been describing Cocoy Laurel as the compleat artist — that is, as a tremendously gifted singer, actor, dancer and painter, besides. Cocoy has held exhibitions of his portraits here and abroad.

However, he is less known as a composer although he began composing at four. His father Doy had brought home a Wurlitzer spinet and Cocoy immediately started tinkering with it and producing little tunes despite the lack of any previous musical training at the time. One day, he completely surprised his mother Celia with a charming tune he played, calling it Fairy Waltz. “Mother, this piece is for you,” the tyke told Celia who was utterly amazed and deeply moved.

Years later, while Cocoy was still a student in Madrid, he received a call from film producer Cirio Santiago asking him to compose the music for the film Uliran. Cocoy obliged and subsequently, the film won the FAMAS award for “Best Musical Score.”

The immensely admired violinist Alfonso “Coke” Bolipata, who will interpret three of Cocoy’s compositions – True Love, Tango and Uliran — praises Cocoy for his beautiful melodies. Accompanying Coke will be the 43-member Manila Philharmonic Orchestra under Rodel Colmenar.

Himself a distinguished pianist-composer, Delfin Colomé, Spain’s former ambassador to the Philippines, will expressly fly to Manila from Singapore (where he’s now posted) to conduct two of Cocoy’s compositions. Cocoy, who has starred in international musicals, Miss Saigon among them — wherein he received thunderous applause and countless curtain calls for his role as The Engineer — and Colomé, likewise an international performer, will doubtless draw an international audience on June 22, with many persons coming from the Spanish community.

Also featured with Cocoy in the forthcoming concert will be his richly talented sister Iwi and nieces Denise Laurel and Nicole Asensio (daughter of diva Fides). Nevertheless, Cocoy will be the major attraction for the Broadway hits, Spanish love songs and kundimans he will render in his inimitable and incomparable style which combines fire and passion with refined technical skill. Not the least, Cocoy will manifest his talent as composer in all its fullness.

Landscaping on the side

The other day, I mailed a letter at the Dasmariñas Village post office. With nobody there except me, and with the man in-charge looking forlorn, I started chatting with him. The man, Rodolf Micuthuan, told me he works in the post office Mondays to Fridays, and half of Saturdays. To augment his income — two sons are in college, the third is in high school — he spends Saturday afternoons and all of Sunday with a partner Patrick Joseph Ples, a landscape contractor, and both work with “Earth Garden,” a residential and corporate Design and Build Landscape Company which has been existing for the last ten years.

Rodolf said: “We have designed and installed numerous residential, corporate and industrial  landscapes, believing in hard work and offering professionalism, experience and expertise. Our staff is well-trained, friendly, with integrity, character and respect for the environment.”

Forthwith, Rodolf showed me a list of satisfied clients/customers, including the names of residents from Forbes Park, Dasmariñas and Magallanes Villages, Alabang, Parañaque and Pasig, among other districts. The company adjusts its fees to the financial capability of the client and to the specific work involved.

The company’s office address is 296 Aguirre Ave., BF Homes Parañaque. Inquiries may be made by calling tels. 8203690, 0918-4780394 or 0919-3353139. I hope this little plug will prove useful to Rodolf. At any rate, I’m glad I tarried at the post office to chat with this quiet, gentle, unassuming person.