Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

How I missed Las Vegas! My heavy schedule here in LA has prevented me from visiting my Las Vegas salon for a while. But over the weekend, I made up for lost time by spending quality time with my beloved staff there and the very welcoming Las Vegas Fil-Am community.

What I love about Vegas is after a hard day’s work, you can rely on its unparalleled, world-class entertainment industry to relieve you of your stress.

Sunday night, I had the privilege of catching the last of the three-night Las Vegas run of a very unforgotteable concert by legendary performers Imelda Papin and Melissa Manchester.

What a very powerful tandem! Imelda, who performed her nostalgic hits like Kung Liligaya Ka and Mahal Mahal Ginagabi Ka Na Naman, is superb and in top form.

We all know her to be a very sensitive performer and after so many years, she has not changed. She cries, sings and dances with such gusto. Her emotions and the lyrics of the songs take you places.

I’ve known Imelda for many years and I can tell from this latest performance that she still has the same passion for her craft that she had when she started. She really loves to entertain. Her Tina Turner walk still delightfully amuses her audience.

It was a rare treat to see the ageless Imelda and the amazing Melissa Manchester perform a powerful duet.

On stage, these two never tried to outdo each other. Instead, they offered each other room to shine--one received as the other gave and vice versa.

It was a harmonious relationship, and the result was beautiful music.

Who can forget Melissa Manchester? From the time I heard her song Looking Through the Eyes of Love (a track from the movie Ice Castles), she made me fall in love.

I was also thrilled to hear her sing Midnight Blue and some nice jazz-y selections. She was terrific!

Mostly, I was blown away when she sang Don’t Cry Out Loud, a song that means so much to me personally. I found myself in tears and reminiscing the good, old 70s.