Las Vegas —Filipino celebrities who are local Las Vegas residents are expected to take part in the celebration of Philippine independence in this city on Saturday, June 5th.
Asia’s nightingale Lani Misalucha and Society of Seven (SOS) lead singer Michael Laygo, both Las Vegas residents, will perform during the whole day celebration at Sammy Davis Jr. Festival Plaza.
Misalucha is popular in the city as the "New Siren of the Strip" and was voted best singer in the 27th Annual Best of Las Vegas, a popular poll conducted by leading local newspaper by the Las Vegas Review Journal. Las Vegas city mayor Oscar Goodman declared December 4 ‘Lani Misalucha Day’ in recognition of her talents.
Laygo, meanwhile, leads the SOS band in drawing patrons to their performances on the Strip. Their show was voted Best show in Las Vegas last January by Las Vegas celebrity critic Sandy Zimmerman.
Denise Valdez and Calvert Collins of local media channel 8 will also be at the Fiesta Filipino event.
NaFFAA’s Belmonte said the Saturday event will be a venue to promote Philippine talent and make the Filipino community more visible in Las Vegas.
"They really need to know there is a big Filipino community in the valley," she said during the interview.
Filipinos are one of the largest cultural groups in Las Vegas, numbering close to 100,000 residents, records show.
The 2010 Fiesta Filipino in Las Vegas will be the biggest celebration in this city to commemorate the 112th Independence Day of the Philippines. NaFFAA NV organized the first fiesta last year and it aims to hold the Las Vegas event annually every month of June.
NaFFAA is a non-partisan, non-profit national affiliation of more than five hundred Filipino-American institutions and umbrella organizations. Its core mission is to empower Filipinos in the United States.
It has been one of its aims to unify the various Filipino groups in each city in the United States and help integrate it with American society.
Last month, NaFFAA NV spearheaded several Filipino organizations that participated in Helldorado Days Parade, the oldest local tradition in Las Vegas.
The Santa Maria Ilocos Sur Association of Nevada, Filipino American Heritage Foundation, Bikolnon Association Las Vegas, Ilocano American Association of Nevada were among the organizations that participated in the event.
Other groups include the San Pablo City Association of Nevada, the Filipino American Veterans of Nevada, Filipiniana Dance Company of Las Vegas, and the Kalahi Philippine Folkloric Ensemble.
The 2010 fiesta, open to the public for free, will start at 10 am at the festival plaza on Lorenzi Park. Food and crafts will also be available.
( Published June 3, 2010 in Asian Journal Las Vegas p. A1 )
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