Steve O’Neal Productions is bringing over another renowned international artist, this time jazz legend Eumir Deodato for two performances, first at SMX Mall of Asia on July 31, and at the grand ballroom of Dusit Thani Hotel, his official residence, on Aug. 1.

“Deodato the Whirdlwind Tour 2010” presented by Billboard and Dusit Thani with Business Mirror, SMX Mall of Asia, Mang Inasal, and RJ 100FM as sponsors, will have Ms. Janet Basco as special guest.

Deodato will enthrall local music lovers with his repertoire which will include his hit songs including “Spirit Of Summer,” “Rhapsody In Blue,” “Super Strut,” “Do It Again,” “Moonlight Serenade” “Havana Strut” among others.

Eumir Deodato is a Brazilian musician, record producer and arranger who’s in demand as such since the ’60s. He has so far worked on more than 500 albums, 15 of which reach platinum status. His skills as arranger paved his way to the recording industry in the US, writing for Wes Montgomery, Astrud Gilberto, a compatriot, and most notably the late Frank Sinatra (his works for him were released as the bossa nova side of Sinatra’s 1971 album, “Sinatra & Company”).

Born of Italian and Portuguese parents, Deodato started playing the accordion at age 12, but rapidly learning instrumental and orchestral skills he did his first recording session at age 17. He originally worked as pianist and arranger in the Rio de Janeiro Bossa Nova scene but he soon outgrew when he moved to New York.

Tickets to the “Deodato the Whirlwind Tour 2010” concert are available at Ticketworld, Ayala Malls, Robinsons and National Bookstores.

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Mother Lily passes torch to Roselle

Regal Films is turning 50 and its matriarch, Mother Lily, has passed on the torch to her daughter, Roselle M. Teo with whom she is now very much in tandem in planning their film company’s future. Not that Roselle wasn’t involved in Regal’s production projects in the past because she was, especially with the “Mano Po” series that started in 2001, when Roselle just got back from the US where she stayed for 21 years. Roselle was also very much involved in the “Shake, Rattle & Roll” franchise, now on its 12th edition.

Mother Lily now wants to take it easy (“I’m not getting younger, nakakapagod na rin, although I will never stop making movies because it’s my life’s passion,” she said) and so she’s now relying more and more on her daughter Roselle who said her mother is now more involved with their family’s real estate business. Mother Lily’s latest baby is a resort in Taal, Batangas which will formally be inaugurated soon.

It’s a well-known fact that Mother Lily is not an easy person to deal with especially in business and Roselle admitted they also have disagreements “but at the end of the end, we’re still mother-and-daughter. Despite her reputation, Mother gives in naman to reason.” Between the two however, Roselle is the more reasonable because among others, she reads the script until the last revision.

They both decide on the budget (“dito kami nagkakasundo,” Roselle said), who to put in the cast, the director, supervising producer and line producer.

Now the country’s oldest production company, Regal as Mother Lily recalled started with the release of the Hollywood tearjerker “All Mine to Give” which made a lot of money, enough to bankroll her local movie production ventures. She started making movies in the 70s and now after five decades, Regal has more than 1,000 film features in its library. Many of the biggest stars in local showbiz have worked for Regal – the late action king Fernando Poe Jr., the triumvirate of Tito, Vic and Joey, Star of All Seasons Vilma Santos, Megastar Sharon Cuneta, and Kris Aquino, among others.

Mother Lily is also proud about having built a formidable stable of Regal Babies – from Gabby Concepcion, Richard Gomez, Snooky Serna, Maricel Soriano, Ruffa Gutierrez and Carmina Villaroel, Gretchen Barretto, Dina Bonnevie, Aiko Melendez to Marian Rivera, Dennis Trillo, Carla Abellana, Andi Eigenmann and Richard Gutierrez.

For its 50th anniversary offering, Regal presents “Mamarazzi,” a family comedy starring Eugene Domingo, now the country’s most bankable comedian. This is Eugene’s first solo project for Regal and she is joined by Diether Ocampo, John Lapus, Carla Abellana and Andi Eigenmann who is making her big screen debut.

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Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings for July 25, go to comedy king Dolphy, Pop Princess Sarah Geronimo, Margot Vargas-Osmeña, psychic Jaime Limcauco, Mayeen Carmona, Meg Paris, Anna Eloisa C. Bulong, Nita Araquin, Malynne Villangco, Sonny C. Salgado, Lolit Leabres, Linabelle Villarica, Annie R. Convocar, Hazel Corpuz-Testa, Bong Bolivar of Cosmopolitan Agency, and former MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando…