Carlo J. Caparas

MANILA, Philippines -- Bobby Kimball will be at the SMX Convention Center tonight for a special performance, together with the Zoo Band and Sonny Parson’s Mucho Macho. Fans of the famed 80’s band Toto will surely enjoy the night listening to the songs that catapulted the group to international fame from the original lead vocalist himself.

Kimball promised to sing hits “Rosanna,” “Africa,” “Stairway to Heaven,” “I’ll Be Over You,” “Hold the Line,” “Anna,” “Georgy Porgy,” “Lea,” “99,” “I Won’t Hold You Back,” among others.

Kimball is here for a series of shows presented by Steve O’Neal Productions in cooperation with Manila Bulletin, Hyatt Hotel, Hard Rock Café, RJ 100.3 FM, Business Mirror, Lazer Music, Istanbul, Fox, Star Movies, Star World, MS the Male Tablet and Ming’s Pei Pa Koa Candy.

Kimball is no longer with Toto but he recalls that he had a good start with the group, originally composed of six members – himself, David Paich, Jeff and Steve Porcano, Steve Hungate, and Steve Lukather – most of them veteran session players. Toto was at the height of fame and popularity in 1982 when their album “Toto 1V” made history when it won six Grammy awards out of nine nominations.

But before “Toto 1V,” the group experienced low moments too especially with their second album “Hydra” which was a commercial failure although it was described as “a work of pure brilliance” which featured a more cohesive set of songs.

Two years later, in 1984, Kimball left the group (over personal differences with Jeff Porcano, who was his good friend who offered him his home when he separated from his wife) to pursue a solo career. But Kimball admitted that the problem he had with the group was drug-related. Kimball rejoined Toto as lead vocalist again in 1998. He toured with them too and in 2008, they were here in Manila for a performance at the Araneta Coliseum and Water Front Cebu.

Caparas’ ‘Bangis’ starts airing Monday

Carlo J. Caparas’ “Bangis,” a TV adaptation from his komiks novel “Matatalim na Pangil sa Gubat,” starts airing tonight on TV5. It is about Bangis, a gentle prehistoric creature that feels and thinks like a human being.

“Bangis” has in its cast Oyo Boy Sotto, Danita Paner, Yul Servo, Miriam Quiambao, Bayani Agbayani, Felix Roco, Wendy Valdez, Rodjun Cruz, Katherine Luna, Marissa Sanchez, Jazz Ocampo, CJ Caparas, Mavi Lozano, Danny Javier and Tessie Tomas.

At the recent press conference for “Bangis,” Caparas said that for the still ailing movie industry, “it needs a moving spirit to survive and flourish once again…” He recalled that about 300 movies used to be churned every year, but just one-third or one-fourth of that is now being made. It is in this regard that he misses the late Fernando Poe Jr., who he considers one of the moving spirits behind Philippine Cinema. He remembers him as always rallying to make the local movie industry alive and kicking.

“When Ronnie was still alive, there had been attempts from producers to make films with smaller budgets. I think what producers should do is to invest more to make better quality films,” opined Carlo in Filipino.

For Carlo, making films with small budget lessens the appeal of films, thus making them less attractive to moviegoers.

“Even if there are indie movies that make use of digital technology, they won’t take over mainstream films that easy mainly because their budgets are small. In America, digitally produced movies have huge budgets and they shoot for months,” Carlo noted.

He believes that the movie industry needs the cooperation of media to drum up interest in the movies made. “Through the media, people are made aware of a movie or what’s being done in the movie industry. They shouldn’t rely on television because, what if the trailers are not aired, then their movies won’t be talked about. It boils down again to the need for media’s support,” he explained.

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Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings for Monday, July 4, go to Sunshine Dizon, Louie Heredia, Viring S. Ongkeko, Louie Ablaza, Tommy Manotoc, Nora Abat Saba, Jesus Ernesto R. Sibal, Roselle Villanueva, Vicky Veloso-Barrera, Ma. Luz Dominique M. Martel, Crisanta S. Aquino, Rodolfo Baluyut, Rose B. Peña and Reggie Bonoan of Balita…