Cabang- Pilanca Big Bang comedy show a big hit

 

TWO popular comedians from Hawaii sent a well-packed house rolling in laughter in a two-hour show at the Hibiscus Hall of Fiesta Resort & Spa on Friday evening.

Kaleo Pilanca, one of Hawaii’s funniest comedians and emcees started the ball rolling with his jokes during the first half of the show. Pilanca, voted into the 2005 Top 10 Funniest people Hawaii on Rory Wild’s Count Down Hawaii did not fail to meet the audience’s expectations as he made clean fun jokes about the different races while claiming he is not a racist. 

Mel Cabang or Uncle Mel took the stage for the second half of the show and sent the audience into more laughter as he hit on the visiting navy soldiers from USS Momsen who were at the audience.

A comedian for the past four decades, Cabang made the Filipinos, Chamorro, Japanese, Americans and ‘the black guys’ the brunt of his jokes in the show and called on some navy sailors to participate in his stint. His technique of using a flashlight to seek out particular targets in the audience just sent everyone roaring in laughter.

The Big Bang Comedy Show Blowout Saipan, a Shimbros Production was hosted by the Marianas Pacific Distributors or MarPac as part of a string of activities events leading to the celebration of their 40th anniversary on September 14.

Beer flowed as the audience indulged and became livelier to the delight of the comedians.

Sponsors for the event were Bud Light, Docomo Pacific, Fiesta Resort & Saipan, IP&E and Tan Siu Lin Foundation.

LJ Castro was the event emcee. Marpac just finished the two-day concert with famous Baba-B two weeks ago. More activities are coming up as the main anniversary event draws near. Coming up next is Marpac’s golf tournament. For more information about upcoming events please call Marpac at 234-7113.

Two days of Reggae with Baba B

7-5-13

 

FANS of Baba B, easily identified as the big man with the small ukulele had a feast of reggae music when their idol rocked the island in a two-day concert last Sunday and Monday at the Pacific Islands Club beachfront in San Antonio.

“I am the biggest man on the beach, but I can get up and dance. There’s no reason for you all not to get up and dance,” Baba B challenged the guests to the second night of the concert. In response to his challenge, males and females from the audience got up and rocked their hips and swayed to the music on the sandy dance floor to the accompaniment of Higher Ground band from Guam.   

The first pair to dance got free copies of Baba B’s latest CD. For the seventh time since 1999, reggae fans in the island were thrilled to welcome back Baba B who promoted his newest album whose contents he himself composed.

Among the songs in the album are All My Life, Rock With You, Should We Cry, Candy, and High. Lucky guests who guessed trivia questions thrown by master of ceremony LJ Castro about Baba B’s newest album got free copies of the CD.

Baba B’s claim to fame with island reggae was in 1997 after he released his debut album “Big Boy in Love.” This was followed by his second album “Local Boy” which was released in 1999. Baba B has a big fan base for reggae not only in Hawaii but in the Pacific islands.

The “Baba B Live on Saipan” was hosted by the Marianas Pacific Distributor as part of a series of activities leading to their 40th anniversary on September 14. Sponsors for the event are Docomo Pacific, Hertz Rent-A-Car, IP&E, and Pacific Islands Club Saipan.

He has also performed in Las Vegas, California, and other states in the mainland in addition to his island home Hawaii.

(My Marianas) Today’s parade to highlight 68th Liberation Day celebration

Published in the July 7, 2013 issue of Marianas Variety

IT’S here again, that one day in a year where all roads lead to the festivities grounds as the CNMI celebrates another Liberation Day. Follow the beating of the drums and it will lead you to the Civic Center grounds in Susupe today.

Join the thrill (and agony) of trying to find a parking lot and find your space along the road sides as the Liberation Day parade passes by.

Each year for the past decades, the much-anticipated July 4 parade has always been the highlight of the celebration, a crowd-drawer for thousands of locals and visitors to the islands. Government groups and agencies, private organizations showcase their talents and skills in a once-a-year show where you get a taste of everything with an island twist in one setting.

This morning, make your way to the Civic Center in Susupe early as to grab a prime spot to watch over 30 groups and floats join the Liberation Day parade at 10 a.m. from Gualo Rai and all the way to Susupe. Be there and watch the Liberation Day queen with her royal court and their escorts.

Bring your cameras and video cameras to capture and preserve the colorful moments and action as the CNMI pays tribute for the 68th year to those who have risked their lives to protect the country’s freedom.

2013 Liberation Committee chairman Vicente Camacho said during the opening of the 2013 Liberation Day festivities on Saturday evening that ‘freedom does not come free’ and today’s celebration is to instill this sentiment to the community for those who died for the country’s freedom.  

For those of you who didn’t install tents, you can bring beach chairs and umbrellas to watch the parade from any vantage point in the roadsides, or follow the parade as they make their way to the festival grounds for a final showdown in front of the stage set for dignitaries.

Follow the flow and make today a must-not-miss event. Explore the Liberation day festival grounds and get your fill of local food and drinks, or buy trinkets to bring home from the vendor’s stalls that have participated in the event.

See you at the Liberation Day festival parade and grounds today!

(My Marianas) A ‘hotter’ hot pepper eating contest expected this year

Published in the February 7, 2013 issue of Marianas Variety

 

IT’S a contest like no other. Tears will fall and blows and whistles calling for relief will once again be seen as contestants try to relieve the stinging heat produced by chewing on hundreds of the famous Tinian hot peppers on February 16-17.

Vida Borja of the Marianas Visitors Authority Tinian said this time the contestants for the hot pepper festival will enjoy a different venue at a safer distance from the crowd, unlike the past years where the audience handed the contestants water, ice cream and anything else to help combat the stinging heat from the peppers.

Borja said the 9^th Tinian Pika Festival will be at Kramer Beach. This year, the audience will be spared from crying due to the sting of hot peppers in air as the hot pepper eating contest will be held on a stage where everyone can have a good view without pushing and crowding on the contestants.

The hot pepper eating contest for male contestants will be on Saturday afternoon at about 5 p.m. while the female contenders will compete on Sunday afternoon at the same time.

Borja said that like last year, the contestants will be given a certain time limit to chew on as many red hot peppers as they can, one pepper at a time, and spit them out on a platter. A judge is assigned to each contestant to monitor the number of hot peppers a contestant chews on.

Last year’s grand prize winners for both male and female divisions chewed on over a hundred pieces of hot peppers during a three-minute period.

Corey San Nicolas grabbed the grand prize in the men’s division after chewing 110 red hot peppers while Celina King won in the women’s category by chewing 100 red hot peppers within the 3-minute time frame.

“We are still finalizing the program but we are looking at holding the same procedures for the contest,” Borja said.

In the previous year, the hot peppers were pressed and poured into a cup of noodle soup and the winners are those who finish their noodle soup the fastest.

Tinian’s annual Pika Festival or Hot Pepper Festival is being held in honor of the donni sali, the popular small but hot potent pepper that is ingenious to the island. Entrepreneurs have been successfully preserving and bottling these peppers for marketing here and off island.

Hot burgers, new features

Borja added that as a new feature, JC Café will be hosting a hot burger eating competition.

“This is a new event where the contestants will vie for the fastest time in finishing off special burgers made with special ingredients including Tinian hot peppers,” Borja said.

She added the burgers will be “hot but delicious.”

Another new feature for this year’s Pika Festival is the five-man tug of war where teams will vie for prizes.

Don’t miss out on the fun and activities as Tinian gears up to embrace another colorful and hot Pika Festival. 

For more information, please call Borja at the Tinian MVA Office at 433-9365 or email vborja@mymarianas.com, Tinian Mayor’s Office at 433-1802, Frank at the MVA Saipan headquarters at 664-3200/01, or email ftudela@mymarianas.com.

For information on how to get to Tinian, please call Freedom Air at 234-8328 or Star Marianas at 433-9998.

(My Marianas) Off to the Street Market

Published in the January 24. 2013 issue of Marianas Variety

IT’S Thursday once again and all roads lead to the Fishing Base where nonstop live entertainment, the widest selections of international cuisine and where crafts and trinkets are available at reasonable prices – the Garapan Street Market.

As early as 5 p.m. you can already buy some food and drinks from the booth owners who start early.

Wander from booth to booth and get your fill of various specialties from Chinese, Thai, Chamorro, Filipino, Korean, and Japanese at prices much lower than they normally offer at their respective restaurants. You can get a full meal like a bento with five or six choices for only $5.

Where else can you find really affordable food with selections so vast and varied it will make your head spin trying to decide what to eat, free entertainment and shopping options all in one place?

Name it and the street market most probably have it—from barbeque, noodles, vegetables, fresh fruit and local produce, fruit shakes, healthy drinks, grilled temptations like fish, beef, chicken or pork, sweet delights like local desserts, 

Tables set at the center of the market begin to fill up at past 5 pm and from then onward, it is like one huge potluck where you get to share tables with friends and strangers, locals and tourists from all parts of the world.

Cultural barriers are laid aside as you all concentrate in enjoying the food and experience the tastes, smells and sounds of Saipan.

At the other side of the market, you can browse through stalls displaying fashion jewelry, shirts and bags, trinkets, crafts and arts and other local produce that you can bring home as souvenirs.

The street market is also where you can find some agencies and organizations holding campaigns or handing out informational brochures about upcoming events, products and services.

Hogging the spotlight at the street market each Thursday is the stage where local bands, singers and dancers perform to entertain the audience.

Here is where you can watch a variety of performers—from groups dancing to the beat of modern tunes, to dancers performing Polynesian, Micronesian or local dances in their colorful island attire to fire dancers juggling lighted torches the delight of the tourists.

The street market is where you can find more cameras clicking and flashing than anywhere else in the island on a Thursday, where you come in hungry and leave full, a place where you can get loads of fun and food.

For more information about what to do and where to go when on Saipan, visit www.mymarianas.com or call 664-3200.