'Art 2 Art' Bares April Episodes

Film director Cathy Garcia-Molina, hailed as the “Rom-Com Queen” for her string of blockbuster romance comedies, is the featured guest in the first episode of Art 2 Art this April.

Fresh from the recent success of her latest flick, Unofficially Yours, “Direk Cathy” tells Art 2 Art host Lisa Macuja how veteran director Marilou Diaz-Abaya inspired her to seriously consider directing as a profession. Describing herself as a “hopeless romantic,” she also shares the elements that make a movie click with the audience, and how she has coped with her situation as a young widow with two kids.


The episode airs on April 1, 3:30 to 4 p.m., on DZRH (666 khz on the AM band), and can be viewed simultaneously via RHTV on Cablelink Channel 9 and on the Internet through DZRH live streaming. Art 2 Art is produced by the the Manila Broadcasting Company.

On April 8, fashion and celebrity photographer Sara Black drops by and relates how sidelining as a model earlier on helped her to bankroll her own studio and also pursue personal projects such as her own photography book.

On April 15, graphic designer and illustrator Carlo Vergara relates how he created the character Zsazsa Zaturnnah whose exploits have jumped from the comic book pages to a musical play and a movie. Vergara has released the first of the three-part Zaturnnah sequel to mark the 10th anniversary of his famous heroine.

For inquiries about Art 2 Art, please e-mail art2artdzrh@yahoo.com.ph. On Facebook, check out the account Ballerina ng Bayan for updates on Art 2 Art episodes and Ballet Manila performances.

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Lea Salonga in Art 2 Art's 5th Anniversary Episode

Art 2 Art, the award-winning radio and cable TV program hosted by prima ballerina Lisa Macuja, celebrates its fifth anniversary with Lea Salonga as guest. This special episode airs on March 11, Sunday, 3:30-4 p.m., on DZRH (666 khz on the AM band), via RHTV on Cablelink Channel 9 and on the Internet through the website http://dzrh.tripod.com.

“We're so excited to welcome Lea to our show, and particularly for an episode that marks an important milestone for our program,” says Lisa.

Lisa and Lea exchange notes on things that they have in common—their early start in their respective fields, living abroad and experiencing being a global Filipino artist, and being mothers and wives.

“When we started Art 2 Art in 2007, we just wanted to help in raising awareness about the arts,” Lisa notes. “Five years later, we have clocked 264 episodes featuring more than 200 Filipino artists from literature, music, visual arts, dance, theater and other disciplines. Our promise to our followers when we began remains as we start on our sixth year—Usapang sining at kultura para sa lahat!”

On March 18, Art 2 Art features stage talents Kalila Aguilos and Cris Villonco, stars of Repertory Philippines' production of Jekyll and Hyde. The two discuss the challenges of working in theater and also sing a powerful rendition of “In His Eyes,” one of the numbers from the musical.

Recently, Lisa received the good news that Gawad Tanglaw—given by a group of esteemed academicians—has again named Art 2 Art as its awardee for Best Educational Radio Program for the second straight year. The awarding will be held on March 15 at the University of Perpetual Help System in Las Piñas City.

Art 2 Art is produced by the Manila Broadcasting Company. For inquiries, please e-mail art2artdzrh@yahoo.com.ph. On Facebook, check out the account Ballerina ng Bayan for updates on Art 2 Artepisodes and Ballet Manila performances.

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'Art 2 Art' Bares Upcoming Episodes This October

Art 2 Art continues to bring “usapang sining at kultura para sa lahat” as host Lisa Macuja interviews interesting personalities from various art disciplines. Produced by the Manila Broadcasting Company, Art 2 Art is aired nationwide every Sunday, 3:30 to 4 p.m., on DZRH (666 khz on the AM band), and can be viewed simultaneously on Cablelink cable television’s Channel 9 and accessed on the Internet through the website http://dzrh.tripod.com.

On October 2, National Museum director Jeremy Barns and technical adviser for research and museology Ana Labrador reveal the activities celebrating the museum's 110th anniversary this month which also happens to be Museums and Galleries Month. The two guests also detail the many projects the National Museum is undertaking not just in the visual arts, but also in archeaology, botany, anthropology and heritage preservation.

On October 9, Chuck Gutierrez and Ruth Villarama-Gutierrez share their experiences in independent filmmaking as the couple behind Voyage Film Studios. Despite being a new player in the industry, Voyage has already produced several works tackling environmental and social themes that have won awards in Cinemalaya and in international festivals, including Halaw (Ways of the Sea), Sampaguita, National Flower and Pink Halo-Halo.

On October 16, artists Michael Cacnio relates how he puts together his often humorous sculptures, from drawing the ideas on paper to giving them shape in brass. Now celebrating his 20th anniversary as a sculptor, this second-generation artist has made a name for himself for his works depicting facets of family life and Filipino scenes and values. Lately, he has been using glass in his sculptures, specifically for his Lobo (Balloons) series.

For inquiries, please e-mail art2artdzrh@yahoo.com.ph. On Facebook, check out the account Ballerina ng Bayan for updates on Art 2 Art episodes and Ballet Manila performances.

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'Art 2 Art' Airs Rizal Episodes

Art 2 Art scores a coup as it presents National Artist for Literature Virgilio “Rio Alma” Almario discussing national hero Jose Rizal as a writer in its episode on June 19, the 150th birth anniversary of Rizal.

This will be preceded on June 12, Independence Day, by another Rizal episode featuring multi-awarded composer/musical arranger Ryan Cayabyab who will talk about the making of his musical adaptation of Rizal's novel, Noli Me Tangere. With libretto by National Artist Bienvenido Lumbera and costumes, the critically acclaimedNoli Me Tangere The Musical will be restaged in August.

Hosted by prima ballerina Lisa Macuja and produced by the Manila Broadcasting Company, Art 2 Art is airednationwide every Sunday, 3:30 to 4 p.m., on DZRH (666 khz on the AM band). It can also be viewed simultaneously on Cablelink cable television’s Channel 9 and accessed on the Internet through the website http://dzrh.tripod.com.

Almario, who translated both of Rizal's novels, Noli and El Filibusterismo into Filipino, shares the hero's literary legacy which also includes scores of poems, essays and “The Monkey and the Tortoise” cartoons. Based on his studies, Almario also reveals why one poem that has been attributed to Rizal could not have been the hero's work.

Meanwhile, Cayabyab recalls how the Noli musical came to be in 1995 and the process the production team underwent to turn Rizal's prose into music. He notes that the Fili adaptation came first, then later on was followed byNoli, and led to a third Rizal-themed musical, Ilustrado.

For its June 5 episode, Art 2 Art features sisters Jai Sabas-Aracama and Hazel Sabas-Gower who are accomplished in their respective fields of classical music and ballet. The Sabas sisters recall that growing up in a household filled with art and music inspired them to pursue careers as artists.

The program caps the month with a tribute to National Artist for Film Gerardo de Leon on June 26, with the assistance of resource speaker Ed Cabagnot of the Cultural Center of the Philippines' Visual, Literary and Media Arts Department.

For inquiries, please e-mail art2artdzrh@yahoo.com.ph. On Facebook, check out the account Ballerina ng Bayan for updates on Art 2 Art episodes and Ballet Manila performances.

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Art 2 Art Episodes in March

Featured guests: Ligaya Amilbangsa, Joseph Esmilla, Ray Sison;

Tribute to National Artist Francisca Reyes Aquino

ART 2 ART, the 2009 Catholic Mass Media Awardee for Best Educational Program on Radio, continues to bring “usapang sining at kultura para sa lahat” this month as host Lisa Macuja interviews an array of interesting personalities from various art disciplines.

Art 2 Art is aired nationwide every Sunday, 3:30 to 4 p.m., on dzRH, 666 khz on the AM band. It can be viewed simultaneously on Channel 9 via Cablelink cable television and accessed on the Internet through the website http://dzrh. tripod.com.

Produced by the Manila Broadcasting Company, Art 2 Art next features the following episodes:

March 7 — For its episode marking International Women’s Day (March 8), Lisa welcomes to the program Ligaya Amilbangsa, one of the most respected names in the field of Philippine indigenous dance. Amilbangsa is a dancer, teacher, researcher and choreographer. As artistic director of the Alun-Alun Dance Circle, she gets to promote and propagate the “pangalay”, a traditional dance originating in Sulu that dates back to pre-Islam and Christianity periods. Since first witnessing the pangalay and being entranced by its movements decades ago, Amilbangsa has become an active proponent of this dance form.

March 14 — Violinist Joseph Esmilla relates how being exposed to music at a young age convinced him to pursue a career in this field. Described as one of the country’s child prodigies in the 1970s, Joseph obtained a scholarship at age 14 to the prestigious Juilliard School where he would eventually finish both his Bachelors and Masters of Music. He then took a post-graduate course at the Mannes College of Music, also in New York. After years of being based abroad and establishing himself as a recitalist and chamber musician, Joseph is back home for concerts and to explore options in the local classical music scene.

March 21 — Another accomplished musician, flutist Ray Sison, shares his own story in music. Taking up the flute as a member of his high school’s Citizen’s Military Training Band, Ray later decided to pursue serious studies as a flute major at the UP College of Music. Coming from an entrepreneurial family, he later took up his master’s degree in business administration in the United States, but simultaneously enrolled in flute classes. Aside from being featured as solo artist or as part of an orchestra in innumerable concerts, Ray has recorded four music albums. He is currently principal flutist of the Manila Symphony Orchestra.

March 28 — Art 2 Art caps the month with a tribute to National Artist for Dance Francisca Reyes Aquino. Resource speaker is Salud Datoc, the late Aquino’s student and later her colleague as a researcher/educator . Datoc pictures “Lola Kikay” as an exemplary teacher, generous in sharing her knowledge and unflagging in her research into folk dances for which she traveled the length of the archipelago. Aquino’s books are still considered the definitive reference materials when it comes to folk dance and include the likes of the Tinikling, Lubi-lubi and Maglalatik which she herself would popularize.

For inquiries and more information about Art 2 Art, please e-mail art2artdzrh@yahoo.com.ph.

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