LOUIE REYES: Life of an immigrant star

September 2002

She began her professional career with an all female singing trio called Babsie, Chit and Louie, established herself as an accomplished performer with the popular New Minstrels, recorded and released several albums, and received standing ovations for her stage and theater performances in the Philippines and abroad. As the Philippines' Queen of Jazz, she performed with several mainstream jazz artists such as Joe Sample, Bob James, David Benoit, Noel Pointer and Dianne Reeves. She won international acclaim by bagging the grand prize trophy at the Seoul Song Festival, placing second at the First Asean Song Contest, and the Pacific Song Contest in Canada. Then, in 1992, she bagged the Green Room Theatre Award, Australia's version of the Tony, as Best Female Artist in a Supporting Role for her performance in "The King and I." The award was something she never expected, and never even knew she was nominated for, until the organizers called her from Australia to relay the news. And although she didn't get to receive the gold medallion in person (organizers sent it from Australia), the award cemented her status as one of the Philippines' best performing artists.

As a Filipino musical artist, Louie Reyes had attained the kind of success and respect most of her contemporaries in the entertainment field could only dream of. She also had it all: happily married to Cesar de la Fuente, her co-singer with the New Minstrels who eventually became her manager when she decided to go solo, and two adorable sons who seemed to have inherited their parents' musical genes.

But in the late '90s, and at the peak of their joint career, their two sons, Paolo and Miguel, expressed a desire to study in the the U.S. Paolo, then 16, wanted to study filmmaking and pursue a career in creative arts. On an impulse, Louie went to the U.S. embassy in Manila, lugging along a list of professional accomplishments longer than her arm, and applied for a permanent resident visa as an alien of extraordinary ability. The petition was approved in such a relatively short time, Louie says in hindsight, and she remembers laying awake the whole night with Cesar, pondering their incredulous good fortune but wondering even then what in heaven's name they ought to do now that a whole new future had opened up in front of them.

"It was very difficult to make that decision to leave our life, friends, success... and start all over in another country," Louie says. "But my husband and I were happy and content with what we had done in our lives and now, we thought, it was time to support the children's dreams and give them a chance at a better future."

Louie, Cesar and their two sons migrated to the U.S. in 1997, initially relying on relatives who were already longtime residents in California. "Their homes were of course the landing point and they were, still are, the ever reliable sources of info on everything from where to buy bangus, to how to use the newspapers' discount coupons," Louie says with a grin.

How did the family prepare for, and eventually manage, the transition from privileged lot to maidless household?

"Our kids were trained to help around the house very early on so there wasn't much trouble with the dreaded maidless household. All of us still wish we have the help but we cope...the reality that I was already living in the U.S. struck when I cleaned the banyo for the first time..." Louie reveals. She adds that "division of labor is practiced so it gives each member of the family a sense of responsibility and belonging."

Louie says the kids had an easier time adjusting to their new life, "being young more adventurous. Being older and migrating to the U.S. at this age, my husband and I tend to be more cautious (paranoid is the word our kids use). I can't help it sometimes ; after all, my idea of life in L.A. came from what I saw on t.v. and the movies."

Aside from relatives, Louie says their support system includes their church family: "Our church is a big morale booster and spirit lifter. Cesar and I give a big sigh of relief knowing that our two boys' barkada are church youth and not street thugs who could very well lead them to the path of drugs , alcohol and what have you. In fact, Paolo is our church's youth ministry head while the younger one, Miguel is the secretary. With these designations, they are tasked with organizing youth activities (camps, retreats, sports, parties, open forums etc. aside from regular Friday night Bible studies). Cesar and I, on the other hand, have been assigned to minister to the needs of the married couples in the church."

Within the karaoke-crazed Filipino-American community, Louie has found a steady stream of students eager to learn the rudiments of singing, either professionally or simply as a hobby. Also known as "voice teacher to the stars," Louie holds the distinction of being vocal coach to popular entertainers Joey Albert, Gino Padilla, Janice de Belen, Angelou de Leon, Donita Rose, Gelli de Belen, Dawn Zulueta, Nora Aunor, among others. As soon as she set foot in California, Louie shed her own star image and donned her teacher's cap, a profession she now lives by as she conducts voice classes for aspiring Fil-Am entertainers.

"I still manage to do a couple of shows a year -- a privilege I must say, since some of my colleagues have already retired. I am thankful for every chance to connect with an audience because it is always a pleasure to meet people from all walks of life. And of course, applause does warm the heart..." she admits with candor.

"The Fil-Am audience is the same with the homeland audience in one thing: both of them want to get their money's worth. Eighty percent of the Filipino populace can manage to sing so it is just natural for the karaoke-addicted Pinoy to expect that the performer he is paying to see is better than he. They want to see your guts on the floor as you reach your high notes. Definitely, they are more demanding than other foreign audiences who are easier to please. Maybe it's because foreigners never expect world class performances from third world singers. But the Fil-Am audience here is a little different -- they are somewhat kinder. They are just eager to see artists from 'Pinas whom they miss; and they will savor every moment. It must be like being able to eat manggang hilaw with bagoong, unrestricted," she muses.

Life as a "part-time" performer in America keeps Louie on her toes. Last month alone, she gave three performances : at the De la Salle University ( Manila ) Choir Concert in South San Fransisco last July 14, the former Bank of P.I. Employees Grand Reunion at the Pasadena Hilton on July 20, and during the Fil-Am Community Church Concert in Palm Beach, Florida on July 27. She says the whole month of August has been devoted to voice students she could not attend to because of the out-of-town engagements.

On September 7, she will perform in a full length concert in Houston, Texas to benefit the People Helping People Organization, fly back to Burbank, California the following day, allowing for a whole day to pack her bags and catch a flight to Manila on September 10 for the Dream Band Concert at the Music Museum in Greenhills on September 20 and 21. The concert will put together for the first time three members of the Circus Band ( Pat Castillo, Tillie Moreno and Hajji Alejandro ), and three members of the New Minstrels ( Ding Mercado, Eugene Villaluz and herself).

"I go home to the Philippines every year. The first time I went home was only a few months after migrating, to do a repeat at the Cultural Center of the Phil. of Nick Joaquin's Portrait of the Pilipino which Ryan Cayabyab turned into a musical," Louie says. She says she also gets together with other Filipino American artists and "occasionally hold gigs with them."

When she's not busy with gigs, Louie says she spends her time in Manila trying "to clean and organize the stuff I had left behind in my house there ... will I keep ? sell ? recycle ? throw? give away all that stuff?"

Putting her whole "house in order" includes fulfilling a dream of establishing a performing arts school here in America. "I'm praying to be given the resources to put up such a school. When this will happen, I leave to the Lord," Louie says.