Cathy Segal-Garcia’s Noontime Hang, featuring Sandra Lim Viray, Filipino Jazz vocalist!

Cathy Segal-Garcia’s Noontime Hang, featuring interviews with jazz people and other musicians!
My special guest today, 7/22/24, LIVE, is Sandra Lim Viray, Filipino Jazz vocalist!
(My 599th day’s guest!)
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Bringing the Philippine International Jazz Festival (PI Jazz for short) back to life after a hiatus of some six years is hard enough, but to near-singlehandedly organize three days of performances by a mix of brilliant artists from overseas and putting them on stage along with a lineup of some country’s brightest luminaries in jazz is no mean feat at all.

But that’s exactly what jazz diva and festival chairperson Sandra Lim-Viray did. “Many of the people who were with us when we first launched the (PI) Jazzfest in 2006 have moved on or have passed away,” relates Sandra, not mentioning that two of the key persons behind the organization, guitarist Edgar Avenir and her husband, drummer Jun Viray — both consummate artists — are no longer around in this realm.

PI JazzFest actually had a terrific 13-year run, with Viray and confreres putting Manila in the international jazz map by bringing such jazz greats from overseas including Hubert Laws and his siblings, Debra and Ronnie Laws, Airto Moreira, Flora Purim, Eldar Djangirov, Hiromi, Bob James, Dianne Reeves, Diane Schuur, Ivan Lins, David Starck, Anthony Strong, Incognito, Tiernney Sutton, Spyro Gyra, Fourplay, Chuck Loeb, Abe Lagrimas, Nathan East, Jon Irabagon, Barbara Mason, Raul Midonl, Lee Ritenour, Harvey Mason, and Johnny McLaughlin.

Sandra is a perfect example of a total music artist. Like many great jazz artists, Sandra had her start in the classics and in the tunes of the time. She took up formal music lessons at an early age and became the youngest soloist of her church choir.

In Sandra's colorful schooldays, she already demonstrated her great worth and creativity - her avant-garde approach to her projects endeared her to her.

Her call to perform in front of stage lights came early too, especially the one that came from the Batucada and jazz fusion pioneer, Boy Katindig. She later became the mainstay of the long-running bar in town, Papillon, as the solo singer for Network Band. Her very noticeable presence in the scene led to bookings as a solo artist then as singer for the Philippine bossa nova daddy, Bong Penera.

Singing, for Sandra, is not a demonstration of vocal prowess although she can easily blow anyone on stage away if she so chooses. Sandra doesn't just sing - she touches people. Sandra understands people's inner feelings, their secret joys or anguish and she expresses these for them when they cannot. Her blessed voice, wonderfully textured and soothingly precise, says all that is "you" in lyrics that flow freely, coming not as words for the ears but as words for the soul. When Sandra sings, you know she’s sharing your smiles or she’s crying for you.
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COMING DAYS: Keep an eye out for special LIVE guests!
Vocalist/curator/educator/composer/producer Cathy Segal-Garcia hosts "Noontime Facebook Hangs", featuring casual interviews on Facebook and Youtube with successful music professionals, mostly jazz.
www.cathysegalgarcia.com
for more info and Future guests
Archives:
https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=!A....
And if you feel like you'd like to help jazz musicians who are in dire financial need, please go to https://californiajazzfoundation.org/...
Thanks!