OPM finds Hanoi

Manila came to Hanoi. Not the city; the song.

And it brought company: “Raining in Manila,” “Ikaw Lamang,” and a collection of Filipino favorites performed as the Philippines and Vietnam marked 50 years of diplomatic relations.

The Philippine Embassy traded the usual diplomatic speeches for an afternoon of music at Hanoi Club, where Vietnamese officials and foreign diplomats gathered for the anniversary celebration.

At the mic was Rey Jhon Regis, a Filipino music teacher whose choral credentials include a Grand Prix victory at the Leonardo da Vinci International Choral Festival in Florence, Italy.

His repertoire traveled farther than Manila.

There was “What a Wonderful World,” made famous by Louis Armstrong; “Reasons,” the Earth, Wind & Fire classic; and “Historia de un Amor,” a Spanish ballad.

Fernando Desiderio of San Miguel Yamamura Co. Ltd. played soprano saxophone for “Ikaw Lamang,” while Philippine Embassy Attache Mateo Mabagal lent his voice to Martin Nievera’s “Ikaw.”