GRAND PIANO, VIOLIN AND SINGER AMANTE CABALLERO
The friendship of Amante Caballero, left, and Roberto Hernandez, at right, starts with music. They've been together in many wedding occasions. This time they are performing with a violinist to complement the accompaniment on a grand piano at Airai View Hotel. Amante has been to Palau for 19 years but never taken a vacation yet!
(Photo by Amante Caballero)
MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT EXPERIENCES OF ROBERTO HERNANDEZ (20 YEARS IN PALAU)
I first arrived in Palau
The name of the place where we’re playing is Sunset Bistro, on the Airai side of the old and fallen KB Bridge. We played from 9:00 pm to 12:00 midnight. We practice 5 days a week from 3:00-6:00 pm. Most of our songs are Palauan songs derived from American songs. Only few are original compositions. The place needs to earn at least $150.00 a night just to pay for the band members. It’s not making money most of the time and I thought of an idea to hold singing contest and provide free transportation for customers from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm.
It was a good and successful idea that discovered talents from Filipino and Palauan community with the eleven weekly champions advancing to the grand finals of the 1992 Sunset Bistro singing contest .Disco, parlor games, raffles and dance contest were held in between singing contest that make customers come back every Sunday.
After the finals, the place don’t make as much and finally stopped operation in early July 1992.
Wilson and me auditioned in front of Margarita Borja Dalton, the owner-manager of Image Restaurant in July 16, 1992. We were able to play and sing all of Margie’s requests and she yelled “You’re hired, boys!”
We started playing together in July 26, 1992 and we moved to the rented staff house at Meyuns with Tess and Romy Soriano, Ma. Victoria Estonina and Joe Benemerito (the bartender) became my roommate.
Margie’s son Tim, who is a good drummer, is not satisfied without real drums. He hired Willy and used his own junior size drums on July 31, 1992. All of us can sing and we somehow produced a complete band because I learned to play using my left hand as a bass player while in Bahrain (1987-1989).
When Wilson went back to Philippines, Willy and I played together. When we started to have karaoke, Willy worked as butcher at Surangel’s and I played solo and operate karaoke since then.
On April 1, 2005, Image Restaurant’s ownership was granted to Bank of Guam and later to Juan Borja, a cousin of Margie from Guam .
Me and my wife resumed working with her at their Café Olei at the departure area of Palau International Airport
In the soft opening of Rose Garden Resort, I played keyboard there for eleven months till June 21, 2006. And when the transfer law was finally signed by then President Tommy Remengasau on March 16, 2006, we were able to transfer at Dragon Tei, Teppan Dragon, and Donburi Dragon from June 23, 2006 to May 31, 2007. I played the electronic piano at Teppan Dragon and the acoustic piano at Donburi Dragon. That piano was bought from Margie by Yuriko Irikedamoto for $1,700.00.
When Donburi Dragon has closed down on January 28, 2007, I was able to transfer at Palau
I play that piano from 6:00-9:00 pm at Waves Restaurant and use a keyboard at Breeze Bar from 9:00-11:00 pm every night except Wednesday (my day off).*My off day now is Friday since mid-2011.
My wife is still working at Dragon Tei where she was the only lady worker that got perfect attendance in 2008.
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