RJ Rosales, who has died aged 37, was one of the Australian Filipino community’s favourite sons. Best known for his stint as co-host of ABS-CBN Philippines variety show ASAP, he was a critically acclaimed actor and musical theatre performer, receiving a Helpmann Award nomination for his role in the 2007-08 Australian season of Miss Saigon. His smooth but strong balladeer’s voice, equally suited to popular music as show tunes, found fans across generations from all over the world.

Born Roseo Jose Rosales, the second of four children, he migrated from the Philippines to Australia with his family at the age of thirteen. The family settled in western Sydney, initially living with close relatives in a house that had, in typical Filipino fashion, up to fifteen people living together at one time. He completed his Higher School Certificate at St Clair High School and a Bachelor of Applied Science, majoring in Mathematics, at the University of Western Sydney. His parents were leaders in the local Filipino community, and during his teenage years and early twenties, Rosales sang at Filipino Masses at Holy Spirit, his local Catholic church, and frequently performed for local Filipino community events, amateur musical productions and with the now defunct Sampaguita Folk Dancing Troupe.

His big break came in 1996 when he was cast in the Australian production of Cameron Mackintosh’s Miss Saigon. For the next two years, he pursued local opportunities, recording Filipino songs for SBS Radio and playing the lead role of Ibarra in Filipinas Circa 1880 – the Musical in Sydney and Canberra. His dream of pursuing a professional career in entertainment now within reach, Rosales left his job in banking and accepted the lead role of Chang in the 1999 Singapore production of Action Theatre’s Chang and Eng – the Musical. Rosales based himself in Singapore for three years, honing his skills in theatre, television and as a solo performer. He hosted Channel 5’s ABCs of Health, Style Doctors and The Making of Miss Saigon and played Mr B in the teen drama series Spin. It was in Singapore that he achieved the professional milestone of recording his first single, A Perfect World. He also featured in the complete recording of Chang and Eng – the Musical produced by Action Theatre. In 2001 and 2002, he reprised his role as Chang, performing in Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia.

In 2001, he broke into the Philippine entertainment industry when he accepted a two-year contract with ABS-CBN. It was the ultimate dream for Rosales, who moved back to Manila to work with some of the biggest names in the industry, many of whom he considered his childhood idols. Demonstrating his versatility as a performing artist, he appeared in a variety of film, television and stage roles. From 2001 to 2004, he appeared in popular variety show ASAP as a regular host and racked up some serious acting creds, landing a lead role in the comedy series Attagirl as well as roles in Da Pilya n Da Pilot and Sa Puso Ko Iingatan Ka. In 2005, he received rave reviews for his role in the highly controversial All About Men – Penis Talks 2 and was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor award at the Metro Manila Film Festival for his role as Reggie in the award-winning drama Blue Moon.

Although musical theatre was his first love, and despite performing in what he considered his dream venue, the Cultural Centre of the Philippines, for East Meets West and Something Stupid Called Love, Rosales’s musical career in the Philippines tended towards pop. He appeared as a guest performer at the Miss Earth 2002 pageant and for various artists, including Regine Velasquez and Pops Fernandez, with stints in the United States and Australia, where he appeared at the 2004 Vina Morales concert in the Sydney suburb of Castle Hill. He recorded several songs, including Together Forever, a  Gold Record Award winning duet with Carol Banawa, Tulad ng Dati and Metropop Song Festival finalist You’re All That I Live For.

Despite his achievements, Rosales seemed to struggle with the demands and cultural constraints of the Philippine entertainment industry and by 2005 was regularly commuting between Manila and Singapore, where he continued to star in various musical theatre productions and appear in charity and solo concerts. He was listed in Cleo magazine’s 50 Most Eligible Bachelors and female magazine’s 50 Most Gorgeous People in Singapore.

He returned home to Sydney when he was cast as antagonist Thuy in the 2007-08 Australian production of Miss Saigon, for which he received a Helpmann Award nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical. By now he was well loved by fans in Singapore, where he regularly travelled to perform to packed audiences. He was a generous supporter of charitable organisations and expatriate Filipino communities. In Singapore, he appeared in various gala events for Community Chest; in Australia, he was known for guest appearances at local fiestas, birthday celebrations and senior citizens’ functions. His last major public appearance in Australia was in the role of Philippine national hero Jose Rizal at an amateur production of Leonor Orosa-Goquinco’s Her Son, Jose Rizal at the Tom Mann Theatre in Surry Hills.

Despite his success, Rosales remained a deeply private person. Those closest to him describe him as shy and meek but cheeky and charming. The Sydney community remembers him with fondness for his humility and the generosity with which he shared his talent, providing inspiration to young aspiring Australian Filipino performers.

Rosales was interred on Saturday at Pinegrove Cemetery in western Sydney. A memorial service will be held in Singapore on Monday evening at Kallang Theatre. Online tributes can be sent to his memorial site.

Rosales is survived by his parents and three siblings.

• RJ Rosales (Roseo Jose Rosales), entertainer, born 24 March 1974; died 5 December 2011.

This article was first published in December 2011 by the Australian Filipina (online).

Sources:

• Memorial site, retrieved 9/12/2011
• AsiaOne (9/12/2011): Celebs grieve for Change and Eng star by Kwok Kar Peng, The New Paper, retrieved 9/12/2011
• Filipin-Oz (12/7/2011): Tears For RJ Rosales by Benjie de Ubago, retrieved 9/12/2011
• Helpmann Awards, retrieved 9/12/2011
• PINOYexpats (2006): RJ Rosales: On leaving and coming home by Kat Mayo
• Australian Filipina Magazine (2007): RJ Rosales (profile) by Kat Mayo

http://www.heavenaddress.com/funeral-notice/Roseo-Jose-Rosales/401148/obituary.aspx

RJ Rosales
24 March 1974 — 5 December 2011

The funeral service starts at 10.30am on Saturday, December 10 at Blessed John XXIII Catholic Church, Stanhope Gardens. Interment will follow at Pinegrove Cemetery, Michinbury. Click on the link above for more details.

www.beyondblue.org.au

After talking about it for so long, I’ve finally gone and set up a spoiler website for people who want to look up how a book ends: killafairy.wordpress.com. It will be a collaborative blog with a few other readers who like to kill fairies.

We haven’t publicised the site much because we’re still building up the titles listed, but if you’re a fairy killer, too, you might want to have a peek. And if you do, I’m happy to hear suggestions and comments!

My review of Haunted Heart by Tania Donald is on page 27 of the June 2011 issue of BOOKSELLER+PUBLISHER. My verdict:

It won’t shock readers familiar with erotic fiction, but may provide an edge for those who aren’t. Despite parallels with Twilight, this novel is darker and its conclusion isn’t as simple—nor as satisfying.

‘When are you having kids?’ It’s a refrain that many Filipinas are familiar with. Before the ink dries on your marriage contract, family and friends are already anticipating the most rewarding – and most difficult – time in your life. But having children in Australia today is a different experience to what our mothers and grandmothers went through in the Philippines.

Read this article at the Australian Filipina.

(If you’re wondering, that’s not my picture. It’s been a while since I was preggers.)

National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30.

If you want to be writing buddies, I’m here. I have no plot to speak of and a character I would vaguely describe as a Filipino Australian in her early 20s. How I’ll pull 50,000 words out of this, I have no idea. But there you go. Commitment is the first step. See you on the other side of November!

A couple of months ago, Amazon finally made the Kindle available to Australia. If you’re a book lover like me, this may not impress you much. After all, it’s hard to imagine life without paperbacks! Most readers are also skeptical about being able to read on an electronic device for long periods of time.

But the Kindle, along with most ebook readers, uses E-Ink technology, which causes less strain for the eyes than a normal computer. It also requires less power, so an ebook reader will last much longer between charges than a laptop. I love the feel of books, but I have to say that I’m impressed with the clarity of eInk. Many devices also allow you to change font sizes, so it’s great for people who have impaired vision.

What makes Kindle’s entry to the Australian market such a big deal is the way it changes the book buying process. The Kindle has two advantages over its rivals. First, it gives you access to Amazon’s catalogue of ebooks, which is extensive and, more importantly, cheap. So cheap, in fact, that Amazon makes a loss on ebook sales. Second, the Kindle allows you to buy books wirelessly. It’s the digital equivalent of impulse buying. Amazon foots the bill for the 3G connection required to connect to its store, which means you don’t have to worry about subscription fees.

But the Kindle does have its downsides, particularly for Australian readers:

1. It uses a proprietary ebook format. This means you can only legitimately buy ebooks from Amazon, and you can’t transfer your ebooks to a non-Kindle reader.
2. It’s unclear whether or not you own your ebooks or just a licence to read them. In the past, there has been controversy over Amazon removing access to ebooks that people have previously purchased.
3. Ebooks may be more expensive. Amazon charges international Kindle users a surcharge on purchases.

If these issues bother you, the good news is that there are other options for Australian ebook readers. The BeBook and ECO Reader, in particular, seem to have ramped up their Australian distribution and are available in bricks and mortar stores.

If you’re looking to buy an ebook reader this Christmas, here are some things to consider:
- Compatibility with different ebook formats (see MobileRead’s format and device comparison charts)
- Ease of buying and uploading books
- Geographic restrictions imposed by bookstores (some ebooks can only be sold in certain countries and may not be available to Aussie readers)
- Australian warranty and support

If you can, it’s a good idea to visit a retailer and test out the feel and features of the reader you’re interested in. Little things like screen size and button placement can make a difference between enjoyment and annoyance. It’s also worth figuring out where you’re most likely to buy your ebooks and what formats are available.

To get you started, here’s a list of ebook readers available in Australia. The prices are for standard sizes, but some brands may also have smaller or larger models available.

• Amazon Kindle (US$259) from Amazon
• BeBook ($499 on sale) from BeBook*, Dymocks, The Co-op Bookshop
• ECO Reader ($449) from ECO Reader, Boomerang Books, DA Direct, Box Hill Institute Bookshop, Reader’s Feast, Readings, Melbourne University Bookshop
• Cybook ($599) from DA Direct
• Hanlin ($349) from DA Direct
• iRex Iliad ($1099) from DA Direct

There are more ebook readers available overseas, such as Sony’s Reader, Barnes & Noble’s Nook, and Fictionwise’s eSlick. However, you’ll need to do some research to ensure that the devices will work here, and that you’ll be able to purchase ebooks in the right format.

For more information, check out the MobileRead Wiki for general information and specifications, or Dear Author for tutorials on ebooks and ebook readers, geared specifically for romance readers.

Better yet, send an email to the ARRA loop, because we definitely have some prolific ebook readers in the group!

* If you buy direct from bebook.net.au, you can get $25 off by using the promotion code BOOKTHINGO. Note that Book Thingo earns referral credits when you use this promotion code. Not valid with any other offers or discounts.