So finally, Mindanaoan has met Ettore “Thor” Dulay!
Thor, a fellow Dabawenyo (and so of course is also a fellow Mindanaoan), is one of the country’s most talented vocalists. From starting out in a Davao City vocal group to recording an album with a hit single entitled “Wonderland” (this song held the number spot at Wave 89.1’s show “Soul Review” for 5 straight weeks) to recording a song for the 2003 Metro Manila Film Festival entry “Fantastic Man” to basically being one of the most sought after singers in Metro Manila today, Thor has definitely gone a long way.
So okay, here’s the lowdown — even before our unplanned, fateful meeting last December 22, 2009 (right in the middle of the OTG gig of RnB band K24/7), Thor and I have been in touch through online and SMS. I have heard of him way, way back through members of South Border (I’ll write about them here in Mindanaoan.com, too) and of course, when I learned that he, too, was from Davao City, I made a mental note to meet him someday and tell him how he’s made all of us Mindanaoans proud.
Fast forward a few years later, and as fate would place a nice twist to things, my very good and pretty friend Mai became his “special someone.” Mai and I met through South Border, too, as both of us are passionate fans of the band. So there — Thor and I finally had a mutual friend!
Even if Thor and Mai were based in Manila and I, at the time, was already back in Mindanao, we didn’t lose touch. When I needed Thor’s help during one of my World AIDS Day events, Mai helped him create Thor’s video greeting. I then used that video greeting and played that during my WAD event And then of course we also kept in touch through various social networking sites.
And finally, on December 22, 2009, after years of connecting only through the virtual world, I met my longtime “virtual” (now IRL) friend Thor
Ah, nothing beats meeting a friend for the very first time, yes?
Here’s a video clip of Thor singing “One Last Cry.” Took this one when he jammed alongside K24/7:
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Mindanaoan is a multi-awarded blogger, content creator, seasoned social media strategist and publicist with undeniably successful track record. 2012 International Visitor Leadership Program (for global leaders) alumnus and O visa grantee (for people with extraordinary skills and who have risen to the top of their field). Avid traveler and a proud relief operations volunteer. Regular resource person for social media, blogging and content creation. Available for work and travel – mindanaoan@gmail.com