Music for the Heart

It’s a story of perseverance, hope, and family love all displayed through music this Saturday at the Garapan Central Park as the family members and friends of singer Amber Mendiola-Romolor gather to host the ‘Music for the Heart’ benefit concert for her, and they’re inviting the community to join them.

The singer of hit songs “Isa Lei,” “My Baby Boy,” and “Set Me Free, ” Mendiola-Romolor, had been born with Tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart defect that combines four complex heart abnormalities: a hole in the wall between the two lower chambers of the heart; a narrowing of the pulmonary valve; an enlarged aortic valve; and a thickened muscular wall of the lower right chamber of the heart.

Throughout her life Mendiola-Romolor had undergone five open heart surgeries and four minor surgeries, and recently she was told by her doctor that she would need to see surgeons at the Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center at UC San Diego Health in California for another surgery before February.

Mendiola-Romolor shared with Saipan Tribune, that she felt very touched that her family had come together to hold an event like this, and she knew times were tough on the community, and to get medical referral money was a struggle in its own. “You know unfortunately with how the medical referral system is right now I will definitely need to do the fundraisings to basically live, travel, and go there on my own. That’s what it’s kind of come down to. My family and I. One of the things we were looking at and what I told them is, I initially didn’t want to have any type of medical fundraiser. And for me that was really just because I know that the community is suffering a lot, the economy is not the greatest, it’s just different people that are going through different things, but once we actually sat down and really went through what’s needed it was very clear that I will need to have some sort of fundraiser.”

She shared that her family suggested a benefit concert, since, coming from a long family line of musicians, that was their” niche” Mendiola-Romolor said “For me music has always been something that has always been a part of me, it’s been in my family for generations. My grandfather was actually one of the original members of a band called TropicSette, my mother was also a singer in a band for such a long time, my father was a lead guitarist, and now my siblings and I are all different forms of artists… mainly musical.”

“When my family and I were talking about it, we were thinking what would be something were, yes we’re doing a fundraiser, but we’re also giving back to the community and one of the things that came up was doing a concert because that’s our thing right our family is all about music. So when we decided okay, we’re going to do a family concert, featuring our family, but of course we wanted to include other bands as well.” Mendiola-Romolor said that other bands, musicians and vocalists such as Sugar King Band, Los Lobos, Kings and Dreamers, Ace Elameto, Big Jay, and TatzSelepeo will be joining them for the concert.

Mendiola-Romolor said that this would be the first time in years she would sing in a concert again, and that it was special because she would not only sing with her family, but with her children as well. “It’s going to be beautiful because one of the things its just symbolic in all respects because the bands are family. Some of them are family within the band, Some of them are my family but they have their own band and so this is a family event as well and we’re really excited about it.”

She gave a sneak peek at some of the numbers she and her family will be playing, adding that “Aside from the songs that we’re playing from the original TropicSette band, we’re also going to be playing songs from my album. When I was a teenager, I actually was a part of the make-a-wish foundation, and my wish was to do an album. And so, I went and did an album in Guam and showcased it here in the CNMI and a lot of people loved the music. This is the first time I’m going to be playing the music again in such a long time. It’s been years since I’ve played my own music and so I’m going to be bringing that back to the stage again.”

Mendiola-Romolor said that for her, although the concert was a fundraiser for her medical referral she sees it as much more than that and said that she hopes to give back to the community. “We are seeing that it’s gaining a lot of traction. A lot of people are very interested in coming out for the cause because I’m also treating it as something bigger than me. Yes, it is to fundraise for my medical referral but at the same time it’s also to bring people together.”

As a build-up toward the event Romolor has been posting promotional videos of her and her siblings’ singing several music covers.

When asked on her message to the public she said “I think for me, I have so many messages to the public, but the biggest thing is that, our community is so wonderful. And for someone who was born with a heart condition you know this is the only thing I’ve ever known all of my life. I didn’t have a normal childhood because I was always in and out of hospitals, I even thought that the hospital was my home. I couldn’t play with other kids, and finally being an adult and being told ‘Oh you need to go for another heart surgery was really scary. But this community has been so supportive; have been giving prayers, and love, and just support in all different kinds of ways. And I just want to thank the community for all they’re doing. And so I just want to thank the community and praise the community for being so amazing.”

Romolor said “Somebody once told me that the CNMI, regardless of our diverse cultures, we’re built on love and I’m definitely feeling that now. It’s kind of overwhelming actually.”

She shared that her medical journey has not been easy, but she is so grateful for the support she has been receiving from her family and peers “…it’s a lot of energy that’s being taken out of me, especially with the fact that I’ve already been told multiple times by the cardiologist that my heart is stressing, I have really bad irregular beats and all of that, But with the support of my family and friends, I’m able to push myself further and I’m very appreciative.”

Romolor also wanted to thank her main sponsors KKMP and Turnkey Solutions for all their support and help. “I’m feeling a lot of emotions but one of the biggest one is gratitude for my family, friends, and the community and I just want them to come out and hear music.”

The concert doors open at 5:30 pm, and performances start at 6 pm till 11pm.

Tickets are $25 dollars and children under seven are free. To purchase tickets, contact Mendiola-Romolor through Facebook or email 670amberfundraiser@gmail.com. Donations can also be made on her website https://www.ambermendiolaromolor.com/

Mendiola-Romolor told Saipan Tribune “My plan is once I have my surgery and if everything goes well and I come back and I’m back at it, I really want to continue to do things to promote and put out more awareness on congenital heart disease, or heart defects. I really want to put my focus into helping those individuals who have kids or are born with that or those who are going through the same things.”