OPM icon Louie Reyes passes away

Louie Reyes, a member of the 1970s Filipino show band The New Minstrels, has died.

“The Philippine Music Industry celebrates the life of our dear Ms. LOUIE REYES. No goodbyes, just the best hello to a very, very dear friend and colleague,” fellow OPM icon Ivy Violan wrote in a Facebook post on Oct. 26.

Reyes' husband Cesar dela Fuente commented on Violan's post, saying, “Today I lost the love of my life.”

The cause of her death is unknown.

She reportedly died in the US, where she and dela Fuente migrated in 1999. 

Louie Reyes, a legend of Philippine music

Reyes had a degree in music education at College of the Holy Spirit in Manila. She went on to work at St. Theresa's College and St. Mary's College, both in Quezon City. 

But it was her break in The New Minstrels that catapulted Reyes into stardom. 

Reyes began her musical journey as one of the members of The New Minstrels in the 1970s, which was an offshoot of The Minstrels, a trio begun by her husband in San Beda College in the 1960s. The show band became famous both in the Philippines and abroad for their interpretations of classic kundimans, such as Mike Velarde Jr.’s Buhat, Filipino pop songs, and Broadway songs. 

Interestingly, it was only when she was "discovered" by her husband and made part of The New Minstrels that she realized she "could sing and... could make a living out of it," Reyes shared in an interview with Rico Hizon on CNN Philippines in 2020. 

"Being with the group afforded us the chance to go to many places; like we had engagements in Tokyo, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and many other places," she told Hizon in the interview, which took place with fellow The New Minstrels alum Ding Mercado to celebrate the band's 45th anniversary. 

The band was shoved into nationwide stardom when they were asked to interpret and record Buhat as the opening number of the FAMAS Awards sometime in the 1970s.

The New Minstrels is also known for such hits as Ikaw, Ako, Tayo’y Magkapatid, Smile, and I Don’t Love You Anymore. 

Along with Reyes, the band served as a springboard for the solo careers of fellow singers, including Ray-An Fuentes, Eugene Villaluz, and Ding Mercado. A new crop of members in the 1980s also got their break from The New Minstrels, such as Joey Albert and Chad Borja.

In the US, Reyes continued to perform both in solo concerts and in reunion concerts with The New Minstrels and Circus Band, another 1970s showband that kept OPM alive during martial law. Reyes frequently travelled back to the Philippines to perform as well. 

One of the last reunion concerts of the two bands (The Best of Our Love – The Greatest Hits Reunion) was held at the PICC Plenary Hall in Sept. 2013. Representing The New Minstrels were Reyes, Eugene Villaluz, Ding Mercado, Ray-An Fuentes, Chad Borja, and Joey Albert; alongside Circus Band alums Hajji Alejandro, Basil Valdez, Pat Castillo, Jacquie Magno, and Tillie Moreno.