Starring: Nora Aunor and Tirso Cruz III Co-starring: Eddie Garcia, Caridad Sanchez, Rebecca Domingo and Priscilla Ramirez

Guy and Pip made the movie after returning from their February trip to Sapporo, Japan to watch the 1972 Olympics and shoot Winter Holiday.

Shot in color, Nora, Mahal Kita was the first musical film of Guy and Pip where all the songs were in Tagalog. Composed by Levi Celerio and played by Doming Valdez, the film featured at least ten musical numbers, eight of which were original and two were classical pieces. Song routines included two quartets, a male group and a female group, aside from the solo numbers of Nora and Tirso.

It was the first directorial job of Orlando Nadres, who also wrote the story and screenplay. Nadres had previously written the screenplays of Happy, Hippie Holiday and Villa Miranda and teleplays for Balintataw and Hilda. The producers originally wanted Lino to direct but he was busy filming Cherry Blossoms in Japan.

Nora's first film under Lea Productions, Nora, Mahal Kita is about a heartbroken city boy Pepito (Pip) who returns to his hometown and meets Nora, a young barrio lass, who played her name in the movie. In a way, the story symbolizes its significance, a return to roots.

Nora, Mahal Kita was a fitting tribute by Nora to Levi Celerio. Levi, cited by the Guiness World Records for playing beautiful music with a leaf gave us the songs Saan Ka Man Naroroon, Kahit Konting Pagtingin, Gaano ko Ikaw Kamahal, Dungawin mo Hirang, Basta't Mahal Kita, O Maliwanag na Buwan, Dahil Sa Isang Bulaklak, Sa Ugoy ng Duyan, Sapagkat Kami'y Tao Lamang and Ang Pipit. After composing four thousand songs, Levi was chosen National Artist in 1997.

Musicologist Corazon Canave-Diquino of the University of the Philippines cited Levi Celerio and Nora Aunor for their contributions in popularizing the kundiman through Villar Records with other artists like Sylvia Latorre, Ruben Tagalog, Cenon Lagman, Ric Manrique and Diomedes Maturan.

Diomedes Maturan or Diomeng was known as the Nora Aunor of kundiman. They were both dark-skinned and sought-after performers for Overseas Filipino Workers. In London, Nora and Diomeng performed in a concert where Diomeng would always jokingly brag that he was brought to the concert in a sparkling Bentley while Nora just rode in a Mercedez Benz.

Levi died last year on April 2, 2002, a poor man who couldn't even pay his hospital bills. Diomeng died six days later. And Nora? She will still be singing next week. Hear the voice on November 28, 2003 at Casa Filipino.

Also, Nora's Kundiman Koleksyon under Alpha Records is available online. If you know whether Levi and Nora's songs in Nora, Mahal Kita were released as an album, please, please let us know.

- Wilfredo Pascual, November 19, 2003