In his younger days, Amando Gregorio Nieva Zamora, aka Wopsy, was known among the glitter crowd as the disco king. His projects in providing sound and lighting to the discos frequented by the top social crowd remain to this day a staple for interesting talk as the cosmopolitan set of the 1970s and 1980s recall their swinging days.

This hip gentleman eventually would eventually retire from the night scene, albeit late in the day, and take on a new career, this time as a provider of lighting systems for the corporate world. It is a career that he has succeeded in, as he updates his technical knowledge while keeping attuned to the latest international developments in the lighting, sounds and special effects industry. Just to cite an example of his many gigantic projects, he lighted the
world-famous San Juanico Bridge which connects the islands of Leyte and Samar.

His company, Amigo Entertainment Technologies, of which he is chairman and chief executive officer, regularly serves the high-tech audio needs of the biggest malls in the country. It has begun expanding to foreign shores, initially Guam, USA.

Wopsy is a dedicated and loving father to his children Tanya, Mila, Carlos and Amanda. Wopsy’s answers to our questions pertaining to his fathering style are succinct, reflecting a no-nonsense yet generous and responsible father who wants the best for his family.

He is happily married to the former Agile Abastillas, who writes the top social column, Party People, in the Daily Tribune. She assists him in the family business as its vice chairman and treasurer.
Interestingly, Wopsy himself descends from celebrity parents. His father Arturo Rodriguez Zamora, known as Tito Art to the younger generation and proteges, was an executive producer of ABS-CBN, at the same time the advertising manager of a national broadsheet. Famous for his terpsichorean talent and thus dubbed by the press as the Fred Astaire of the Philippines, Art’s was a name to reckon with in Manila’s entertainment life of the post-war years. He also dabbled as a choreographer for society balls and television dance shows. He owned Another World disco.

Being a leading light in the recreation field, he inspired his son to begin his disco lighting and audio career.

“Everything I became takes root from my father’s guidance and inspiration,” Wopsy shared. He lost his mother when he was three months old and his father was left to take care of his son whom he sent to Ateneo de Manila University and raised to be a well-rounded, smart and savvy businessman. Wopsy’s mother, the former Lourdes Mila Nieva, was a society columnist at the prewar La Vanguardia and Manila Tribune group of publications.
Excerpts from the Daily Tribune interview with Wopsy Zamora:

Chips off the old block

Daily Tribune (DT): What is your fathering style? Are you strict or lenient?
Wopsy Zamora (WZ): Balanced and principled.

DT: Are you affectionate or stern?

WZ: Very affectionate.

DT: What values have you imparted to your children?

WZ: Humility and determination to succeed.

DT:  How do you bond with your two younger children, Carlos and Amanda?

WZ: Both are chips off the old block, my clones.

DT: What are your fond memories of their growing up years?

WZ: How each activity they did mirrored my own formative years.

DT: What is the most memorable gift that you have given them?

WZ: Highest education, home breeding and real life’s happiness.

DT: At this stage in your life, what is your greatest fulfillment as a father?

WZ: Laying a strong foundation and security for my family’s future.

DT: You had a successful father. What did you learn from him that contributed to becoming a success yourself?

WZ: Chasing dreams, charm, humility, plus skills that sparked my career in in disco operations, as well as audio, video and lighting. He started them all.

DT: What was the best gift that you received from your father?

WZ: Excellent home breeding, education and my love for music, which keeps me young to this very age of mine.

DT: What are your fondest memories of your father?

WZ: A suave, super popular, humble gentleman loved by all. He was called “Tito Art” by everyone.

DT: What did you learn from him that you have passed on to your children?

WZ: Everything. My mother passed away when I was only three months old.