A Manila Sound revival at the Tent

There is no question that the decade of the ’70s was the brightest, most exciting period for Filipino pop music. This was the era of what was called the Manila Sound, the time of great performers like Basil Valdez, Rico Puno and Celeste Legaspi, of talented groups with their own original sounds like the Juan de la Cruz Band, Hotdog, and the Apo Hiking Society, of composers like George Canseco, Willy Cruz and the Garcia brothers Rene and Dennis, whose compositions have now become classics. It all happened nearly 30 years ago but the music and the memories that now come with them have endured to this day. In fact, every big name artist of today has surely recorded one or more of those wonderful Filipino compositions.

Since the music has retained its charm up to this day, what with even young kids dancing to Awitin Mo at Isasayaw Ko, there is no reason why Tunog OPM Decada Sa-Tent-Ah will not be a huge success. The all-night-long event in two acts is a retro-concert that will be held at the NBC Tent in Fort Bonifacio, Global City at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, May 30. The show is a Party City production that aims to raise funds for the benefit of the Shining Light Foundation. What makes it different from most retro concerts is the fact that Tunog OPM Decada has a line-up of performers that I have not seen together on the same bill since the glorious days of the old Metropop song competition.

These are: Leah Navarro, lovely chanteuse, who hit it big with the torchy Ang Pag-ibig Kong Ito and whose interpretation of Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika won the Grand Prix at the Tokyo International Song Festival; The Boyfriends, boy group of falsetto singing fame, composed of Bob Guzman and Gary Arriola popularized hits like Dahil Mahal Kita, Salawahan, Sumayaw, Sumunod and others; Hotdog, the legendary group that started the Manila Sound revolution with Pers Lab and went on to many more hits like Bongga Ka Day, Annie Batungbakal, Beh Buti Nga, Langit Na Naman, Manila and many more; and VST&Co., which is surely the dancingest group to emerge from the Manila Sound era with hits like Awitin Mo at Isasayaw Ko, Kiss... Kiss, Magnifica and others.

Also set to perform is Q&A, a new group made up of session musicians who have banded together to perform music from the ’60s and the ’70s. The Vicor Crowd, a promo group which introduced the dance steps for many disco hits by the Hotdog, VST&Co., and others will help revive those glory days by making one of its rare appearances in the show. Party City’s Milky Evangelista and Joey Teotico who are producing the concert with partner Emy Garcia-Reyes were members of the Vicor Crowd.

The Shining Light Foundation aims to provide assistance to less fortunate individuals with Diabetic-related ailments. Evangelic scholarships and medical missions are also part of the Foundation’s thrust. The concert is presented by PAGCOR and PCSO and is made possible by Joey 92.3, Hotel Intercontinental Manila, Kusinerong Pinoy, NBC, Northwest Airlines and The Richmonde Hotel. Tickets to Tunog OPM Decada are priced at P700 each and remember you will not only be getting great Manila Sound tunes from fine performers, you will also be helping a worthy cause.

Local favorites

And now back to the present. The current favorites from among the local releases are the following: Dadalhin Kita by Regine Velasquez; Can We Just Stop and Talk a While, a duet version of the Jose Mari Chan classic by Gary Valenciano and Kyla; I Feel for You, a solo release from Kyla; Akala Mo, the latest by Aiza Seguerra; S2PID Luv by Salbakuta; Swimming Beach by Parokya Ni Edgar; Warrior is a Child by Gary Valenciano; Ikaw Sana by Ogie Alcasid; Wag Ka Na Sanang Babalik by Roselle Nava; and Baka Ikaw by Company.

And it’s a woman world’s as far as the foreign releases are concerned with pop divas of assorted ages, shapes and sizes dominating the list. Here goes: I’m Not a Girl Not Yet a Woman by Britney Spears; Cry by Mandy Moore; All U Wanted by Michelle Branch; Brown Eyes by Destiny’s Child; Girlfriend by ‘N Sync; Get the Party Started by Pink; Wherever You Will Go by D’Calling; Ain’t It Funny by Jennifer Lopez and Ja Rule; Wrong Impression by Natalie Imbruglia; and Can’t Get U Out of My Head by Kylie Minogue.