More on Maksim

Is there room for a classical pianist in the hearts of pop music listeners? Yes, there is, that is as far as the gorgeous Maksim is concerned. Just as Josh Groban conquered the hit charts of the world with his youth and classical vocals and just as the pretty and petite Vanessa Mae made the violin a popular musical instrument, so too has Maksim taken his piano playing to popularity among the hip younger set.

Maksim was born in 1975 in Sibanik, a town in the Adriatic coast of Croatia in Europe. He started studying music and performing when he was only nine. He was so engrossed in learning that he kept up with his piano lessons in the basement of the school while bombs were exploding in the air during the war in Kosovo that broke out when he was 15. He has been publicly performing ever since and has also won several awards. These include the Grand Prix at the prestigious Nicolai Rubenstein International Piano Competition in 1999 and at the Pantoise Piano Competition in 2001.

Such credentials would have easily taken Maksim to the concert halls of the world, performing Chopin and Tchaikovsky and amazing listeners with his artistry. But fate dictated otherwise. After making a hit out of his recordings of his native Croatian music in the album Gesures, Maksim caught the attention of Mel Bush, the man who introduced violinist Vanessa Mae to the pop charts. It was not long after that Maksim doffed his tuxedo in favor of edgy black leather outfits and got a hairstyle worthy of the pages of Vogue. By the time he made his first world tour a year ago, kids were already aware that there existed an amazing piano piece like The Flight of the Bumble Bee and a pianist named Maksim who can perform it without sweating or missing a note.

That tour took Maksim to the Philippines where he captivated a lot of followers with his unique style during a performance of tracks from his first international album release, The Piano Player at the Greenbelt Park in Makati. He left with the promise to return and do a bigger show with more stunning numbers. So on Tuesday, April 20, Maksim will be back in town on the Manila leg of his seven-nation Asian tour. This time around he is presenting a complete presentation at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. I am not sure about this but I do hope it will include the famous dramatic highlights of his concerts like the video films and the laser show.

Tickets to the Maksim Asian Tour 2004 Live in Manila are available at Ticketworld outlets at major National Book store outlets, Robinson’s Department Stores, Tower Records and the CCP box office. Prices are P3000, P2,200, P1,800, P1,300 and P800. Globe Platinum members who wish to watch the concert can avail of an exclusive 20 percent discount on the price of the admission ticket by presenting their membership cards at any authorized ticket outlet.

Call 891-1999 or log on at www.ticketworld.com.ph for inquiries.

Reminder for Maksim fans out there. You might want to score a new copy of his hit album, The Piano Player. The special tour edition has the complete original CD plus remixes of his Flight of the Bumble Bee and Sarabande plus six music videos and because the guy is such a looker, also a photo gallery.

Chillout Music

Beat the heat with chillout music in Maximum Chillout; Escape and Unwind. You can unwind to these ambient tunes but please refrain from taking a look or worse, trying to analyze the titles and names of the performers. They are as formless and meaningless as the music, which I guess is the way it should be if the intention is to get into the abstract, and get the listener to relax and not to think about anything. It’s heaven after a busy day at work or after an evening to clubbing with friends.

The album which, take note, is no mere compilation but was recorded with a definite concept in mind, has Moby and Loi Hammond as producers. Then there are the titles and the artists: Chiltern by Masdafaral; Cairo Clapham by Smoove Criminal; Takoi Beach by Centro 53; Mini-B by Kranyl; Firewire by Substructure; Fireworks by Moby; Baby Piano by Hammond and others.