The CompanY 20 years later

The CompanY will perform for the first time at Merk’s Bar and Bistro located at the third level of Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center on all Tuesdays of July.

These special performances will feature the musical versatility and quality vocalism of this formidable sextet as they tackle different music genres.

The show’s repertoire will run the gamut of vocal harmony in popular music idioms, from hot Latin beats to evergreen standards, from cool mainstream vocal jazz to nostalgic ’70s adult contemporary, from thumping house music to grandiose electronic rock.

The CompanY is also releasing the music video of Ang Huling El Bimbo, the second single from their latest album, Mahal Kong Radyo, under Pop Art Music/Viva Records. The music video, which was directed by the same director behind the hit music videos of Nina and Christian Bautista, is reminiscent of vintage Lino Brocka (think Manila Sa Kuko ng Liwanag) and was shot in the streets of Recto and Quiapo – lending a very gritty urban jungle feel to it.

This year also marks another milestone for The CompanY – its 20th Anniversary in the industry – and the group counts itself blessed and privileged to have been given longevity in such a fickle and ever-changing industry.

To celebrate and cherish this milestone, The CompanY will release an Anthology Album (a double CD album) containing highlights of the group’s recorded work under Ivory Records and Viva records. The Anthology Album is packed with the hits from their 13 albums plus unreleased tracks, unreleased mixes, demos, jingles, radio interview excerpts, outtakes and four music videos. This special package also contains a 40-page booklet chronicling the group’s 20-year journey.

Also in line with The CompanY’s 20th Anniversary celebration, the group will stage its biggest and most ambitious solo concert titled CompanY 20 at the Main Theater of the Cultural Center of the Philippines on Oct. 1 and 2. The performance will feature a compilation of tour de force numbers that have highlighted The CompanY’s colorful two-decade career and will feature special guest artists who accompanied the group throughout its 20-year journey.

CompanY 20 will be an entertaining collision of quality vocal music, haute couture, dramatic performance, video art, dance, theater and vaudevillian antics. Original songs specially written for the two-night performance will also be premiered.

Bravo Sweet, Annie, Cecile, Reuben, Andre and Moy! I hope the industry will have more of The CompanY in the coming years.

Mishka Adams is the local recording’s latest gem

Who would imagine that an unobtrusive jazz singer would win the coveted title Best Performance By A New Female Recording Artist?

Twenty-one-year-old jazz minstrel Mishka Adams edged out the bigger names in the local music industry such as Kitchie Nadal, Rachelle Ann Go, Frenchie Dy and Marinel Santos in the 18th Awit Awards.

Discovered through a British Council concert for sax legend Courtney Pine, Mishka Adams released her debut album, God Bless the Child, under the independent label Candid Records, and quickly gained popular acclaim from music critics, jazz lovers and mainstream media.

Mishka’s soft, suave voice and charismatic innocence were put to good use in a repertoire ranging from jazz standards like her carrier single, God Bless the Child, Summertime and Autumn Leaves, plus her original recordings War of the Skies and Mama’s Garden.

Last month, Mishka had a sold-out debut performance at London’s Pizza Express Jazz Club and set the record as the youngest jazz singer and the first from the Philippines to grace the famed London Club stage, which has served as a stop for other world-renowned artists like Norah Jones, Diana Kral, Stacey Kent, Cassandra Wilson, Jacqui Dankworth and Jamie Cullum, to name a few.