Valentine’s starts early next year

The Valentine season is set to arrive early next year to this part of the world. I say this because, The Lettermen, that popular trio which provided the romantic soundtrack to the baby boomer generation, will be back in the Philippines for a series of shows in January.

Now, was it not only a few months ago when Tony Butala, Donovan Tea and Mark Preston were in the country for a series of shows? Yes. They were here for a local tour in what must have been their umpteenth visit to the country. I say umpteenth because I have already lost count of the number of times that The Lettermen were here. But every performance proved to be so successful that we keep wanting them back and they keep coming back to sing those enduring romantic songs.

Nobody seems to want to forget the likes of Theme from The Seventh Dawn, I Only Have Eyes for You, The Things We Did Last Summer, The Wonder of You, Theme from A Summer Place, The Way You Look Tonight, Love is a Many Splendored Thing, Moments to Remember, When I Fall in Love, Graduation Day, Traces, Memories, Smile, Too Young, Unchained Melody, Come Back Silly Girl, Going Out of My Head, Hurt So Bad, Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You, Put Your Head on My Shoulder and Shangri-la. The songs are what Pinoy Lettermen fans surely expect to hear them perform live again during the trio’s upcoming visit.

Tickets to the Araneta show are priced at P3,500, P3,000, P2,500, P1,500, P800 and P300 and available at Ticketnet outlets at SM Department Stores. Produced by Ovation Productions, The Lettermen Philippine Tour is presented by Globe Platinum, in cooperation with The Philippine Star and RJ 100FM.

Like what they did during their last visit, The Lettermen will also have shows outside Manila. Aside from the Crowne Plaza and the Big Dome, the three are also scheduled to perform at the Clark Expo in Pampanga on Jan. 13; St. LaSalle in Bacolod City, Jan. 15; the Cebu Waterfront Hotel in Cebu City, Jan. 15; the NCCC Mall in Davao City, Jan. 16; and the Limketkai Mall in Cagayan de Oro City, Jan. 17.

Next on tap for the Pinoy concert-goer in 2007 is the gorgeous looking all-male group Il Divo at the Plenary Hall of the PICC on Jan. 20.

Farewell to the Godfather of Soul

Sad note that last Christmas Day, James Brown, the dynamic performer known as the Godfather of Soul, died from complications arising from pneumonia. He was 73 and actively performing right up to the end. In fact he was looking forward to a New Year’s Eve show at the B.B. King Blues Club in New York when he entered the hospital in Georgia.

Emulated by his peers, Brown was born to poverty in South Carolina and spent time in reform school while growing up. Despite this start and a life filled with tales of drug and alcohol abuse, he became a major influence in the music of the rock generation and is considered the father of rap, funk and disco. He won Grammys for Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag and Living in America and a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1992. He also made hits out of Out of Sight, I Got You (I Feel Good), Say It Loud (I’m Black and I’m Proud) and Sex Machine.

The hits of 2006

As we near the end of the year, here are the sounds that have captured the ears and minds of Pinoy listeners. It is nice to know these songs are mostly by local artists and that most of them are by females or bands with girl vocalists. Here is the list:

Irreplaceable by Beyoncé; Hawak Kamay by Pinoy Dream Academy winner Yeng Constantino; Carry My Love by Sarah Geronimo; Someday by Nina; Nakapagtataka by Spongecola; Fergalicious by Fergie; Panalangin by Moonstar 88; Waltz by Hale; Save Room by John Legend; I Still Believe in Loving You, also by Sarah; My Love by Justin Timberlake; Kung Ayaw Mo Na Sa Akin by Sugarfree; Batang-bata Ka Pa, also by Sugar Free; Still by Freestyle; Breaking Free by Nikki Gil; Your Love by Erik Santos; No Touch by Rocksteddy; and Nasaan Ka Na by Kyla.