A special song for Pinoy fans

It’s a song Filipino music-lovers are familiar with, so they can sing along with Engelbert Humperdinck on Sunday, Aug. 19, when the debonair balladeer holds his much-awaited concert at the Araneta Coliseum.

Is it going to be a “surprise” number?

“No,” Humperdinck, whose real name is Arnold George Dorsey, said during an exclusive interview with Funfare Update yesterday afternoon at the Oasis of Gateway Mall, Quezon City, nine hours after he arrived on an early-morning PAL flight from L.A. “It’s a song that I haven’t recorded but sung by several other singers; it’s going to be my third song which I’m dedicating to my Filipino fans. It’s called Till.”

That and dozens of his own well-loved hits, plus new ones, make up

Humperdinck’s repertoire certain to bring the audience down memory lane. The two-hour concert should more than make up for Humperdinck’s absence this time last year when he canceled his show, also at the Big Dome, when he lost his voice due to shock after he received the sad news that his older brother Erwin Dorsey, who is with the Bellagio Hotel staff in Las Vegas, was diagnosed to have a brain tumor as big as an orange.

“I was just about to go onstage in Kuala Lumpur when I got the phone call, so I had to cancel my show there and my show in Manila and rush back to L.A.,” recalled Humperdinck over snacks prepared for him by Araneta Center big boss Jorge Araneta and his wife Stella Marquez-Araneta, and Jorge’s sister Judy Araneta-Roxas (mother of Sen. Mar Roxas, said to be a 2010 presidentiable). “The tumor was benign. My brother is well now. I thank the people of the Philippines for being so compassionate and understanding about that incident.”

Still heady with jet lag from the long haul and hardly sleeping a wink, Humperdinck spent most of the afternoon strolling around Gateway Mall which was playing Release Me, Humperdinck’s first huge hit released 40 years ago, a song fans around the world can sing by heart.

“I love window-shopping,” he said, adding in jest, “I shop for a lot of windows. I don’t buy anything, only windows.”

Actually, he bought a shoulder bag for his mobile phone and his camera.

“I have a special affection for Filipinos,” he smiled. “Everywhere I go I’m recognized by more Filipinos than any other nationalities in the world. I don’t know why,” adding in jest, “maybe because of these,” touching his sideburns. “I guess Filipinos love my songs more than any other nationalities do.”

At the L.A. airport, Humperdinck said that his co-passengers milled around him, asked for his autograph and posed for pictures. He obliged with a big smile.

“On the plane, the flight stewardesses came to the Business Class to greet me. I never thought there were so many flight stewardesses on that plane!”

At the Gateway Mall, strollers and onlookers stopped and stared, waving at Humperdinck and calling his name. Filipinos love Humperdinck so much that many of them have been named after him.

“A while ago,” said an Araneta Center staffer, “a man approached him and said that he was named Engelbert. He pointed to his companion, who turned out to be his son, and said that his name is Humperdinck.”

He has been in Manila thrice before. This concert tour, kicked off in Manila and that will bring him to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, marks the 40th anniversary of Release Me which Humperdinck will sing on Sunday “as if for the first time,” with exactly the same feeling, even if he has been singing it for a thousand times.

“Release Me is the song that started my life,” Humperdinck told The STAR in an exclusive 30-minute long-distance phone interview                                          three weeks ago. “It’s No. 1 around the world. It gave me a global career immediately. It’s my signature song, the song of my life.”

In his four-decade career, he has sold 130 million records, including 64 gold albums and 24 platinums;  and won four Grammys, a Golden Globe and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Asked what his fondest memories are from his previous visits, Humperdinck smiled.

“The first time was in the ’60s. From the airport, I was escorted by cops on motorcycles which were zigzagging in and out of the traffic. It was amazing! At one point, they actually reclined on the speeding bikes. It was a warm welcome; I’ll never forget it.”

Told that it was 3:30 p.m. Thursday in Manila and 12:30 a.m. Thursday also Thursday in L.A., Humperdinck took out his mobile phone and checked the time in various parts of the world, including Madras, India, where he said he was born (his father was a military man) and Sydney where one of his brothers stays.

“He speaks several languages,” volunteered Jorge Araneta, including Spanish, English and Hindi.

A martial-arts enthusiast (trained by Mike Stone, a Hollywood martial arts expert), Humperdinck plays golf (among others sports) to keep fit.

“We can play golf,” Jorge suggested.

Between now and Sunday, Humperdinck will simply take it easy.

Asked how soon he would start rehearsing, he smiled again.

“Before I came to Manila, I rehearsed for two days with my band which I brought in from England. It has eight members who are flying in anytime today. I have my own soundman. I’m bringing everybody. I want my show to be special.”

(Note: Tickets to Engelbert Humperdinck’s concert are almost sold out. For inquiries, call Ticketnet at 911-5555.)

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