Five acts, five styles, one destination

MANILA, Philippines - Proof that Manila has become a hotbed of international performers is the diversity that goes with the set of artists coming in. Four very recent visitors and one about to drop by collectively serves as a telling statement of how widely musical the Filipino crowd is, as emphasized by the availability of fans supporting each act. Here are some interesting news bits from these particular artists, as experienced or heard by the sharp-eared Pinoys.

Vertical Horizon singer mispronounces adobo. Frontman Matt Scannell, his emphatic vocals and on-stage charisma enough to carry Vertical Horizon, made people smile after mispronouncing adobo as “adobee.” Expressing his liking to the famed Pinoy recipe, he made mention of it along with dalandan juice which he definitely found refreshing. “I want to drink dalandan juice forever,” he said.

Matt and his mates, brought in by Ovation Productions, serenaded the pop-rock audience at the Big Dome last April 28 with their easy-listening guitar-driven tracks, especially their biggest hits Everything You Want and Best I Ever Had (Grey Sky Morning). Their contemporary ex-Live lead singer Ed Kowalczyk performed after their set with louder numbers — the most applauded of course were his former band’s most familiar songs to Filipino listeners: Selling The Drama and I Alone.

Avenged Sevenfold

K-Pop fanatics, on the other hand, are in for a big weekend as Korean star and former 2PM singer Jay Park performs live in selected malls to promote his full-length album New Breed, his first with MCA Music, Inc. He will perform at Lucky Chinatown Mall today at 4 p.m.

Jay’s album is called Know Your Name with the title track being described as “an addictive blend of hip-hop, pop and Euro dance.” The 15-track package is expected to thrill his fans as it “introduces a brand-new Jay Park.”

Bringing the K-Pop sensation adds another feather to the cap of MCA president Ricky Ilacad who has been in the forefront of supporting K-Pop ever since. He once challenged listeners, “Why would we only admire Europeans and Americans? These Koreans are dedicated Asian artists we can look up to as models, since we’re Asians ourselves.”

Jay Park

Local indie rock bands gathered at B-Side bar in Malugay St. Makati City to hype up the April 26 Smart Araneta concert of foreign heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold. Dubbed Not Your Typical Nightmare: A7 Rock Night, the gig was attended by avid fans of the group. The heavy metal show presented by Dayly Entertainment and Dickies allowed Filipino rock aficionados the privilege to see live A7’s vocalist M. Shadows, rhythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance, lead guitarist Synyster Gates and bass player Johnny Christ.

Pinoy bands who performed at B-Side included Syato, Inosente and the 2009 Muziklaban winner Hatankaru. “Their arrival is good news for us and will surely inspire us more in doing our thing,” said one of the performing musicians.

Meanwhile, Barbie Forteza attended the post-concert Fan’s Day of teen idol Greyson Chance held at a Max’s Restaurant in Quezon City a couple of weeks ago. The Kapuso star was given a moment to express her admiration for the so-called “Next Justin Bieber.” With her voice shaking, she told the singer how his music has affected her in a “very positive way.”       

Greyson Chance

When asked by a reporter to describe the kind of girl he feels can inspire him to write song, Greyson, as if on cue, replied, “Filipinas!” He also noted that Charice, who is heard singing in the remix version of Waiting Outside The Lines, as “one of the most incredible voices I heard.”

 The special Asia edition of Hold On ‘Til The Night, where the alternate mix of the track is logged in, is now out in the market.

Last month, the Stylistics rounded up old-school soul music fans in a concert that featured Rico J. Puno and Elizabeth Ramsey as guests. At the press conference they uttered, responding to a query concerning their future, “Let’s do an album for the Philippines, to be recorded here. I think that will be more current.” They added, “Most hotels have Filipino musicians. You’re that good.”

 Made possible by That’s Ntertainment Productions, The Stylistics Live in Manila brought in founding members Airrion Love and Herb Murrell and later acquisitions Van Fields and Eban Brown.