David Benoit recalls first time in Manila as a career highlight
MANILA, Philippines — David Benoit, a five-time Grammy nominee for his seminal contributions to contemporary jazz, is back in Manila for a one-night concert titled “An Evening with David Benoit.”
Joined by Asia’s premier vocal group, The CompanY, he graced a media conference at the Midas Hotel Lounge on July 17. David fondly recalled his many trips to Manila in the ‘80s. Initially believing that no one knew him, he was deeply moved by the enthusiastic response from Filipinos who were familiar with his music.
YouTube “TikTalk” host Aster Amoyo asked about the highlights of his 50-year career. David reminisced about a concert he did with the great American composer and music conductor Leonard Bernstein at Carnegie Hall in New York City. He also mentioned notable performances at the White House for US Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama, as well as a performance at Disney Hall. However, he said that nothing compared to those early trips to Manila.
“Probably, the best highlight was the first time I came to Manila, in 1981. Nobody knew me in the US, so I came here and said, ‘What are those gaffers doing in the airport?’ And they said, ‘Oh, those are all for you.’ I said, ‘What?’ And yeah, I didn’t know I was so popular here,” he recalled.
“We were at the PICC with a full orchestra, singers, everything… it’s an experience I’ll never forget. I’ve never had anything like that, like you’re an instant star, and people here just love you. I just had no idea.”
When asked about pieces of advice he would give to aspiring new jazz musicians, David said, “Really be prepared for anything… study hard. These days, it’s so competitive, so you need to be a good sight reader, sing on pitch, really know music well, have all those skills just when you are about to start and I think it’s always good to go to music school and really be prepared.”
“Also, you gotta want it so bad. There’s no safety net, and if things don’t work out, at least be a lawyer or a doctor. Hahaha! But no, it will work out because it’s all you’re gonna do and you need to devote your entire life to it. Music is 24/7. If you are willing to do all that, you’ll be fine,” he continued.
Regarding his inspiration for writing beautiful music, David shared, “I have no problems with being inspired, but it’s the time to sit down and do it. It’s the discipline. It takes time, you just don’t do this… oh well, I’m gonna sit and write, like compose a song in 10 minutes, and then, I’ll go wash the dishes, you know? You need a few hours of being with the piano.”
“Nowadays, life’s been so busy. What I need to do now is rent a cabin somewhere over the weekend and just write. With all the distractions like raising a family, the concert tours I’m building, the radio show I do every day, I need to find that blank, new canvas to be able to write. It’s my biggest challenge. So far, I have not had a problem. There’s plenty of inspiration, and I seem to get more of it as I get older,” he added.
The CompanY, on the other hand, was asked about their thoughts of joining David on a show and their preparations.
Sweet Plantado answered, “With much anxiety (laughs). When our manager told us we were guesting for David (long pause) David Benoit?... Wow, of course, we were excited and said yes right away. I grew up (listening to) his songs and singing (to) his records. My late father introduced me to Key To You, and now, I get to sing it with David on the show. We did our best to rehearse and memorize the lyrics.”
For his part, OJ Mariano said, “We’ve been rehearsing for more than a month now since March. We’ve been picking songs every day and (doing) a rundown list of the final set.”
David Benoit is most well-known for songs like Take A Look Inside My Heart, The Key To You, Promise Me A Carousel, Land Of The Loving, and Life Is Like A Samba.
Watch David Benoit featuring The CompanY — Moy Ortiz, Annie Quintos, Sweet and OJ — tonight at The Theatre at Solaire. The show is presented by DMC Entertainment and Jesse Cambosa.
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