MANILA, Philippines - Ever been to a concert that features three decades of pop and R&B music with no less than nine global artists belting out their hits? It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance, you’d say. Now it’s coming to the Philippines.
On May 15, nine international artists, each with a string of hits, will gather at the SM Mall of Asia in what is touted as the biggest concert this year.
“Then & Now: Massive Music Festival 2010” will feature JoJo, Diana King, Frankie J, Baby Bash, PM Dawn, SWV, All-4-One, TQ and V Factory.
“Our primary goal is to provide the Filipino audience with live outdoor entertainment — the kind of musical experience that happens once in a lifetime,” says Janeth Chang, president and CEO of Divan Media Group, the show’s production outfit.
JoJo is the youngest featured solo artist with a No. 1 single in the US, the 2007 reply to Sean Kingston’s Beautiful Girls, and her work in two Hollywood movies: Aquamarine and RV.
Diana King is an R&B, pop, reggae and dance-hall singer-songwriter whose debut album “Tougher Than Love” spawned Shy Guy, a hit track featured on the soundtrack to the action flick Bad Boys. In 1997, she did a dance/reggae cover of Dionne Warwick’s ’70s classic I Say A Little Prayer that was featured on the soundtrack of My Best Friend’s Wedding.
SWV (short for Sisters with Voices) has had hits since 1992, including I’m So Into You, Right Here/Human Nature and Weak. The trio disbanded in 1998 but reunited in 2005, working on a new studio album and touring again. Their other hits are You’re the One (1996) and Rain (1997).
The R&B quartet All-4-One, meanwhile, is behind the revival of The Thymes ’63 classic So Much in Love, their 1994 chart-topping single, as well as a cover of the country ditty I Swear, one of the longest-running No. 1 singles in Billboard’s history.
Relative newcomer quintet V Factory has gained a solid following with its lone hit single, Love Struck. The group is composed of Jared Murillo, Wesley Quinn, Asher Book, Nick ‘Nicky T’ Teti and Nathaniel Flatt (with two of the boys cast members of the series Glee).
TQ (or Terrance Quiates) is behind the hit singles Bye Bye Baby and Better Days. He is currently working on his sixth studio project, “Kind of Blue.”
New Jersey hip-hop duo PM Dawn, on the other hand, is the multi-platinum selling R&B act behind Set Adrift On Memory Bliss, I’d Die Without You, and Looking Through Patient Eyes.
American rapper Baby Bash’s 1997 album “Cyclone” had two certified Billboard hits: the title track featuring T-Pain and What Is It? featuring Sean Kingston. Baby Bash also writes lyrics for singers like Whitney Houston and Jennifer Hudson. He frequently collaborates with other artists like Natalie (Energy, 2005), Paula DeAnda (Doing Too Much, 2006) and fellow concert performer Frankie J (Obsession aka No Es Amor, 2005).
Frankie J is behind the hit Don’t Wanna Try and Ya No Es Igual. He also released How To Deal and his cover of More Than Words in 2005. His latest album was “Time,” released last year.
Tickets for “Then & Now: Massive Music Festival 2010” are available at all TicketNet and TicketWorld (891-9999) outlets. For more details, call 389-3708 and 687-0048 ext. 15099 or e-mail info@divanmedia.com. You may also check the websites www.MassiveMusicManila.com and www.ThenAndNowConcert.com. Or simply log-on to www.divanmedia.com.