Le Velvets: An instant hit / NAMCYA winners in concert / FilFest presents Flamenco!

The Atrium main hall of SM Mall of Asia in Pasay was not an ideal venue for the Japanese Le Velvets, with shoppers and Sunday pleasure seekers making the place acoustically untenable. However, the venue drew a large audience, with the shoppers on the mall’s upper level watching the show likewise.

The five Le Velvets members, who hardly looked out of their teens, sang with such energy, spirit, fire and passion that they immediately arrested attention, sustaining this while the listeners were ecstatically clapping and noisily clamoring for more after each song.

The young, handsome singers – Tatsuhiko Saga, Shinichiro Hino, Takanori Sato, Hironobu Miyahara and Takuya Kurokawa, three tenors and two baritones — quickly justified the description of them as “Graduates of the finest classical academies in Japan equivalent to Juilliard” who “steal hearts with their voices and boyish charm.”

Before the program started, prefaced by various speeches, a Le Velvets member, garbed as a security guard, another as a janitor with a long-handled mop, and the rest similarly disguised, walked down the stage and enthralled the audience with their firm, ringing voices.

Later, onstage, they injected the concert with other clever, humorous devices to further enhance and enrich their performance. For instance, they opened the program by singing our national anthem, consequently leading the audience to stand. When the anthem ended, the group’s spokesperson wryly commented: “That’s the first time an opening number was followed by a standing ovation.” Incidentally the singers’ articulation of our anthem in Tagalog was incredibly clear and precise.

For another instance of an amusing routine the spokesperson announced: “We will introduce ourselves.” Forthwith, the members introduced themselves to each other, hugging, exchanging calling cards and shaking hands!

Without announcing the name of the forthcoming song, Le Velvets rendered the well-loved “Dahil sa ‘Yo”, again with clear diction, delightfully surprising the listeners, winning their hearts further while the audience applauded thunderously.

A number that constantly repeated the word “determination” enjoined everyone, in a most stirring manner, to always strive to do his best. The Neapolitan semi-classic “O Sole Mio”, soulfully interpreted, followed. After a second English selection Le Velvets rendered the aria “Nessun Dorma” (None Shall Sleep) from Puccini’s Turandot. Arranged for five voices, the highly fascinating aria left the pulses beating with excitement.

The Le Velvets group used microphones throughout; consequently, there was no way to determine the real volume or timber of each voice. But with the sophisticated conceptualization and execution of the songs, the riveting group, individually and collectively proved hugely entertaining with its classic songs combined with contemporary pop, our own national anthem and a kundiman. The concert was altogether too brief, with the audience fervently waiting for more songs from “Japan’s hottest pop-opera group.”

Ambassador Toshinao Urabe and Kumiko Kuroda, wife of Asian Development Bank President Haruhiko Kuroda, headed the audience. The vivacious Honeybee Y. Hubahib, manager of Qantas Airways, was a special guest. Embassy officials, among them Kenji Hirai, second secretary/press officer, greeted members of media

Cocktails, offering predominantly Japanese delicacies, preceded the concert which marked Phil-Japanese Friendship Month. Sponsors were the Japanese Embassy, SM Mall of Asia, Philippine Airlines and Viva Records.

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A concert will be given by 2011 NAMCYA first prize winners on August 2 (8 p.m.) at the CCP Little Theater with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Olivier Ochanine.

Winners Gabriel Paguirigan, Jimmy Tagala (protégé of virtuoso Gilopez Kabayao) and Jeline Oliva will render the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto No. 1, Wieniawski Violin Concerto No. 2 and Saint-Saens Piano Concerto No. 2, respectively.

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The Fil-Fest Cultural Foundation chaired by Vicky F. Zubiri will present “Flamenco! Cuerdas de Fuego” on Aug. 11 (8 p.m.) at the Insular Life Auditorium, Alabang. The outstanding dancers will come directly from Spain.