Wolfgang releases Acoustica - SOUNDS FAMILIAR by Baby A. Gil

Pop music fans rejoice. You can now enjoy the compelling music of Wolfgang sans the amps and distortion boxes and the musical calisthenics. The reason for this is Acoustica, the local rock group’s first unplugged album ever. This time around buyers are assured of getting a performance from a group that is confident that its musicality now stands on its own and has transcended volume and special effects.

Here’s more. Acoustica is also Wolfgang’s first live recording. While other rock bands are prone to making live recordings, Mon, Manuel, Wolf and Basti have chosen to release only studio albums in the past, which is unfortunate because Wolfgang is made up of excellent performers with looks to boot. Now, after eight years in the business, they were finally convinced to make Acoustica. The album was recorded during a one-night-only show at the Music Museum last September, which featured Dave Aguirre, Radha, Paul Zialcita, Martin Jamora and the UP Singing Ambassadors as guests.

Hold your horses some more. Acoustica is also Wolfgang’s first greatest hits collection. The band decided that the concert will feature the acoustic versions of their biggest songs and one previously unrecorded instrumental piece to spice up the set. And that was just what happened. So buyers will get all the familiar tunes and Basti’s famous vocals but with new arrangements.

The album line-up reads like this: Center of the Sun, Bought & Sold, 24, Left Alone, Anino, Atomica, Revenge of the Killer Falafel, Hell Looks, Matter of Time, She is My Cain, Cast of Clowns, Halik ni Hudas and Aquarius.

And that is not all. Every CD or cassette copy of Acoustica comes with a free VCD of the concert. That means that aside from being able to enjoy the music of Wolfgang, those who were not able to be at the Music Museum will now have a front row seat for the show. And those who were there and who immensely enjoyed Acoustica can now relive every detail of the evening.

Grab a copy of this one.

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From the mail: Peewee Apostol, Chairman of the 6th Katha Music Awards clarifies why there was no Katha Awards last year with this letter:

"Please allow me to share with you the compelling reason why we dispensed with the awards ceremonies for the 6th Katha Music Awards last year.

"In 1999 right after Baby Barreiro suddenly decided she was unable to produce the 5th Katha Music Awards for television, a last-hour savior came to us - ABS-CBN! Due to lack of time, the 5th Katha Music Awards was accommodated in toto at ASAP, absent the formal large-scale TV production in a theatrical venue. Katha was happy. ABS-CBN promised us a better and more appropriate Katha Music 2000 awards ceremonies.

"The partnership didn’t end there. Katha and ABS-CBN co-produced the Asia Song Festival Philippines in February 2000. It was stipulated in our agreement that Katha and ABS-CBN would be partners in showcasing OPM and Filipino songwriters and performers. It was to be a long-term partnership. We were even planning a songwriting competition bigger than Metropop. At last Katha has found a benefactor with the resources to support it all the way.

"But it was shortlived. I think it was June 2000 when Enrico Santos wrote to me and informed us of ABS-CBN’s inability to produce the 6th Katha Music Awards due to financial constraints. ‘Disappointed’ would seem inadequate to describe how we felt at that time. ‘Betrayed’ was more appropriate under the impression (and promise?) that it was to be a long-term collaboration. We tried to look for other producers. We talked to Direk Bert de Leon, Wyngard Tracy and other TV producers of note. They said lack of corporate sponsorship and material time to market the show would be our biggest disadvantage. They graciously declined and promised to revisit the matter in 2001 for the 7th Katha Music Awards.

"It was a painful decision arrived at by the Katha Board. We didn’t and still don’t have the money to produce a show of that magnitude. We initially planned a small dinner where we would invite the nominees and announce the winners. Our bud-get couldn’t afford it. We will make do with certificates for the winners. Perhaps when our financial position improves, the traditional Katha trophies might follow."

Let us all wish for better times ahead for Katha, for Filipino music and given the present situation of the country, for all of us.