Ratsky’s keeps the love fever burning - DIRECT LINE by Boy Abunda

Not surprisingly, there is a plethora of concerts big and small courting the attention of music lovers with a desire for some romantic evening on Valentine’s Day no less.

But of course, the Filipino’s love for music, particularly in live entertainment, knows no season. Thus, Airtime Entertainment has lined up a series of shows at Ratsky’s, in Malate, Manila, for the post-Valentine season. Its initial salvo is Pop-Jazz @ Ratsky’s, which features the acclaimed vocal harmony group The CompanY on Feb. 15. Beyond that, the entertainment company has lined up three other shows at Ratsky’s: The Roselle and Ralion Dance Concert on March 1, featuring Roselle Nava, whose career Baby Pacheco was managing until recently, and Ralion Alonso; Rhythm and Divette on March 15, headlined by Rannie Raymundo and Dessa with Ralion Alonso as special guest performer; and Your Honor. . . Si Arnel at Marissa Po! on March 28, a comedy concert topbilled by musically gifted comedians Arnel Ignacio and Marissa Sanchez.

Airtime Entertainment is a new concert production company headed by Baby Pacheco, who is not new to show business. After all, she is not only the aunt of Roselle Nava, one of the most promising music stars in the ABS-CBN Talent Center stable, but was also her manager. She also wet her hands in production by contracting Roselle and other ABS-CBN Talent Center talents for provincial shows and the occasional offshore performances.

Today, she has begged off from managing her niece’s flourishing career, opting to focus all her energies on the concerts big and small that Airtime Entertainment already has in the pipeline for the year. "Managing an entertainment talent can be exhausting because it demands all of your focus," she says about putting behind her talent management days. "I wanted to focus on production and since Roselle naman is in good hands with the ABS-CBN Talent Center, I told my pamangkin that I will just produce shows for her."

Pacheco’s desire to go into producing concerts full time was borne out of a disappointment with the current landscape of live entertainment. "Even before Roselle joined show business, I was already a big fan of our music artists and watched as many of their concerts as I could, whether it was in a big venue like the Folk Arts Theater or not," says Pacheco. "But I was becoming rather dismayed because I was just seeing the same artists over and over again. As wonderful as they are, you can’t help but wish there was some variety naman because, after all, we don’t have a dearth of talent here."

With that conviction, she and longtime friend Lorna Nagashima, who is based in Japan, decided to indulge their own cravings for varied entertainment by committing their resources to producing concerts, "even if we have to start in small live entertainment venues muna. Of course, the concerts being in small venues, I realize that the profits will also be small but that’s all right. I guess it (producing shows) is my way of giving back to the entertainment industry, which has given me a really good time as an audience."

This is not to say, however, that Airtime Entertainment will always keep it small and simple. Following its initial salvo, it will continue to mount similar shows building up to several big productions at bigger venues by the third quarter of the year. And, yes, she will continue to consider other music artists beyond the usual names that headline such entertainment ventures. "In fact, we are already considering various concepts and the artist or artists for our first big-venue production," says Pacheco.

Tickets to all Airtime Entertainment shows at Ratsky’s is priced at 500, inclusive of two drinks. Tickets are available at Don Henrico’s Tomas Morato, Banawe and Sta. Lucia East; the Concert for Pop Music Philippines in Cubao, Roces, Makati, Las Piñas, Parañaque and Lagro; Airtime Entertainment at 5467500, 8255939, 09198393038 and www.ticket2me.com with contact numbers 7533445, 127761605.