Anna’s ‘moment’

The year 2003 has just started but young pop singer Anna Fegi is already having the time of her life juggling what must be her busiest schedule ever. The former member of the elite teen group Smokey Mountain already has a solo concert, a special stint in a luxury liner and a starring role in the local production of a famous Broadway musical on her calendar.

First on the list for the talented Cebuana is the concert titled Anna Fegi: This is the Moment. This will be held at the Hard Rock Café on Saturday, Jan. 25. The show will showcase the highs of Anna’s career since the time she decided to become a singer. Directed by Manolet Garcia with Toti Fuentes as musicial director, the concert will feature Anna at her best singing with a 15-piece orchestra. Check out Hard Rock Café or call 724-1762 for more info. Tickets are priced at P450 inclusive of two drinks and are now available at Ticketworld outlets and at the Hard Rock in Makati.

Next on tap for Anna is a special performance to welcome the Chinese New Year on the high seas. This is billed as The Voice, the Piano and the Sea where she will share the stage with world-renowned pianist Raul Sunico. The concert will blend pop and classical music and will be held on board the SuperStar Leo of the Star Cruise Family from Wednesday, Jan. 29 up to Sunday, Feb. 2. Destinations of the trip are China and Hong Kong where there will be a lay-over of two days before the ship returns to Manila. If you are interested in taking a holiday break with the music of Anna and Raul and relaxing with the invigorating sea air, you can call tel. nos. 521-5125, 524-6279 and 524-6137 for more info.

When she gets back to local shores, Anna will begin rehearsals for the musical Dreamgirls, scheduled to run from March 14 to April 6. Written by Henry Krieger and Tom Even, the Broadway hit show tells the story of the rise to fame of a black girl-group plus all the attendant intrigues, jealousies, camaraderie, etc. etc. Considered by many as a thinly- veiled musical biography of the famous Supremes, Dreamgirls will give Anna the chance to showcase her acting, singing and dancing prowess. She will play the part of Deena Jones.

Anna’s second solo album for BMG is also expected to hit the market this March. But before that happens, check her out in the mall tour to promote Break Barriers, also known as the Close-Up album. This is made up of commercial jingles promoting the toothpaste brand over these past 20 years. Coincidentally, several of these songs also became big hits for the singers who recorded them and it has since become some sort of status symbol for local artists to be tapped to sing a Close-Up jingle. Of course, each one of the songs is about having that Close-Up smile and the confidence to get really close to somebody special.

Anna performs a soulful version of Closer You and I. Composed by Louie Ocampo and Gina Godinez, this was one of the earliest tunes used to promote Close-Up. This song was first recorded by Gino Padilla and if I remember right was the one which established the style for all the other songs that followed. An instrumental version of this same song by Dix Lucero closes the album.

The other songs included in Break Barriers are Just a Smile Away composed by Danny Javier and performed by Luke Mejares of South Border; I Wanna Get Close a Freestyle original performed here by Kyla; Closer to You, sang by Radha and written by Vic Ycasas and Carlo Estagle; Got to Get Close to You composed by Jimmy Antiporda, Joel Trinidad and Ito Rapadas and performed by Cooky Chua of Color It Red; Ariel Rivera’ original recording of Close in on Love by Louie Ocampo and Ricky Santillan; the Carpenter’s (They Long to be) Close to You sang by Rachel Alejandro; With a Smile by the Eraserheads; Heaven in Your Smile a duet between Chad Borja and Alecx Estrada written by Salto Malca and Brian Cua; and Smile by the foreign group Vitamin C.