Love songs by great balladeers

It is the season of love and nothing expresses romantic sentiments better than a love song. Better yet, make that plural. Love songs and a huge dose of such will be available when Rico J. Puno, Marco Sison and Nonoy Zuniga take centerstage at the Music Museum in Greenhills starting on Thursday, February 13 up to Feb. 14 and 15, at 9 in the evening.

These balladeers are three of the best that Philippine pop music has ever produced. I doubt very much if there are Pinoys around who will not be able to recognize their voices within a bar or two of a song. Of course it also follows that given those voices and distinctive singing styles, they were also responsible for some of the most memorable love songs ever heard.

Rico, the folk singer with the racy sort of humor intoned the sentiments of the lovesick Pinoy when he changed some lyrics of The Way We Were to Alaala nang tayo’y mag-sweetheart pa/ namamasyal pa sa Luneta nang walang pera…. Everybody who ever made a romantic rendevous in Luneta, instantly related to the song and turned Puno into a star.

Within a few months, Rico had no more need for translations of popular songs like he did with The Way We Were to sell his records. His voice and unique combination of kundiman and R&B singing were more than enough to sell originals like Kapalaran, Ganyan Pala ang Magmahal, Damdamin, Ang Tao’y Marupok, Together Forever, Ganyan Pala ang Pag-ibig, and many others.

It was Rico’s success that paved the way for the arrival of other balladeers with Pinoy sensibility but pop singing styles. Nonoy was the vocalist of the Family Birth Control. A bomb that exploded at the Philippine Plaza during the days of Martial Law cost him a leg. The incident brought him to the attention of the public and led to his solo singing career. Once again it was the kanto boy theme in a song that led to his first big hit.

Doon Lang composed by Willy Cruz has lyrics that go like this: Yaman at katanyagan sa akin ay wala/ kakisigan ko ay bunga ng isang sumpa/ ang aking ina ang tangi kong kadamay/ sa panaginip lang ako may nagagawa/doon ay kaya kong ipunin lahat ng bituin/doon ay kaya kong igapos ihip ng hangin/doon ay kaya kong pagbawal buhos ng ulan/sa panaginip lang kita nahahagkan tuwina/doon lang. Doon Lang marked the beginning of a series of hits that took the glory days of Filipino music into the ’80s – Never Ever Say Goodbye, Kumusta Ka, Init Sa Magdamag, Fragments of Forever, Magandang Gabi and many others.

Nonoy’s success rebuilt Marco’s career. He had been teetering on the brink of stardom since he was discovered at the TV show Student Canteen. In his case, his most popular song is My Love Will See You Through, a tale of love enduring composed by Nonoy Tan when he lost his wife after a lingering illness. As in the case of Rico and Nonoy, it was Marco’s mellow tones that made a hit out of My Love Will See You Through and later also of Make Believe, I’ll Face Tomorrow and others.

These songs plus many more that they popularized will be performed by Rico, Marco and Nonoy at the Music Museum. Get your tickets from Ticketworld at all National Bookstore Branches and at the Viva Concerts office. Prices are P1500, P1200 and P900.

Also for Valentine: The mood tonight at the Cultural Center of the Philippines will be sweetly romantic with the cool sounds of Japanese jazz and bosa nova artist Shigeko Suzuki. The occasion is the opening ceremony of the Philippine-Japan Festival 2003 and the Asean-Japan Exchange Year. The show is Presence, Musica Para sa Puso at Damdamin at 7 p.m. at the Tanghalan Aurelio Tolentino. Ms. Suzuki is known for her recordings of A Fool on the Hill, Wave and many others including original Japanese compositions.

Meanwhile, the air will be hot and sexy at the nearby Folk Arts Theater with sexpot Patricia Javier starring in Rated PJ: Too Hot to Handle. Boyzone Ronan Keating takes the solo spotlight at the Araneta Coliseum tomorrow evening Feb. 13. Side A and Freestyle, the top pop groups in the country today take over the Big Dome stage in a one-night only show on Friday, Feb. 14. Over at the PICC Plenary Hall, Valentine’s Day marks the opening night of the two day concert series Songbird Sings Legrand where Regine Velasquez joins the legendary French composer Michel Legrand in an evening of beautiful music.