The Pinay voice in Saturdays

Because The Saturdays were here some weeks ago, I am sure you already know that one of the girls is half-Filipino. The members of the group from the United Kingdom are: Frankie Sanford and Rochelle Weisman who were with the once popular S Club Juniors; Mollie King who was discovered in the British reality show X Factor; Una who was once in a rock band; and Vanessa White who grew up in Davao and was in the cast of The Lion King in London’s West End.

I know there is nothing new in that bit of news anymore. Pinoys, who sing, pure-bred and otherwise, are doing great everywhere. Not just in the small nightclubs of Asian countries like they did 50 years ago, but in the movies, the big arenas and stages and with major record labels in the mainstream music business. Think Arnel with Journey and Charice with David Foster.

As far as being a Filipino who sings lead vocals for a girl group goes, Vanessa is right up there these days with Nicole of the Pussycat Dolls and comes on the heels of Mutya Buena, who is also from the UK and sang with the acclaimed Sugababes. Come to think of it, she does combine the best qualities of fellow Pinays. Vanessa is also very attractive in a sultry way like Nicole and has the kind of sweet, soulful vocals identified with Mutya.

It is therefore no wonder that Vanessa gets to sing a lot of the solos in The Saturdays’ debut album, Chasing Lights. Try to catch the girls’ videos on MYX or MTV so you can identify their voices and then listen to the CD. Then get a thrill as you listen and identify Vanessa. She sounds great and does Filipinos proud.

Vanessa though is not the only good thing going for Chasing Lights. It is a well-made album of varied rhythms that I am sure would surprise those expecting something like PCD or like the biggest girl group of them all from the UK, The Spice Girls. The Saturdays can sing and I hear a lot of tunes in the CD that should keep playing for years to come.

Expect Fall to be the song romantics will love from the album. A lovely ballad, it shows how good the girls sound when they sing together. Catchy and commercial are Just Can’t Get Enough, the cover of a hit by Depeche Mode, Vulnerable, Why Me Why Now, Work, If This Is Love and the most danceable of them all Up. Don’t forget to listen to the remix edit of this one by Wideboys. It gets even more infectious.

With all sorts of singing groups coming out of everywhere these days, Chasing Lights also has the kind of songs these girls need to stand out. Anybody can look cute going “nobody, nobody but you” but it takes real talent and good vocal chops to make it with cuts as meaty as Keep Her, Issues and Lies.

As you will find out if you give these girls a chance, there are several vocally demanding numbers that they do very well. These should take The Saturdays out of the cute girl group mold and cause the public to take them seriously.

Listening to The Saturdays got me thinking about how the music scene in the UK sounds nowadays and which artists are on top of the charts. Here are some of them who make up the album My British Soulmate. This is a big one that compiles 19 current hits by the top British pop and rock acts of the moment. And you know how the Brits are about being trendy. They probably invented that word and the contents of this package sound hip and sophisticated.

Among the songs included are Walking In The Sun by Travis; Let There Be Love by Oasis; Ain’t That Enough by Teenage Fanclub; Seven Days In Sunny June by Jamiroquai; Ohio Heat by Super Furry Animals; L.S.F. by Kasabian; Beautiful Loser by Suede; Your Love Alone Is Not Enough by Manic Street Preachers; Goodbye Mr. A by The Hoosiers; The Weight Of The World by The Editors; To Die For by Rooster; Stop Me by Mark Ronson feat. Daniel Merriweather; Soulmate by Natasha Bedingfield and as a bonus track, Fruit Machine by The Ting Tings.