Who is Somedaydream?

You have surely heard the song by now. It is all over the airlanes that listeners must have already come across it several times. The title is Hey Daydreamer and it is by this new artist who calls himself Somedaydream. He is regarded as somewhat a mystery, which should not be the case. He is just a regular guy who loves to make music and all of a sudden has a big hit song in his hands.

Somedaydream is actually Rez Toledo. He is young, good-looking and very talented. He is now a sophomore at the Ateneo University. When not busy with his schoolwork though, he writes songs and then performs and records them all by himself. He is a sort of one-man band, which thanks to digital technology is now the way most musicians create their works.

People probably find Somedaydream strange because he has an unusual name. Somedaydream might be a nice name for a band with a light, refreshing sound and not for a solo act. But then, since Somedaydream writes and arranges all his songs and plays all the required instruments on his trusty laptop, then he might also be considered a band.

Maybe it is also because he came to show business through an unusual route. Unlike most male pop stars these days, Somedaydream is not a member of a band. He was not discovered via a talent show on TV. As far as I know he is not descended from a showbiz family. He is also not one of the newbies being cute in commercials or TV shows. He is now famous thanks to Champ Lui Pio, former frontman of Hale. Champ heard Somedaydream perform and decided to mentor the young man.

Finding Somedaydream led Champ to a new career. He formed Mecca, a music company that will produce and market music and manage talents. Somedaydream is the first client but Champ is hopeful that there will be others in the future. He wants to use all that he has learned in the music business to help young musicians get the exposure they need and he is off to a very good start with Somedaydream.

First off, unless you get into one of Somedaydream’s live performances, the only place where you can hear Hey Daydreamer is on the radio. It is not available anywhere else. This reminds me of the old days when you only hear the new songs on the radio. So you listen a lot while waiting for the record to be released. There is a bad copy of the song on YouTube but it is not worth your while. Best to check out the radio stations like Magic and RX where Hey Daydreamer is played regularly.

 Don’t count also on getting the album soon. Somedaydreamer is still working on his new songs. If you want to hear more of him, you can go to soundcloud.com where he has four songs, a cover of Daft Funk’s Digital Love and of Smother Me by the Used and two versions of his Christmas original, Christmas In Purple. Take note that Hey Daydreamer is not included. There is no cause for worry though. Champ and Somedaydream promise that Hey Daydreamer will be available soon on free downloads.

Watch out for the release and for more of Somedaydreamer in the future. Who knows, this guy might just be what the local music industry needs for a kickstart into the digital age.

For the Love Of…

The show is titled For the Love Of…. and it is indeed for the love of Jay Marquez. The soulful member of The CompanY needs help for the medical treatment of his mother, Pilar Marquez and his friends have banded together to put up a show and donate the gate proceeds to Jay. This will be held at the Music Museum on Feb. 25 and it is at truly star-studded one.

Set to perform are Basil Valdez, Lea Salonga, Regine Velasquez, Aiza Seguerra, Jon Santos, Eugene Villaluz, Bituin Escalante, Gerard Salonga, DJ Salonga, Sheila Francisco, Reuben Laurente, Aquarela, Opera Belles, Cercados and The CompanY. Beth Martin is musical director. Tickets are available at Music Museum (721-6726 and 721-0635).