Hotdog brings back the 'Manila sound'

MANILA, Philippines - July 21, 1974. The entire Philippines and the rest of the world stood still as the attention of hundreds of millions of televiewers was riveted on the closing ceremonies of the Miss Universe beauty pageant being held in Manila.

While the various contestants drew admiring “ohhhs” and “ahhhs” from the worldwide TV audience and the crowd at the Folk Arts Theater of the Philippines as they paraded in their elegant swimsuits, evening gowns and national costumes, what elicited an equally thunderous round of applause and cheers was a special musical act featuring a homegrown singing talent.

It was the Pinoy pop rock band Hotdog, which serenaded the international beauties with the endearing and captivating tune of its own composition, Ikaw Ang Miss Universe Ng Buhay Ko, to the great delight of the candidates and the TV watchers.

The song number might just be a sidelight to the program’s main attraction, but it was a brief, shining moment in the promising career of Hotdog and quickly established it as trailblazer and a driving force in Original Pilipino Music (OPM).

Today, 37 years after that epochal event that left a lasting imprint on the collective memories of millions of fans, Hotdog is set to bring back the delightful tunes inspired by the celebrated Manila Sound of the 1970s that it popularized, when the iconic Pinoy group mounts a reunion concert on Thursday, Dec. 1, at the PICC Tent, Cultural Center Complex, Pasay City.

Titled Hotdog: The Reunion, the one-night musical event is expected to attract a sell-out crowd of OPM enthusiasts who have been enthralled by Hotdog’s music since it emerged as a pioneer of the Pinoy genre and eventually became a pop rock cult and mainstream hit in the local music and entertainment circuit.

The show will bring together the original Hotdog members who helped catapult the band to the top of the charts in the ‘70s: Dennis Garcia (founder and bassist), Rene Garcia (lead guitarist and vocalist), Jess Garcia (drummer) and Gina Montes, Maso Diez, Joy Reyes, Rita Saguin-Trinidad and Nadia Moore, all former vocalists at various times.

The group will treat concert-goers to two hours of the celebrated Manila Sound with its collection of all-time hits, such as Ikaw Ang Miss Universe Ng Buhay Ko, Bongga Ka, ‘Day, Annie Batungbakal, Pers Lab, O, Lumapit Ka, Manila, Beh, Buti Nga, Panaginip, Bitin Sa Iyo, Langit Na Naman, Careful, Careful, and many more.

The repertoire will also include songs that Garcia composed for other artists but were overshadowed by the success of the band’s chart-busters, including Sa Isip Ko, Saan Ka Na Kaya Ngayon?, B.A.D.A.F. Forever, Ayayayyy Boracay, Kung Aminin Kong May Asawa Na Ako, Dying To Tell You, When The One You Love Is Gone, Kulang and Parang Robot.

(Tickets to Hotdog: The Reunion are priced at P3,000, P2,000 and P1,500 and available at Ticketworld outlets. For details, call Ticketworld at 891-9999.)