Roberta Flack sings Beatles

It felt good, finding Let It Be Roberta by Roberta Flack in the batch of new album releases from Sony Music. Not only was it a new take on something familiar but it was definitely interesting. Okay, let’s make that exciting. The other CDs might be more popular and might sell more but, for those who want good music, nothing can beat the voice of Roberta singing the songs of the Beatles. Besides, it feels like it has already been so long since we last heard from Roberta Flack.

Classy, elegant, so full of soul, Roberta was one of the greatest singing stars to emerge in the ’70s. Maybe it would be better if I change singing star to singer. For while Roberta was truly a No. 1-selling singing star, she was really more of a singer and a really great one at that. Truth to tell, her moving vocals helped to define an era. To this day, I do not know of anybody whose ears will not perk up and who will not be awash in memories on hearing her rendition of The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face from the soundtrack of the Clint Eastwood movie Play Misty For Me.

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face marked the beginning of more and even bigger hits for Roberta. Killing Me Softly With His Song, Where Is The Love?, Feel Like Makin’ Love, and a stream of memorable duets. The Closer I Get To You and You Are My Heaven with Donny Hathaway, and then Maybe and Tonight I Celebrate My Love For You with Peabo Bryson.

Not having heard from Roberta for a long time does not mean that she had retired from performing these past years. It was just that we would only occasionally read about her doing some shows that we never saw or new recordings that never made it to the local stores. That is why I was glad that her latest, Let It Be is now available.

Included in the album are In My Life, Hey Jude, We Can Work It Out, Let It Be, Oh Darling, I Should Have Known Better, The Long And Winding Road, Come Together, Isn’t It A Pity, If I Fell, And I Love Him and a thrilling live performance of Here, There And Everywhere with Roberta herself on the piano. Great choices and Roberta is in great voice throughout. What does one say about something like this?

Beautiful is an apt word or perhaps something like what Yoko Ono Lennon wrote in the liner notes: “With this collection, Roberta is adding a woman’s voice of fun and joy and again making people realize how universal these songs are.” Very well said.

Also blasting out of the past are two of the Filipino’s most loved bands, America and Kalapana which Ovation Productions is bringing to town again. The America with Kalapana 2012 Philippine Tour will be performing at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City on Oct. 17. The local stint also includes shows at the Waterfront Cebu City, Hotel & Casino in Cebu on Oct. 19 and at the University of Baguio in Baguio City on Oct. 21.

This is a strange combination, American pop folk and rock and easy listening Hawaiian tunes. But the two things they have in common are what counts among their local fans. America and Kalapana both came to fame in the ’70s, the time when today’s moneyed leisure set was growing up. That means these groups have been around for a long time. The other one is that they have lots of hit songs. And those are what counts most for the Pinoy concert-goer, great music with lots of memories.

So prepare yourselves to once more get your fill of songs like I Need You, A Horse With No Name, Ventura Highway, Don’t Cross The River, Only In Your Heart, Tin Man, Lonely People, Sister Golden Hair, You Can Do Magic, and others from the Grammy-winning America. As for Kalapana, they can perform Night Bird and fans would be contented. But they have more to offer. Tunes like For You I’d Chase A Rainbow, Black Sand, Naturally, When Morning Comes, Moon And Stars and You Make It Hard bring this Hawaiian group’s sweet harmonizing to fore.

Tickets to the Araneta show are available at TicketNet 911-5555. For details, call 232-6888 or 0917-622-8705 for Cebu; and 074-4423071 or 092-255-0123 for the Baguio show.