’90s throwback with Boyz II Men

MANILA, Philippines -  One of the best things that came out of the ’90s is en route to Manila again to give Filipino fans the ultimate throwback moment.

Boyz II Men, who practically paved the way for boy bands to dominate the pop airwaves in the ’90s, will be at the Big Dome come Sept. 17 for another concert.

Pronounced as the most commercially successful R&B group of all time and fittingly so, Boyz II Men — responsible for such smooth, melody-driven R&B paeans to love, romance, mothers and other sentimental stuff — exploded into the music scene some 20 years ago. That decade may have come and gone, and amidst the resurgence of boy bands, it’s definitely not (to borrow the title of one of its No. 1 hits) “the end of the road” for Boyz II Men. The gents are here to stay, still commanding big audiences around the globe and dropping a brand-new record titled Collide next month.

Boyz II Men started out as a quintet. Today, Shawn Stockman, Wanya Morris and Nathan Morris are the trio that continues to keep the harmonies together. 

The STAR had an e-mail interview with the group arranged by concert producer Ovation Productions, ahead of its return performance. Here are excerpts:

On the artist/s from the ’90s that they were also big fans of:  

Wanya: “We looked up to a lot of a cappella groups — many were the inspiration of our harmonies and for us to become a group. Take 6, New Edition and during the ’90s, we all listened to The Temptations and The O’ Jays at home, just to name a few.”

On career highlights:  

Shawn: “One of the highlights would be having the opportunity to travel the globe and experience diversity and unique cultures, such as the Philippines. Of course, winning our first Grammy (in 1992; they won a total of four Grammys) was a great moment.” 

On the Filipino audience:

Nathan: “Filipino audience is very special and unique. We all know that everyone loves to sing and R&B is a type of genre that Filipinos feel as good music. We love the Philippines and the Filipinos.” 

On unforgettable memories from the previous visits:

Nathan: “Personally, my memory is really about the entire day in Manila. Because usually we are only here for one to two days, with the limited time we have, I like to explore the city and there are a few spots we always go to. We love walking through the Greenhills Mall and all the shops and try to blend in with the Filipinos. Also, we always go to Hard Rock Café or The California Pizza Kitchen, then there is always the experience of the traffic to the venue, and finally having the honor to perform at a legendary venue in Manila (Araneta).”

On Boyz II Men’s new record Collide:

Nathan: “Collide is a really special album to us. It’s a different direction for us sound-wise, definitely. It has a lot of brighter pop elements blended in with our classic R&B sound, so it’s kind of the collision between those two sounds, and we can’t wait to share it with the fans.”

On what’s next for Boyz II Men:

Shawn: “As a group, we created the Boyz II Men House, which lends support to individuals and organizations that focus on improving quality of life and contributing to the health and vitality of those less fortunate. And on a personal level, my wife and I created a foundation called Micah’s Voice to raise money for autism research. Both of those causes are very close to my heart.

“We also have a residency at the Mirage in Las Vegas through the end of 2015! We will continue to tour the cities around the world to say thanks to our fans who have supported us for the past 22 years of our career.”

(Boyz II Men Live In Manila 2014 is produced by Ovation Productions and presented by Fox International and Imarflex Inverter Airconditioner in cooperation with Air 21, Makati Shangri-La and Showbiz Mansion. It is also supported by The Philippine STAR, Philstar.com, Manila Bulletin, BusinessWorld, ABS-CBN, Inquirer.net, Monster Radio RX 93.1, Mellow 94,7, 96.3 Easy Rock, Crossover 105.1, Retro 105.9, ANC, MYX, Rappler.com, Wheninmanila.com and Philippine Entertainment Portal. Ticket prices are P5,750, P4,750, P3,750, P2,750, P1,750 and P750. Tickets are available at Ticketnet outlets and online at www.ticketnet.com.ph. For details, call 911-5555.)