MAGIC! performs in Manila Oct. 22

MANILA, Philippines - MAGIC!, the band behind the hits Rude and Don’t Kill The Magic, is coming to Manila on Oct. 22 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater of Resorts World Manila for its first-ever concert tour.

When something is meant to be, you just know it immediately. It’s as if there was a divine plan or universal synergy fusing the right elements together at the right time for the right situation. That’s the feeling Grammy Award-winning songwriter-producer Nasri experienced the first time MAGIC! jammed. During a writing session in 2012, he heard collaborator-guitarist Mark Pelli strum a reggae-tinged riff and something clicked.

“I’m a huge fan of The Police, and I always wanted to do my own project that merged reggae, rock, pop and a little soul for quite some time,” he said. “The moment Mark began playing, it felt natural. We had this vision, and it all tied together instantly. We began recording, and the sound was so locked in on every song. That’s even where we derived the band name. Everything simply worked like MAGIC!”

That sound distills Caribbean flavor, arena-size bombast and glistening melodies into an undeniably intoxicating musical potion. Soon after that initial jam, drummer Alex Tanas and bassist Ben Spivak joined the fold as the quartet entered a Los Angeles studio to record its full-length 2013 debut. There weren’t any boundaries or rules. It was all about following that collective muse. “We started recording, and it was so easy,” added Nasri. “We’re all from Toronto originally. We know the same streets, and we grew up on the same music. It’s the real thing.”

It’s also real catchy. The first single Rude coasts from a Jamaican guitar twang and danceable beat into a downright irresistible refrain. At the same time, the singer’s cheeky storytelling pops out vividly. “I had this picture in my head of a guy asking a father for his marriage blessing and getting rejected,” he said. “It’s fun, soulful, easy, and you know the hook right away. That’s what we want our songs to do.”

Elsewhere, No Evil builds up into an anthemic chant, while Let Your Hair Down is meant to get bodies grooving. “I think that one will be a favorite for a lot of the ladies — or at least I hope,” laughed Nasri. “It’s about letting loose and having a great time.”

(Tickets to MAGIC! Live in Manila are available on Ticketworld.com.ph. For details, call 374-9999 or 891-9999 or follow Wilbros Live at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @WilbrosLive.)