MANILA, Philippines - This year’s PMPC Star Awards For Music Best Male Recording Artist awardee Gary Valenciano conquered another city as he stormed New Jersey with another awesome performance at the Mark J Ettes Theater in Atlantic City last Sept. 20.
Fresh from receiving multiple awards from PMPC Star Awards For Music at the Solaire Ballroom, including bagging the Best Concert of the Year trophy together with director son Paolo Valenciano for his phenomenal three-day concert series ARISE Gary V 3.0 held at the Araneta Coliseum and the SM MOA Arena, Gary V impressed the crowd with his guests, son Gab Valenciano and the female quartet AKA JAM.
Gab is closely following in his father’s footsteps as a music arranger/producer/dancer as he won Best Musical Scorer for the independent film Alagwa given by professors and students in this year’s Pasado Awards in his first crack at musical scoring. AKA JAM, which was part of the Top 10 of the first X-Factor Philippines in 2012 and also Top 3 of It’s Showtime’s Bida Kapamilya competition in 2013, is composed of Katrina Velarde who stars in Trenderas on TV5, Bulilit Champion Jhelsea Flores, Ashley Campbell and Monique Lualhati. Katrina gained some global attention when her YouTube video of Beyoncé’s song Dangerously In Love using a comb for a microphone was posted by Beyoncé’s guitarist BiBi McGill on her Facebook page and when Worldhiphop.com chose her as vocalist of the week late last year. Her link was tweeted by no less than Chris Brown. She wowed the Fil-Ams of the East Coast when she did her duet with Gary. Mon Faustino was musical director of the group.
Close to 3,000 fans flocked the Taj Mahal venue and most were entertained by Gary V who performed for the mainstream non-profit group AARP dancing and singing and playing the keyboard, percussion instruments and Kulintang gongs throughout the night.
Songs like his compositions Each Passing Night, Sana Maulit Muli, Di Bale Na Lang, Narito, as well as well-loved covers of Earth, Wind and Fire, James Ingram and Bryan McKnight brought joy and tears to the appreciative crowd. Babalik Ka Rin brought the people to their feet giving the just-turned-50 performer a standing ovation.
Chosen as The Filipino Channel’s 20th Anniversary Ambassador, Gary’s next stop is Auckland, New Zealand tomorrow, Sept. 26 and Sydney, Australia on Sept 28.