Buble-ing Excitement

As he is when performing, Michael Bublé on the phone “bubbles” with excitement. His speaking voice, like his singing voice, has a drooling ring to it, aptly described by an avid female fan as “sexy and seductive, it’s as if he’s prolonging the pleasure of an impending orgasm.”

“My responsibility as an artist is to take the audience away,” confessed Bublé in a phone interview.“I just love getting in front of people. It’s important to me to be in touch with my audience. I want them to be entertained, to get their money’s worth.”

Bublé fans should be ready to be “taken away” when he performs at the Mall Of Asia (MOA) Arena on Jan. 31 (Saturday) as part of his world tour. For sure, he will be singing his well-loved hits, including selections from his hit albums (the latest is To Be Loved). It’s his second concert in Manila after the one 10 years ago.

As the interview was done just a week after Christmas, I started by asking Bublé why he considered Christmas his favorite time of the year (he pays tribute to the season with an album simply called Christmas).

How did you spend Christmas?

“Oh, I spent my Christmas with my family in Canada. We all drank too much, ate too much. We laughed too much and sang too much together.”

I love your Christmas song, My Grown-Up Christmas List. Has any of the wishes mentioned in that song been fulfilled? (Excerpt: No more lives torn apart/That wars would never start/And time would heal all hearts/Every man would have a friend/That right would always win/And love would never end/This is my grown-up Christmas list.)

“I love that song. There’s still no world peace, is there? That’s my wish every Christmas — peace on earth and goodwill to men. I won’t get tired making that wish until it is fulfilled.”

You consider Christmas as your favorite time of the year. Not Valentine’s but Christmas? Why?

“You, my grandparents and my parents love that time so much and that makes Christmas very special for all of us. There’s a lot of love during that time of the year. Now that I am a father and I am a husband and I got my own family, it’s something that I want to bequeath to them.”

How are you as a father?

“I think I’m the best father in the world. I’m pretty good as a father, hahaha!”

They say that every artist/singer leaves a piece of his heart in every place he performs in. Are you like that?

“Yes, I agree. Every place I perform in becomes a part of my life, my family. That’s true. The Philippines has a special spot in my heart because it’s one of the places I performed in when I was starting in my career, among the first countries that I visited. You know, the longer it goes, the stronger the relationship becomes.”

What was so memorable about your performance in Manila 10 years ago?

“I can tell you that it was chaotic. I remember it was electric, it was exciting. The audience was very passionate in its reaction.”

When you perform again in Manila on Jan. 31, how different is the Michael Bublé that we are going to see from the Michael Bublé that we saw 10 years ago?

“When I left Manila, I was a sky-walker. When I go back, I will still be a sky-walker.”

How has your music evolved through the past 10 years? How have you matured as a singer?

“Well, I guess I’m much more confident with myself and with my music. When I walk up that stage during my concert in Manila, I have a feeling that the people will want to know how I might have changed. But this much I promise: I will give them the best performance I can ever have.”

You said that you are not an overnight sensation.

“I don’t take my success these last 10 years for granted. Yes, I was anything but an overnight sensation and that inspires me to deliver big time for my fans. Trust me, there’s no sitting back…”

How do you keep yourself at the top?

“I just continue learning more and trying to get better. It’s when you stop caring that you get left behind. I care so much about my career, I care so much about my audience, I care so much about giving them their money’s worth, I care about growing as an artist. If you think that because people buy your records the first time, they will buy more of your records…you’re wrong. People can forget you and forget you fast. So you have to keep on improving yourself.”

Aren’t you going to include a Filipino song in your repertoire during your Jan. 31 concert?

“You know, I usually have a fixed repertoire but in the middle of the concert when the audience demands for it, you can make changes, you can add a song or two. If the audience would love to hear a song or something, you just have to please them. You can never tell.”

(Note: With The Philippine STAR as one of the sponsors, the Michael Bublé concert at the Mall Of Asia [MOA] Arena is produced by Wilbros Live with Dainty Group International. For ticket inquiries, call 470-2222 or 374-2222.)

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