British band The Zombies unwittingly played a role on the third day of the Edsa I People Power revolt in February 1986—when one of its hit songs, “She’s Not There,” was heard by the millions barricaded on the streets and those monitoring developments at home.
Jeff Lorber lives and breathes music. He formed the Jeff Lorber Fusion, which has released several commercially successful albums since 1977.
You can put Filipino singer Arthur Manuntag in just about any venue—a small jazz joint, a hotel lounge or the Smart Araneta Coliseum—and he’s sure to charm the audience.
If the saxophone oozes with sexuality, the trumpet evokes passion. One trumpet player who captures life’s mood swings with intensity and subtlety in equal parts is Chris Botti. The American musician has successfully bridged jazz and pop, even rock and the classics, through his records and live performances.
Some friends engaged in a good-natured debate on whether Olivia Newton-John was worth the journey to Smart Araneta Coliseum on traffic-jammed Edsa.
The runup to the finals of “American Idol” season 11 has become more interesting with the exceptional showing of Jessica Sanchez—who is by far, the most exciting singer of Filipino heritage to make it to the Top 10 of the highly popular TV talent search.
Olivia Newton-John probably will not make it to critics’ top lists for her music but so what? Fans never tire of listening to her voice in songs that unwaveringly believe in the magic of old-fashioned romance.
In the early 1990s, Joey “Pepe” Smith was about to finish a lackadaisical gig at the Music Museum when, out of nowhere, Karl Roy jumped onstage to jam on “Balong Malalim.” Suddenly, the place shook with electrifying energy – thanks to Karl, who later said he had just been sitting in his car, heard the show being broadcast on NU 107, and felt he should rush over and join Pepe.
Living in the United States has taught Charice to be cautious about making professional decisions. Even with an international management team plotting out every career move, the 19-year-old Filipino pop star said she had to learn to speak up and express her own views. “Lumawak ang pananaw ko [I have expanded my point of view],” [...]
Avril Lavigne is one of the most prominent young artists who found success in “pop-punk” – a hybrid musical genre that combines the accessible sound and sentiments of Top 40 tunes and the sneering attitude of punk rock without the political stance.
In the late 1980s, Richard Marx conquered the pop charts with a string of hits, including “Hold On To the Nights” and “Right Here Waiting” — syrupy ballads that became his trademark sound.
The former front man of the hugely popular band Bamboo says he did “the right thing” that led to his group’s breakup. Ten months after news of the split broke on radio and on Twitter, the band’s lead singer, Francisco “Bamboo” Mañalac, is on the phone – sounding upbeat and focused on the present. He [...]
