Idiosyncratic performers don’t take the easy route

WARWICK. Slides into her 80s still with a song in her heart.

Iconic singing star Dionne Warwick’s announced concerts (on July 20 at the Manila Hotel Tent, July 21 in Davao, July 23 at Smart Araneta Coliseum and July 25 in Baguio) have brought back golden memories of her first show in Manila in the ’70s.

One thing we can’t forget about Warwick’s first Manila concert was her penchant then for being so caught up with the emotions involved in her performance—that she would occasionally turn her back on the audience! Some people were ticked off by this “smug” behavior, but we found it intriguing!

Most singers “kill” themselves to “sell” a song, but Warwick was so secure in her exceptional talent that she didn’t have to “push” her performance as hard as others, and was content to render her songs as simply and feelingly as possible.

Inside track

Aside from Warwick, we were lucky to enjoy the performances of other big singing stars at Araneta Coliseum in the ’60s and ’70s, because our TV show at the time “Two for the Road,” had an inside track on the iconic venue’s offerings, due to the deep friendship between our glamorous doyenne, Elvira Manahan, and the Aranetas.

Thus, we also got to socialize with visiting stars like Sammy Davis Jr., Harry Belafonte and Johnny Mathis, who turned out to be uniquely interesting and idiosyncratic, aside from being exceptionally gifted and charismatic luminaries.

We remember that Mathis was “advised” not to include in his Manila repertoire songs that were relatively unfamiliar to local music lovers—but, he “bravely” decided to do “Maria” from “West Side Story.”

Mathis’ decision to go against “practical” advice impressed us, because he personified the performer who felt that he had to take the extra step of “teaching” his audience, and sharing something new with them, to expand their musical horizons!