Keys on fire in Manila

Alicia Keys gave all she got for her Filipino fans Monday night at SM MOA Arena. Photo by Nestor Corrales/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—International Grammy-singing winner Alicia Keys conquered the Philippines Monday with her powerful voice and immense talent on playing the keyboards and beating the drums.

Keys set Manila on fire with her concert at the SM Mall of Asia Arena where Filipinos fans and celebrities witnessed the event.

Brought to us by Ovation Productions, the concert dubbed “Set the World on Fire” tour, Alicia Keys in Manila is one of the few Asian stops of the singer-songwriter.  Before the concert, Keys brought cheers to hundreds of evacuees from the Visayas provinces ripped by Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) where she gave books and crayons to children.

For more than two hours, Keys wowed the audience with her powerful and soulful rendition of R&B songs.

Keys opened the concert with her powerful rendition of “Empire State of Mind” booming the crowd with a jovial atmosphere. The house reciprocated with banging applause. Keys alternately sang an upbeat piece then went soulful while playing the piano.

In a very rare opportunity, Keys did a duet of her hit song “If I Ain’t Got You” with Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez. Fans were also surprised when international Filipino-American singer Apl.de.Ap appeared onstage and astound the crowd with his music.

Keys filled the crowd with intensity and enthusiasm as she moved and grooved with her top hit R & B songs which included “No One, Tears Always Win” and “Girl on Fire.” The varieties of her song numbers were exceptional. The upbeat sound of her songs made the crowd uninhibited and her solemn and fine rendition of soulful songs while playing the piano was extraordinary.

At the height of her performance, after well-deserved applause from the crowd, Keys said Manila is unbreakable.  “We can’t live in this world alone, we need each other,” referring to the recent supertyphoon that battered the country.

The crowd joined Keys grooving and moving to the tune of her songs. Fans were in high spirit and energetic singing with their idol.

Via Bing Bulauan, a die-hard fan of the Grammy-winner said, her music is so influential. “Her music is so passionate and empowering. I am in awe especially when she plays the piano. Many could sing but few are those who play instruments well,” Bulauan said.

The two-hour concert was closed with her hit song “Girl on Fire” that made the crowd louder and more enthusiastic.  With her band and singers playing an extended reprise of the song, Keys graciously exited the stage on a high note.

Meanwhile, fans left the venue with smiles in their faces. “Amazing! This is the best concert this year!” fans would immediately say when asked for a reaction about the concert.  They hope Key will have another concert in the country.

On his official tweeter account (@aliciakeys), Keys described the Filipinos as “some of the most resilient, beautiful spirits she had ever met.” Keys said she is so grateful she was able to come to the Philippines.

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