THE 5TH Dimension
The 5th Dimension, the American musical group that rose to popularity in the late 1960s for its style of music dubbed “champagne soul”—a heady mixture of R&B, soul, jazz and a dash of Broadway—is set to hold a concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on May 24 (call TicketNet at 9115555).
Formerly known as The Versatiles, the Grammy-winning band is behind such hits as “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In,” “Up, Up and Away” and “One Less Bell to Answer.”
Here in the Philippines, some of the group’s most well-loved tunes include” If I Could Reach You,” “Ashes to Ashes” and “Workin’ On A Groovy Thing.”
The vocal act, which has undergone lineup changes through the years, is now composed of Willie Williams, Leonard Tucker, Patrice Morris and Floyd Smith, and is led by Florence LaRue, The 5th Dimension’s pioneering lead female vocalist, who also tours as a solo artist these days.
ONEREPUBLIC
OneRepublic returns to Manila
THE AMERICAN pop-rock group OneRepublic is set to return to the country on June 24, this time as part of the second MTV Music Evolution Manila.
The one-night concert gathers onstage iconic and contemporary musical acts—both international and local—representing the same genre.
Led by frontman Ryan Tedder, who’s also a prolific songwriter and music producer for other artists, including Adele, Beyonce and even Charice, OneRepublic is behind such hits as “Apologize,” “Good Life,” “Counting Stars” and “Love Runs Out.” The band, who previously performed in the Philippines in 2013, is also expected to release its fourth studio album soon.
In 2015, in its first mounting, the event shone the spotlight on hip-hop, bringing together such artists and groups as Naughty by Nature, YG, apl.de.ap, Gloc-9 and Abra, who regaled an audience of 22,000 fans at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila. This year, the focus shifts to pop music, with OneRepublic being one of the headliners. Further details, including venue and the rest of the lineup, will be revealed in the coming months.
Organized by MTV in cooperation with the Tourism Promotions Board of the Philippines, the MTV Music Evolution, according to the music-lifestyle network, “will be recorded live for global telecast, to an international audience of more than three-quarters of a billion households in over 160 countries.” Allan Policarpio