Gary V: I would love to work with Dayanara again

Yari and Gary share the stage in a recent episode of “ASAP.”

Even before the recent 65th Miss Universe pageant in Manila, Gary Valenciano already had the opportunity to catch up with the pageant’s 1993 winner—Puerto Rican Dayanara Torres. They reunited late last year, after one of the recording artist’s concerts in Los Angeles.

Even then, Gary could already tell that Dayanara had terribly missed the country, where she lived and worked as an actress for five years.

“It was obvious that she was raring to return here and see all her old friends. And I told her that should she find herself back in the country, she would surely be very busy,” he said in a recent interview.

True enough, shortly after this year’s pageant, where she sat as a judge, Dayanara—or Yari as she is fondly called—

shuttled from one television engagement to another. But the one guesting Gary was most thrilled about was Dayanara’s recent return to the Sunday program “ASAP,” where she used to be a cohost.

In the said variety show, Dayanara was given her own segment called “SayawNara,” and was dubbed as the “Dancing Queen.”

“If you see her social media accounts, you would always see videos of her turning—that’s a sign of someone who loves to dance and move her body,” he said.

Their relationship was initially mostly cordial, Gary recalled; it wasn’t until they worked on the 1995 film “Hataw Na,” that they grew closer and became friends.

“She was typically reserved and so focused on what she had to do. But when I told her that I am half-Puerto Rican and that my mother was from the town of Arecibo, we really started talking and opening up to each other more,” related Gary, who found Dayanara “professional” while shooting “Hataw Na.”

“She would be on the set with all her lines already memorized,” he said. “It was me who actually had to take a minute every so often!”

Asked if he intends to work again with Dayanara in the near future, Gary said he would love to. “But first I have to brush up on my Spanish!” he quipped. “And her two sons are grown-up now, so I think things would be a little easier now.”

Gary Valenciano (left) and Dayanara Torres

Valentine show

But for now, the veteran singer-songwriter is focusing on his coming Valentine show, “Gary V: Love in Motion.” The two-night concert will be held on Feb. 14 and 15 at the grand ballroom of Shangri-La at The Fort (call 891-9999). It will be jazz and big band-themed

—something which he has yet to do in his over 30 years in the industry.

“That genre of music always gives us that nostalgic feel. And I have always listened to jazz musicians like Frank Sinatra, Count Basie, Sammy Davis Jr. and Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band. I have been waiting for the right time to do a show like this one,” said Gary, who will be backed by The AMP Band. Anna Fegi will be the special guest.

His repertoire will be a mix of classics, contemporary hits and his own material rendered in bombastic and horn-filled arrangements. In terms of singing, expect more creative improvisations and ad libbing than big belted notes. And of course, it wouldn’t be a Gary V show without dancing.

“There will be choreography, but it will be different from what I usually do, because the beat will be different, as well,” he said. “As for the singing, jazz is very spontaneous, so it will depend on how I will be feeling the music.”

A hundred percent of the concert’s proceeds will go to Operation Blessing, Shining Light Foundation, Unicef for the victims of Typhoon “Nina” and Special Children’s Causes. It wasn’t a hard decision for Gary.

“At this point in my life, I no longer care that much about the figures, especially what goes into my pocket. I have been well-provided for in the past three decades,” Gary said. “There’s always someone who needs help. And I don’t want to wait for the next catastrophe to strike, before we start moving.”