ALVAREZ. Her repertoire was as diverse as her performing skills.
Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, David Archuleta, Kylie Minogue and company have been lording it over the Philippine concert scene for the past couple of years. While we’re delighted that more of pop’s biggest stars now deem it wise to include a Manila stopover in their tours’ itineraries, we’re also disheartened by how the onslaught of these “international” shows has markedly diminished the number of concerts featuring our own singers, who are just as gifted as any of those names.
Take Isay Alvarez. Yes, she has graced the West End stage, but the versatile singer-actress has since laudably chosen to come home and perform for her countrymen. And, if her recent sold-out concert, “Isay Swings Out,” at Skarlet’s Jazz Kitchen was any indication, it was easy to see how handily she could out-sing or out-perform many of the aforementioned names, with a repertoire that was as diverse as her performing skills.
Backed by Mel Villena and the AMP Band, Isay rendered jazzed-up or reimagined versions of standards like Glenn Miller’s 1938 hit, “Moonlight Serenade,” George and Ira Gershwin’s 1926 show tune, “Someone to Watch Over Me,” and Charlie Chaplin’s classic ballad, “Smile.”
Then, she turned up the heat with her scorching covers of Irving Berlin’s “Cheek to Cheek” and Peggy Lee’s “Fever”—what a lovely way to burn, indeed! It was also interesting to note how Isay’s voice remained stable throughout the songs’ shifts in beats and tempos.
Inherent charm
However, none of those well-loved classics could match the inherent charm and rousing appeal of Isay’s OPM numbers, especially when she paid tribute to Sylvia La Torre (“Galawgaw,” “No Money, No Honey”) and Katy de la Cruz (“Balut”).
Things got more rollicking when she sang Clodualdo Delfino and Ruben Vega’s “Hahabul-habol” with her special guest, husband Robert Seña, who surprised the crowd with his Big Band versions of—hold your breath—Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face,” Justin Bieber’s “Baby” and Charice’s “Pyramid”!
In between, Isay reminisced about her days as a lounge singer—how she dealt with demanding customers, grumpy accompanists, predatory DOMs, etc. But, the concert’s pièce de résistance was really the seasoned performer’s spotless and full-bodied singing: As she scaled some very challenging octaves, she delivered one showstopper after another—and sang her way into her audience’s hearts! —Happy birthday, Isay!
Vocal threesome
Another Filipino act we urge music lovers to catch is Baihana, the vocal threesome composed of Krina Cayabyab, Anna Achacoso and Mel Torre, who swept us off our feet when they performed at Music Museum recently.
The girls kept their audience grooving as they gloriously “tweaked” the harmony-rich melodies of the Andrews Sisters’ “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” the Chordettes’ “Mr. Sandman,” and Duke Ellington’s “It Don’t Mean A Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing.”
Their OPM repertoire was just as thrilling: Itchyworms’ “Akin Ka Na Lang,” Gary Granada’s “Mabuti Pa Sila,” the Apo’s “Yakap sa Dilim,” their cheeky Jukebox medley (“’Di Ko Kayang Tanggapin,” “Isang Linggong Pag-ibig,” etc.), and their Filscap-winning single, “Isaw.”
They even “reworked” the dance hits of Lady Gaga (“Born This Way”), Katy Perry (“Firework”) and the Spice Girls (“Stop”)—all rendered with sass and class, without the “umay” element kicking in. And, when they weren’t singing, they energized their spiels with their youthful exuberance, self-deprecating banter, and dissimilar but complementary personalities.
The girls hit a minor snag, though, when they sang and awkwardly danced to Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies.” —Well, nobody’s perfect!