When hitmakers unite

MANILA, Philippines - When singer-songwriter Ogie Alcasid joins Morissette Amon and Tanya Manalang in an evening of OPM hits on May 6 (8 p.m.) at the Newport Performing Arts Theater of Resorts World, he is bound to make insightful discovery on the making of millennial singers.

Visually, one doesn’t see much of a generation gap between him and the younger singers as Ogie managed to look young through the years. “I know Tanya and Morissette when they were just growing up and of course, there was no doubt about their singing talents. But they have different singing styles and most probably different temperaments. What I can advise them now is to grab all opportunities that come their way. When I was their age, I felt I wasn’t competing with other songwriters and singers. I was just enjoying myself and my career just took a good turn without my pushing myself too much.”  

As expected, the concert will no doubt feature timeless love songs, radio hits and songs from the stage, among others.

Whatever genre the concert comes up with, it is a foregone conclusion that Morissette and Tanya will live up to their popularity.

Freddie Santos — who directs the concert called Platinum: World’s Hit Songs LIVE! — said he grew up with Ogie’s signature songs and it’s not pure luck that he succeeded. “Ogie’s songs have a certain kind of individuality that sets him apart. He is not afraid to explore other sounds and as a result, his music has a certain degree of class attached to them.”

Direk Freddie added it isn’t enough that you hear hit songs in a concert. “The hit songs have their sure audiences but they have to be presented in a manner that gives the music a touch of class.

“For this reason, I didn’t settle for simple accompaniments. For this class of singers, they need no less than the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Rodel Colmenar to bring about that concert magic. As director, I can’t settle for nothing less. We have star singers in this concert but they still need to be presented in a proper way fit for young stars. We are constantly restudying the repertoire and as usual, there are changes in every rehearsal. We need to come up not just with a concert but with a damn good one.”

(Tickets to the May 6 concert are available at the RWM Box Office with tel. no. 908-8000 loc. 7700 or call TicketWorld at 891-9999.)