Disco star Teri De Sario reissues album

Teri De Sario is best remembered hereabouts for her hit version of Fallin’. A deceptively simple number from the musical They’re Playing Our Song by Marvin Hamlish and Carol Bayer Sager, Fallin’ was the apt showcase for De Sario’s crystal clear tones that many local singers tried to imitate way, way back in the late ‘70s.

In other parts of the world though, De Sario is a disco diva from the ‘70s, one of those who rose to fame in the wake of the Saturday Night Fever dance explosion. In fact, De Sario was in a way discovered by Barry Gibb, one of the Bee Gees, whose music for the pioneering disco film remains one of the most unforgettable ever.

Aside from writing and producing songs for his group and brother Andy, Barry also later on composed and produced for other artists like Barbra Streisand, Guilty; Dolly Parton, Islands in the Stream; Olivia Newton-John, Hopelessly Devoted to You; and Teri De Sario. It was Barry who sort of introduced her to the public by giving her his song Ain’t Nothing Gonna Keep Me From You Now and producing the record himself.

Teri had a few more hit songs after that impressive debut. These were It Takes a Man and a Woman, Yes, I’m Ready with KC, the frontman of the Sunshine Band and I’ll Always Love You. Now all these plus Fallin’ and Ain’t Nothing Gonna Keep Me from You were recently compiled in a single CD and reissued to give today’s listeners a better listen to De Sario.

Why this sudden interest in Teri De Sario? Well, this came about because she is coming to Manila for a show at the Araneta Coliseum on Saturday, Nov. 19. I guess this is another entry in the massive nostalgia kick that has engulfed the Philippines. There were the Cascades, the Beachboys, Gary Lewis and The Playboys. Soon there will be the Stylistics, the Lettermen and if I heard right even Diana Ross. Put Teri De Sario in the middle.

She will be joined by Nina, the revived Passage Band and singer/songwriter Joe Pizzulo. Joe is one of the featured performers in the live album Memories of Love which was recorded during a show he did with Kevyn Lettau at the Big Dome. Among his best known songs are Rainbow’s End, Let’s Give A Little More This Time, Never Gonna Let You Go, Take This Love and What Do We Mean to Each Other.

It’s Party Season Again

If you want more disco tunes and I am sure you do because the party season is upon us again, you might want to check out Feel Like Dancing. This is made up of disco hits from the ‘70s and uses only the original masters. That means no cover versions or sound-alikes.

A pity it missed out on De Sario’s dance tunes which were among the best of the period. But among those the album has are Knock on Wood by Amii Stewart, Rock Your Baby by George McCrae which is one of the first disco songs ever recorded, Ring My Bell by Anita Ward, Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel by Tavares, Black is Black by La Belle Epoque, Sexy Music by The Nolans, You Make Me Feel Like Dancing by the Groove Generation, Never Can Say Goodbye by Gloria Gaynor, I Love to Love by Tina Charles and a must for all discophiles, the Gloria Gaynor Greatest Hits Medley which includes I Will Survive and I Am What I Am.

MYX Live! won a Golden Dove plum

Congratulations to MYX and all those guys there who work so hard to put up great shows. The country’s No. 1 music channel has been recognized by the Kapisanan ng Brodkaster sa Pilipinas (KBP) for its commitment to uphold original Filipino music.

MYX Live!, the weekly MYX show, which features live performances from the best Filipino bands and solo acts, won as Best TV Culture and Arts Program, National Category in the 14th KBP Golden Dove Awards last Oct. 25. The winning episode was the Great Original Pilipino Music, which featured the San Miguel Philharmonic Orchestra, the San Miguel Master Chorale with its artistic and executive director Ryan Cayabyab. This was made possible by the San Miguel Foundation for the Performing Arts and Sony BMG.

The episode was aired last Jan. 19. But MYX is giving televiewers another chance to see it with an encore performance on Nov. 5 at 9 p.m. The show features songs included in the Great Pilipino Music album and original compositions by Cayabyab.