The retro fever rages on

Melvin San Victores, a Filipino who has been living in Ontario, Canada for the past 25 years, sent an e-mail with some very interesting questions.

"Why is it that Filipinos are fixated on old songs and old singers? I have noticed that most of my friends and relatives get very excited whenever these artists come to Manila. They said that they enjoyed watching The Lettermen, The Cascades and Andy Williams very much and even my younger nieces and nephews are now listening to their music.

"The producers of their shows must be doing very good business or they will not keep on bringing these artists to Manila. But may I ask, do you think that it is healthy for us to keep dwelling in the past? Don’t you think that this situation will affect the progress of Filipino music? I have nothing but respect and admiration for the old artists but I also wonder if Filipinos listen to or like the new ones like Ne-yo or Daniel Powter or Amerie or others from whom Filipino musicians can learn new ideas."

Thanks for writing, Melvin. I think the word fixated is a very apt description of this situation in the local music industry. I do not know how to explain it but I will try. One reason is probably a feeling of deep longing for better times. Those better times are in the past and best remembered with a personal soundtrack. Pinoys are reliving memories of their youth through those artists. I do not know if it is healthy but it really makes plenty of people happy. You should see the enthusiastic reaction to these "oldies" shows.

It is also a fact that fans of Paul Anka, The Lettermen, The Cascades, Andy Williams, etc. are now members of the leisure set. Most of them can afford to spend for concert tickets whenever they want to, unlike the kids who still have to earn their concert money or beg their parents to buy tickets for them. I do not think moneyed parents or grandparents would want to watch Amerie no matter how pretty she is. She does not come with sweet memories and those are what they are willing to pay for.

Ne-yo or Daniel Powter may be the current favorites out there, but they still have to build up a following here. Truth to tell, if any of them were to perform in the same night as Paul Anka in the Philippines, I am sure their shows would flop. As for the progress of Filipino music, you will be surprised to know we are at the start of a new era that might just develop into a boom period just like what we had in the ‘70s. There are more Filipino hits in the local charts, more exciting new acts and more young composers than we have had in the past 10 years. Times here are bad but the music, old or new, is alive and well.

P.S. Melvin, it may interest you to know that among the concert acts that the nostalgic Pinoy can look forward to during the next few months are The Cascades (Again!), The Four Aces from out of the 1950s, (Love is a Many Splendored Thing, The World Outside), The Association (Cherish, Windy) and Neil Sedaka (Stupid Cupid, Breaking Up is Hard to Do).

Greatest hits collections

Nostalgic fans out there might be happy to know these greatest hits collections by some of their favorites are now available in the stores:

We Want You by the ’70s group Village People: The CD was created to relive the glory days of disco. Now, I do not remember the names of the members but the group was made up of guys dressed as a hardhat, a cowboy, a motorcycle cop, an Indian or maybe I should say Native American, a soldier and a biker. Some of the hits included in We Want You are In The Navy, Go West, Y.M.C.A., Macho Man, Village People, I am What I am and Can’t Stop The Music.

Complete Hits by Herman’s Hermits: Peter Noone, the leader of this ’60s pop group, was here for some shows a few months ago. If you enjoyed watching him perform or if you want to recall the other part of the British Invasion aside from the Beatles, you will enjoy this one. There’s a Kind of Hush, Dial My Number, Can’t You Hear My Heartbeat, Silhouettes, No Milk Today, A Must to Avoid, Leaning on a Lamp Post, Mrs. Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter, I’m Henry the Eighth I Am and others.