Jay-R happy that millennials are into R&B

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s acknowledged R&B King Jay-R has something to be proud of as far as today’s music is concerned. Modesty aside, it is the type of sound he and his contemporaries helped propagate in the local music scene.

“The sound now is all R&B and I can’t help but feel that I have something to do with that,” said the renowned performer who many years ago came into the picture christened R&B Prince and largely on the strength of a Vehnee Saturno piece Bakit Pa Ba.

By virtue of being able to keep himself relevant unto the second decade of the new millennium, the prince has become a king in his own right; without a doubt, a certified R&B royalty.

He explained, referring to his immersion on the genre, “15 years ago when we started, we were doing this sound already. Now 15 years after, the people and artists are catching on to it. I can say in my own little way I have influenced the millennial sound.”

Sure, Jay-R is feeling fulfilled hearing the fruits of his labor embedded through the catalogue of the younger acts. But nothing can equal the accomplishment of releasing a new album himself. Besides, he is one of those artists who have kept on producing albums by themselves. His latest is already his seventh.

Born Gaudencio Sillona III in Glendale, California, Jay-R recently launched his fresh-from-the-oven album Kamusta Ka at Eastwood Central Park Plaza in Libis, QC. Singing heartthrobs Billy Crawford and Kris Lawrence were on board performing with him live his new Saturno song called Habang Buhay. Connectedly, the title track is a collaboration among Saturno, ace tunesmith Thyro Alfaro and Jay-R himself.

The music talent house Homeworkz main man mused, “I’m a little bit older than the kids pero hindi tayo paiiwan sa bagong tunog. My updated rhythm is a fusion of traditional urban sound and what’s new.”

As if to emphasize he’s in right step with the new blood, Jay-R’s album is packaged in MP3 player format. It is a loaded pack with earphones, USB cable to access exclusive files, the title track’s music and lyric videos, album and Homeworkz stickers, photoshoot files and a video greeting from the man himself.

The two-gig MP3 player can save other songs, thus, it is in a valuable way a personalized item. “USB album is just a flash drive. Fans can get more out of this MP3 player format and it offers more,” he pointed out.

Jay-R’s Kamusta Ka collaborators include Jungee Marcelo, Paolo Onesa, Gloc-9, Loonie and Ogie Alcasid.

Other tracks in the album are Binibini, Siya, Heto Ka, Limitasyon, Mahahanap Din Kita, the engaging Eksklusibo (featuring his partner Mica Javier) and Kabilang Dako, which already won R&B Song of the Year honors from FM radio stations.

His past albums include Gameface (2003), Jay-R (2005), Christmas Away from Home (2006), Soul in Love (2008), the 2011 Awit Award Album of the Year Jay-R Sings OPM Love Classics (2010) and Elevated (2014).

Jay-R deservingly received R&B Artist of the Year citations from the Philippine Hip-Hop Music Awards, Urban Music Awards and Awit Awards.