Love will lead you back

She looks and moves rather young for a 50-year old/ girlandboything.com

Yes, sirs and mesdames, Taylor Dayne, the singer behind the pop song Love Will Lead You Back was in the country last week. She performed at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena last Friday, June 01, 2012 together with Edwin Mc Cain, the singer behind the hit song, I’ll Be. The night before, they performed in Cebu. Dayne’s the second artist, after Lady Gaga, to have performed in the newly-constructed coliseum. It wasn’t full house, though. The venue wasn’t even half-filled, unfortunately. I am not aware of the advertisements and promotions done by the organizers but surely, it was a good concert and more people, who used to sing along with the artists, could have gone and appreciated these artists up close and live. Both Dayne and McCain performed well. R&B singer, JR, did the front act.

 

 

As a singer, Dayne was first noticed with her hit song, Tell It to My Heart in 1987. I was still a teenager then and I know that piece was quite popular. But I remember the song chiefly because its MTV was decidedly, definitely ’80s – the frizzy hair, the bangs (hehe), the shoulder pads (who can forget those?) and the slashed jeans (USED pants, anyone?). It’s all there in the video, should anyone care to traipse down the memory lane, haha. Taylor was known for being a hot singer – pouted red, big lips, a vixen image (sort of) and excellent vocals. Back then, people were calling her another Madonna. And if you were there at the concert (ahaha, I know not many were), you would know that she’s really a magnificent singer and performer. I know, some of you would say, “But she’s so two decades ago!” Yes, but she hasn’t lost it – the voice, the look and the performance. She danced and sang like a sexy 35-year old!

 

 

Philippines is host to an average of 200 concerts by international performers a year – from the most popular artists and bands to the singers who are making a comeback after 20 or 30 years, haha. I do not know if the figure says anything about the Filipinos’ colonial mentality in music or, if it means we are cosmopolitan in our tastes and would willingly shell out good money just to hear good melodies, or,  if the country is plain haven for artists in need of paying audience. I really don’t know. But as things look, events organizing, particularly concert-organizing, has become an industry in the Philippines. Thing is, we are very musically-inclined as a people. My dark suspicion being that the number of households that own videoke set probably equals the number of washing-machine owning households, haha. We smile and sing our troubles away, that’s the Pinoy way.

Not many watched the concert but Dayne and McCain performed well/ spot.ph

At any rate, I have a tiny view to express to the concert organizers and I hope they won’t take offense. Hmnn, you, guys, did McCain a bad turn by putting up a picture of him in the poster looking much like a club bouncer, no kidding. He certainly looks so much better, younger and more personable up close. And his voice is still cool and collected. He has still got it, whatever it takes to sing one’s way into the listeners’ hearts. My sibling and I were wondering why or how his songs are not topping the charts still. It seems he really sings well. In the end, I mentioned to my sibling that probably, it’s because there seems to be a small-town quality to his singing, something not meant for a big audience. The sibling agreed, saying that the artist’s career is somewhat of the one-hit wonder type. Likewise, that his voice and performance are rather similar to that of Taylor Hicks of the American Idol – an excellent musician but a rather aloof one. Haha, we  agreed that Edwin Mc Cain was a looker 20 years ago, somewhat… 😉