It's the season of love once again and lovebirds and people in love of all ages will again be flocking to the different concert venues around the metro to rekindle and remember those love songs that brought so much spark and joy to their love lives.
Even single people like me will be out that day because I want to bring my Mom out to have some fun as well. Even though Papa is not with us anymore, February 14 is very special to us because it's his birthday as well - so we will be hitting two birds with one stone with that concert celebration - remember Papa on his birthday and serenade Mama with love songs of her generation!
There is one concert which not only can achieve that purpose, but can also entertain me as well. It's a concert whose performers could bridge generations - one where you can bring Mom and Dad and Lolo and Lola and all the single people in your family!
The concert is entitled Only You: An Evening of Romantic Hits and it features three performers. The first group of performers will be singing the songs of the Platters. As a kid spending my summers in my Lolo's house in Mindanao, the Platters were definitely a favorite! Lolo and my Uncle Ben loved Only You and The Great Pretender, even singing along with those songs using that deep baritone voices of theirs. So bata pa ako, kilala ko na ang music ng Platters, so definitely those songs they will sing that night will not be alien to me.
The second performer is Matt Monro Jr., who will be singing the songs of his legendary Dad. Matt Monro. I am no stranger to Matt Monro as Mama played his cassettes (well, we're that old!!) for us to hear! That unmistakable masculine voice of Matt Monro singing his hits Portrait of My Love, Born Free, Love is a Many Splendored Thing, The Impossible Dream would be the background music every Sunday afternoon when everyone in the family would be gathered around the living room, bonding together.
I would normally be doing crossword puzzles while Mama would be sewing a new dress. It would be quite exciting to hear a live version of those songs! Just thinking about it now is giving me goosebumps! It's like an instant flashback comes to my mind of those lazy and innocent Sunday afternoons when there were still no malls to go to - so families usually just gathered together in their living rooms to hang out!
The third performer is one of the hottest local singers right now, Christian Bautista. I am a big fan of Christian and was there for him when he was still starting out. I remember going to a concert of his in Cebu in one of the SM cinema theaters! I think at that time, he only had one album released. Right now, he has a more extensive discography including a lot of hits from his last album, Outbound - my most favorite work of his.
Anyway, I just hope he would sing his original songs as well, and not just remakes of old hits. At least fans of his generation would enjoy the evening as well.
Spending an evening listening to the music of The Platters, Matt Monro Jr. and Christian Bautista is time well spent and it's a perfect concert not only for those who are in love, but to those single people and people who are single again, who would love to celebrate the season of love!
