Deodato, Lettau headline 1st RP intl jazz festival

[Lois Gilbert]

Deodato, Lettau headline 1st RP intl jazz festival


By MARIAN JOY D. HERNANDEZ

Few people understand jazz veritably. And there isn’t any air of high and mightiness in such a statement. In our pop-loving country, jazz isn’t commonly played over the radio; neither is it an MTV mainstay.

Although widely celebrated in the United States, jazz this side of the world remains an almost enigmatic entity, revered yes, but from a relatively distant vantage point. It’s just not everyone’s cup of tea. Or it’s just too sophisticated a taste to handle. Kind of like an elaborate mural in a gallery that people stare at for a minute or two and then leave to saunter off somewhere less complex.

Jazz is admired, almost branded as the zenith of a person’s musical journey in this little country of ours. But seldom do we find a majority soaking themselves to the nitty-gritty.

However, it is worth noting that many generations ago, back when virtuoso Louis Armstrong had just been discovered by King Oliver, some Filipino musicians were already jamming it up like their African-American counterparts. The "Blacks of Asia," as they were called, gave headway to the discovery and propagation of jazz in the country, and the whole of Asia-Pacific. Bearing a still-solid attachment to the wonder that is jazz, the Philippines picks up the pieces of a musical history that has long been left untouched.

Thus was born the 1st Philippine International Jazz and Arts Festival. It wasn’t just an overnight production of sorts. Over the weekend of January 21 and 22, Eumir Deodato and Kevyn Lettau with her quartet, performed together for the first time at the Airport Casino Filipino Amphitheater.

Sultry jazz diva Verni Varga, Fil-American artist Charmaine Clamor, Australian band Sirocco, Richard Merk, Indonesian dance group Crescendo 5 and international musician Toti Fuentes also shared the stage with them.

A multitude of local artists such as Johnny Alegre Affinity, UP Jazz Ensemble, Radioactive Sago Project, Cynthia Alexander, to name a few, also performed at the two-day jazz fiesta at Harbor Square CCP.

Age does not matter

Kevyn Lettau, who has toured the world many times with her distinct Contemporary Jazz and Brazilian sound vocal style, has graced the country nine times with her phenomenal voice. Over merienda at the Jazz Fest press conference held at the Westin Philippine Plaza, she reiterated a most-common knowledge, "The Filipinos just love to enjoy," something that has enticed her to come back again and again.

When informed about the Filipino youth’s growing interest in jazz music, partly due to influences of Mishka Adams, Radioactive Sago Project and a growing base of young jazz artists, Lettau’s excitement to perform to a younger crowd shot up.

Having started her singing career at age 17, she feels that jazz music can cater to anyone, regardless of age. She shunned any expectations of the jazz fest anything to avoid disappointment, but then added, "But I’m sure it’ll be anything but disappointing!"

Going back-to-back with Lettau is Brazil-born musical prodigy Eumir Deodato, who has 16 platinum records to his name. The multi*talented composer is most remembered for his rendition of Richard Strauss’ classical opus "Also Sprach Zarathustra," commonly known as the theme to Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.

He has done studio work for Astrud Gilberto and wrote the arrangements for Beach Samba. He has also arranged music for Frank Sinatra, Roberta Flack and Aretha Franklin. Venturing into producing albums in the 1970s, he has worked with Kool and the Gang and Bjork among others. In all, he has produced 500 albums. How’s that for starters?

Eumir visited the country in the mid-seventies, when "Baubles, Bangles and Beads" from the Broadway show Kismet relished well-deserved popularity. Three decades later, his music is still an indulgence worth yielding to.