Celebrating the Music of Burt Bacharach, the latest in National Artist Ryan Cayabyab’s Maestro series, went onstage May 15-17 at Rockwell Proscenium Theater.
Typical of his “chill” demeanor, Maestro Ryan Cayabyab casually walked onto the equally “chill” set designed like a homey living room, but only with a band already seated. Then very casually, he went to his opening spiel relating the outstanding characteristics of composer Burt Bacharach, whose songs define an era, the post-baby boomer years. This led to his opening song, Close to You, followed by a medley of three songs by the trio Baihana—one of whom is Ryan’s own daughter, Krina.
Baihana
Ryan’s repertoire was filled with medleys, perhaps in a superior attempt to get as many of Bacharach’s songs in. The songs were bound by smooth transitions, a trademark of Cayabyab medley arrangements since he started his music career in the ’70s. His chosen singers for this Maestro concert all possessed wide voice ranges that hit the sky with nary a flat nor sharp: Bituin Escalante, Gigi de Lana, former rocker and now soulful balladeer Jett Pangan, and Sofronio Vasquez, top winner of The Voice in 2024, who was coached by Michael Bublé.
Vasquez’s triumph was a landmark—he was the first Filipino, and Asian, to win in this prestigious US contest.
Even at the start of the show, one could feel the forthcoming vibes, even if all four singers appeared so relaxed with each other onstage.
Sofronio Vasquez
Interchanging duets and medleys in different vocal combinations showed off a distinct blending of harmonies. Jett and Gigi’s take on I’ll Never Fall in Love Again was not the sweet version of the original, but a more aggressive tenderness betraying a hidden passion.
This was followed by a male medley duet of Sofronio and Jett: Wives and Lovers, What’s New Pussycat, Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head, and Arthur’s Theme. While both men are tenors, Vasquez’s voice has an R&B quality, a soulful, emotion-filled vibe, while Pangan’s has a powerful rock streak when he belts out the notes, which gave this duet a delightful meaningful texture. The solos that follow, Sofronio with The Look of Love and Jett’s Make it Easy on Yourself, further defined the two tenors’ difference in delivery.
Jett Pangan and Bituin Escalante
Gigi de Lana and Sofronio Vasquez
The female solos by Bituin Escalante, her powerful voice in One Less Bell to Answer, and Gigi de Lana’s equally powerful but passion-filled This Girl’s in Love with You and A House is Not a Home, seasoned with jazzy scats, made Bacharach’s music sound timely, not dated ballads.
Ryan’s choice of songs and singers could be achieved only by one who not only knew the popular composer’s music, but indeed, also had the ear and talent to inject new life, and then some, into pop music classics.
By the time all four singers blended in a series of singles—Alfie, What the World Needs Now, and two successive encores, That’s What Friends are For, and Say a Little Prayer—the audience’s enthusiastic and thunderous applause was not just an indication that their plate was full, but also that their music appetites were beyond satisfied. You could expect no less from a show spearheaded by this National Artist for Music, Ryan Cayabyab.
