” I say are you reeeaadeeeeee????” “Tell me where you’re from babeeeee???” Those two phrases are the most often repeated by Akon to connect with and enliven the crowd who braved the traffic and ignored the failed coup d’ etat just to watch him perform live last Thursday, November 29.
It’s a surprise for me to watch a concert of an R & B dance/hip hop artist. I don’t dance, I don’t listen to club music, I prefer mellow and classic songs. Heck, even my favorite boyband is a classical group, Il Divo. No, I didn’t get free tickets, I bought them myself. And nobody coerced me to watch this concert either. But the rhythmn of his music and the poetry in his lyrics turned me from a cynic to a fan. His song ”Sorry, Put The Blame On Me” is very timely and I dedicate some of its lines to my wife, my daughter, and to my mom. Also because of that song, I have huge respect to the man who wrote a song full of apologies be it his fault or not. One night in September when I was in Miami, I was having dinner with a colleague in a cuban restaurant near Gianni Versace’s former mansion when in the street, I saw some gorgeous latinas gyrating to the song, ”Smack That”. In that moment, I understood why nights in Miami are subject of songs, movies and television.
My wife and I were late for the concert and had some trouble going inside the concert because of our digicam. The guard wouldn’t allow Beck to bring it inside the coliseum and was requested for us to deposit it at the package counter. Later, to our dismay, we saw a sea of people brandishing their digicams, some with even their videocams. I so want to go out and make a complain agains that guard. Without our digicam, we have to contend with our cameraphone. My Dopod, for all of its advance features, I couldn’t fathom why does it have poor capability in taking pictures, specially if its low light or if the object I’m shooting is moving.
I thought that Akon didn’t have any front act until I heard from the news the following day that The Kitty Girls front acted for him. We are very late for the concert that we missed their performance. The Corrs still holds the record of foreign artist/s who held a concert in Manila who didn’t have any front act.
My wife and I were dancing to Akon’s music as if we were teenagers. And so is the crowd in Araneta. They are all so lively that it seems nothing of national importance happened hours earlier. What coup d etat? What curfew? We are all alive and dancing in Araneta. Good thing I got Patron seats and not the Patron VIP because we are seated on an elevated platform and have better vantage point. My friend Chris and his date are in Patron VIP and have to stand at the chairs to have a good view of Akon.
I respected Akon the more when he told concert security that he don’t have any issues of fans shaking his hands or touching him. And asked them to allow people to come close to him. I find it rare for foreign artist/s to do this.
After this concert, one thing’s for sure. I’ll be playing Akon over and over again in my office to the astonisment of my staff.
