The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
There are generations and generations of singers, solo or group.
There are also generations of listeners, its demographics that make the singer and the song popular.
Such is the case of many Filipino singing talents and The New Minstrels, originally named The Minstrels that took the whole country by storm in the early to the mid-70s when popularity and acceptance of Original Pilipino Music (OPM) was at its peak and became a byword among music fans.
It was also an era of collective musicality in singing groups not necessarily choir, church-based or school-based or community-based but musical bands that permeated in the local Tin Pan Alley such as Ambivalent Crowd, Circus Band etc. These groups had produced many famous individual singers like Didith Reyes, Celeste Legaspi, Basil Valdez, Louie Reyes, Rico J. Puno, Anthony Castelo, Hajji Alejandro, among others.
The generations of their listeners are a succession of loyal and appreciative followers that have lasted for years because their songs, signatures or covers, have remained relevant and inspiring to them.
Their music has been bridging multi-generation of listeners, Filipinos or non-Filipinos.
This is the premise of the scheduled virtual concert of The New Minstrels (TNM), according to Joseph Olfindo, a second generation member of the troupe who joined it in 1979.
“Music bridges generations so that understanding of each era’s peculiarities are gained and spread on later to the next gen,” said Joseph in an online interview with other generational members of the group Kesh Gatusiao, Mon Vitan, Rene Puno, Eileen Novak, Ernie Mercado, Ems Bolanos, Edward Mitra, Jessica Casas, Angie Wilson and Jess Garcia.
TNM’s hit songs “I Don’t Love You Anymore,” “Ikaw Ako Tayo Magkakapatid,” “Smile” and others are testaments of enduring meanings and inspirations to all Filipinos who have been sharing the same vicarious feelings and thoughts about any topic tackled in their music.
According to Ems, who is one of the key movers of the project, the concept of a virtual concert comes to mind because of what the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have brought.
Bolanos, along with other TNM generation members, was responsible in gathering her colleagues and creatively discussing with them, mostly online, the concept, look, contents etc. of the project since many of them are abroad and in-person chat is still limited.
“This time we will perform in a closet,” said Ems.
Billed “Remix,” the show which hopefully is set to stream in September, is meant to revive all songs popularized and interpreted by TNM.
Aside from Louie and Eileen, the other original members of the group were Eugene Villaluz and Ding Mercado, among others. Ryan Fuentes, Joey Albert, Opalyn Forster are also generational members of the group.