Odette Quesada's 60th birthday concert gets one more night | ABS-CBN

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Odette Quesada's 60th birthday concert gets one more night

Odette Quesada's 60th birthday concert gets one more night

Pocholo Concepcion

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I was all ears right from the start of Odette Quesada’s 60th birthday show last January 24 at the BGC Arts Center. Aside from it being my first time to see her sing in the flesh, the artist — statuesque in casual chic attire — said she’ll be singing songs she didn’t write but loved to hear.

“One day I’ll fly away,” she began, her languid alto nudging my own memory back to slow afternoons listening to Brother Wayne on the radio. If this Randy Crawford single was first played in Manila in the same year it was released in 1980, Quesada was then 15.

What’s jaw-dropping was that two of Quesada’s earliest compositions, “Give Me a Chance” and “Don’t Know What to Say,” were recorded by Ric Segreto and released in 1982, when Quesada was only 17.

But I digress. At the concert, she proceeded to cover James Taylor, Carole King, Stevie Nicks, Joni Mitchell, Patti Austin, and, surprise, Sting (“Fields of Gold”) and The Police (“Every Little Thing She Does is Magic”) —  while all the songs’ album covers and lyrics were  flashed on a screen by the stage.

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Beauty and poetry of lyrics

Quesada wanted the audience not just to sing along, but also soak in the beauty and poetry of the lyrics.

Suddenly, I wasn’t just tripping on one song itself, but pondering on loneliness: “So far away, doesn’t anybody stay in one place anymore…”  

Mitchell’s portrait from her 1969 debut album, "Clouds," was on the screen, but it was hard not to get blown away by images from her meditation on life’s dualities in “Both Sides Now”: “Rows and flows of angel hair / And ice cream castles in the air / And feather canyons everywhere / I’ve looked at clouds that way…”

Funny to realize, though, that I’ve been mumbling the wrong word when singing along to “Fields of Gold” in the past — the last word in “upon the fields of holly” should really be “barley.”

A surprise appearance by Jay Durias turned out to be the first of the show’s several highlights.

Known for his ingenious keyboard skills and arranging talent, the South Border honcho engaged Quesada on a couple of “Never Gonna” tunes (one from the "Staying Alive" soundtrack by Cynthia Rhodes and Frank Stallone; the other recorded first by Dionne Warwick and written by Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann), before doing a rare jazz jaunt version of The Doobie Brothers’ “What a Fool Believes.”

After which Quesada blurted, “Grabe. Sarap.”



Love letter

The next sequence, in memory of Quesada’s husband and songwriting buddy Bodjie Dasig, almost dragged the show down to nostalgia overload. While “Zero Gravity” — which Quesada said Dasig gave to her as a gift — sounded like a sweet love letter, “Never My Love” (The Association) and “I Made It Through the Rain” (Barry Manilow) hung heavy with sentimentality.

But the show’s director, Rowell Santiago, knew one more sad song would be too much — so Quesada acceded to sing his recommended number, Lola Amour’s “Raining in Manila.”

That’s when the mood brightened up.

The show wound up when Quesada sent the message that she’s not about to retire while interpreting The Spinners’ “I’ll Be Around.”

But Quesada knew the full-house crowd would be disappointed not to hear any of her own songs, which was why she sang almost all of them in one long medley for the encore.

She picked out friends in the audience to jam — Fe delos Reyes who did a playful take on Music & Magic bandmate Kuh Ledesma’s solo hit “Till I Met You”; Agot Isidro on “Friend of Mine”; and Raymond Lauchengco on the "Bagets" soundtrack “Farewell.”

Before finally taking a bow, Quesada did one more Dasig original, another of his gifts to her, whose title and lyrics sums up his undying love for his muse: “Habang Panahon.”

But one song from the show that somehow captured everything else Quesada wanted to say is in the lyrics of her James Taylor cover. I was wondering why she chose it over other more prominent JT hits, but the very first line of “Secret O’ Life” says it all: “The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.”

That’s what she’s been doing now.

“Odette Quesada Hits 60” will have a repeat on Jan. 31 at the BGC Arts Center with guest Jay Durias.


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SOLD OUT! Odette Quesada's Concert at Alex Theatre; Tickets Going Fast for May 12 Show

SOLD OUT! Odette Quesada's Concert at Alex Theatre; Tickets Going Fast for May 12 Show

TFC News

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LOS ANGELES, May 2, 2024  – The anticipation for “Odette Quesada All Hits 40th Anniversary Celebration” at the Alex Theatre in Glendale on May 11 has reached a crescendo as tickets for the event have completely sold out. Fans eagerly secured their seats to witness this amazing throwback concert.

In her social media post, Quesada was very grateful to all her fans, and reminded those who are still on the fence to be sure to grab tickets for the San Francisco Bay Area leg of the concert series.

ABS-CBN International Head of Events Business Development Kerwin Du shared his excitement, stating, "The overwhelming response to Odette Quesada's concert is a testament to her enduring impact on music lovers around the world. We are thrilled to see such enthusiastic support from her fans."

When asked about what was keeping her passion alive all these years, Quesada expressed, "The passion is actually all in the live performances. I’m really, really enjoying performing in front of a small crowd, a big crowd, It doesn’t matter.” 

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Quesada affirms that there is a real connection with the audience, mainly because “I’m finally enjoying it myself, and I think that radiates to people watching."

AIP Entertainment Co-Founder Saripaz Villar, is excited to bring Odette’s 40th anniversary concert series to the U.S., especially after the sold out shows in Manila last year. 

“We got very overwhelming reaction and feedback from the Filipinos here, so, we are so excited to share to the Filipinos all over the world the show that we have,”  adds Villar.

Crossover Events Head Rio Manotoc also underlines that while so many fans and listeners know and hear Quesada’s songs, “to know the stories behind the songs, and from the very person who wrote them is a very special experience.” 

That is why Manotoc is looking forward to audiences in Los Angeles and in San Francisco to enjoy the shows.

Tickets for the May 12 concert at the Fox Theater in Redwood City are still available but selling fast. Do not miss your chance to experience an unforgettable evening filled with Odette Quesada's timeless classics.

Treat yourself or surprise your loved ones with tickets for a perfect Mother's Day weekend celebration. Grab your tickets now at www.myTFC.com/OdetteQuesada40 before they're gone.

Be there for the 40th anniversary tour presented by AIP Media Production, Inc., TFCand Crossover Events - "Odette Quesada All Hits Concert Series” with special guests Raymond LauchengcoFelson Palad, and Jaya on May 11, Saturday, at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, CA, and on May 12, Sunday,  at the Fox Theatre in Redwood City, CA - for an unforgettable Mother’s Day celebration. 

The back-to-back shows are also part of the many offerings of TFC’s 30th anniversary celebration.




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