Get Into the Groove Again

By Czarina Imperial

September is the perfect time to get into the groove again. After a long dry spell in the Naga City concert scene, something is coming very soon that is guaranteed to make the audience sing, laugh, and dance the night away. The upcoming Groovin’ Again concert at the Avenue Plaza Tent is the perfect antidote to the blahs and the blues after the record breaking heat of summer and the sudden onslaught of a typhoon that caused so much flooding. Time to hang those troubles and kick back for a night of blasting fun.

Top-billed by multi-talented veteran entertainment artists Mitch Valdes, Leah Navarro, Pat Castillo, Ding Mercado, and Chad Borja, this powerful ensemble is set to give Naguenos a rockin’ good time to remember on the 14th night of September. It is like bringing Metro Manila live entertainment scene to the Pilgrim City. As producer Ning Belmonte relates, retro live acts are popular in the capital nowadays.

There could be no better entertainers to give us a magnificent show than the likes of the five artists who are coming to the Avenue Plaza Tent this Saturday a day after the Traslacion procession.

Mitch Valdes does not really need an introduction because who has not heard of Mitch? She has recently marked 50 years of being in the entertainment industry. Mitch started acting in stage plays as a child, then became a singer like her dad as she grew older. Next breaks were being in a gag show on TV and acting in numerous movies to being on centerstage as a stage actress again. Mitch is the compleat artist, a woman of many talents who can go from singing to stand up act to serious acting. Her impersonations and putting on accents are totally hilarious and one went viral on TikTok. One can say Mitch has been on showbiz all her life.

Leah Navarro started out as a singer in the 70s. She was active in the OPM market until the 80s. Her songs like Kailangan Kita, Isang Mundo, Isang Awit, Ang Pag-ibig Kong Ito were massive hits in those days when OPM was burgeoning as novel and revolutionary. Leah is lately more known as an activist. She was recently seen in the documentary And so it Begins by Ramona Diaz. The film is still doing the rounds of block screenings across the country’s cinemas. She and other veterans, meaning honed and seasoned artists, come up the stage for small concerts in places like Teatrino in Greenhills Promenade. Reminiscent of the Music Museum of the 90s, Teatrino gives truly talented artists a venue for people seeking quality entertainment.

The third singer in the Groovin’ Again concert is no other than Pat Castillo. Pat is not only a singer, she is also a life coach, a producer of audio books, a teacher, a conflict mediator, amd once, a hotel reviewer. There must be something very fulfilling about changing lives as a coach to prominent people at that. Pat has that talent, indeed. As a singer who expresses many different emotions in every song, it is not surprising for someone like Pat to be drawn to other humans’ emotions and how to direct those for positive changes in their lives. Pat was with the famous Circus Band of the 70s, singing jazz and pop with bandmates Tillie Moreno, Jacqui Magno, Basil Valdez, Hajji Alejandr, and Ray-An Fuentes to name a few who have all become famous in their solo singing careers later.

Chad Borja is one of the two gentlemen in Groovin’ Again. His ballad Ikaw Lang was a huge hit in 1993. A 4th generation member of the New Minstrels, Chad had several hit songs in his solo career. Blessed with a soothing singing voice, he sings mostly ballads of both originals that he recorded and covers on live concerts. Chad is back in the music circuit after the pandemic years that put a top to all live gigs. His range is wide and powerful, making him one of the best singers in the country. As a former new Minstrel, Chad was part of the joint reunion concert series of the Circus band and the New Minstrels.

The other gentleman in the coming concert is definitely not the least. Ding Mercado, one of the original members of the New Minstrels, of the songs Smile, I Don’t Love You Anymore, Ikaw Ako Tayo Magkakapatid, and many others. They were the top band of the 70s and 80s generation who were regulars in the hotel lounges back in the day. Ding was a big TV star in HongKong for 15 years. He hosted a variety show where he also sang and danced. He could sing ballads, R&B, broadway songs, old standards, and of course, disco songs all with ease.

The concert may seem too ambitious because of the top caliber names in one show. Ning Belmonte who used to run Lolo’s Bar with husband Andy said she misses the bar where they showcased local talents mostly, with special shows of bands from Manila once in a while. “I know the people of Naga are hungry for quality talents, real talents that are wholesome, who don’t need to show their skin to entertain,” she said, that is why after Lolo’s Bar closed, they continued to produce concerts for the people of Naga to enjoy. It may be too much work but they want to make the people happy and it makes them happy too. “It’s going to be a fun, fun party time on the 14th.”

Ning and Andy partnered with event specialists the Purple Puppets in producing the Groovin’ Again concert. As of this writing, tickets are almost sold out. There are some general admission tickets left. They would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to the numerous sponsors who were only too happy to support the benefit concert.

Beneficiaries of the concert are the Joseph Gualandi Hearing Impaired Inc, Maugmang Pamilya, and Dayaday na Buhay. Maugmang Pamilya and Dayaday na Buhay are both charitable groups dedicated to the well-being and to give a meaningful life to the elderly.

Front acts are the UNC Glee Club, who will sing a surprise danceable KPop song, Blessie Mae Abagat, and The Groove Thing.