Finest Pinoy balladeers go online
Written by Edsel-Thadeus o. Lorete
Tribune.net.ph
Friday, 08 November 2013

Balladeers Erik Santos and Jed Madela are going online to bring their brand of Pinoy pop music to younger markets getting their freshman taste of Filipino music. It is a difficult chapter for either balladeer, as they celebrate their tenth year anniversary in the highly competitive Philippine music industry this November.

“The Internet offers new possibilities to connect with fans, maturing audiences through pop music. It is not for everyone, but it is a good way for career singers to weigh in on what new songs we sing to inspire people the most,” related Erik Santos, who now enjoy about a million Facebook followers, a fraction of that rising on Twitter.
The social network is different from the traditional fan day meet sessions where celebrities get a workable impression of their followers’ changing pop taste, improving their public image in the process.
“It (social networking) is a powerful medium no celebrity figure, including singers like myself, should ever ignore. It could ruin or help your career. It is your choice,” suggested Jed Madela, who maintains a private Facebook account with similar following.
Both artists believe the Internet is a workable venue for every singer to excel in, promote their works to alternative audiences willing to listen outside their pop domain.
“There are so many celebrities in this industry, but only a handful gets to survive competition. Social network’s untapped influence can help the image these singers, reach out to younger fan base in the coming years,” insisted Madela, who shifted from regular classical ballad to his more synthesized pop performances.
Either singer, regardless of competition, will do anything to establish their challenging fan footing online. It begins this November with two major, but not exactly rival, anniversary concerts. Erik Santos’s “inTense: A Decade with the Prince of Pop” concert hits the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) this Saturday night. It highlights the balladeer’s career, his chart-topping songs and teleserye soundtracks that made Erik a household name. Santos is a product of the singing contest generation.
“It (concert) is meant to reach out to my fans, what they convey on social media. It is a personal tribute to 10 years of hard work,” stated Santos.
Madela’s PICC concert, “X: Jed Madela’s 10th Year Concert,” in contrast to Santos’s star-studded gig, is expected to trail online with its Nov. 15, which accidentally coincide with Sarah Geronimo’s already sold-out concert. “X” is a one man concert benefitting the Bright Halls Children Foundation, a non-profit humanitarian organization housing unwanted babies.
“The Internet is there for the taking, but it takes a degree of discipline to enjoy its greater benefits, of reaching out to a larger audience willing or unwilling to listen to your brand of pop music,” said Madela.
For tickets to either concert, call Ticketron at 891-9999.