PowER IKons

Erik Santos

Erik Santos, dubbed as the Philippines’ Prince of Pop, was the first winner of the televised talent search Star in a Million some years ago and he is also by far the most successful alumni from the said show. Equally successful was his recent sold out two night concert at the Music Museum entitled PowER Ikons in which I was on hand to see on its second night. This concert with stage direction by GB Sampedro and music direction by Homer Flores featured songs from local and foreign music icons, both male and female which showcased Erik Santos’ powerhouse vocals.

I was able to watch the second night of this concert directed by GB Sampedro with music direction by Homer Flores. The concert started with a medley of songs by contemporary recording artists like The Climb by Miley Cyrus, Halo by Beyonce, Larger than Life by the Backstreet Boys whom he believes could be destined to be music icons one day. Erik also performed signature songs from undisputed icon Michael Jackson in which he was joined by members of the dance group G-Force.

Gary Valenciano and Erik Santos

Some highlights of the concert for me was when he sang songs from OPM artists. He did a medley of songs from local female music icons like Kuh Ledesma, Regine Velasquez, Zsa Zsa Padilla and Pops Fernandez. And the main highlight of the evening not just for me, but for everybody present that night was the impromptu duet that Erik had with Mr. Pure Energy, Gary Valenciano. Erik was supposed to sing a medley of songs from male music icons Martin Nievera and Gary V just by himself but he asked Gary V who was watching among the audience to join him on stage and turn that number into an unrehearsed duet. The kindness of Gary V made this evening such a memorable one not just for Erik but for the rest of the audience that night as well.

Stephanie Reese

While Gary V’s duet with Erik was not planned, Stephanie Reese’s guesting was definitely part of the programme. Stephanie had played the role of Kim in the German production of Miss Saigon and she belted out a Barbra Streisand Song as it mashed with a Josh Groban song belted out by Erik Santos. Her theater background clearly manifested itself in the clarity of her diction and the crispness of her tone and voice.

Angeline Quinto

Another guest performer was Angeline Quinto, the winner of the recently concluded Star Power talent search. Her ear splitting vocals with notes reaching the stratosphere showed why she won the competition and is now one of the promising female vocalists in the industry. She and Erik sang songs that were heavily associated with the Superstar Nora Aunor.

Pops Fernandez

The third and last guest but definitely not the least was Pops Fernandez, known locally as the Concert Queen and a also a music icon in her own right. After singing a mishmash of Born This Way/Express Yourself, she then had her duet with Erik with the Luther Vandross/Janet Jackson song The Best Things in Life are Free.

A very grateful Erik at the end of his concert

As I’ve said earlier, Erik did shine when he sang OPM songs and he definitely nailed the Basil Valdes medley during the latter part of the concert. He truly belongs to the country’s long line of premier balladeers and with this number, he was not just able to meet the technical demands of the songs, but was also able to connect with it emotionally. When the concert was almost at an end, Erik thanked the audience for supporting him throughout the years and hoped that with their continued support, the possibility of being an icon in the Philippine music industry would not seem so farfetched.

Erik Santos and RAd

Erik Santos is still young and he still has a long career ahead of him. His project after this concert will be his musical theater debut in Atlantis Production’s staging of Disney’s The Little Mermaid wherein he will play the role of Prince Eric. I last saw him perform live performing an excerpt from Noli Me Tangere, the Musical and I think that he is capable of doing musical theater. Erik also has a new album entitled Awit Para Sa’yo which is now available in the market. Special thanks to Erik's management and Orange Magazine TV for this opportunity.