ELLA MAY SAISON and SOUTH BORDER To Bring 80's-90's Hits at Soundtrip Sessions Vol. 3 Concert

I would have wanted to start this article with a little story about ME but that would be funny. See, I sing quite often in Karaoke places and part of my repertoire would actually include very iconic female singers, with so much gusto in fact, I'd be doing it in every session I could take myself to. I'm a big guy, so it is unbecoming for someone who looks like this to have a voice too high pitched for comfort. Enough about me. 

See, I was told a few nights ago about this chance to actually interview two artists. The first being Jay Durias of the famous band South Border, and two, the iconic vocalist, Ms. Ella May Saison. Just thinking about it made my jaw drop, and guess what, I was super late because of a prior event (kahiya!). They patiently waited for us, it was really so nice of them to do that.

The concert is entitled Soundtrip Sessions Volume 3. The previous Soundtrip Sessions had artists like Luke Mejares, Jinky Vidal (for Volume 1), Nyoy Volante and Juris Fernandez (for Volume 2). This time, it'll be their turn (on November 9th!).

Ms. Ella May and Jay are actually not new to the band scene, it was something that was common to both of them. Back in the days, Ms. Ella May was part of Artstart Band, it was something she did because she's one of the few who could excellently do all the hits, whether it's jazz, blues, and RnB. She left the band and got a lot of hit songs in the airwaves later on, cementing her status in the music industry then, and now. She went to the states and had the pleasure of working with some of the greatest singers, music producers, musicians our generation has ever known. She had a shot at a career in the US and took it. She's now back singing the way she did, even better in 2024. 

Jay on the other hand could do pop, ballads, and also RnB. They both could also write songs, legibly produce it, much of which have become hits for other artists (i.e. MAPA of SB19 and more). You wept to his songs "Kahit Kailan", sang along with "Rainbow", wished for one in "Love of My Life" and a few more in his repertoire. He told us how much of a dream this is because once he got a call from the producer and heard the name Ella May Saison, he immediately said YES without hesitation. Jay told us about the first time she saw Ms. Ella May, where she described him as a "genius!". Here's our interview with them that evening:

They are making history just by being seen together in this concert. What to expect? All their hit songs, some of which will be sung in duets. Imagine Jay singing Ms. Ella May's songs, and the other way around. Wouldn't that be a sight for sore eyes? Aside from that, they have a few songs up their sleeves which will be revolving around the 80's and the 90's music. An added plus to this is that they're performing at The Theatre at Solaire which houses some of the country's best acoustics, I think it is the perfect venue for it. This will also be a family affair for Ms. Ella May Saison as she will be with her sisters and her brother Elhmir Saison who will be directing music for the show. I am as excited as you. This will be one epic musical night!

As for this fan boy, he got his wish!

Tickets can be purchased at Ticketnet.com.ph or at the Solaire Box Office. Prices are SSVIP 8755, SVIP 7210, VIP 6695, Gold 5150, Silver 3605 and Bronze 2060. This is produced by Dragon Arc Events Management who did the previous Soundtrip Sessions. Again, November 9th at The Theatre at Solaire!

Don't miss this one, it'll be good!

MC Einstein and Queen of RnB KYLA Releases "LAMBALAK" Single

MC Einstein and Queen of RnB KYLA

Looks like RnB songs are making a huge comeback as top hits list them all again in the Philippines. Recently, we had the chance to chat with MC Einstein (artist-songwriter, Ex-Batallion) and the Queen of RnB songs, KYLA at the Cornerstone Studios in Quezon City. They were both excited about this new single they did a duet of called "LAMBALAK", which MC Einstein also wrote and released today.

The actual story of this was quite interesting. They had an out of town event where Yeng Constantino, MC Einstein and a couple of Cornerstone artists were supposed to go. On the day of the flight, Yeng got sick and was rushed to the hospital. They had to have another artist to sing at the event and got KYLA. At the plane, they were seated beside each other and at first, MC Einstein was a little nervous. When all was settled, he mustered up the courage to tell Kyla that he wanted to do a collaboration with her. He's a big fan of that genre and grew up listening to Kyla's songs, so he was just pushing his luck. Little did he know Kyla knew him too because she listened to his songs, and just said "Let's go, when will we record?". 

MC Einstein was surprised at how receptive Kyla was. A few calls, going back and forth, he sent Kyla the chorus part of "LAMBALAK" where she only said "Okay so when will we record?!". He was again excited because Kyla didn't even ask for any change in the melody or lyrics, she was just happy to sing it the way MC Einstein wanted it to because Kyla said "It felt like I was listening to the RnB songs I used to sing, it felt like HOME!".

Here's the rest of our interview with them on video, please enjoy!

They will be releasing the song "LAMBALAK" today at 12am and will be doing a live stream on their platforms. Make sure you follow the individual artists pages and Cornerstone Entertainment for more updates about the single's release. We listened to it and loved how sexy it sounded, seriously, you should give it a stream today!

Congratulations MC Einstein and Kyla! Hope this hits the charts today!

KIANA V Showcases "Sweet Release" Music Video

The last time I saw Kiana was during the concert of her Dad Gary Valenciano. The prolific singer and songwriter just released the music video for her single "Sweet Release" which now can be seen on different platforms. Another feather to her hat, she worked as Director in this video together with her equally talented brother Gab, and MJ Arda. She also did edit the actual MV, something she prefers to add a personal touch on her work. 

MJ Arda though is no stranger to the business as he also choreographed several sequences with the ATeam. Unquestionably, this looks like a visual feast for the eyes. 

Kiana won Best Female R&B Recording Artist at the PMPC Star Awards, and this "Sweet Release" single won't shortchange those who adore her kind of music. It will be released 9am Manila Time and 6PM PST through Kiana's social channels. 

Certainly, a performer, singer and songwriter of her own credits. Congratulations Kiana!