Boyce Avenue, Moira share stage in a sold-out concert

Ni Len Armea

Kuha ni Jovelyn Bajo

Matagumpay ang naging concert ng international American acoustic band na Boyce Avenue kasama ang bagong Filipina hitmaker na si Moira Dela Torre matapos mapuno ang Araneta Coliseum ng kani-kanilang mga fans kamakailan.

Ito ang pitong pagkakataon na nagtanghal ang Boyce Avenue – na binubuo ng mga magkakapatid na sina Alejandro, Daniel, at Fabian Manzano – subalit ito ang una na kasama ang Kapamilya singer na kilala sa kantang “Tagpuan” at “Titibo-tibo.”

Unang sumalang ang 24-taong-gulang na singer na kinanta ang kanyang mga pinakakilalang kanta kasama ang kanyang fiancé na si Jason na isa rin musiko. Kinilig ang mga fans nang kantahin ng dalawa ang Tagpuan na kanta noong nag-propose ng kasal ang huli nito lamang Abril.

Kinanta naman ng Boyce Avenue ang kanilang orihinal na kanta kabilang ang “Hear Me Now,” “Find Me,” at “Your Biggest Fan” pati na rin ang kanilang mga cover songs gaya ng “Wonderwall,” “Iris,” “Fast Car,” “Teenage Dream,” “We Found Love,” “Yellow,” “Torn,” “Perfect,” at “Unchained Melody.”

Nag-duet naman ang Boyce Avenue at Dela Torre nang kanilang kantahin ang “A Thousand Years” ni Christina Perri at “Say You Won’t Let Go” ni James Arthur na pinalakpakan ng mga Pinoy fans na dumalo.

The drive to keep going

Nag-umpisang umani ng atensiyon sa larangan ng pagkanta ang Boyce Avenue nang maglagay sila ng music videos sa YouTube ng kanilang mga original at cover songs noong 2007. Simula noon, naging patok ang kanilang mga kanta na mayroong milyun-milyong views sa online platform.

Kaya naman isa sila sa mga biggest stars ng YouTube na mayroong 11 milyong subscribers. Marami man ang sumunod sa kanilang yapak, nananatili pa rin ang nangunguna ang Boyce Avenue pagdating sa online streaming.

Ani Alejandro, dala ito ng kanilang pagmamahal sa kanilang ginagawa at pagkakaroon ng tamang pag-uugali bilang mga music artists.

“We kind of have to remind ourselves to not take for granted how many supporters we have earned over the years, how many people has stuck with us and just how getting into the mindset where we were 10 years ago, and how much we would’ve done anything to have 11 million subscribers to be able to deliver a video or song,” ani Alejandro sa presscon na ginanap sa Novotel Manila na dinaluhan ng Pinoy Gazette.

“I feel like once you’ve kind of get back to that mindset and remember that feeling when you were grinding it out in  the early days and it was a struggle to get anybody to care and now that you do have somebody to care,  that’s absolutely not the time to take things for granted. If anything, that’s the time to put out as much quality content as you can. This kind of perspective has helped us to keep pushing forward,” dagdag pa niya.

Nakatulong din umano na magkakapatid sila at lumaking malapit sa isa’t isa.

“We just get along. We grew up in a Hispanic culture, it’s very close knit, and family was the most important thing. We never did anything separately, all our vacations we were always together….so we basically became best friends.”

Natuwa naman sila na makasama si Dela Torre sa unang pagkakataon na aminado silang talentado.

“We’ve been in the Philippines a lot of times, but we’ve never gotten to do a concert with somebody that’s local, honestly, who has a great voice and great talent. When the idea came up, we are very excited; it’ll be different for the fans and it’ll be fun.”

Admiration for Boyce Avenue

Aminado naman ang dalaga na isa ang Boyce Avenue sa kanyang music influences kaya naman agad niyang tinanggap ang offer na makasama ang mga ito sa isang natatanging concert.

“If you look at my most streamed artists on YouTube from way back when I first started, it would be AJ Rafael… and Boyce Avenue. They have inspired me a lot as an artist, as a YouTuber, as a singer, to be persistent with my music and to make it my own.”

Inamin din ng “Tagu-Taguan” singer na napag-usapan nila ng Boyce Avenue ang posibilidad ng pagpasok niya sa international scene.

“We actually talked about possibly going global with my music. I’m trying to be as versatile as I can… just so I can challenge myself more as an artist and try to write not just ‘hugot’ songs that are just acoustic.

“We plan in going global in the U.S. just because in the past years that I’ve been going back and forth to see my family, I’ve done live shows ―small intimate shows with my cousin, and I feel like we’ve already created an atmosphere there where we could be free to just explore different types of genres.”