commanding diva and weeping songstress

the whole production team went to no black tie tonight and watched the singer-songwriters round organized by pete teo.

it was a stunning night of good music and exemplary showmanship. of the four singer-songwriters, pete teo and mia palencia stood heads and shoulders above the rest. mia was especially outstanding. from a top-notch jazz vocalist to a guitar-playing singer-songwriter, her progress in music is nothing sort of phenomenal. both regine and winnie were so enthralled by mia's performance that winnie uncontrollably uttered to me halfway thru the show, "leslie, i think i want to quit 2V1G project now. mia makes me feel so small and little." i can empathize with her because when you compare chinese pop delivery with western pop delivery, the latter is so much more expressive and entertaining. the right words to use on mia palencia are "commanding presence". she is such a entertainer on stage; she is born for the stage and she belongs there.

the same goes for pete teo. he is such a natural performer. whether you like his music or not, you can't deny that this seasoned troubadour is witty, charming and convincing on stage. from loud sing-alongs to tiny whispers, pete had the audience sitting on the edge of their seats to savour every minute of his poetry. he is so very good.

back to the studio, regine was recording one of my fave songs in the album, 心动 (tempting hearts). for reasons best known to her, she started weeping during one of the takes and we have to take a short break because of that. female singers are sensitive souls; they can weep when the sentiments call for it. we wonder if the song touches her or that she is frustrated with herself for not getting the right feel for the song.

from commanding diva to weeping songstress, music makes the world go round. my world, for sure.