Saying goodbye to the Arthur Manuntag,
the Tony Bennett of the Philippines.
by rick olivares
When you mention the name of the
late Arthur Manuntag, the tall, pony-tailed crooner is described as “the Tony
Bennett of the Philippines.”
Yet Manuntag, who passed away
last February 12 after slipping into a coma three months ago following a heart
attack, had this connection with that Man from Hoboken, Frank Sinatra.
“Arthur loved the classic
performers – Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis, Mel Torme, Ray Charles…”
related his wife, Kathryn, at the Legazpi Street Market last Sunday, March 11.
“But perhaps of all his shows and performances, he considers the Sinatrology
Grand Gala Night Concert in Prague, Czech Republic, in December of 2015 as
probably the highlight of his career.”
Manuntag represented the
Philippines and Asia in the show that celebrated the 100th birthday
of the late Sinatra. And during that fateful performance in Baguio City last
November where he suffered a heart attack, he had just finished performing Ole
Blue Eyes’ “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”.
“My father died doing something
that he really loved and that was singing,” added his daughter, Mikee.
Ironically, Arthur stumbled into
singing by sheer accident.
 |
| Arthur as a 70s rocker. |
He started out playing drums in a
rock band while in school. During one performance, the singer didn’t show up
due to stage fright. With the crowd getting antsy, Manuntag told his bandmates
that the show must go on. “Okay. Ako na kakanta.”
Related Kathryn, “Nakita niya na
nagwawala yung mga girls and he said, ‘Huwag na pabalikin yung singer. Ako
na!’”
The infatuation with the 70s rock
music of Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, and Fleetwood Mac eventually ended and
gave way to the standards. “He listened to a lot of music but he really loved
the music of Tony Bennett, Sinatra and the Rat Pack.”
Aside from releasing four albums,
Manuntag became a favorite performer for weddings, parties, nightclubs. More to
his maltzy baritone that charmed audiences, he had a gift for gab and loved the
interchange and banter with audiences. “When we were in Prague, he was told to
stop with the talking to the crowd and simply perform,” shared Kathryn. “’But
this is who I am,’ he protested. He continued. By the show’s end, all the other
performers that night were doing the same thing.”
Arthur had such a powerful voice
that it sometimes caused disbelief among the audiences. “One time, these
(Filipina) ladies were watching and they couldn’t believe Arthur’s voice,”
continued the wife. “One of them said, “Grabe naman ang galeng! Tape yan.
Siguro tape yan.”
Manuntag also wowed foreign
performers. He has performed with the Glenn Miller Orchestra and opened for one
of the all-time greats in Dionne Warwick.
“My father opened for Dionne
Warwick’s first ever show in Manila,” told Mikee. “During his set, Ms. Dionne
watched my dad from backstage and her hair was still in rollers. By the time he
was done, Ms. Warwick said, ‘Arthur, you should be performing all over the
world!’ It took her a bit to get on stage because her hair wasn’t done.”
The world-famous singer formed a
bond with Manuntag that she missed him during her recent Valentine’s Day Show
at Solaire. After her show, Warwick, who was battling a bad cold and unable to
attend, sent flowers to Manuntag’s wake.
The Manuntag household was filled
with music. “He made us appreciate music and the gift of song,” said Mikee.
“And for me, one of the best ever gifts he could leave me was to write a song
that he recorded for a Christmas album!”
Manuntag’s passing is still
fresh. After the interview at the Legazpi Street Market, the family made their
way to the Manila Memorial Cemetery to visit him. “It hasn’t been easy,” said
Kathryn who held back the tears. “But I just play his music to hear his voice
and it makes me feel all right.”
No comments:
Post a Comment