Event Coverage: Jazz at the Walk with Boy Katindig and Friends

In my high school days, and even as early as the sixth grade, many people would tell me that my music inclination was a little off tangent to my time. As my circle of friends would share the latest thing in “new wave”, I would share to them stuff about jazz music.

My earliest recollections of jazz was when my sister and I would tinker with our small cassette radio just to get a good FM reception and listen to DJs Super Woman and Brother Wayne at DWK (I forgot the channel), the only jazz station at that time way before Citylite 88.3 went on air. It is where I was exposed to different types of jazz music and grown to love them. In the 60’s and 70’s, jazz aficionados were conquered by the enthralling melodies of the jazz samba and bossa nova of Brazil. But in the eighties, another branch started to grow that is called fusion jazz which is actually a mix of different kinds of jazz fused into a unique, captivating rhythm.

In this genre, popular foreign jazz icons came into the scene such as David Benoit, Lee Ritenour, Brazilian keyboardist Eumir Deodato, George Duke, Stanley Clark, Spyro Gyra, and much more. All contributed to the distinction of Jazz Fusion. In the local scene, Filipino talents were also being recognized as Pinoy jazz fusion proponents who attracted Filipino Jazz devotees. One artist that surely captured every Jazz fan’s delight was no other than Mr. Boy Katindig. The son of a legendary pianist, Mr. Romy Katindig, Boy K. is one of the pioneers of fusion jazz who has become an international jazz iconic figure whose talents are at par with, or even exceeds, his foreign counterparts.

The other night, KoolKat Production in partnership with the Philippine Prudential Life Insurance Company brought back Boy Katindig to Manila in a one-night concert dubbed as Jazz at the Walk held at Centris in Quezon City. Alongside him are some of the country’s world-class homegrowns like Johnny Alegre who displayed outstanding jazz guitar wizardry; Aquarela, the country’s leading and most sought after Bossa Nova Jazz band; and Next Level, whose exemplary talents are the talk-of-the-town as they start to attract jazz followers as well.

Boy Katindig wooed the audiences with his own rendition of popular foreign jazz cuts and eventually transcends to his original fusion selections like Capture the Changes and Away From You originally sang by Jacky Magno and Jennifer Ramos respectively. In their absence, an equally talented songstress named Maritoni took their places and gave her own beautiful renditions. And of course, the night will not be complete without hearing the song I will always stay in love this way, originally sang by Baron Barbers, which suddenly made me wonder of his whereabouts. After the concert, I had the privilege of asking Mr. Katindig himself and was comforted to know that Mr. Barbers is alive and well in Davao.

After the concert, I was fortunate to get my photos taken with some of the artists and of course with Boy Katindig. I went home past midnight while reminiscing another Katindig original, After Midnight, along the way.