Sun.Star Davao

Buendia blunder

Ely Buendia's concert has artist performing with hoarse voice

- By Joice C. Cudis

IT was supposed to be a concert to reminisce their younger years, but Eraserhead’s fans didn’t know they were in for a blunder as Ely Buendia took the stage with a hoarse voice, saying it was due to stress from another gig the other night.

Davao City Councilor Al-Ryan Alejandre, a fan of the band which had Ely Buendia as its lead vocalist, was disappoint­ed with the turnout of the event.

In a phone interview yesterday, the councilor said that he’s from the

said that he’s from the generation where Buendia’s fame was at a topnotch. Adding that he already purchased a ticket early on.

“I already had my tickets, VIP to say the least, in December last year. That’s how eager I was to secure a seat and him (Ely Buendia) just telling that he lost his voice because he had a gig the other night is unfair sa mga nagbayad,” he said.

In Bace Production’s, Ely Buendia: The Greatest Hits Live concert organizer, Facebook page, a video teaser for the event was first uploaded on November 20, 2017.

“His manager or himself should have at least organized his projects, he had a long time to prepare for the Davao concert and providing an alibi that he had previous engagement­s is not acceptable. He should have prepared for this event knowing that a lot of people paid to watch him perform,” Alejandre added.

Alejandre also explained that he’s aware of the artist’s sickness; however, he added that it was a ticketed concert and people were excited to really watch him sing “The Greatest Hits Live”. And knowing that he still opted to agree on having concerts, the artist made the assurance that he can still perform well. Ethics Karla Singson, a notable event organizer and businesswo­man in Davao City shared her thought regarding the “concert”.

“Personally, when you sell tickets, there’s a promise that goes with it,” she begins.

The concert featuring Ely Buendia as its main act which also had Parokya ni Edgar and Hale to perform, sold tickets at P1,800 for VIP; P1,000 for Gold, and P500 for General Admission.

With social media fuming from dissatisfa­ction, Singson admitted she was already aware of the event as she read complaints from people ranting on the platform.

“To have people buying these tickets mean they are really looking forward to a good show,” she added. “Personally, sa side ng organizers, they owe the public an apology. There’s integrity in selling. Kahit sa Jollibee nga nagagalit tayo pag hindi satisfied sa service.” Bace Production­s Angel Selorio-Uy, the mind behind the organizing big concerts in Davao, said in her defense that they were only informed on the day of the event that Buendia was not feeling well.

“We never talked to Ely when he arrived as his manager told us he needs to rest to prepare for the event (the concert),” she stated through a conversati­on on Messenger yesterday.

“Whatever happened to Ely’s performanc­e is out of our control. We delivered what we have promised, to bring in the artists and let them perform,” the organizer said.

But it’s not just the ticket buyers who are complainin­g, but also the media company they contacted to carry their advertisem­ents for the concert in exchange for some VIP tickets.

In a comment to a crowdsourc­ed ractions to the concert, Guillermo P. Torres Jr of the University of Mindanao Broadcasti­ng Network and Mindanao Times wrote: “Sponsor kami. Bigay sila VIP-Compli tickets. Pag punta ng anak ko and his friends, hindi pinapasok sa VIP section kasi ExDeal daw tickets nila. WTF? Bakit pa bigay sila VIP tickets? Di ba alam ng producer that the ex-deal is a payment of their ads in our FM station and newspaper? Epic fail daw si Ely Buendia.” City’s move Councilor Alejandre, who also chairs the tourism and beautifica­tion committee of the city thinks that the city has to take action.

“The council shall revisit and strengthen points for the issuance of the City Mayor’s Permit to grant events here,” he said during the same interview.

“Dabawenyos deserve quality concerts,” the councilor added. Back story Last Saturday, at the Crocodile Park, Buendia climbed the stage and announced before he started singing, “Before we begin, I just want to explain to you, I lost my voice this morning.”

In his previous concerts, the singer also raised the same excuse but as the fans adores him too much, he was still wellreceiv­ed.

Like the one posted by Facebook User Sheila Mae Pulgar Zaldua with the quote along with their photo, “Ely Buendia Concert. Super paos na kakakanta,” end of quote. The post was published on October 21, 2017 at the University of Northeaste­rn Philippine­s.

Twitter user Rowel Riñon II also mirrors the same sentiment saying, “Paos na si Ely Buendia, nagsusulat pa rin ako,” he tweeted on November 9, 2016.

A contributo­r to this newspaper said that he found it arrogant of Buendia when he said, “I should do more of shows like this, yung hindi ako kumakanta.”

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