The music in Anne's mind
Anne Curtis’s playlist -- mostly indie songs of up-and-coming artists – reflects her adventurous spirit. Anne and boyfriend Erwan Heussaff love dropping whatever they are doing and attending music festivals that toast the untested and untried.
“Don’t get me wrong. I love mainstream songs,” Anne said at the PLDT’s Gabay Guro event in Leyte, where Pawing Elementary School got four new classrooms.
Stop, look and listen
But there’s something about new kinds of music that makes Anne stop, look and listen. In fact, it is one of the things that keep her and Erwan connected.
“Doon kami nag-hook up in the first place. We go, ‘yon pala ang gusto mo.”
Anne doesn’t mind critics who raise their eyebrows when they hear her sing. In true gung-ho spirit, Anne explains that she is not there to impress.
“I want to make people happy, to entertain them, to make them have fun. It makes me happy when I see them laughing at nakikikanta sila.”
Anne relates that it makes her feel so good, she sometimes sheds tears of joy at the sight of people enjoying her songs.
“Nata-touch ako talaga.”
Upcoming album
The response inspires her to improve her performance and even come up with another album, this time composed of many original songs written the likes of Jay-R and Kris Lawrence.
“Abangan n’yo yan! Most of the songs are composed by totoong musicians.”
Her singing voice, Anne adds, has improved in ways that took even music experts like Ryan Cayabyab and Martin Nievera by surprise.
“Hindi na ganoon karaming sintunado. I can feel it. Nagulat nga sila Sir Ryan at si Sir Martin!”
Then off she goes to sing “Firework” for the teachers waiting for her to go onstage. Anne sang the notes with her signature aplomb, her high-energy style.
Laughing, smiling
The sirs and ma’ms in the audience of Gabay Guro smiled, laughed and sang along with her, temporarily forgetting the pain Supertyphoon Yolanda brought to their now-struggling city.
Anne plucks a gentleman in a red Gabay Guro t-shirt from the crowd and they sing with gusto on stage.
The crowd cheers.
Yes, Anne promised, she will come back for the third time next year, schedule permitting.
The sight of teachers jostling each other to take photos and smiling from ear to ear is enough to make her want to come back and sing to them once more.
Anne may not sing the way other seasoned artists do, but the good intention is there. This, as her Annebisyosa concert series and jampacked shows prove, are enough to carry the day for her.
