Recap: Incognito Live in Manila!

March 14, 2008.

Manila, Philippines.

The third annual Philippine International Jazz And Arts Festival.

And their guests for this evening: Manila Paris Confidential, Charito, Tots Tolentino, and Incognito.

I was probably one of the first to arrive at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza venue with hopes of procuring good seats.

I get in while Manila Paris Confidential is completing their sound checks and it also gives me a good idea where to sit.  Definitely not in the very front as the acoustics would most likely be horrible.  Somewhere in the middle seems just about right.

It’s 8:00 pm and the Brazilian and Afro-Cuban influenced, Manila Paris Confidential starts the show on time with four good songs on their set.
    
Tots Tolentino and Charito were up next and came through with about the same number of songs for their own set.  But sometime during their second song, I had to step out to go to the washroom before Incognito’s set.

And guess who I bumped into in the garden path leading to Sofitel’s main annex— Jean Paul 'Bluey' Maunick—the heart, soul, and face of Incognito.

After finishing up, I headed back to my seat at the tent and got my tickets hoping that Bluey was still there.  I was really in luck as he took time out to meet and greet with his fans.  When my turn came, Bluey immediately put me at ease when he accommodated my requests for an autograph and a photo.  He even shared with me that the one reason why he had ventured off to the garden was to “get the vibe of the crowd.”

And with the response the got from the fans that flocked to greet him, I am pretty sure he found that vibe that he was looking for.  I then bid him a good evening and wished him well on the show.

And it was an awesome one at that.  With 20 songs (three of which with audience participation).  This was certainly one night to remember.

Incognito got the party started with “Who Needs Love,” (Did I get this title right?) (Tony Monroe on vocals) followed immediately by “Pieces of a Dream” after Joy Rose and Imaani were introduced to the audience.  Joy Rose then sang one of many Incognito staples,  “Deep Waters.”  The band then ended the first part of their program with yet another hit, entitled “Without You” (Tony Monroe on lead vocals) that lasted almost seven minutes.

For their second set, Incognito mixed it up with the Manila crowd by getting them involved in their N.O.T. single that is due out next month.  Bluey steps forward and demonstrates to the audience several hand gestures and spells out N-O-T.  Imaani then leads the way for the group.  

Everyone in the house was up for the next one as Incognito sang “Still A Friend of Mine” (Tony Monroe and Joy Rose on lead vocals).  It didn’t stop there though as Bluey played around with the crowd as we all sang and clapped to a rhythmic version of “Still A Friend of Mine.”

Moving on, Bluey and Tony divided the crowd into two sections and showed all of us the importance of a world without a dividing line.

Up next was Sri Lanka’s Imaani with arguably the best song of the evening as she sang an acoustic solo of “Always There.”
 
Tony then brought the crowd back up to its feet with a song that I am not familiar with.  (Any ideas guys?)

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Joy Rose up next with “Nights over Egypt” before the crowd started jumping to “Don’t You Worry ‘bout a Thing” followed immediately by “Everyday” (Imanni on lead vocals on these two cuts).

As the group took a short break, Bluey stepped into the spotlight and talked about the humble beginnings of Incognito.

Bluey shared that the idea that was to become Incognito started out in the London scene—when he was still a part of his former band—Light of the World.  It was here where he met a 14-year-old protégé, bass player, and composer Paul “Tubbs” Williams.

Bluey and Tubbs became fast friends and the idea of Incognito was born.  It would be “a band that would embrace a journey with musicians, and writing songs, and making music without the limitations that are often put on us by commercial success.”

Bluey added that Incognito would be “a music that embraces music for all its worth—horns; strings; song; the spirit of it.  He then proceeded to dedicate the next song in memory of his old friend who died in 2007, at the age of 44.

I’m not sure what the name of the song was (You guys again have any ideas?), but Bluey’s message was clear, the legacy of Paul “Tubbs” Williams would live on through music and that honor for the evening was given to the young Paul Greenwood (on flute).

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Imaani and the rest of Incognito then sang, “Talkin’ Loud.” Bluey then introduces a new song from their album which is scheduled to be released on April.  Sounds good :) Tony Monroe is on lead vocals for this one.

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“I Can See The Future” with Imaani on lead vocals was the bands next number.  Afterwhich, Blue took time out to share another story with the Manila audience—one that was full of wisdom as he reflected on a story about his Granddad and sunny mornings of his youth on the small island of Mauritius.

Everybody was again up for Incognito’s “Morning Sun” (Joy Rose on lead vocals for this one).  This was followed by a more upbeat version of “Always There” that featured all the members of Incognito.

All ten members of Incognito then gather at the center of the small stage and proceed to take a bow.  Bluey then takes time out to introduce each and every member of the group and gives them their own time to shine.  But it doesn’t end there as Bluey says, “we don’t do the going off the stage and coming back thing.”

It’s time to grove!!!  But unfortunately, the sponsors and Sofitel Management had different ideas as they opened all of the lights and the doors—probably their way of signaling to the band to end the show already as the “noise” may be disturbing their guests.

This didn’t stop Bluey and the rest of Incognito as moved straight into their encore—The band heated up with three more songs starting with Imaani on vocals for “Colibr,” the trios take on “I’ll Hear Your Name,” and their finale, a sing-a-long to a Bob Marley song.

It ended at 12:15 am.  The band—despite just having performed in Jakarta the day before and not to mention their trip to Manila hours earlier—gave their all and didn’t hold anything back.  They were the stars but they never made it appear that they were that far from us.  Truly selfless, Bluey didn’t leave a single fan disappointed as he signed everything that they had given him

A special shout out to Imaani and Joy Rose for the picture and signing my poster as well as to the other band members that stuck around after the show.  Thanks Guys!!!

No security.  No red tape.  Incognito was truly all about the music.

And the whole performance touched me.

That in this day and age, when everything seems to be all about the money.
These thirteen (three of them were part of their crew) men and women gave so much more.

All I can say is....Thank you!!!

Want more?  Visit: http://incognitofest.blogspot.com/