Philippines release of New Dawn

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Yorkie
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Philippines release of New Dawn

Post by Yorkie »

Picked this up from a comment on the Bayan Ko video....

After the success of Eternal CD (#1 in the Philippines charts by all accounts) EMI have released a special version of New Dawn - complete with it's own copy of Bayan Ko (no applause).

I know we have some members of the forum who are based in the Philippines, can you confirm this for us??

If it's true I think it is brilliant news - this looks like it could be a huge new market for the guys and that has to be good for the future. By the way, I don't like to say I told you so but I think you'll find I was one of the first to predict the tour would be a big success :D
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Post by JoelinMkt »

I heard from other fans that have recently purchased copies of New Dawn that they did (I am not in Manila at the moment). This means that my New Years Resolution now includes "Buy another copy of New Dawn".

"Ang Bayan Ko" is a lament. The second half of 2009 was a trying time. We lost a national icon to cancer, had three typhoons drown the national capital and most of the north, learned a political clan rivalry turned mass murder in the south, had two inter island ferries sink (over the last two weeks) and are still facing the possibility that our world famous Mt. Mayon volcano will blow its top.

The Libera concerts in October were one of the few bright spots of late 2009. We are still talking about Ben's "Ang Bayan Ko" two months after the concert. Having them release "New Dawn" with that track as bonus means a lot.
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Yorkie
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Post by Yorkie »

JoelinMkt wrote:I heard from other fans that have recently purchased copies of New Dawn that they did (I am not in Manila at the moment). This means that my New Years Resolution now includes "Buy another copy of New Dawn".

"Ang Bayan Ko" is a lament. The second half of 2009 was a trying time. We lost a national icon to cancer, had three typhoons drown the national capital and most of the north, learned a political clan rivalry turned mass murder in the south, had two inter island ferries sink (over the last two weeks) and are still facing the possibility that our world famous Mt. Mayon volcano will blow its top.

The Libera concerts in October were one of the few bright spots of late 2009. We are still talking about Ben's "Ang Bayan Ko" two months after the concert. Having them release "New Dawn" with that track as bonus means a lot.
That's great news. Another question; obviously we are a bit biased on this forum so we tend to blow little things in to huge events as far as our young musical genius' are concerned - how deeply did the Libra concerts impact on the Philippines? I mean, was it just the few loyal fans or did they get widespread coverage on tv, radio, papers? How big would you say they are now?
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Post by JoelinMkt »

That's a very good question really. You're talking about a country of some 92 million or so people spread over 7,100 or so islands with a lot of diversity across social, cultural and economic backgrounds. I would describe their fan base as a niche in society. Widespread name recognition is improbable. Also, Libera's music is not used as theme for any TV or Film feature the recognition prior to October would not have been as wide as that in Japan.

But if I were to dimension it...

Few loyal fans - Two sold out concerts sounds pretty good for
first time visitors.

New and expanded fan base - I'm betting on this both in terms of converts to the Libera sound and in terms of teenaged girls that want to marry them. Singing "Ang Bayan Ko" was a coup. They could have picked any other song in tagalog and sang it beautifully but not with the same audience impact.

Did they get widespread coverage on tv, radio, papers? - I get this feeling that the organizers were entirely sure how the group would be received considering this was a first both for the Filipino public and for Libera. Other than the meet and greets and a few newspaper articles, they did not do much PR work while they were here. nor was there a media barrage prior to to the concerts either (yet they sold out). I get this feeling that they were closer to overwhelmed than pleasantly surprised since they left us a video then cut us a special CD.

How big would you say they are now? - If they did another set of concerts in Manila and/or Cebu, they would probably sell out again (and maybe this time I can get my hands on a ticket :-/)

Would they get recognized on if they walked around individually in something other than their robes, hoods or their blue dress shirts either in Manila or in Cebu They would attract attention as they look nothing like Filipinos. The more famous ones (Tom, Josh, Ben) would probably get recognized by name and face.

Is there a large market for their music/Will they sell out? Given that there is a special release from EMI, there probably is and I hope the fan base actually buys the CD's and not swap digital copies of it.
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Post by Nikki178 »

Hi, I'm from the Philippines. :) Where can I buy the New Dawn with "Bayan Ko"? I recently bought one but I don't think there's a bonus track. Thanks so much and a Happy New Year to everyone!
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Post by JoelinMkt »

Nikki178 wrote:Hi, I'm from the Philippines. :) Where can I buy the New Dawn with "Bayan Ko"? I recently bouO ght one but I don't think there's a bonus track. Thanks so much and a Happy New Year to everyone!
I am not in Manila at the moment but I heard that the new stock carrying the additional track arrived just yesterday. Try AstroVision in Shangri-La Mall in Mandaluyong. Give it a few days and I am sure that Fully Booked and Music One will have it.
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Post by Nikki178 »

Oh wow! :) I'm so excited! One of the best holiday present ever! :) Hahaha! I can't believe I can only go on the weekend! :)
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Post by carina_gino20 »

I think they left an impression on those who attended the concert. I don't know if they will go around throughout the year singing to themselves Libera songs. But I'll bet that if there's a future concert, they will want to go and see Libera again.

Now one note of caution is that Filipinos can have short memories. I think it's also because of all the activity that goes on with the local celebrities and politics. There are many things competing for our attention so sometimes, it's our of sight, out of mind. Libera needs to give us some little tidbits every now and then to maintain their 'casual fan' base. Something along the lines of the random Christmas greetings video that they posted recently.
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Post by Yorkie »

Thanks for your input Joelin & Carina very interesting. A couple of other questions if you'll indulge me (makes best smile :D )....

How well did the Eternal CD and concert video sell?

Compared to a group like Vienna Boys Choir, how big are Libera?

By the way Joelin I think you are right about them being overwhelmed by the experience by the time they left - posting that Bayan Ko video is almost unheard of and putting out the extra track on New Dawn seems a brilliant move.

With the Christmas video, free MP3 track I'm sensing a whole new direction for Libera. Dare I say it - things seem to becoming slick and well managed. Why does that worry me?
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Post by DrewE »

Yorkie wrote:With the Christmas video, free MP3 track I'm sensing a whole new direction for Libera. Dare I say it - things seem to becoming slick and well managed. Why does that worry me?
I don't know why that worries you; perhaps you should ask a psychologist instead of DrewE! Libera has been well-managed for quite some time, probably as long as they've been performing for the greater public, and that's a very good thing. Who wants an unprofessional, mismanaged group? And what parents would want their kids to be part of such a group?

Perhaps there is a bit of a "slick" or commercial tack of late, but I suspect some of that is simply attempting to deal with increased popularity. It's also becoming much easier (over the past decade or two) to produce snazzy things with limited means; what programs like, say, iMovie can do would have been rather unthinkable not so long ago outside of a decently equipped production studio, and far more powerful and professional systems are quite readily available. Similar progress has been made in video recording, audio recording and production, etc.
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Post by Nikki178 »

Yorkie wrote:How well did the Eternal CD and concert video sell?

Compared to a group like Vienna Boys Choir, how big are Libera?
Eternal and the Angel Voices concert DVD were released a few weeks before their concert and they did a lot of publicity for the concert. Both concerts were sold out and that's a very good start for someone who came here for the first time (not counting the mainstream artists whose songs are played over and over in radios and local music channels).

During the concert itself I overheard people asking each other how they learned of Libera and most people said they just saw the Manila advert. My parents heard of them from the adverts, too. They had print (and that's how I learned that they're coming here) and TV adverts.

I'm not sure but I think in general people who are interested in boy choirs have also heard of the Vienna Boys Choir. But I believe that people are more fascinated with Libera because they're not just some boys thrown together that formed an incredible choir, rather, the Libera management let the names and faces of their members to be known so it became more personal.

Also, I'm not sure but that thing Libera does, the meet and greet the day before the concert and after the concert itself, is brillant. I was doubtful that they'd do that in the Philippines because sometimes we become overexcited which causes disorder but there's no inappropriate behavior during those times, especially the meet and greet the day before. There was like, a hundred people only.

:)
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Post by TEB »

Yorkie wrote: With the Christmas video, free MP3 track I'm sensing a whole new direction for Libera. Dare I say it - things seem to becoming slick and well managed. Why does that worry me?

Actually, I am already worried. With the announcement of the $95.00 price tag per ticket for the Japan concert tour in April, I am afraid that they will begin to price those of us who are poor out of ever being able to see them.
I save for most of the year to get my $50.00 ticket to see TSO.
I said this on another thread, if the boys, who I desperately would like to see live, came to Harrisburg, PA and charged $95.00 a ticket, I will stay home and watch the Leiden video.
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Post by dearmadine »

TEB wrote: Actually, I am already worried. With the announcement of the $95.00 price tag per ticket for the Japan concert tour in April, I am afraid that they will begin to price those of us who are poor out of ever being able to see them.
I save for most of the year to get my $50.00 ticket to see TSO.
I said this on another thread, if the boys, who I desperately would like to see live, came to Harrisburg, PA and charged $95.00 a ticket, I will stay home and watch the Leiden video.
Libera's concert ticket prices have been like that since they first went abroad in 2005. The Vienna Boys Choir is coming to South Korea in January and the ticket price is also around $100USD. It's the equilibrium price over there. FYI, not all tickets for Libera's Japan concert in April 2010 is 8,000 yen. There's also 3,000 yen tickets available. That's only $33USD :)

We need to remember that even though ticket prices are pretty costly in Asian countries, it wasn't the same in the UK and the US. Libera's concert ticket prices were about $25USD on average in the UK and they even gave us a free concert (Crystal Cathedral) in the United States! :D so I think the ticket prices really depend on the location of the venue.
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Post by JoelinMkt »

TEB wrote: Actually, I am already worried. With the announcement of the $95.00 price tag per ticket for the Japan concert tour in April, I am afraid that they will begin to price those of us who are poor out of ever being able to see them.
I save for most of the year to get my $50.00 ticket to see TSO.
I said this on another thread, if the boys, who I desperately would like to see live, came to Harrisburg, PA and charged $95.00 a ticket, I will stay home and watch the Leiden video.
I hear you... (and believe me feel your pain...!) ...although, I'd probably skip a few meals and fork the 95 bucks over if I were already in Tokyo. I will however have to fly five and a half hours and incur roughly two thousand dollars in travel expenses to get there.

Libera are not for profit but EMI is. When you think about the economics of a "Libera style tour" - flying twelve to twenty boys, support staff and chaperones across several time zones, billeting them in hotels, getting them visas, covering the cost of venue, land transport and overhead - and having to recover that cost over two concerts at a profit then you see where us that have less resources are less likely to see them in concert.
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Post by Nikki178 »

You guys, it's TRUE that they released New Dawn in the Philippines with "Bayan Ko" as the bonus track. :) I just bought my copies today. So far I know it's available from Astroplus from Shang-ri La mall and from SM North EDSA. For SM North, it's only available (as of today) in the Astroplus branch in the main mall. They don't have it in the Block and Annex malls yet. :)
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