PETALING JAYA: 2016 is drawing to a close and it has been quite a roller-coaster year. From a major slump in oil prices to Britain voting to leave the European Union to the death of ‘the world’s greatest’ Muhammad Ali to Donald Trump making it to the White House. The list goes on.It was also a sad year for music with the loss of David Bowie, Prince, Natalie Cole, Otis Clay, the Eagles’ Glenn Frey, Dio’s Jimmy Bain, Earth Wind & Fire’s Maurice White, Frank Sinatra Jr, and Billy Paul, to name a few.
If you think things are looking bleak as we brace ourselves for what 2017 has to offer, what better cure than to take a walk back down memory lane.
Getting the ball rolling is Julio Iglesias, 73, who will croon his world famous hits Hey, Crazy and Moonlight Lady plus many more when he performs in Malaysia come Dec 11. As part of his World Tour, Iglesias will perform at the Arena of Stars in Genting Highlands at 8.30pm, with tickets priced at between RM120 and RM890.
Another performer will entice the romantic at heart come Dec 17 with songs from the 80s and 90s.
He showed you how a beauty loved her beast in what was a tale as old as time in 1991 and opened up your heart to a whole new world, just a year later. He is none other than the well-known R&B and soul singer, Peabo Bryson.
The 65-year-old American will perform alongside Regina Belle and Deniece Williams at the Arena of Stars on Dec 17 at 8.30pm. Tickets are priced between RM100 and RM490.
Don’t have any plans for Christmas? Why not take a drive up Genting Highlands and step into 60s New Jersey instead?
On Dec 25, singers Paul Holmquist, Douglas Gray, Christian Nielsen and James Bullard will pay homage to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons in a musical tribute at 8.30pm at the Arena of Stars.
Anyone who is a fan of American rock and roll will be familiar with the story of Valli, Tommy DeVito, Nick Massi and Bob Gaudio.
Famous for their hits Big Girls Don’t Cry, Walk Like A Man, Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You, My Eyes Adored You, Sherry and countless others, their story was also immortalised in a movie titled Jersey Boys starring John Lloyd Young as Valli. Tickets for the tribute concert called ‘Oh What A Night’ are priced at RM42 and RM92.
Still not enough to satisfy your cravings for days gone by? Fret not as we move a little closer to home. Three Asian divas Frances Yip, Elisa Chan and Maria Cordero will take the stage at the Arena of Stars for the 2016 Christmas Countdown Celebration on Dec 24.
The show starts at 10pm and tickets are priced between RM104 and RM394.
Yip and Chan are both famous singers from Hong Kong, who were crowd-pullers in the 80s.
Yip is also known for performing the theme songs to various TVB television series. Malaysians are no strangers to these, especially those in the 80s and 90s, in particular The Bund in which Yip sang the famous Shanghai Beach.
Chan meanwhile started out in a band called the New Topnotes but went solo in the 80s and became known later for her duets with Leslie Cheung. In 1998, Chan was voted Best Performer in Hong Kong.
As for Cordero, she is a famous star from Macau, nicknamed ‘fat mama’ by her fans. Cordero is now 62 and still performs with as much zest as a 20-year-old, as evident from videos of her performances posted on YouTube.
Are you still looking for more? For Cantopop fans, we saved the best for last.
Hong Kong pop star Alan Tam will be making his way to Malaysia for his 40th anniversary concert tour on Jan 27-28, 2017. Also held at the Arena of Stars, Tam is possibly most remembered for his song Pang Yau (My Friend).
Tam shot to fame in the 80s and 90s not just as a singer, but as an actor as well. Tickets for his concert are priced between RM202 and RM702.
For all the concerts mentioned above, tickets can be bought online at www.ticketcharge.com.my.