For the first time ever in her 18-year-long career, R&B/soul artist Corinne Bailey Rae has made her way to Manila! The English singer-songwriter held her ‘Black Rainbows Tour - Live in Manila’ show last November 14 at the Filinvest Tent, Alabang.

If you were expecting the same woman who released ‘Put Your Records On’ all those years ago, you’re in for an unexpected ride. Corinne showed off her range as an artist during the almost two-hour show, expertly shifting between a variety of styles ranging from jazz and soul to pop, rock, and indie.

The night’s setlist was the perfect mix of her older songs and latest releases, including ‘Been to the Moon,’ ‘Closer,’ ‘Breathless,’ ‘Till It Happens to You,’ and ‘Horse Print Dress,’ ‘Paris Nights/New York Mornings,’ ‘New York Transit Queen,’ and ‘Green Aphrodisiac.’ It was a delight to hear her singing these with a deeper, more mature tone, not to mention the band that accompanied her who took the performances to another level. There was an overflow of talent on stage for sure!

One of the night’s highlights was when fans then experienced Corinne’s Grammy-winning version of Bob Marley’s ‘Is This Love’ live; it truly was something else! She adds a soulful, bluesy flavor to the reggae favorite, making the song her own.

And of course, the R&B artist’s debut performance in the country would be incomplete without the Corinne Bailey Rae classics! Her back-to-back-to-back performances of ‘Trouble Sleeping,’ ‘Put Your Records On,’ and ‘Like a Star’ had everyone raising their hands, singing, and dancing along, and you could tell the crowd was having a damn good time.

She then wrapped up the show with ‘The Skies Will Break,’ showing off her band members individually and thanking everyone in attendance. “This is our first ever show in the Philippines, we’re so happy to be here,” Corinne said. We’re quite sure her Filipino fans’ warm reception and amazing voices made an impression on her and her band, as they promised to return the soonest it’s possible!

‘Til then, we will be waiting. Huge thanks to Karpos Live for making #CorinneBaileyRaeInManila possible!

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Ria Ramz