Did he just get lucky? The singer-actor marks his 40th year in the entertainment biz with an anniversary concert this November. Dubbed as “Just Got Lucky,” luck has probably little to do with an artist as talented and as personable as the former “Bagets” star.
By ALEX Y. VERGARA
Raymond Lauchengco will celebrate his 40th year in showbiz with a one-night concert at The Theatre at Solaire on Nov. 23, 8 p.m. Dubbed as “Just Got Lucky,” the concert’s title needs no further explanation to all his fans and contemporaries. To those who came of age much later though, a brief backgrounder is in order.
If you’re a fan of ’80s hits, “Just Got Lucky” was one of the decades’ signature anthems, an upbeat track by British new wave group JoBoxers. It also happened to be the song Raymond and his contemporaries, including Aga Muhlach and Herbert Bautista, would dance to on TV to promote their launching movie in 1984, a seminal youth-oriented film by the late Maryo delos Reyes dubbed as “Bagets.” It even comes with the now-iconic dance moves involving hand-and-arm gestures that are probably up on YouTube.
As such, it’s going to be one blast for the past not only for Raymond’s fans, but also for lovers of good music, particularly fast hits from the decadent ’80s. There will be a bit of dancing, too, as the 59-year-old Gen Xer will be sharing the stage with several dancers.
To introduce changes in the tempo, expect Raymond to dish out several of his signature songs as well, including such ballads as “I Need You Back,” “Farewell,” “So It’s You,” and “Saan Darating ang Umaga,” the hauntingly beautiful but sad theme song of one of his earlier movies with the same title.
Complementing Raymond’s suave stage presence will be the fiery Bituin Escalante, his featured guest performer. Other than Bituin, Raymond and his collaborators are keeping mum on who might still grace the stage. Otherwise, it won’t be a surprise anymore if they spill the beans.
Sitting on the director’s chair will be Waya Gallardo, daughter of singer Celeste Legaspi and writer-composer Nonoy Gallardo, while Marvin Querido, himself a performer during his younger years with the now-defunct group Neocolours, will be manning the keyboard, so to speak, as the show’s musical director.
But what has Raymond been up to all these decades? Although he could have been as big a star as Aga or even actor-turned-politician Herbert, Raymond, who began performing much earlier in theater, says he chose to explore other creative paths, including the Japanese art of kintsugi.
“Kintsugi is the art of repairing broken objects,” says Raymond during a recent press conference hosted by East Ocean Palace in Aseana City.
“The Japanese have been doing it for 500 years,” he continues as he shows us before-and-after pictures of a restored vase. “A cat broke this vase, which belongs to Celeste Legaspi. I restored it. But instead of hiding the flaws, in kintsugi, you punctuate it.”
His fascination with kintsugi grew during the pandemic. Locked up in his home with his family, Raymond, like almost everyone else, had plenty of time in his hands to contemplate, ponder on what was important and simply go with the flow.
During that poignant period, he also realized how much his missed performing live. Performing virtually over Zoom, he says, is like “performing in front of thumbnails.” It will never equate to the thrill a singer gets as he connects with a living and breathing audience during a live show.
But “Just Got Lucky” is no comeback concert, as Raymond never really turned his back completely on showbiz. He may have been less visible over the years, but he never stopped doing live performances, including corporate shows—except, of course, during the pandemic.
“I realized how much it meant to me, especially during the pandemic. How much I missed it,” he says, referring to performing live on stage. “In the years prior, what complicated things for me is that marami akong dreams (I have plenty of dreams).”
At one point, Raymond became engrossed with photography. He also gave in to his desire of becoming a director, directing over 200 projects, from concerts to live shows and even a short, commissioned film titled “The Gift.”
“It takes a bit of time to be good at something,” he says. “So, I gave myself the time to learn and be good at those pursuits. But performing in front of an audience will always be a part of who I am. It also takes me out of my shell because I’m really a shy and reserved person.”
Talk about irony! But, for Raymond, nothing beats the thrill of connecting with a live audience, especially during a full-blown concert. The spontaneous and real-time feedback from people, which performance artists live for, are absent while, say, acting in front of the cameras or recording a song in the studio.
“That’s why this upcoming show gives me both excitement and butterflies. Because I care about the audience. I care about what I would give them,” he concludes.
Tickets to “Just Got Lucky” are now available at TicketWorld and the Solaire box office.
