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Humperdinck:
Walk through his world with him Such has been the anticipation and the expectation of this concert - not to mention the scepticism - that when The Sunday Times broke the news on April 17, most of his fans, who had already been through a heartbreaking hoax back in 1972, were heard groaning 'here we go again'! Engelbert conceded a few weeks ago, in an exclusive phone interview with this correspondent - the first and only one to-date with a Sri Lankan journalist during his 40-plus-years-long career- that it was a mistake to have 'ignored' the region, and apologised for having taken so long to visit the island. He blamed his then managers for this 'oversight'! On the down side, however, thousands of die-hard Enge fans will be missing this 'concert of their lifetime' because of what they term as 'exorbitant ticket prices'. But, local organisers Sound Station Entertainment had little choice, considering what it takes and costs, to stage an event of this magnitude. In fact, Water's Edge, with 1300 seats will be among, if not the smallest auditorium this legendary superstar will have played in since hitting the top way back in the mid-1960s! He is backed by a 10-piece band directed by Jeff Sturges, and will also have the services of two talented back-up singers during his 100-minute show. Evergreen Engelbert's latest foray into Southeast and East Asia opens tonight in New Delhi when he performs at the historic Siri Fort Auditorium. He will then perform in Mumbai and Bangalore before arriving with the 22-strong tour party at the Bandaranaike International Airport on Friday, June 10 at 1.55 p.m. All three Indian concerts are fund-raisers for the Bangalore-based ACTS Trust which has been involved in environmental activities and education, and is currently working to rehabilitate victims of the tsunami. This is the superstar's first tour of India, the land of his birth. The Chennai-born entertainer, spent the first decade of his life in the South Indian city before moving with his parents to their hometown of Leicester in England. The then Gerry Dorsey who became a hearthrob by changing his name to the ultra-long, almost jaw-breaking Engelbert Humperdinck before going on to record his ground-breaking 1967 hit 'Please Release Me', still retains his original name on his passport. At an age when most of his contemporaries are in retirement, Engelbert, who turned 69 last month, is planning more albums, more concerts, more television appearances and, of course, more travel! Hence, the notion Colombo, perhaps, won't be seeing the last of this great entertainer on Saturday. Notwithstanding his reputation as a lady-killer, Engelbert is somewhat a religious person, and attributes his longevity to 'the grace of God and the fact that I still love to get up there on stage, looking my audience in the eye and give them my very best'. An evening with Engelbert Humperdinck is not just a concert, a mere case of dancing and belting out a few romantic ballads, however magical they may be. Or, even a social event. Much of his popularity is due to his versatility as well as his enduring style and interpretation. It has indeed been an incredible journey for Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome, who boasts of almost 150 million in album sales worldwide, beside several Grammy nominations and the star on that famous Hollywood strip. Such has been the clamour for a performance by Engelbert that tickets for Saturday's gig were snapped up even before they were officially released. Efforts were, in fact, made to secure a second concert, but logistical problems nipped that exercise in the bud. |
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