Noelle Cassandra
I’m one of the few people who have a love it, hate it relationship with the month of December. I love it, because that’s the month that I and, as some would argue, the Lord Jesus were born. I hate it, because it’s when I get to spend the most. The most annoying incident of this may come in the form of mandatory gift exchanges, thanks in no small parts to whatever organization I’m active in.
In this case, it’s for my company. After work, I went straight to the most convenient mall, which is The Podium. Yeah, I know, it’s not the best place to be shopping with a P300 budget. It’s a place more suited for people who can buy a Gucci bag without flinching. I’m not in that target demographic, so please don’t ask why I decided to go to The Podium, as I’m still trying to figure it out myself.
By coincidence, today happens to be the album launch of a newcomer, Noelle Cassandra. And, being that I have much spare time on my hands - which is something of a curse common among corporate drones lost in quarterlife crisis confusion - I decided to listen the concert all the way through. And why not? After all, I might be able to discover a new artist to admire (this is how I found out about Sugarfree, by the way. And yes, that was way before they were trendy).
Who is Noelle Cassandra? Well, I didn’t know either. But, there was a concept that caught my attention. You see, unlike bajillions of other divas these days, Noelle Cassandra also plays the harp. She actually went through some classical training and took a music degree on University of British Columbia.
Her concert (or performace, whichever way you want to call it) was fairly concise. She played five songs, namely At Home With You, My Strength, You and I, Pasko Na Sinta Ko, and You’re the One I Need. Three of those selections are her originals.
And she can sing well, but unfortunately, I don’t know who I can compare her voice to, being that I have limited knowledge for the pop scene (as most of my loyal readers would’ve gathered by now, I’m a lot more knowledgeable in Jazz). Needless to say, it’s the voice that’s perfectly suited for adult pop, and even torch songs.
The songs she’s selected for the concert are pretty great, too. My Strength is the strongest (pun intended) selection. And the harp is, quite simply, enchanting. When the host said it’s a taste of Heaven and Earth, he wasn’t kidding. I would say, Harp is simply heaven-on-a-string, which is probably why it’s one of the instruments so commonly associated with angels (trumpet being the other, though I can’t imagine any angels doing Miles Davis compositions and playing some Bitches Brew). Indeed the harp enhanced the music aplenty, and it’s also what sets Noelle apart from the deluge of divas, some of which are tone-deaf Starstruck dropouts.
Overall, I did have a good time. It’s hardly the most memorable concert I’ve ever attended - I would hand that distinction to, again, Sugarfree’s - but then again, what’s there was quite impressive. I ended up buying her album and, along with the free poster, I got it autographed.
A little after work shopping may not be so bad, after all. Now if only I can find a decent P300 gift on The Podium….
