EASY TO LOVE YOU - IVY VIOLAN & DANNY TAN - 1st ABU Golden Kite World Song Festival 1989, Malaysia

Danny Tan's Throwback #239
EASY TO LOVE YOU (music by Danny Tan and lyrics by the great director and writer, Mr. Joey Javier Reyes) won the Grand Prize at the 1st ABU-Golden Kite World Song Festival in Kuala Lumpur on October 1, 1989, my first song to win in any competition both locally and internationally. This was the only time the Philippines won the Grand Prize in all editions of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasters Union Song Contest, the Golden Kite World Song Festival and the ABU-Golden Kite World Song Festival! Ms. IVY VIOLAN fearlessly sang her heart out, as if her life depended on it! She was just magnificent that night! Please watch until the end for the announcement of all winners and Ivy, flawlessly and tearfully, singing the song again!
BACKSTORY: Verni Varga was my original choice to sing Easy To Love You. Mr. Tony Barreiro, Mr. Bobby Barreiro and Ms. Marla Teopaco suggested Ms. Ivy Violan, a veteran and a consistent winner of numerous international competitions. Without hesitation, I concurred. I have worked with her years prior as arranger of her song entry in the 1985 ABU Song Contest in Singapore where she won Best Interpreter. I had unsuccessfully entered the song in the Metro Manila Popular Song Festival numerous times. During Finals Night, I wasn't too sure I would win because I was worried about the song form of Easy To Love You and its unflattering record as an entry of song contests. After winning the Grand Prize, I intimated this concern to one of the judges (I think it was the British guy, the Chairman of the Board of Judges) who approached to congratulate me. His response was that it was precisely the unique song form which won me the ultimate prize!
TRIVIA: Australia took the 2nd Prize in this contest. The next year, the Philippines (represented by Ivy and myself) won the Grand Prize with Australia placing second (again!) at the International Midnight Sun Song Festival in Lahti, Finland with the same song, EASY TO LOVE YOU! I also won the BEST ARRANGEMENT OF A FINNISH SONG (for Chilly Winds), the first time a Filipino won as Best Arranger in an international competition!
The ABU-GOLDEN KITE WORLD SONG FESTIVAL
The 1st and 2nd Golden Kite World Song Festival were held in Malaysia in November 1984 and January 1986. Singapore hosted the Asia-Pacific Broadcasters Union (ABU) Popular Song Contest in 1985, Auckland, New Zealand in 1986 and Malaysia in 1987. In 1989, organizers merged the two competitions and named the new song contest as the ABU - Golden Kite World Song Festival.
EASY TO LOVE YOU
Music & Arrangement: Danny Tan
Lyrics: Joey Javier Reyes
Interpreter: Ivy Violan
Thank you, MR. ALEXYZ ARCILLA, for this video!
After losing my original VHS tape of this competition (it was not returned by the production assistants of TINIG NG TAGUMPAY, a musical special I was working on for Ms. Wilma Galvante and Director Al Quinn), I almost lost hope in finding any existing copy. Fortunately, a fellow musician (Alexyz Arcilla) informed me that he had a "taped-on-air" VHS copy of the entire show. For the past several months, he painstakingly sifted through his music video collection and unselfishly sent me the actual VHS copy!

[@jpanonuevo1411]

To this day (I was in grade school when this happened), Easy To Love You has been my favorite Danny Tan song. As in!

[@marlouielowie7254]

Such an outstanding performance. Naalala ko tuloy Ang Superstar natin si Ate Guy sa galing umawit.Ako nangangarap pa ring kahit Isang awit lang na makanta ko.

[@jeremiahjangad5388]

Thank you, Sir Danny and Ivy for bringing such honor to the Philippines. God bless you both.

[@arsolano90]

Wonderful memories! Glad this video exists 🙌 Great job, Mr. Danny Tan and Ms. Ivy Violan 👏👏👏

[@dubidoovlogs2655]

So pa rin ako maka move on…Ms Ivy should have won the Best Performer Award…the Song Festival Queen. Iba tandem Nila ni Mr. Danny Tan. Mahusay. ❤❤❤

[@enricozara4786]

Ivy Violan...one of the best singers of all time. Linis kumanta.

[@ezra72477]

Nope! It’s Regine Velasquez

[@ezra72477]

At yong ilong nya FAKE! 😂😂

[@mujacko2002]

the emotion, the belt, the class, the spectacle, the vocal agility - perfection = Ivy Violan. Yes, the host said "it was a great one" he knew.

[@erikdeleon]

idol ka talaga! 🎉❤❤❤🎉

[@michaelfrancisco352]

Ang tagal kung hinintay tong kantang to, 2nd year high school ako nito.

[@kenmhilkyong707]

Wow n Wow super galing talaga ni miss ivy violan philippines pride! And si sir danny super galing na composer! Buti nalang my vids pa na ganito...2024 na and still watching this! Congrats and mabuhay!💗🙏💐

[@eduardofernandez2009]

still watching march 11 2024 12:15 am

[@hjon9119]

Belated Congratulations!

[@liamgekzua477]

Bsta si sir Danny ang galing .palagi nananalo

[@nelsonpanes7504]

I really wonder why Ivy got only second place in her performance here... She should have won as BEST PERFORMER.....

[@ArcherDesert]

Thanks for the background story Sir Danny! I noticed mas fast paced yung arrangement ng song or was it because of playback issues sa betamax? Parang hinabol ni Ivy sa bandang gitna. Anyway I think it worked to your advantage. Even the host was affected by Ivy's vocal prowess and sinabi nya that's a good one! I think Martin Nievera also competed here and won 2nd place for the song 'Without You' in 1987/88.

[@michaelfrancisco352]

1990 po si Martin Nievera, 3rd best performance sya, yung kanta hindi nanalo.