“The Alma Teddies” Command Centre Stage with Medley of Live Tunes

Alma Resort Cam Ranh has debuted its own in-house band dubbed “The Alma Teddies”, bringing almost 100 years of professional music experience to the forefront.

Photo credits: Alma Resort Cam Ranh

Resident pianist Bensaev “Ben” Javier Guillen, guitarist and vocalist Alex Sunder and accordionist Navalikhin Igor play an array of pop and rock songs at Alma Resort’s American Bar every Monday to Saturday from 7:15-10pm. The schedule features a rotating trio of piano, guitar and vocals, and accordion across three 45-minute sets each evening.

Filipino Ben has played professionally for some 50 years, picking out tunes by ear. During his 20 years of performing at five-star hotels in Vietnam, Ben’s CV lists the likes of Rex Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula and La Veranda Phu Quoc as employers.

A versatile musician, Alex contributes more than 20 years of performance experience underscored by a rich blend of classic and contemporary styles. He has serenaded guests at The Anam Cam Ranh, Sunrise Nha Trang and Vinpearl Resort Nha Trang with his compelling acoustic sets.

A graduate of the prestigious Rimsky-Korsakov St. Petersburg Conservatory, Igor has performed around the globe, from Europe to the Middle East. Since 2008, he’s also been part of the "Miras" folk song and dance ensemble. He has also worked with the Bashkir State Philharmonic since last year. His accordion playing is known for its emotional richness, adding a distinct layer to the band’s performance.

Yesterday by the Beatles, To Love Somebody by the Bee Gees, Every Breath You Take by The Police and Proud Mary by Creedence Clearwater Revival are among the popular songs on the band’s repertoire, inspired by music legends out of the United States and the United Kingdom. Guests are encouraged to sing along with the band. A booklet with popular songs in Vietnamese, English, Korean and Russian is available for guests to sing along in their own language.

Alma’s managing director Herbert Laubichler-Pichler said the band’s members first came together by chance at the resort, and “it was apparent from the first moment the three musicians jammed together that there was magic”.

“I couldn’t believe how good they were from that first session; right then and there I said to them ‘let’s make this a regular, ongoing thing’ here at Alma,” he said. “As we brainstormed a name for the band there was an Alma teddy bear that we sell at our Alma Mart atop Ben’s piano and thus the band became ‘The Alma Teddies’.”