“I owe it to my experience in joining oratorical contests since high school and college in my native Cagayan de Oro,” he says. “I always win in the inter-school competitions so I was sent to Manila as the representative of Mindanao at a contest held at the AFP Theatre. Luckily, I won. The whole time I was rehearsing and doing ‘Full Monty’, I only speak in English, even at home. Ginagaya ko yung newscasters sa CNN. And I owe a lot to Director Chari Arespacochaga as there are some lines na hindi ko fully understood so she helps me to deliver them effectively. I’d really want to do another musical. Nakakaadik, especially when you hear the applause sa encore. Hopefully, I can get another material na babagay sa’kin.”
He was also congratulated because the team he led in GMA-7’s “Sunday All Stars”, Tropang Trending, won as the best team twice, where as Christian Bautista’s team didn’t win, even once. “At hindi lang yun. Members of our team won twice as best performer, first si Mark Herras then Rochelle Pangilinan. We’re really lucky as we have a good strong team kasi all the members sing, from Rachel Anne Go to Barbie Forteza. But for this Sunday, hindi na ako ang leader. Nag-reshuffle na and our team is now headed by Mark Herras. Julie Anne San Jose now head Tweethearts replacing Jennylyn Mercado. Louise de los Reyes naman replaced Kris Bernal in Ligang Like and Glaiza de Castro replaced Christian Bautista as Instagang leader. Actually, nagsabi na ko sa kanilang I will lie low muna kasi nga I’m busy preparing for my ‘Sound of Love’ concert.”
What can he say to the detractors of SAS who compare them to “That’s Entertainment”? “Well, they don’t know kung ano ang hirap na pinagdaraanan namin each week para mapaganda ang kanya-kanyang presentation namin. It’s really such a big pressure kasi we have very limited time to conceptualize and rehearse. Kami, we like it kasi it challenges our creativity and trains us all to be better performers.”
His special guest in “Sound of Love” is Regine Velasquez no less. “Actually, gusto ko sana, sina Sarah Geronimo and Rachelle Anne kasi magkakasabay kami as champions, but they’re both out of the country raw. So naglakas ako ng loob to invite Ms. Regine and I was so happy that she’s so generous at nag-yes siya agad. I’ll be singing songs from my album like ‘Strangers in the Night’, “All The Way”, “When I Fall in Love”, “Love Story”, “Till”, “What a Wonderful World, “Kailangan Kita”, “Love without Time” and “Bato sa Buhangin”. Then I’ll sing my old songs like ‘Ngayon at Kailanman’, ‘I Need You’, but with a new twist in the arrangement. Guests ko rin dito ang UP Singing Ambassadors and the G-Force, with GB Sampedro as director.”
Tickets ranging from P1,000 to P2,500 are available at Ticketworld (891-9999), Music Museum (721-6726) and Viva Concerts (678-7236).
