Echo: Back with his first love

There's no stopping Jericho Rosales from taking a break from acting to pursue a career in music.

"I wanna do music because it has been my first love," Echo reveals to the local press in a recent interview, made possible by Metro Gaisano, at Café Adriatico in Crossroads, Banilad.

The heartthrob, who is sporting a new 'do and a leaner physique, claims he has reached his personal requirement of essaying action hero roles whether on television or film with "Panday" and the much-anticipated Manny Pacquiao biopic, which is hitting theaters nationwide this June 30.

"I promised myself that after 'Manny Pacquiao,' I'll concentrate on my music. I feel I'm more in control of my schedules, if I'll concentrate on my music," explains the Walker underwear endorser, who was mobbed after swinging by Metro Gaisano stores in Colon, Mandaue and Ayala during its "Back 2 School" sale. "For me, it's more wholesome than [showbiz]. I don't know, but this move has something to do with my conviction."

As for another soap "I've done four already. If I'll accept another one, what else would be new?" Echo is quick to point out.

Echo fronts a band that is curiously called Jeans, a name tailored-fit to their brand of music-funk-jazz. Released under EMI Malaysia, the debut album is entitled "Loose Fit." The album chalked up a successful launch in Malaysia, where he-for the information of the clueless few-is certified celebrity soon after his teleserye "Pangako Sa 'Yo" made it to its shores.

"The Tagalog songs have a Manila sound, it's like you're listening to APO and VST, though it's a bit edgier, funkier I've always liked jazz. I like the 70s. I like old music. For me this is more soulful and I can express more with this kind of music," he continues.

The album will, first and foremost, be showing off just one of Echo's rather lesser known talents-composing, that is. "Finally my poems are now made into songs. Songwriter na ako," he laughs. "This has been a blessing. Because c'mon, this has really been surreal. It's like God is saying, this has been what you were asking from me, so here it is."

His company, a production outfit called Silverspoon, is putting together some of the music videos, with, who else, but Echo in charge of the directorial helm.

And where does his current love, Heart Evangelista, figure in all this?

"I am inspired by her. She has inspired a lot of the songs in the album. I was able to do a lot of free style in the songs because of her," shares Echo, who penned all the songs which are themed in a bit of heartbreak and well, lotsa love.

In fact, the track "You're so beautiful," which boasts of a solo and a duet version with his "Panday" leading lady, is dedicated to Heart. He describes it as jazzy, but for the ladies in the room, "romantic" was more like it.

A music video of one single that he directed also features the lovely chinita, who reportedly is a fixed presence in his band rehearsals.

Seems like Echo is not just wearing his heart on his sleeve, but singing it out loud, too.

He shares more about his girl: "[Heart] is an artist. She draws, paints and plays the piano. She's also coming up with an album. I composed a song for her, 'You are the One'."

So, is she "The One"?

It looks as if wedding plans might not be something he was willing to discuss in detail and this soon yet, but the 26-year-old actor is visibly ecstatic with how things are going between them.

He enthuses: "When it comes to relationships, I don't say, okay there's a lifespan of two years or one year to it. I always think, 'where will this relationship lead me?' But you know, Heart and I always think positive about our relationship. We look as far as we can go.

"We look forward to traveling and growing together. What we have right now is a very unique understanding. And we get along very well. There are times when friends and family don't understand me, but she would.

"My family loves her, and she loves all my friends, my band, my small family, my kind of music. And when you say you both agree with the same kind of music, it's definitely something else for me, because this is what I really wanna do."

The actor is mighty proud of her too, especially how she has squared off with the spate of issues such as pregnancy, her parents' supposed disapproval of Echo, et cetera, thrown at her, all of which Echo dismisses as unfounded. "Grabe, she was attacked by all sorts of intrigues. Yes, I was her number one defender, but she also was able to handle them well," he adds, also clarifying that Heart's relationship with her parents is running okay already.

So why is Jericho uncharacteristically outspoken all of a sudden? It will be remembered that with his past relationships-with Kristine Hermosa and Cindy Kurleto-you'll almost only know about them when they're over.

"I wont be specific but I know all of you know how it works in our business Nung nakipag split ako sa loveteam namin ni Kristine, I had a reason for doing so. I was not getting comfortable already with the fans and their wrong illusion of us. It was like my world had gotten smaller, but I love them and I love how they supported us but there comes a time that you have to say that this is me, this is my job and sometimes you have to respect me as a person. You also have to be an actor to be lock into a love team. I broke away from the love team not for personal reasons but for our careers. I made that decision maybe because I wanted to prove that I can also do without a love team.

"I've made my mistakes and I've learned from them, from my past and the people I've met. Now, I realize that there's nothing wrong with being more open about it. I wanna let go. And [Heart] is a good girl, so why not? And so far, people are now more proud of me."