Kicking back with the Concert King

Concert King Martin Nievera is excited about his forthcoming concert titled “Martin, Home At The Theater,” to be held at The Theater of the Solaire Hotel and Casino on September 18. The singer was his usual talkative self when he met with the media Saturday at the Theatre Café of Solaire Hotel and Casino. He wore a bathrobe over his suit and slacks, saying he wants the atmosphere of the concert to be relaxed.

Martin is asking fans to come and see him perform at The Theater which is the most modern and high-tech concert venue in the Philippines. What makes the concert even memorable is that he is celebrating his 33rd year in the business. To make the event more exciting, Martin is working with the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra and his favorite composer/arranger Louie Ocampo, who has been his companion in many concerts and shows both here and abroad.

He says he is feeling some kind of pressure doing a concert at The Theater. “I told my sister Gina [founder and head of Full House and is producing the show for Solaire] that I am feeling pressure because I will be the first one doing a show here and we want to do it big. It’s like my audition,” said Martin. “If you perform here at The Theater in Solaire, then you know you’ve made it.”

Martin also said that this show is significant because almost 32 years to the said date, on September 17, he had a repeat of his very first concert at the Folk Arts Theatre. His first major concert was held on August 20 and then it had a repeat two weeks after. It was Martin who blazed the trail in mounting big concerts and soon, fellow artists followed his lead.

For this show at The Theater, he said he will be performing songs that the audience has been dying to hear him sing – not just his own songs but songs that he also sang in Las Vegas. “We might throw some songs that you might hear in Vegas casinos and the songs that I have done in the last 33 years. It is going to be a long night,” he added with a smile.

He is hoping that the show will have a repeat and hopefully make it a concert series so that more people can watch. “I am hoping that since the hotel is just growing, maybe we can transform it into a place where we can do a regular gig, for singers, not just up-and-coming, but singers who pushed up singing,” the erstwhile late night talk show host said.

“Many things are lined up for The Theater. As a singer, I am just dying to sing. I am looking for a place to sing, whether it’s big or small, it doesn’t matter,” added Martin, a very accomplished singer who is not at all threatened by new artists in the music industry.

“I don’t have to prove anything. I am not worried about being number two. I’ve been there. I’ve been number last…and the best thing about being last is getting up (again).”

He doesn’t see any competition with other artists, although he feels he is competing with time. “How long can I keep this up is what I always ask myself. I’ve had my share of bad times in my 33 years in the business and one thing I learned is to brush the dirt off my knees and stand again. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. I’ve done many mistakes in my life, in my career. I’ve got hits, I’ve got misses. There’s been so many singers that have come and gone since,” Martin said.

He and Louie Ocampo have many memories together and now that they are collaborating again, both of them are enthusiastic with the renewed partnership. “Being with Louie is just like being home,” he said.

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PLDT Home has beefed up its content by partnering with global providers. One of the content partnerships launched in the second quarter of 2015 was with iflix, Southeast Asia’s leading Internet TV service with more than 11,000 hours of top shows and movies from the best content providers around the world, including top Hollywood, European, Asian, and even local studios.

Another recently-launched partnership was with Fox International Channels, a global entertainment company and Asia Pacific’s leading broadcaster. This content partnership provides PLDT Home and Smart subscribers with subscription video-on-demand (SVOD), as well as live shows and catch-up on the various Fox channels.

“With this exclusive partnership with iflix, PLDT HOME and Smart subscribers can now enjoy unlimited entertainment wherever they are across the broadest range of devices – from smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktop computers, to TV screens – at a very low price, starting at P99 per month,” said PLDT EVP and head of Consumer Business Group Ariel P. Fermin. “We are also delighted to deliver a wide range of educational, sports, lifestyle and movie content from Fox that will suit the entertainment wants and needs of our customers whenever and wherever they are.”

PLDT’s robust fixed and wireless networks enable the delivery of new services that meet the digital lifestyle needs of its subscribers.

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Miss Nova Villa is playing the role of the grandmother of MariMar (played by Megan Young) in the remake of this famed Mexican telenovela which also catapulted Marian Rivera to popularity. Tita Nova says she had no chance to watch the original version of MariMar nor the version made by Marian.

“I was told that the role I am playing will be given a different twist compared to the original so it was best that I was not able to see it,” said Tita Nova at the presscon of MariMar held Monday night at Studio 7 of GMA network.

Tita Nova said she has fond memories of Megan whom she first worked with in an ABS-CBN TV series years ago. “She was new then in ABS-CBN. She was painfully shy and would just be in a corner waiting for her cue. So I was wondering if she would remember me. Besides, when we first worked together, she was not yet a beauty queen. Hindi pa siya Miss World so I was wondering how she’d respond when she sees me.”

“But when she saw me on the set, she immediately embraced me. She remembers me and one thing I noticed with Megan is that she has become more confident and sure of herself. I am happy to be part of this remake even if I only have a short role,” said Tita Nova.

“MariMar” starts airing on Monday, August 24, after “24 Oras.”