No to bold, yes to singing

Every great singer or concert artist had to start somewhere. Like the old saying goes, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." But sometimes the road to success is bumpy. Others end up quitting; but for those who are truly determined, nothing – not even the harshest words – can stop them from pursuing their dreams, as in the case of upcoming singer Juaquin Garcia.

Juaquin, son of a Pampanga politician, used to be part of the all-male vocal group Wiseguys. When it disbanded, Juaquin decided to try and pursue a solo career. But although he hired some powerhouse managers – and despite his own considerable talent, Juaquin found the music industry a tough nut to crack.

At one point, he actually considered giving up singing to become a bold actor. The offers were coming in (one producer was offering him a whopping five-picture contract), but while he had the body for it, Juaquin’s heart still burned for music. So despite critics who felt he lacked the talent to make it as a solo performer – and while he knew he could make more money in less time as a bold actor – Juaquin kept his dream alive.

He never thought of giving up. "Honestly, no. The thought never crossed my mind," he says. "Because of that, lalo akong nag-strive hard. I think I have what it takes to be a good singer. Alam kong kaya kong panindigan ang pagkanta."

His persistence paid off. Now managed by concert producer and talent manager Jacob Fernandez, Juaquin was signed up by Galaxy Records, a sister label of Universal. His debut solo album contains five cuts, including the carrier single, a revival of Keno’s Leaving Yesterday Behind.

The song, a monster hit back in the ’80s, was the same one Juaquin performed during his first-ever paid gig back in high school.

He’s glad he didn’t give up. He felt it the first time he guested in Jaya’s In the Raw concert and he heard people applauding him. "I really felt the appreciation of the crowd," he says. "I told myself, if the day ever came na I would step out onstage, tapos walang reaction ang mga tao, that would be the day I’d stop singing. But so far, that hasn’t happened."

In fact, things have just gotten better for this young man. On Sept. 15, he and Faith Cuneta will begin the first of their four-night concert series entitled One: The World Tour at the Music Museum (other shows are on Sept. 22, 23 and 24). Produced by Jacob’s JLF Productions and directed by Rowell Santiago from a script by Noel Ferrer with Louie Ocampo as musical director, One: The World Tour will feature these two young singers in a repertoire of love songs and current hits.

"We’d like to give the public a new taste. The established concert artists like Martin, Pops, Kuh, Gary and Zsa Zsa, they’re already up there. Kailangan na rin ng mga bago," says Jacob. "These two would be perfect, kasi talagang passion nila ang pagkanta."

One: The World Tour is presented by South Forbes Golf City. But the journey doesn’t end there for Juaquin, since he and Faith will leave for the show’s Asian Tour this October, which will take them to Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo and Nagoya in Japan, and the US tour, where they will have shows in Los Angeles, Glendale, San Francisco, San Jose, Las Vegas, San Diego and Hawaii.

Juaquin has truly come a long way from the days when he used to tag along on his father’s campaign sorties just so he could get the chance to sing in front of a live audience.

Now, he is playing to a much bigger audience on a much larger stage. People have even compared his voice to that of the original Concert King, Martin Nievera. Maybe too farfetched a comparison for someone who hasn’t really proven anything yet, but definitely, the potential is there.

Incidentally, speaking of Martin, Juaquin says that Miracle is his favorite Martin song, for obvious reasons. "It can refer to a lot of things, but I’d like to think that the biggest miracle in my life is my singing career. There have been problems, but I know that through them, God is trying to teach me something. It’s really been a miracle."