Martin sings for the broken-hearted

Balladeer Martin Nievera celebrated the joys of romantic love in the album Best Wishes, which is made up of popular wedding songs. But as everybody and certainly Martin himself know only too well, the path of true love seldom runs smooth. There are also heartaches along the way. So to balance the contents of that last album, he has recently released When Love is Gone, which features love from another and certainly darker perspective.

Admittedly, I like Martin best when he is singing sad love songs and I believe that he fares so much better in this new album than in Best Wishes. He treats these songs like grand opera, so often tragic. There is more soul in his performance. He makes the listener feel as though he knows every nook and cranny of heartbreak and is all too willing to share his pain with everybody. And because he has certainly led a very public life and laid bare his heartaches often enough, we are able to relate to him and believe that, aaah, we are listening to the expert.

Take note of what he says in his album notes, "Can’t leave with you, can’t live without/ every haunting memory in my mind they shout/ am I truly over you, no one will ever know/ maybe I should’ve said/ I don’t want you to go." Do you feel the pain?

When Love is Gone is made up entirely of break-up songs and Martin presents 17 of them. Serving as bookends to the lot is Hanggang Langit, the theme from the Korean soap opera Stairway to Heaven. A composition by Kim Bum Soo, the song opens and closes the album. It got new Tagalog lyrics from Vehnee Saturno and an English version entitled When Love is Gone written by Martin himself. Local broadcasters have taken to using recordings by Filipino artists as theme music for the Tagalog-dubbed soap operas from other Asian countries and Martin has obviously joined the trend.

However, the centerpiece of the album and the cut that everybody has been curious about is Goodbye, a composition by Martin and Louie Ocampo. While any Nievera-Ocampo song is certainly of great importance in any album, this one is doubly so because Martin performs it with his ex-wife Pops Fernandez. They even shot the video together. Does this singing reconciliation mean that they have indeed come to the realization that they have reached the "Goodbye" stage in their relationship? Only Martin and Pops know for sure but you might be able to pick up some hints about the answer to that in the way they deliver the song.

The other songs included are There’s No Easy Way (To Break Somebody’s Heart), I Don’t Want You To Go, featuring Ima Castro, Nasaan Ka Man, Let Me Be the One, Please Don’t Ask Me, Sorry Song, a duet with R&B star Brian McKnight, Minsan Lang, One Last Cry, Separate Lives, a duet with Zsa Zsa Padilla, Somewhere Down the Road, a medley of Ikaw Lang ang Mamahalin and Kahit Isang Saglit, as composer Ocampo intended them to be sung, Naghihintay, Never Said Goodbye, and Before You Say Goodbye.

Then after listening to all those goodbyes, you get to thinking, do you think that Martin will follow When Love is Gone with an album of making up songs? That will certainly complete the cycle.

Jasmine’s promo tour

American Idol runner-up Jasmine Trias is in town to promote her self-titled debut album. Jasmine was born in Hawaii of Filipino parents and Pinoys have taken her to their hearts because of her impressive showing in the popular talent show. She came in third. To find out how she is in person, you can catch her tonight at 6 at the Podium, at 5 p.m. in SM Bacoor tomorrow and at SM North EDSA at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 18.

Featured numbers will be songs from her album like the first single Lose Control, a dance tune written and produced by Noel Macanaya, (DJ MOD), Sana Lagi, Excuses, Kung Paano, a composition by Vehnee Saturno, Once Again by Jay Durias which Jasmine performs with South Border and others. Jasmine will sign autographs after the free shows.

The Jasmine Trias promo tour is sponsored by Information Gateway, Smart IDD, Skechers, ABS-CBN, Crown Plaza Galleria Manila, McDonald’s and The Philippine STAR.