MANILA, Philippines - Remember that letter which Martin Nievera wrote my editor, Ricky Lo, regarding his, to some, controversial rendition of the Philippine National Anthem during the Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton fight in Las Vegas two years ago?
That was the one where he said that it was his son Robin who gave him the courage to sing the Lupang Hinirang the way he wanted. I thought it was a great piece about fatherly pride. Besides, you rarely come across entertainers like Martin writing in such a heartfelt way.
I checked it out again while listening to the albums of Robin Nievera. This was how Martin ended the letter: “That night I was not a concert king. That night I was the proudest Filipino alive. That night I was a hero in my son’s eyes and that to me was all I needed to get over the fears and finish what I started.†I bet he really warmed Robin’s heart at that time.
Doubtless taking the predisposition from his dad, I found out recently that the 25-year-old Robert Martin Nievera also has quite a way with words and also with music. Particularly interesting is his composition, Stay Strong, which is one of the cuts from his recently released album titled, Nightmare. The song comes with a video in the Net, which I have a feeling Robin made himself.
It has Robin playing the guitar and singing Stay Strong. This image alternates with old time footage of his parents, dad Martin and singer/actress Pops Fernandez. I can just imagine how diehard Martin and Pops fans will react on seeing these two again in the video. They were so young and so in love and looked beautiful together.
Shown are Martin and Pops during their Penthouse Live days, kidding around and promising forever love on camera and then showing off videos of firstborn baby Robin. It is all so sweet and yet so sad because you know how the marriage ended 13 years later. And when seen with Robin’s song in the background asking, “Is this love, would you please tell me,†the effect of those memories can be quite heartbreaking.
I believe that this is a rare instance wherein the usually private Robin bares his feelings for all to see and analyze. It is also an enlightening look on how a child sees and how he copes with the break up of his parents’ marriage. He is resigned to the reality but remains eternally confused. Take a look at what he says.
Stay Strong
(Composed and performed by Robin)
Look around/ tell me what you see/ Is this love?/ Would you please tell me.
It’s a fragile world we’re stepping on/ while everything else falls apart, oh love stays strong/ with all these shattered dreams and broken hearts/ while everything else falls apart, oh love stays strong.
Am I/ the only one who feels that I/ am lost/ and overused.
It’s an unfair world we’re living in/ while everything else falls apart, oh love stays strong/ all my fears are out to get the best of me/ while everything else falls apart, oh love stays strong.
Love will not fail you/ everything will fall, oh love be strong/ love will not fail you/ everything else will fall but love stays strong.
It’s a painful world we’re living in/ while everything else falls apart, oh love stays strong/ when it starts to hurt, don’t give up now/ while everything else falls apart, oh love stays strong.
Robin’s music is the blues and it is with bittersweet themes like Staying Strong that he excels. This is just as well because while he has his father’s baritone, he is not into sentimental ballads. What he does is up his old man one bit by being a mean guitar player. You know how it is with the blues and the guitar. They were made to be together. Listen to Nightmare and Overwait to find out what this kid can do with the blues. I say we have a budding Clapton in our midst.
I am happy to inform you that Stay Strong and all the other songs in Robin’s new album, Nightmare, can be downloaded for free from the Internet. Also included are Rain, Alison, Settle Down My Heart and In 3’s. Robin’s first CD Overwait, with the songs Smile, Sexy Strut, Beautiful and Delight, is also available for downloads but you will have to pay for that one.