Ogie willing to mentor new talents

MANILA, Philippines - Ogie Alcasid embraces the idea of reality shows and talent searches to scout for new faces and fresh voices in acting or singing. He doesn’t even mind performing alongside new talents which only proves that he neither feels insecure nor threatened by their presence.

“We, Filipinos, have a very high appreciation for music,” began Ogie during a recent interview with The STAR when asked about singing competitions dominating TV screens these days. “We have that innate ability to discern good music. That’s why we are able to make better judgment on who among the contestants in talent shows can really shine. I think it’s great to meet these new talents and share with them a tip or two (on singing).”

The Kapatid star shared that when he was just starting to make a name in the music biz, the more established ones had — in one way or another — acted as his mentors. “Sina Celeste Legaspi, Jim Paredes, Jose Mari Chan, Rico J. Puno, Hajji Alejandro, even George Canseco and Ryan Cayabyab that whenever I bumped into them, ‘di pwedeng di nila ko bibigyan ng konting pabaon. They were still there for me when I became a professional singer na tipong ‘pag nakita ka nila they would take time to talk to you and give you advice kasi dati walang ganito (talent shows with mentor-judges). It was more like an informal mentoring before and I treasure that until this day.”

That’s why, it comes naturally for Ogie to see young talents as new sets of “babies” waiting to be trained. “Have you seen how (The Voice Philippines coaches) Lea (Salonga) and Sarah (Geronimo) were treating their talents? The eagerness to teach them was there; ganun kasi talaga, parang nagiging anak mo na yung mga baguhan who are potential singers.”

For those not familiar, Ogie was a Kundirana member prior to joining the music scene. “I remember the first time I met Rico J — my idol when I was a kid — it was during my first show in Davao. He watched me perform and saw how the audience laughed at my jokes. Then, he came up to me and said, ‘OK ‘yung act mo,’ and I will never forget that.”

Asked who among the music icons have greatly influenced his style, Ogie started enumerating names with Rico J topping the list. “And then, Basil Valdez for his songs mostly by George Canseco (composition). Then, Gary Valenciano for his high-energy performance; nakuha ko yun sa kanya and Rey Valera for his compositions that are so simple yet heartwarming. There’s a lot to learn from them and I think it’s the right time for me to give back.”

No wonder, Ogie is only too willing to be part of Rising Stars Philippines, a groundbreaking singing competition that is set to air on TV5 every Saturday and Sunday at 9 p.m. beginning March 14.

“Although I will not mentor any of the contestants because I am assigned to be its host (with Venus Raj and Mico Aytona as co-hosts), I can also share my knowledge in music.”

What advice can he give to the 29 aspirants who will compete with one another for 10 weeks?

“Never take anything for granted. I know a lot of them joined in the show mainly for financial reasons and singing is one avenue to make money. There’s nothing wrong with that; that’s OK but they should cherish the opportunity of getting into the show, meeting their idol and most importantly, they should never forget the comments of the judges; i-relish nila yun because win or lose, they already learned something (from the show).” 

Ogie added, “It is easy for me to know who has that X-factor — it’s when he easily catches my attention because the initial goal of a singer is to grab someone’s attention through his vocal talent. There are few who have that.”

Aside from hosting chores, Ogie spends some time preparing for his new album which is expected to be released in May or June. “It’s going to be a special album.”