Ogie reunites with mentor

MANILA, Philippines — Director Roxanne Lapus, of dinner theater SRO fame, fondly recalled the day she first saw a young Ogie Alcasid perform live, claiming she quickly saw something in him. And that the singer-songwriter proved he could go even beyond her expectations.

“The moment I heard him auditioning as we were looking for artists, I said, ‘This guy got groove,’” reminisced Roxanne who is directing Ogie in his concert at Resorts World Manila (RWM).

The now 50-year-old household name was signed by Lapus after that audition.

While she can proudly say she discovered a major star that day, she also admitted she did not expect that longevity is also Ogie’s destiny. She revealed, “Truth is, I never thought he’d last this long. He became a total talent. And he’s a makata, may kurot sa puso mga songs n’ya. Tumatagos talaga.”

She and Ogie are now reunited and collaborating for The Soundtrack Of My Life symphonic concert at the RWM’s Newport Performing Arts Theater tonight at 8. The balladeer will be backed by Manila Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) under the baton of Maestro Rodel Colmenar. It also features Asia’s Songbird and Ogie’s wife Regine Velasquez-Alcasid.

The OPM stalwart, who recently met the press over lunch at Passion Restaurant of RWM, expressed, “The soundtrack of my life is my family. It’s about what I have achieved through the music that has breathed through me by God.”

During the show, fans can expect the hitmaker to sing his classic songs such as Nandito Ako, Dito Sa Puso Ko, Bakit Ngayon Ka Lang, Sa Kanya, Hanggang Ngayon, Kung Mawawala Ka and Ikaw Sana.

“I’m really excited to be working with Roxanne Lapus after so many years,” said Ogie, also known as a comedian who helped catapult to fame the sitcom Bubble Gang with Michael V.

Active in the mainstream local showbiz for the past 29 years, Ogie said, “I’m thankful that I’m still here doing what I love doing: Singing, entertaining, making people laugh and writing songs.”

“Doing these things gives me extreme joy. If you ask me, I don’t want it to end,” he added.

Ogie has so far recorded 20 albums, eight of these went platinum, three even double-platinum. He has received more than 70 awards throughout his stellar career.

With fondness, he mentioned having been influenced by Rico J. Puno, Barry Manilow and Rey Valera. He remembered being teased with the moniker Hico Puno at home as nod to the first letter of his first name Herminio. He will do a medley of Rico J. hits.

His songwriting, he said, is Manilow-ish rendered in Tagalog while, humbly enough, he does not consider himself as poetic as Rey whom he noted for being able to paint a vivid picture of romance in just a few words.

Roxanne stressed, “One day, Ogie’s name will be mentioned in the same breath as that of Canseco (George), Cayabyab (Ryan) and Cruz (Willy).”

(For details, visit www.rwmanila.com or call 908-8833.)