Better, wiser, bolder

VETERAN singer Martin Nie­vera insists he is a better performer now than he ever was.

It comes with the territory, he says.

“As you grow old­er you realize you have to put yourself out there more,” he explains in a recent interview, not­ing how younger singers keep him on his toes.

“I mean, you just have to come out there and do your best or else you’d be swamped, run over,” he adds.

“Not only that,” he blurts, in­terrupting himself, “audiences nowadays are really discrimi­nating. They know when you’re just winging it.”

Among young artists he ad­mits to fearing performing after is Morissette Amon.

He said, “Have you seen her? Grabe. You wouldn’t want to per­form after that girl. Sobra. She’s just so galing.”

Martin says he feels the same fear perform­ing with Lani Misalu­cha.

He relates an inci­dent: “There was this one time they actually brought the curtains down after she per­formed. They thought the show was over na. But it was actual­ly my show, not hers! So, my performance was cut short! Akala nila finale na!”

It didn’t stop him from signing on to perform with Lani in “Timeless Classics,” a concert slated on Feb. 14 at The Philippine International Convention Center (PICC).

“Well, it is because now I know how to deal with it – we start and end the show together, wala nang solo-solo sa dulo, sabay na,” he says.

The two have been performing to­gether for some time now but Martin is adamant “Timeless Classics” will be altogether different.

“Like I said, audiences in this day and age are really smart, they know when you’re just serving the same old dish,” he says, going on to relate how they made “Timeless Classics” diverse put­ting in numbers he and Lani rarely per­form live.

“I’d like to describe the concert as an appetizer of sorts, we made it so that it will really set you in the mood for ro­mance. It’s a Valentine’s concert after all,” Martin adds.

Note, however, Martin, doesn’t re­ally believe in celebrating Valentine’s or any special holiday whatsoever, personally.

“I’m not the kind of person,” he says. “I would rather work on those dates. I don’t know. That’s how I am. Val­entine’s, Christmas, New year’s Eve, I even work during my own birthday!” (NEIL RAMOS)