Martin is such a delightful interviewee. Very articulate and voluble, you ask him one question and he answers in several paragraphs. At the presscon of “Ultimate”, the dream Valentine concert he’s having with Regine Velasquez, Gary Valenciano and Lani Misalucha at SM MOA Arena, we ask him what he finds most endearing and not so endearing in his co-singers and he says quite a mouthful.
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“I just want you to know, that to sing with Regine and Lani can be very, very intimidating,” he says. “You just have to level up to their performance level, to their range and vocal calisthenics that they do. I won’t try to sound like them but I have to be up to par with them, otherwise I won’t make the team sound good. So you might get to see a lot of that on ‘Ultimate’, we might have to level up, not to compete, but to level up with them. Lani and I have been together in the Las Vegas strips, struggling together. The most endearing thing about Lani is when she knew I was going through bad times, she was there for me. Both of us were trying to make it on the strip. She was at my side, I was at her side, and the most endearing thing about her is she never puts herself ahead of you or ahead of your needs. What’s not endearing with her is she always burps before each show. I don’t know why. She never stops burping. I don’t know if it’s her nerves, acid reflux or something, I have no idea. As for Regine, there was a time when she wanted to quit and I was the one who told her not to. But the fact she stayed with her craft, and now she’s more passionate than ever, not just in her job but in her family, her love for her family, for her son, her husband and for her God, all of these things are very endearing about Regine. What’s not endearing about is that she doesn’t move when she’s on stage. She just stands there like a tree and she just stays there. And the audience is silent, no one is texting, no one is talking. But during my shows, my God, they’re texting, they’re free-styling. I wish Regine would move a little so that I know she’s awake and her heart is still beating. Now, about Gary, what can I say about him? He is my brother. We’ve been together for so many years. When he’s around, I get emotions that I don’t know what it is! He’s like Jesus in the room or something! He has this Godly presence that makes you want to confess to him, this aura that makes you want to tell him, Hey, here’s what I am going through. Can you help me? Can you pray for me? I’ve seen him in all his autograph sessions. He stops signing and pray for this person who’s talking about his infidelity. You should talk to me first! I know so much about that. But they go straight to Gary. Are they healed? Of course not! He doesn’t have that power. But…do they feel better? Yes. I don’t know why. He can stop singing and later just be a counsellor or pastor. Even in ASAP, everyone goes to him for advice when they have problems. But the most endearing thing is he stays focused, he stays grounded, he knows his family comes first, he knows his God comes first. And I hope and I pray that all the artists follow Gary’s path. As an artist, he’s sooo focused! He knows every note, every beat. Every part of his arrangement. Me, I barely know the lyrics. Maybe that’s not good, but I was telling Angeli (Valenciano) and the rest: Why do we have to rehearse so much? I want to enjoy the show too! I don’t wanna be so well that I am a machine! Now, what’s not endearing in him. He’s a slob. He’s a mess! He’s a walking hurricane. A typhoon. When we share a dressing room in our shows abroad, he doesn’t organize his clothes. I’m the one organizing because I can’t find my own clothes! It’s like a very bad marriage! I didn’t know when we got engaged. And when we had our honeymoon, it was over! The room was a mess! It’s like there was a plane crash that scattered everything. He has so many shoes. In our show, he’s got new shoes for every spiel! And he’s got a matching belt for those shoes! People are taking pictures not of him. But of his clothes! This bothers me. One time, I have two pairs of shoes and two suits because I only had two numbers. He had the same number but he had 15 pairs of pants. I don’t know how many suits. That’s from his closet. Plus, may dumating pa na clothes ng clothes sponsors! There’s no room for me in that dressing room! He is a mess! But I still look forward to working with him, Regine, Lani. This for me will be a milestone in my career! To be able to perform and to learn from the great performers: Regine Velasquez, Lani Misalucha, and Gary Valenciano!”“Ultimate” is produced by Star Media Entertainment of Anna Puno and I-Music Entertainment of Cacai Mitra. Tickets are available at all SM Ticket outlets, 470-2222 and on Star Media, 854-3300/901-4562.
