Viva opens Vis-Min branch, signs up two Cebuana talents

CEBU, Philippines - Viva Entertainment Group’s top honcho Vic del Rosario, Jr., better known in the industry as Boss Vic, is determined to extend his Midas touch outside of Manila by establishing an artist recruitment and management group for the Visayas and Mindanao regions.

Announced during a press conference last Saturday, the Vis-Min branch is called Viva Concerts and Events South, Inc. and was formed through a formal partnership inked between del Rosario and Tonyson Luther Lee, the head of 3Some Events and Production. Their office is situated in Hernan Cortes St., Mandaue City.

Aside from discovering showbiz talents, they will specialize in events conceptualization, management and coordination services. They are also on the look-out for promising writers and directors. “Hopefully, later on we can also come up with TV programs and films based in the region,” del Rosario told The FREEMAN.

Two of those who passed Viva South’s series of talent auditions and have been signed up for management deals are Miss Cebu 2012 Pierre Anther Infante and Sinulog Idol 2011 Raechelle Mae Faelnar.

Infante is said to be interested in acting and honing her skills as a host. She is a Mass Communications graduate from Southwestern University and was a former DJ for Monster Radio BT 105.9.

Faelnar, on the other hand, will be trained to become a bankable singer, much like Viva’s popular recording artists Rachelle Ann Go, Mark Bautista and Sarah Geronimo, to name a few.

“The lengths of their contracts are not yet final, but most of my new talents have medium-term contracts, which means three to five years. The reason it’s that long, it’s because we believe it takes a while to make a star. Sarah Geronimo has been with me for 10 years, and it’s just been recently that she’s really gotten big. Anne Curtis, another Viva talent, started when she was 12. It also took her long before becoming a sought-after name,” said del Rosario, who’s also steering the careers of Sharon Cuneta, Willie Revillame, KC Concepcion and Vice Ganda.

“I believe that an artist’s strength should be really developed and trained. Their careers should be thoroughly planned. We give them the break, but at the end of the day, it’s the people who decide if they like a certain talent,” he added.

He estimates his current number of talents to be at 250. The top producer will venture into managing athletes next, specifically the boxers in the ALA Promotions stable. While his number of wards may already be a handful, del Rosario stressed there is a need to find fresh faces to build up. “We need more. There are a lot of successful artists who came from Cebu like Kim Chiu, Vina Morales, etc. We feel that Cebu and the rest of the Visayas and Mindanao regions are good sources of diamonds in the rough whom we can transform into stars,” he said.

Securing his own Cebu residence in anticipation of frequent visits to check the goings-on in Viva South is proof of his long-term commitment, del Rosario disclosed.

Viva South’s first venture was the full-house “Abba Mania Live in Cebu Concert” held last April 20 at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino. They also brought the foreign group to Bacolod City for an April 24 concert and will fly them next to Cagayan de Oro City for an April 28 show.

Next month’s event is the Summer Sunscream Outdoor Beach Party 2013, an annual summer bash by Ipanema. It will be held at the Portofino Beach Resort in Mactan, Lapu-Lapu City on May 25. To be hosted by Solenn Heusaff, the event will feature performances by Kamikazee, Powerspoonz, Greyhoundz, Queso and other bands.

Tickets are priced at P1,000 and are available at the SM City Cebu Customer Counter. Buyers can avail of the early bird discount promo if they will get their tickets on or before May 11 for P400; on or before May 24 for P600; and on May 25 for P800.

Other Viva South events scheduled for this year are Martin Nievera’s 30th anniversary concert, Sarah Geronimo’s 10th anniversary concert and a part two of Anne Curtis’ “AnneBisyosa” concert.

Lee said Cebuanos should expect leveled-up concert productions with Viva in the picture. However, both he and del Rosario feel there is a need for more concert venues in Cebu at par with those in Manila so that big acts will not hesitate to come over. (FREEMAN)