Martin ‘chases time’ once again

Martin Nievera has never made any secret of the fact that he wants to make it big abroad, particularly in the US. This is something common to Filipino artists, who are aware that being Pinoys set a lot of limits to their creativity and earning power. Of course, it is also true that despite the reported abhorence of the so-called colonial mentality, we still do measure success in relation to how we compare to foreigners.

So, for singers like Martin, it is always, if only they can sell out a concert outside of the Filipino communities abroad, if they can find that agent or producer who will believe in their talent or if they can make that hit album that will chart in Billboard. Everything then would be a whole lot better. So we see them year after year after year going off to the US, intent on hitting the big time. Then they come back some months or even years later, resuming their careers in the country with the stoic acceptance that the dream has failed.

Martin is one local artist who has a strong chance of making it in the US. The childhood spent in Hawaii and the constant traveling have given him a very Western perspective of everything. Even his sense of humor is very American so there is no question that he can certainly hold his own anywhere as an entertainer. But the problem in the US is that although the place is now a melting pot of races, there remains a tendency to lump people under categories. Martin can sound white or black but he is neither. He does not also belong to the other dominant races in America, Chinese or Latino. He is a Filipino, versatile, adaptable, resilient and remarkably talented.

However, it now looks like Martin has finally hurdled that problem. The solution comes from Las Vegas, a place where ethnicity can be a virtue. So why wait for that album deal in New York or LA when the halls of Vegas are constantly in need of entertainers. Thankfully too, there is now a move to return Vegas to the era of Sinatra and for crooners who can bridge the gap between Sammy Davis, Jr., and Michael Buble. And thankfully, I mean this in double doses, some people there have found out that Martin is the man for the job. So starting New Year’s Eve this year, he will be holding court at the new Golden Nugget.

Old soul that I am, the swinging crooner is the Martin I like best. So I am happy over this development. I suspect that he is too, especially now that he is busy testing his Las Vegas repertoire with local audiences. It is always a treat hearing him do the old songs and I am sure that Vegas will enjoy his performances. While elating, this bit of news affects my reaction to Martin’s new Chasing Time II album.

His singing is in top form and the choice of songs impeccable. However, ambivalence is what comes to mind while listening to the album. Here is an artist who has reached the crossroads and is at a loss on what to do. He wants to cling to what he perceives his followers like, hence the carrier cut, Hanggang Ngayon, a sentimental ballad in Filipino. He includes R&B songs like Brian McKnight’s For the Rest of My Life because it is foreign and seen as trendy. Because he is the Smart Buddy endorser, he sings Buddy Language.

What I make out of the collection is a hodge podge that works only because Martin is singing the songs. I see Chasing Time II as a transition package. Here is the hitmaking Martin Nievera but he is moving on to more interesting things and I can’t wait to find out how the new one will turn out.

The album comes with a video CD that features the MTV version of Hanggang Ngayon, a live performance of Chasing Time from last year’s Christmas concert, the Buddy Language full-length video and his spiel Speak. The rest of the cuts are Sorry Song, Love You Forever, Anything for You, Visions of a Sunset, Near, You Made a Difference to Me, Tayo Pa Rin, You Could Love Me, Nag-iisa Pa Rin, One More War and Maghihintay Pa Ba?