Ariel's lucky 13 years

After more than a dozen success-filled years in the biz, Ariel Rivera remains in fighting form – still in tip-top shape as an artist to reckon with.

He remembers his salad days as a showbiz newcomer with fondness. He backtracks to the time when he first heard his debut single, the monster hit ballad Sana Kahit Minsan, being played on the radio.

"I was surprised," Ariel recalls. "I was riding a jeepney then. So I whispered to my cousin that it was my song being played on the radio."

When he made his stage debut as a guest in Pops Fernandez’s 12-12 show at the old ULTRA, he was on pins and needles. "I was so nervous," Ariel looks back. "I kept rushing in and out of the comfort room. I felt sick."

By the time he made his solo concert debut in the show aptly titled First Time, held at Music Museum in 1991, Ariel was a bit calmer, more polished, in fact.

"It really felt good," he reminisces.

Once Ariel had his first taste of being on center stage, he knew instinctively that he belonged to the spotlight.

When he mounted his first big concert at the Folk Arts Theater, Simple Lang… Ariel in 1992, he was already a seasoned pro.

"It was very easy na for me," Ariel affirms. "It’s because Backroom booked us for provincial and campus tours every week. That served as our training ground."

For his unprecedented triumphs as a multi-media performer, Ariel gives credit to manager Boy Abunda and his Backroom, Inc. family.

"It’s all because of Boy and Backroom," he reiterates. "What makes Boy different from all managers is that he is very intelligent. And he knows how to handle people. He’s really a PR man."

Ariel was introduced to Boy by hitmaker Vehnee Saturno who was impressed by the Canadian balikbayan’s promising talent.

Since then, Boy has championed Ariel’s career from day one and has masterfully charted his meteoric rise.

After 12 years in the biz, Ariel insists he has remained basically the same person.

"Actually, if you ask Boy, not much has changed," Ariel states. "I’m still the same. For people who thought I was a jerk when I was starting out, I am still a jerk. But for those who thought I was a nice guy then, I am still a nice guy."

The essential Ariel, he says, is totally non- showbiz.

"I speak my mind. I don’t care whether other people like my opinion or not," he pipes up. "I don’t sugarcoat. I am honest and true to my word."

Being brutally frank can be a liability in showbiz, but Ariel has turned it into an asset.

"I turn it to my advantage," he volunteers. "If there is one thing I knew before going into the business, it’s that I cannot please everybody."

True to form, Ariel gave his two cents’ worth with characteristic candor on two of the hottest issues confronting him at the moment.

When he moved to GMA 7 after 11 years in ABS-CBN 2, showbiz observers made a big fuss, dismissing the transferees as "rejects".

Ariel bristled at the insinuation: "Does it follow then that even a CNN awardee like Karen Davila, who moved from GMA 7 to ABS-CBN 2, is a reject? Each in his own time. I worked for a long time in ABS-CBN 2. Now that I am in GMA 7, I promise to give it my best shot."

He asserts that he left his old show A.S.A.P. and his old network ABS-CBN, on a positive note.

"I formally resigned," Ariel recounts. "So ABS-CBN asked me if I was fielding an offer from GMA 7. I honestly said yes. So they came up with a counter-offer. But still we chose GMA 7 because we found the offer more appealing. And I also thought I was ready for a change. I was in that same slot (Sundays, 12 noon to 2:30 p.m.) for 11 years. After a while, it became monotonous for me. I was just going through the motions. I needed something different. I needed a new challenge."

And GMA 7 has given Ariel a mighty challenge in his new star-studded soap opera, Narito ang Puso Ko, topbilling Jolina Magdangal, Raymart Santiago, Raymond Bagatsing and Rosa Rosal.

For the new telenovela, Ariel plays against type, as a meek-looking but mean-spirited son.

"The challenge is in how you attack the character," Ariel explains. "In how you expose his true colors slowly."

After all, Ariel is the same award-winning actor who shared the silver screen with the likes of Vilma Santos, Lea Salonga and Sharon Cuneta.

Ariel is also expected to make waves with his much-anticipated reunion concert with Regine Velasquez.

"The last time we had a major concert was in 1994, Two Hearts, One Beat at the PICC," Ariel relates. "I am excited about this because I’ve always thought we had a good musical combination."

In spite of the potential onslaught of intrigues, Ariel is optimistic about their back-to-back concert.

"You just have to handle it with maturity," Ariel asserts. "That’s the only way. I’ve never been the type to rely on cheap gimmicks anyway."

He is also promoting his latest album under BMG Records Pilipinas titled In My Life whose carrier single is Tell Me, a revival of Joey Albert’s hit in the ‘80s. The song was made into a duet and recorded with Regine herself.

The album contains nine other stirring ballads Ariel is known for. Included in the In My Life album are Before You, You Are, Mamahalin, Love is the Answer, Ibulong Mo Sa Hangin and Maghihintay. It also contains two other revivals: You and Narito.

"I’m very proud of this album," says Ariel. "It perfectly captures what I am right now. As an artist, I make it a point that each album I release reflects my persona, my feelings and many more. It’s not just a matter of recording a song then releasing it. It should have a stamp of who and what I am."

"Recording the duet with Regine was easier than I thought," continues Ariel. "She was game and very cooperative. I’m glad we are now friends and that we even have a duet together."

Ariel is as busy as ever, even after a dozen years in the biz. (On top of his showbiz work, he has three burgeoning business ventures: a Domino’s Pizza branch in San Fernando, Pampanga; a car repair shop in Taguig and a tile export company with contacts in the US and Canada.)

"I’ve never looked at my job as a stepping stone to something bigger. Rather, I consider it a blessing," Ariel intones. I’ve reached my goal: being happy with myself, my family and my life."

That, in a capsule, is Ariel’s biggest achievement after 13 lucky years in showtown.