Pops and other silvers

Has it really been 25 years since a pretty 14-year-old named Pops Fernandez made her debut with the song Dito? That is what Silver, the title of her new album seems to say. Not quite. There is nothing in the way Pops looks that indicates she is 25 years older and I doubt if she will allow any sign of the times to make an appearance soon. Truth is, the actual 25th anniversary of her singing career is set next year and the album is but the first salvo in what will be a year-long celebration.

As it has always been with her colorful career, Pops proffers a lot of things that will be much-talked about in Silver. I’d say the most important among these is the cut Friends. She does this with a talented young man named Robin Nievera who also wrote the light rock ballad and plays acoustic guitar in the recording. Robin is the son of Pops and Martin Nievera. Given what his parents have accomplished I will not be surprised if Friends is the beginning of what will be his music career.

Now Pops and Martin may have already gone their separate ways but I do not think any of them has been on the lookout or is planning to look for another singing partner. They continue to work together and support each other’s individual projects. And that is why Martin is also very much present in Silver. He composed a song for Pops entitled Still in Love. Is he sending a message calculated to send shivers down the spines of diehard Pops and Martin fans? Maybe or maybe this just turned out to be the title of his song. No matter. At the bottom line is still Pops singing a Martin song.

Coincidentally, other cuts in the album also contribute to this kilig factor. Pops’ Silver also contains Kung Malalaman Mo and You Said Goodbye by Vehnee Saturno; Ano’ng Sabi ng Puso by Moy Ortiz and Edith Gallardo; Mahal Kita Dahil Mahal Kita by Babsie Molina and Edith and Wag Kang Mangako by Cecile Azarcon. For her foreign covers Pops chose By Heart because she has always wanted to record a Jim Brickman composition; Wrong for Me to Say I Love You, the Pia Sadora original which is the album’s first single and What I Did for Love, the standard which sums up what artists of any kind gave up to fulfill their dreams.

Pops sings all these in the simple laid-back arrangements that have become her trademark. In a land where vocal acrobatics have become the norm, she is a radio-friendly presence. Too bad that while enjoying Wrong for Me to Say I Love You, a lot of people are thinking about what went wrong between her and Martin and if things are serious between Pops and Jomari Yllana. Still it can never be denied that such kilig items helped sustain her popularity during the past 25 years and will continue to do so in the future.

Filipino Classics

Viva Records will launch Filipino Classics, an album featuring great Filipino songs interpreted by Basil Valdez with the San Miguel Philharmonic Orchestra with music arranged and conducted by Ryan Cayabyab at 6 p.m. on Nov. 15 at the Grand Atrium of Shangri-La Plaza. The release of this monumental production is part of the celebration of the 25th anniversary of Viva Entertainment.

The event marks the first time Valdez, the country’s premier male vocalist will be performing some of the oldest and most loved songs from our music heritage. Included in the album are Diyos Lamang ang Nakakaalam, Sa Ugoy ng Duyan, Bituing Marikit, Sapagka’t Kami ay Tao Lamang, Bayan Ko, Lagi Kitang Naaalala, Mahiwaga, Kung Nagsasayaw Kita, Bakas ng Lumipas, Madaling Araw, Babalik Ka Rin and Dahil Sa Isang Bulaklak.

Still on silver anniversaries. Now available are more titles in the Silver Series of CDs from Viva Records. These are reissues of hit recordings and rarities by some of the biggest names in local music priced at only P150 each. The first batch released a few months ago was such a big success that more albums were added. Leading the line-up is Regine Velasquez’s Duets. There are also albums by Rico J. Puno, Jun Polistico, Wency Cornejo and others.