No sibling rivalry for Richard and Rachel
It’s not surprising that siblings Richard Merk and Rachel Anne Wolfe would embark on their respective singing careers. After all, music is in their genes, being the children of Jazz Queen Annie Brazil. Both attest their mom has a big influence in their decision to become singers, too.
Although it was Richard who first followed in their mom’s footsteps, Rachel was eventually also lured into the limelight and seriously pursued her own showbiz career. “When Richard was performing with his Blackbird Band, I was only 16,” Rachel grants. “At that time, I was already singing in lounges, doing TV commercials and print ads. Watching my mom and my brother perform inspired me and made me venture into singing.”
Growing up under one roof, Richard and Rachel had their early bonding years as siblings. As her Kuya Ricky, Richard made it a point to look after his only “baby sister,” Rachel being 14 years his junior. Amazingly, they never fought nor had any misunderstanding. Perhaps it’s the wide age gap that prevented them from clashing, compared to other siblings.
“We don’t have secrets from each other,” Richard says. “She knows the deepest, darkest and finest secrets of my life and I also do know hers. We talk to each other a lot. We keep communication lines open even if she lives in the
He was protective of her while they were growing up, the type of brother who would scrutinize every boy who went to their house even if he was not a suitor. “He was a very strict kuya,” Rachel says of her big brother. “He was a stickler for good manners. There was one guy who was courting me and he didn’t like the guy, so he confronted him. He (Richard) acted like a father figure to me because of the absence of my dad.”
Even when Richard started living independently, Rachel attests she always dreaded it then when she would have to meet up with him over lunch for their family get-together. “One time, I was wearing white shoes and floral top and he criticized and made fun of what I was wearing that it made me cry,” she narrates. “I had to run to the comfort room and hide because I didn’t want him to see me.”
But Richard is also the sweet and caring brother to Rachel. “When he would go abroad to perform, he would always bring me pasalubong,” she offers. “Most of my Mickey Mouse stuff came from him.”
Last August, Rachel returned to the country to launch her latest album, Cool, under Sony BMG Records. The CD is a compilation of songs that has a varied feel of hip-hop, R ’n B, pop and a touch of jazz. Through the album, Rachel reinvents herself after not being seen in the local entertainment scene for nearly two decades.
In 1988, she gave up a flourishing showbiz career to settle in the
“My kids are now grown-up, that’s why I’m able to do this now,” she admits. “I was pregnant every other year that’s why I’ve been changing diapers for 10 years. Now that my kids are independent, I am able to pursue something that I love.”
Her husband, John, also gave her full support in her musical undertaking and allowed her to be physically separated from the family for her artistic pursuit. “My husband knows deep in his heart that this is what I really want,” Rachel says. “There’s no way I can do this without the stability of our family. My husband and I have solid foundation. Our love is written in stone.”
Rachel was scheduled to go back to
“I told her that’s not the way to do it,” Richard says. “You can’t be here one month and be away the next. People have to see you consistently. I am full support to Rachel in whatever she does and she does the same with me. She will always be my little sister. I am very happy for what she has achieved and she feels the same way for me. We’re in the same business that’s why we respect and understand each other.”
Richard admires Rachel’s love for her family and their mom, Annie, who has been living with his sister in
“Rachel is like a Superwoman, living in the States, taking care of four kids and managing a family,” Richard allows. “I’ve always been proud of her, but now that she has discovered another facet in songwriting, I’m prouder of her in a different level. She can write really good songs. I always sing songs for my mom, but never wrote a song for her to make her realize how important she is in our lives. Rachel always strives for perfection. She is selfless.”
Tomorrow, Oct. 16, the siblings will share the stage for the first time in a back-to-back one-night engagement, R&R, which stands for Richard Merk and Rachel Anne Wolfe,
Richard will be joined by Merk and Friends, the group which performs with him every Wednesday at his Merk’s Bistro Bar and Music Lounge, while Rachel will sing with Aretha and the Souled Out band, which also sings with her regularly at Merk’s on Thursdays. Special guests are Vernie Varga and Anna Fegi.
R&R comes on the heels of the highly-successful In the Genes, which featured Richard and Rachel with their mom Annie, also at the Captain’s Bar last month. For the Oct. 16 concert, Richard and Rachel assure more musical fireworks.
Asked to describe their concert, Richard remarks, “This is hard work, good show, happy night and high-energy performance. We will take the audience down memory lane. We’ll give them a little bit of nostalgia by singing songs that haven’t been heard in a long time. We’ll make the audience relax and forget what’s troubling them.”
It was the idea of Richard’s wife and Rachel’s “wonderful sister-in-law” — Roni Tapia-Merk — to bring together the siblings in one stage. “It’s rare that you see them together,” Roni explains. “Since Rachel is here, we thought of doing a show with both of them. This is the first time they will perform onstage.”
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