Paolo & Gabriel: Each other's keeper

You need not look twice to say that Paolo Valenciano and younger brother Gabriel are polar opposites. While Paolo would rather listen and keep his silence, Gabriel or Gab would be holding a talkfest and cracking jokes.

While Paolo would rather put his savings in a business (he sold ice drops at age three), Gab doesn’t wait for the new laptop model to come out of the market before buying one.

While Paolo chooses to rock, Gab would rather dance up a storm, the way he did on TV 5’s Shall We Dance?, where he emerged winner.

While Paolo goes for plain T-shirt and pants, Gab prefers stylish clothes.

While Paolo treats sister Kiana, 16, like a friend, Gab acts as the Kuya who will give you a piece of his mind when you do something wrong.

But make no mistake about it. The brothers take their role as each other’s keeper seriously. When Paolo said that he is short at 5’7”, the six-footer Gab retorted: “But you’re pogi naman!”

Read: Don’t feel bad; your redeeming points will more than save the day.

When they share a room during their many travels together, the brothers talk about things close to their hearts: Family, music and but of course, girls.

The heart-to-heart talks allow Paolo to remind Gab: “C’mon, you took (her rumored girlfriend) Rachelle Ann Go home when the A.S.A.P. people went to our house!”

The younger brother is caught flat-footed at first, but quickly recovers.

“It’s still too early to tell what lies ahead. M.U. could be the better word,” admits Gab.

Rachelle Ann, he says, shares the same love for God and family that he does.

It all happened fast, when A.S.A.P. had a team-building session at the Valenciano home. Everyone did a count-off, and Rachelle and Gab found themselves together as partners. Asked to illustrate what matters most to them, they discovered how similar they are.

It was easy for Gab to tell Rachelle how much a fan of her singing style he has grown to be. It was easy for him to invite her over to the piano so he can teach her a few chords. Above all, it felt so nice to bring her home later.

“We haven’t gone out on dates,” Gab relates. “Her mom is strict. I have to be out of their house by 11:30 p.m.”

Mom Angeli adds, “They watched Sarah’s (Geronimo) concert together!”

Kuya Paolo, on the other hand, is over that getting-to-know-you stage with a girl by now. He has, in Angeli’s words, “been there, done that.” In fact, he plans to marry girlfriend Samantha Godinez (a relative of Martin Nievera) two to three years from now.

“I think I’m already emotionally ready for marriage,” he explains. “I want to be young enough to be a friend to my children,” explains the 24-year-old Paolo. He’s taking the cue from his Dad Gary, who became a first-time father at 20. Paolo may be many years older than his dad by the time he (Paolo) will give Gary his first grandchild. But the point is, Paolo loves the way his dad is raising him up, he (Paolo) wants to do the same for his family someday.

Angeli has no objections. After all, Samantha’s mom is a friend. And she trusts Paolo’s taste in women.

“I go for those with breeding,” he reveals.

Gab may be strangely quiet about this. But you know, in his choice of girlfriends — Nikki Gil (they’ve broken up) and Rachelle Anne — that he has the same standards.

Needless to say, the brothers also share an all-encompassing love for their dad. No other tribute can be as touching as Paolo’s wish to start a family early the way his dad did. Months back, Paolo threw a surprise birthday party for Gary at Magnet High Street at The Fort. Paolo and his band Salamin, plus colleagues Sugarfree, Rivermaya, Urbandub, Out of the Body Special, Kjwan and others rocked to the beat of Gary V’s hits.

Gab is as much his father’s son in looks and in his boundless energy. And it won’t be surprising if Mr. Pure Energy will give way to Mr Pure Power (Gab’s moniker) someday.

Watching Gab make those hip-hop moves on stage is seeing a younger Gary V all over again.

“Because I’ve been dancing all my life in a way, it’s become a natural thing to me,” says Gab. “But when I learn new moves, it can get pretty bloody! Of course with much practice comes excellence (and) I learned from my dad.”

To prove just what they mean, Paolo and Gab will guest in their dad’s concert, Gary V Live at 25 tomorrow, Nov. 14 and 15 at the Araneta Coliseum. Joining them are sister Kiana, Jericho Rosales, Karylle, Rachelle Ann, Rivermaya, Sugarfree, Bloomfields, Salamin, Powerplay, Yeng Constantino, Laarni Lozada, Gloc 9, the Manoeuvres, the Philippine All Stars, G-Force and others.

From the looks of it, the show is not only a celebration of Gary’s 25 years in the business. It’s also a celebration of family: The support, the power and the love it brings.