‘Fearless & extremely talented’ Poppert Bernadas goes solo
If there’s one singer that National Artist Ryan Cayabyab has consistently and generously praised on and off cam, it is Poppert Bernadas.
“Poppert is gifted with an extraordinary wide vocal range and fearless interpretations of difficult songs,” Mr. C tells The STAR. His comment is seemingly a validation of the artist’s decision to go solo in his career after being part of the Ryan Cayabyab Singers (RCS) for 18 years.
Poppert, who is also a theater actor, is hogging the limelight now sans a group but as a solo artist. He’s marking this bold act with SoloPOP, his concert on July 12 (tomorrow), 8 p.m. at the Music Museum.
SoloPOP emboldens his desire to be on his own, to shine alone. As he embraces this new chapter in his career, Poppert brings his powerful voice and heartfelt storytelling on center stage.
“Poppert’s vocal color is unique in that he can paint with the deepest of emotions and the lightest of touch at his beck and call. OPM is lucky to have someone like him who is extremely talented, polished, is very professional and truly congenial,” adds Mr. C.
“Parting with Mr. C was not easy. Leaving RCS was a difficult and prolonged decision. But Mr. C said, ‘It will be for your own good! Best of luck lagi’,” says Poppert, who learned to sing in his hometown of Davao City while helping his parents sell fish in the market. He honed his voice with the staple karaoke machine in their house. And in his grade school days, he started joining contests in every barangay in his hometown singing mostly the songs of Martin Nievera and Regine Velasquez.
His being a member of the prestigious group of Mr. C happened by accident in 2007 at the Robinsons Galleria. Then 20 years old, he saw a long line and decided to join the queue of more than 500 who auditioned. The audition process went on for two weeks and Poppert got a slot to be part of the seven singers who would form part of The Ryan Cayabyab Singers.
In 2015, Poppert joined The Voice Season 2 under singer-actress Sarah Geronimo as coach and reached the semi-finals.
As a recording artist, Poppert has released songs including Go With The Flow, Diri, Ambot Lang, Mama Ko, Payakap Inay and Bitaw, a stirring duet with Asia’s Songbird, Regine Velasquez.
In time for his concert tomorrow, Poppert just released his latest single called Kung Hindi Na Kaya, a collaboration with Paolo Benjamin of Ben&Ben.
How did Poppert prepare for his solo career?
“No preparation at all. Maybe my experience in the industry for 18 years? I just felt it, and I want to try to stand on my own this time. Life is short, minsan lang tayo mabuhay samundong ito. I might as well try other possibilities in life,” he says.
How ready are is he for his solo career?
“I think no one is ready, you just jump and try it out there. But it’s really a big deal to have 18 years of experience with RCS, with all the lessons learned from Maestro Ryan Cayabyab. I would also want to credit my theater experience for 15 years,” he says. Tucked under his belt are his remarkable performances in musicals Rak of Aegis; Rama, Hari; Lorenzo; Magsimula Ka; Godspell; One More Chance: The Musical, featuring the songs of Ben & Ben.
Life has prepared Poppert for every eventuality that may come his way. Big thanks to his late mother Cristina, his “compass and sail.”
“My mother is my inspiration; she’s the reason why I continue to sing. Gusto kong marinig niya pa rin ang boses ko kung nasaan man siya. And I know in my heart she’s just there,” he says.
He adds, “Mama was a fish vendor in Davao City. When I was younger, maybe in Grade 2 or 3, Mama would always bring me along and I would sing to her regular customers in the market and they would give me money. And every time I rendered a song, she would always smile.”
Poppert has never forgotten his mother’s sweet, sweet smile. When he sings, he always sees his mother in his mind’s eye, she who was the first to believe that he could sing, that he would go far in singing, that he would reach his dreams.
He had no formal training in music, except that he took after his father, his sister and aunt who were karaoke fanatics. From Davao, he went to the University of the Philippines in Diliman to take up Tourism and a master’s in Urban and Regional Planning.
In previous interviews, Poppert recounted that he would sleep beside his mother every night every time he would come home. “She was my safe place. Now, everything I do is in honor of her.”
“The best lesson I learned from Mama is to love my siblings,” says Poppert, who has three sisters he loves dearly. “My mother used to say that there would come a time when it would only be me and my siblings and that we should always be there for each other.”
“Si Poppert ay magaling na singer at mabait na bata ‘yan,” says Mr. C. With that, Mr. C knows the hallelujahs for the singer will not stop because he truly is a talent and apowerhouse.
The future is bright for Poppert Bernadas, the solo singer who is both excellent and kind.
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