Martin Nievera tries singing a Visayan song for a change

MARTIN Nievera

Among the 12 classic local ballads that Martin Nievera recorded for his new album, “Kahapon… Ngayon,” the popular Visayan song, “Usahay,” comes off as the most curious addition to the track list.

The singer’s way of speaking in Filipino, self-admittedly, is already quite iffy. So, tackling a piece in a different Filipino dialect proved to be a tricky task. “My Filipino is terrible. What more my Visayan? But fortunately, there were people in the studio who helped me,” he told the Inquirer in a recent interview. “I’m sure they were pulling their hair out as I sang!”

Martin decided to do “Usahay,” he said, because he wanted to have something to delight fans with when he holds shows in Visayan-speaking provinces, specifically Cebu, where he “feels at home.” It’s also where his grandparents from his mother’s side used to live.

“Cebuanos can be picky when it comes to singers, so when you get invited back, consider it an honor. This is also my way of expressing my gratitude,” pointed out Martin, who listened to Pilita Corrales and Vina Morales’ respective versions of the said song as part of his preparation.

“Doing ‘Usahay’ was difficult. But once you put melody onto the words and understand the meaning behind them, things become easier. Then, you can express the song in many ways,” he added. “Good thing the melody is fairly simple.”

In rendering the song, Martin stayed faithful to its essence and kept the frippery to a minimum. The same was true with how he attacked the other tracks in the album, which likewise includes “Bato sa Buhangin,” “Maalaala Mo Kaya,” “Paraisong Parisukat” and “Saan Ka Man Naroroon,” a song that, he said, he has never performed before.

“There’s some belting, but it’s more subdued. I had to rein it in,” the 54-year-old music artist said. “When you listen to such songs from back in the day, it’s all about singing in a way that pierces the heart. So, here you can expect a lot of soft singing—falsettos, head tones, whispers.”

Instead of doing a series of mall shows to launch his record (for PolyEast Records), Martin will instead hold a concert on Aug. 26 at the Kia Theatre (9115555). Titled “The Best of Martin Nievera: Kahapon… Ngayon,” the gig will feature guests Noel Cabangon and Zsa Zsa Padilla; musical director is Marvin Querido.

E-mail [email protected].