For Jamie Rivera, there’s more to love than romance

Jamie Rivera

Jamie Rivera has been closely associated with songs that uplift that, sometimes, it can be easy to forget that, earlier in her career, she also sang pop songs and musical-theater staples. After recording the “Jubilee Song” in 2000, show biz folk called her the “Inspirational Diva”—a title that she admittedly found limiting.

“To be honest, I feel like I have been put in a box for a long time; it has somehow limited my packaging as an artist,” she said at a recent press conference for her coming Valentine concert, “All About Love,” which will be held at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza’s grand ballroom on Feb. 13 (call 0998-8559943 or 0956-8194964).

So, as she celebrates her 30th anniversary in the entertainment industry, the 50-year-old singer said she intends to revisit her pop roots.

“I plan to revive or reintroduce my early hits to younger people. I would also love to do new material,” said Jamie, who rose to fame in the 1980s with songs such as “Hey, It’s Me,” and portrayed Kim in the West End staging of “Miss Saigon” in the early 1990s.

Jamie has also been putting her songwriting skills to use, by providing material to teen idols like Janella Salvador, Bailey May and Ylona Garcia. “My favorite songs these days are ‘Photograph’ by Ed Sheeran, and ‘7 years’ by Lukas Graham,” she said. “They remind me of things from my past that I should always be thankful for.”

That doesn’t mean, however, that she would be stopping from writing and performing inspirational music.

“A lot of the songs I do today are for the country or are more appreciated by churchgoers. But this time, I want to tap the general public,” related Jamie, who fulfilled her dream of singing for Pope Francis her own composition, “We are All God’s Children”—the Vatican-approved theme song of the pontiff’s five-day visit in the Philippines in 2015.

For her show—in which she will have Crystal and The T.O.D. as front act, and Robert Seña and Frenchie Dy as guests—Jamie said she will have a repertoire that is heavy on “soothing” standards. She would be singing about love, of course, but it will not be limited to the romantic kind.

“Love is a big word and universal. There is love for country and humanity,” she pointed out. “There’s love for family, too. In fact, my biggest inspirations are my daughter (Reine) and husband (JB Mendoza). My world revolves around them,” Jamie said.