Ariel Rivera: No conscious effort to stray away from music

Ariel Rivera

Ariel Rivera is more inclined to consider himself more of an actor than a singer these days. The bulk of his projects for the past several years have been for television and film.

The last time he released a studio album was in 2008. But it’s not that he got tired of doing music. For Ariel, it was simply “a natural progression” in his career.
“I wasn’t burned out, and there was no conscious effort to stray away from music. It just so happened that offers to do a soap came one after another. You don’t just pass up opportunities like those,” he said at a recent press conference for the repeat of the concert, “#LoveThrowback2.”

Set on May 27 at the Plenary Hall of the Philippine International Convention Center, the show is mounted by Royal Chimes Concerts and Events.
The closing of his label, Sony BMG, Ariel pointed out, was also a factor in his diminished presence in the music scene. “After that, I didn’t seek out other record companies. I felt that most of them didn’t focus anymore on older acts like me, anyway,” said the actor-singer, who has been part of at least one TV series every year since 2003.
“I still love singing. But it’s hard to focus on it or juggle it with acting, because tapings are usually four times a week,” he added.
But thankfully, Ariel still gets to do shows once in a while, either abroad or for corporate events. Ariel had also ventured into stage plays, like “Rama at Sita” and the local restaging of “The Sound of Music.”
What does the 50-year-old artist miss most about doing big concerts?
“The feeling of being in control; of having the power to make the listeners emotional with a song, or make them giggle with a joke. It’s very heartening to see people singing along with you. There’s an immediate response, which you don’t get from acting in front of the cameras,” he said.

“Another thing I miss about the live music scene is sharing the spotlight with gifted artists and feeding off of their energy.”

According to Ariel, fans can expect him to perform “at least 80 percent OPM”—the least that he can do for the industry.
Joining him in the concert (for tickets, call 4702222, 8919999) are Christian Bautista, Hajji Alejandro, Nina, Jinky Vidal and Joey Generoso.