How working with Pepe Smith is helping Ruru’s foray into singing

Ruru Madrid

As he drops his first solo single, Ruru Madrid reminisced about working with Pepe Smith on a 2014 film, and how spending time with the late rock icon heightened his interest in music.

“He always had a guitar with him and would even buy new ones along the way. And whenever we had breaks, he would play them in jamming sessions. That was how you get more comfortable with him. He didn’t make you feel that he was the rock icon he was,” he told the Inquirer at the launch of his new song, “Nawawala.”

The actor, who was only 15 when he spent two months with Pepe in Baguio City and Mt. Pulag for “Above the Clouds,” need not explicitly ask for advice or tips about playing music. Watching him do it was enough.

“He was always so chill, but it seemed like he was giving a performance. Sometimes, he would write songs on the spot. And I’m very happy I had the opportunity to jam with him and just observe him,” Ruru, now 21, said. “He’s a legend. That’s one of the things I will never forget.”

The Kapuso star grew up in a music-loving family, with his father—a former band musician—being his biggest influence. As a child, he was exposed to different genres of music. But it was alternative rock he found himself gravitating to the most. “Some of my favorite acts are Eraserheads, Parokya ni Edgar, Sponge Cola and Hale,” he said.

And that’s the kind of sound he wanted to go for in the rock ballad, “Nawawala”—but with a contemporary touch.

“I have noticed that young people these days love tunes; they dig them, even if they’re about pain or heartbreak. And this song is perfect for that,” said Ruru, who also loves listening to newer bands and artists like Ben&Ben, I Belong to the Zoo and December Avenue.

“Nawawala”

Composed by Kettle Mata, Roger Alcantara and Enzo Villegas, “Nawawala” talks about a relationship teetering on the edge. “It’s about the different stages of love—the honeymoon phase, when problems start kicking in. But sometimes, you reach that point where you still love each other, but there’s already something missing despite giving it your all,” he explained.

Ruru has quite a solid tone and a nice range that lends itself well to pop-rock. But singing didn’t come naturally to him, he admitted. “I have no formal training, but I have always loved singing as a kid. Feel na feel ko, even if I was out of tune,” he said, adding that it was his stint in the 2012 talent search “Protégé” that he got to learn it.

“Being a celebrity here in the Philippines requires you to do a bit of everything. I underwent workshops and singing lessons. And the more I sang and practiced, the more I got used to it. I improved,” he said. “I can’t belt, so I have to try other things that suit my voice.”

Ruru plans to write his own songs and, hopefully, have his own live show in the future. But first, he needs to conquer his stage fright.

“I have done guest appearances in my fellow artists’ concerts in the past. But to this day, I still deal with stage fright—even in something as simple as a mall show,” he said. “But it’s my dream to play in intimate bar gigs, with people requesting songs and me happily obliging.”

“But you never know, when I’m ready and there’s an opportunity, maybe it’s possible to do a bigger venue,” Ruru added.