Martin promises livewire concert tonight

An eight-piece orchestra. Three backup singers. A visual effects engineer to provide spectacular background effects. The genius of veteran musical director Louie Ocampo. And Manila’s concert king himself, Martin Nievera. What more could you ask for? The entire package speaks of a high-caliber show that will surely be a first for Saipan and organizers are now promising a livewire performance by Nievera himself.

The singer arrived yesterday for tonight’s one-night concert and he is promising his audience a great show—one that he says will be the best among his off-island concerts.

Nievera said in a media conference yesterday afternoon that the concert on Saipan would even be better than the show he did in Guam a few years back because this is the first time that all his musical crew were included in the package and were flown here.

He said the show would include an eight-piece orchestra and three back-up singers. A visual effects engineer is also with the crew. “So it’s going to be a great show with all those effects while I sing,” he said.

Nievera’s concert, entitled “A Night to Remember,” will again pair him with his favorite musical director, Ocampo, with whom he has worked with for more than 10 years now. Ocampo and Nievera have composed and collaborated on several songs through the years.

He said the audience could expect a repertoire of his songs, including the very popular Be My Lady, Say that You Love Me, Each Day With You and Kahit Isang Saglit. Nievera has been in the music business for 23 years now.

“They can expect the old stuff with a little bit of everything,” he said, adding that he would be singing his old songs because this will be his first time to serenade his fans in the CNMI.
When he was informed that 30 percent of the population on the island is comprised of Filipinos, he said he is definitely sure that the audience would love to hear his classic hits.

ON POSTPONEMENT OF CONCERT IN GUAM

Nievera said he is very disappointed with the postponement of his concert on Guam. He said, though, that it was not a cancellation. “It’s no one’s fault,” he said. The Guam concert was postponed due to delays in processing the documents for his team.

He said he is looking at the brighter side: Now they would be able to plan a bigger concert for Guam.

Nievera held his very first concert in Guam in 1990, organized by the University of Guam.

Nievera said he looks forward to getting back to Guam but he also said his friends who were supposed to watch him in Guam would fly today to see his concert here on Saipan.

ON WORKING WITH BRIAN MCKNIGHT

Nievera said his 26th album, entitled “When Love is Gone,” will be released in the Philippines end of this month. The new album will feature collaborations with internationally acclaimed Grammy Award winning R&B singer Brian McKnight.

He said he and McKnight did a duet in So Sorry, a song McKnight composed. Nievera said the song is a combination of Tagalog and English lyrics. “It’s a song in Taglish,” he said.

Nievera translated the song into Filipino a year ago and McKnight recorded the Filipino version of the song in the Philippines. He recalled the R&B singer amazed him when he got the song right in an hour only. He said he loved working with McKnight; in fact, he said he did a remake of McKnight’s One Last Cry.

The new album will carry 17 tracks and the first cut to be released will be the album title, When Love Is Gone. He said the new album is for the broken-hearted, a digression from what fans have known him for.

He said he would be singing a cut from the album, a Filipino song entitled Nasaan Ka, a song that pines for a lost love.

CONCERT TOURS

Nievera and his crew landed on Saipan yesterday at 8:30am and they are set to leave the CNMI on Monday to prepare for a series of concerts in Singapore, Sydney, Australia and Rio, Nevada.

“I wish I had more time here,” he said. Nievera said it is his first time on Saipan and he loves the beaches. He would gladly do a follow-up concert if the people of the Commonwealth would support him. He said it would all depend on the outcome of the concert tonight.

Nievera said his retirement from the music industry is not likely to happen soon, adding that music has always been his passion.

Tonight’s concert, which is a fundraising event for the Northern Marianas College Foundation, will be held at the Hopwood Junior High School Amphitheatre. Gates will open at 5:30pm. The show will start at 7:30pm.

According to organizers, it is a “concert on the grass” and concertgoers are welcome to bring beach towels or mats to sit on.

TICKETS STILL ON SALE

Tickets are now available at $15 for adults; $12 for children 7 to 12 years old, while children 6 years and below will get in for free. Only a limited number of tickets will be available at the gate on Sunday, for a higher price of $20 each.

Tickets are still on sale at Pacific Trading Co., Saipan Tribune, Western Union, IT&E, all Joeten stores, all Shirley’s Coffee Shop locations, Jollibee, and selected Mobil gas stations.

Since the Hopwood Amphitheatre is expected to host a large audience, concert organizers said security will be tight at the venue and bags will be inspected upon entry to ensure the safety of concertgoers. No video cameras, outside food or drinks will be allowed. A choice of food and beverages will be sold inside the concert premises.

Pepsi, the Tan Holdings Foundation and Continental Airlines are presenting “A Night to Remember with Martin Nievera.” Sponsors include Aon Insurance, the Joeten Charitable Foundation, PacifiCare, Marianas Cablevision, Saipan Tribune, Mobil, 103.9 KZMI, Magic 100 FM, SaipanCell Communications, Quality Distributors, First Hawaiian Bank, Western Union, Club Chicago, IT&E, Verizon, Salon de Manila. Traders Insurance Company, Henry K. Pangelinan and Associates Inc., Reliance Construction Inc., J’s Restaurant, Barny’s Pizza, and Shirley’s Coffee Shop.