Perfect Harmony: OPM icons Pops Fernandez, Martin Nievera, Zsa Zsa Padilla and Gary Valenciano speak on the current state of the Philippine music industry

“I think the way that I keep relevant is to  always be inspired to meet people at the point of their need. So it’s not just an expression of me. Let’s say I want to speak about love. That’s it. No. I want to speak about what’s going on in the streets. I am sensitive to what people are facing,” he says, speaking of how he ensures he delivers the right messages through his music. “If I can somehow meet them at their low point, not to be the problem solver but just to open up their eyes to [make them realise] ‘Yeah, that makes sense’... then I think that’s going to be the main driving factor that may keep me around for years to come.” No wonder his songs are full of heart and inspiring messages, so full that they earned him 12 Awit Awards (the Philippine version of the Grammys) for Best Performance by a Male Recording Artist. “That word ‘relevance’ is key to me because I can sing a song that becomes a hit today and be forgotten tomorrow. But if I can sing a song that can somehow redirect, change or encourage a life or a soul, that’s more than a reward for me.” 

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This makes Take Me Out of the Dark, a powerful song about seeking God’s help in times of difficulty, the most memorable song for him.  Unbeknownst to many, the song was part of a Christmas album in 1986. “It was a risk. It was the last song put into the album,” Valenciano says. A few months later in 1987, as he was trying to promote another single, What More Can I Say, he got a call from a radio station asking him if they could play Take Me Out of the Dark, even just for Holy Week. To his delight, Valenciano agreed, and the next thing he knew, the song continued to be played on air for many years. “I’m so proud because I took the risk of putting up a song at a time when there weren’t many songs like that. And that opened the door for me to record an entire album called Shout for Joy; the rest is history,” he says. 

Fast forward to today, and his philosophy in music remains the same. For him, the message is critical. His recent collaboration with rapper-songwriter Gloc 9 further reaffirms this. Titled Walang Pumapalakpak, the song is about a singer who keeps on singing even if no one acknowledges his talents. “But when I heard the song, I realised it’s not just about singers. It’s about people in general who seek affirmation and acknowledgement. So I said yes to that,” he says. The music video garnered over 600,000 views in its first month. 

On the current state of the local music industry, Valenciano believes that “right now, there is no need to fit into any category because there is a following for every genre. Authenticity is the name of the game. And I think musicians today are no longer thinking of how big a name they can become. They prefer to be authentic with their music. And it’s the way the public is reciprocating; it’s exactly the way it should be”.  

During his time, Valenciano explained that the challenge for singers and musicians like him was to prove themselves on a big stage. Today, the big stage is a screen, where access to content is limitless. “My live performances would only cater to hundreds, at most thousands. But now, if you’re authentic with what you do, you can come up with a guitar and record your voice, and you can reach millions of people worldwide [using these platforms]. So that’s the new generation’s advantage. “They have nothing holding them back. Production is a lot easier to learn and execute now. You can even do it with just  your phone.”

These conveniences, however, come with risks, and Valenciano feels AI is one of them. With just a prompt, a whole song with many options will appear right before your eyes. But as fast as AI creates these “songs” or “lyrics”, or as significant as AI may be, Valenciano believes “there’s something about a song that the soul of a human being is driving”.  

Valenciano is clear in his suggestions regarding support for the music industry: “If we could copy the Koreans who have made such an impact in the world, government support would be nice.” By this, he does not only mean financial support but more activities and opportunities for the artists and the people behind every production. “Maybe even in schools, the Department of Education can open up more courses on music production, not just music writing.”  

When asked what he thinks of P-pop, he quickly answered, “I watched the concert of BINI and I was entertained. They were great.” Coming from a seasoned performer like him, this fascination is not one without a basis. Valenciano has an ear for well-produced music, and BINI’s did not disappoint. “Who knows what they will be tomorrow with the training they have already undergone? I think P-pop will be around for a long time.”  

Another thing that keeps him busy is his face-to-face advocacy, where he goes from school to school to share his life lessons and music with students willing to listen. “It’s my way of giving back,” the inspiring singer concludes.

“When I started in the industry in the Eighties, concerts were not yet as popular; rather, they’re seasonal. When our generation began pushing for concerts, it became such a hit at that time,” shares Pops Fernandez, who would later be known as the Philippines’ Concert Queen—a title she has held for being among the first and few recording artists who were able to draw crowds that filled the country’s largest concert venues. “I am proud of that because I have been known for being a concert performer. That’s what people still know me for [to this day].”  

While she admits she is at a stage now when she is trying to slow down career-wise, she is still quite visible, having released a music video and finished several shows, including her two-night anniversary concert, Always Loved, in February this year, a concert that she hopes to bring to the US soon. “I always say that [maybe it’s time to plan for retirement]. But can we retire? I think we will only retire when we can’t perform anymore. I thought I was already slowing down, but I didn’t mind doing a couple more.” 

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Fernandez started her music career when she was 16, signing a contract with OctoArts Records in 1981. A year later, she launched her first self-titled album and co-hosted the TV show The Penthouse Live! with (now her former husband) Martin Nievera on GMA Network. “I was super thrilled then. When you’re young, you think it’s just fun and cute,” Fernandez says. But most importantly, during this time, she learnt that being a singer goes way beyond the glitz and glamour. “Learning and performing a song and being in front of a live audience is a lot of hard work.” Because her heart is really into singing, this realisation moved her to push further; fortunately, with the help of the talented directors and artists she had worked with, she learnt the ropes in time. “Now, it’s different. We have a new generation of singers who are not only talented but also fearless. They also learn so fast, I guess, because they have access to all these platforms,” she says, citing how the music landscape has changed with technology and how the younger generation is making good use of it. 

She explains that during her time, they had to fight for airtime on the radio for their songs to be played and to reach the listeners. Nowadays, anyone can record, sometimes on their own, using their gadgets, upload the song or video online, and let streaming platforms and social media do their magic. She adds that there was even a time when it was hard to make it big abroad as a singer; but now, with these platforms, music is more accessible and going global is not impossible anymore. “Once people like what they hear or see, they will instantly share it [on social media].”

Because of these changes in the music landscape, Fernandez admits she had to find ways to keep up-to-date and remain relevant constantly. “As much as we [artists] want to stick to our style, we also have to adjust,” she says. To cite an example, she recently recorded a song under Star Music titled Get It Poppin, an upbeat one far from the usual mellow ballads she is used to singing. “We keep our style, but we add some twists. That’s where the style of singing, the material itself, the way you attack it and the arrangement play a vital role,” says Fernandez. The song is about love—a recurring theme in Fernandez’s discography—but delivered in a more current style to tap into a broader market. These changes, while challenging, are also a good sign that there has been much progress in the local music industry. 

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“We’ve come a long way, but my dream for the industry is that we can promote more of our local songs globally,” she says. “We already know that our performers are great, but we hope our OPM can be promoted also because we have beautiful songs,” praying that one day OPM will earn global recognition just like how local music from other Asian countries has taken the world by storm. Speaking not only as a singer but as a concert producer, Fernandez also hopes that people will continue to help local musicians by supporting locally produced concerts and performances. “I am glad that the concert scene and live entertainment is back and alive again.”

Fernandez is confident in our country’s wealth of talents. For those who have just entered the music scene, her advice is to be confident in what they know they are good at and not force themselves to do things they are not. “People will see through you. They’ll see how passionate you are and how honest you are with your actions. You have to believe in yourself,” she says. 

Known as the Divine Diva,  Zsa Zsa Padilla started her singing career in 1982, joining Manila Sound band Hotdog for a year until she went solo. Since then, it has been a glorious path for her, allowing her to share the stage with some of the brightest stars in the business. Her original songs, such as Hiram, Ikaw Lamang, Kahit Na and Mambobola, remain classic favourites of many Filipinos here and abroad, alongside her revivals of Through the Years and We’re All Alone. Besides her powerful voice, Padilla earned acting accolades and has proven her hosting prowess in the long-running variety show ASAP on Kapamilya Channel, a pay-TV network operated by ABS-CBN.

With no formal background to guide her, the first year of her career took a lot of work. At the same time, she has loved singing ever since there were things that she had to deal with besides carrying a tune. Add to this the demands of raising a family as a young mum and her studies. “I think I was not ready [then], but I had to put in everything. I didn’t understand what was happening,” she says. However, she does not regret taking this part of her journey as a good training ground. Through dedication, Padilla overcame these challenges and eventually mastered building rapport with her audience and balancing her time—skills essential for someone to thrive in entertainment.  

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Like her contemporaries, Padilla is grateful for having entered the music scene at a time when much attention was given to conceptualising and creating an album. “We would take a lot of time developing [the albums] because they were physical copies—from the concept to the title, the songs that go into it, the handwritten notes,” she says. The time and effort invested in creating each song or album and the warm reception of her fans give her fulfilment that propels her to keep going. But times change, and in Padilla’s words, “there’s no antidote for it”.  

Much as so many listeners of her age love her, it is pretty inevitable to receive comments such as “Ang luma na ng tunog mo [you sound dated]”, a feedback that Padilla welcomed with an open mind. “How will you get into your audience if you sound dated? You have to find ways to sound a little younger without turning off your original audience,” she says. By doing so, she can keep her loyal listeners and encourage new ones, ultimately broadening her reach. “The key is to fix it through arrangements. I remember even singing Mambobola as bossa nova because that was what was in then.” 

On the brighter side, Padilla is happy with technology’s impact on music. According to Padilla, people now, especially the younger generation, are more “woke” to the countless genres worldwide. “Because of the many streaming platforms, even the young ones not living here now are interested in our music. They now have interest [in OPM]. It’s nice that their passion for OPM has been renewed.” This means many people across the globe, even those who have not heard of OPM, can now discover and enjoy our local music. 

Relatability is also crucial in the present music landscape. As Padilla shares, she recently recorded a song about empty nesting or the sadness parents feel when their children leave their homes. “I miss my kids because they now have their own lives so that I can relate to the song. But when I was recording, I got even more emotional because the song was written not by a parent but by a son who’s probably living on his own now,” she says. It is through that song that she realised parents and their children share the same sentiments when they live in a place that’s an  “empty nest”. Songs like this touch the heart and soul, and Padilla hopes to inspire her listeners through this one. 

As for the young generation, Padilla advises: “With any artist, sustainability is the hardest. They always say the first ten years are the best because, in everything they do, their audience will be there. But the question is, will your audience go with you in the next ten years?” There should be plans to sustain the new artists’ future, primarily with the management.  

Padilla will hold an anniversary concert in October at Newport Performing Arts Theater. She recently released a single under Star Music titled ‘Pag Tinadhana and expects to launch a new album with eight songs this year.

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Dubbed as the Philippines’ Concert King,  the amazing balladeer Martin Nievera is the voice behind the greatest hits I’ll Be There For You, You Are My Song and his rendition of Kahit Isang Saglit. The singer-host-actor extraordinaire received several awards and multi-platinum album sales throughout his four-decade career for his music that can quickly melt anyone’s heart. On September 27, 2024, he is set to be back on stage for his 42nd anniversary concert titled The King 4Ever at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. A new album under Vicor Records is also on its way.

“Music changes, but more importantly, the music taste buds of the Filipino change whiplash fast. I am most proud that I am still in the game,” Nievera says, acknowledging that the entertainment industry will always have someone better, younger and more talented as the years go by. “You can’t always be the best or number one. I embrace my position in the industry today. Today’s [amazing] singers make it almost impossible to score well in karaoke,” he says. The young singers are at an advantage for their power and range, but things must be in place to survive this very competitive business. 

Aware of the changes in the music industry, the balladeer strives harder to stay relevant while still staying true to what he knows and his purpose in the industry. “I think God gave me this gift so I can sing the songs I have been singing for the last 42 years and hopefully inspire the hopeless, heal the wounded, and restore faith and hope into the hearts of all those who listen to my songs and watch my concerts,” Nievera says. With this, he explains that it is crucial to feel the new heartbeat of music lovers and go with the flow, not against it. “The most important thing I feel is not to go around making people believe that I know best or that music was better during my time,” he says. 

Among the songs he wrote, the most memorable is I’ll Be There For You, which he dedicates to his sons. “The magical thing about that song is that the same day I wrote the lyrics was the same day Louie Ocampo wrote the melody, and [it] was also for his children,” he says. When the composer called to ask him to put lyrics to the melody he wrote, he just tweaked it, and it became that heartfelt song that continues to be played and enjoyed by his listeners. 

Nievera believes that Filipino composers have raised the bar in songwriting, and they put us on the map by making some of the most beautiful songs the world will ever know, both in English and Filipino. He adds, “The singers of today have equally succeeded in showing the world that the Filipino voice is worth listening to.” 

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The Concert King is proud that the new music industry remains a community that supports each other. “Collaboration seems to have taken the place of competition, and I like that about us,” he says. He has had several humbling and purposeful collaborations where he has gladly learnt so much. “I have collaborated with every one of my co-stars on this Tatler cover, and I am a better artist because of them,” Nievera proudly says. 

Wrapping up, Nievera tells Tatler, “I have tasted success only because I have failed. My bad notes taught me how to sing the good ones. I never stopped reinventing myself. I never lost the desire and passion to perform and change lives. My song, my dream, my bouncing back after every hard fall... that is my legacy.” In addition, he encourages every Filipino to show support on every platform given to OPM. “Let’s be proud, but not too proud not to say thank you, and always mention with pride that you are Filipino.”

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