Young balladeer is a throwback to the ‘Romantic Era’

By Dennis Ladaw

Manila Times

December 22, 2006

Enrique’s second album, ‘I Made It Thorugh The Rain’, features a collection of ballads that make good use of his velvety singing voice.  His voice sounds romantic and is reminiscent of Marco Sison or Mon David.  The latter happens to be one of his mentors.  Mon and Enrique are contract artists of Candid Records Philippines.  Aside from the title track, Enrique does covers of Elton John’s ‘ Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’ and Stevie Wonders  show-stopping ‘Lately’.

The original songs are also catchy.  There’s Sammy Asuncion’s ‘Dance With Me’, a jazzy number that could feel at home at any bar in New Orleans.  In fact, when Enrique sang the song at his album launch at The Podium, he was backed up by a group of shapely Rockettes-style dancers.  Rest assured, no other mall in Metro Manila has seen such a glorious sight or heard such a glorious voice rendering the bouncy number.

Another track is Vehnee Saturno’s “Where Love Has Gone”.  This is not to be confused with the bittersweet love theme from the 1964 movie drama popularized by Jack Jones.  The Saturno track is in fact more upbeat than the Jack Jones ballad and Enrique says he feels so proud that the revered composer wrote a song especially for him.

In an interview with E&S, the soft-spoken Enrique said that as a child growing up in Bukidnon, he would listen to the records of his father and grandfather.

“They were avid fans of Sinatra, Matt Monroe and Engelbert.  Iwas singing their songs at the age of seven,” he recalled.  “I was never familiar with the contemporary hits, like rap or hiphop.  If you live in a province like Bukidnon, you dot get to hear much of the new hits.”

Enrique inherited his musical talent from his late father, who never worked as a professional singer.  The younger Marcos, however was always on demand at weddings and other family events at a very young age.  “I was a boy soprano, so I sang all the songs written for female singers.  But I also like the songs  of Martin Nieverra and Gary Valenciano.  They’re two of my favorites,” he said.

His voice inevitably broke when he turned 14.  He thought he would never sing again but when he joined a school choir, he received professional training and managed to develop a pleasant baritone voice.  After college, he moved to Manila to find any kind of work he could get his hands on.

“I didn’t really set out to have a singing career in Manila.  That wasn’t my plan at all.  I just wanted any kind of job, I was’nt choosy,” he said.

He found work at a factory that makes carton boxes. It was an unlikely place to open any doors to a singing career but it was the factory that served a major stepping stone.

As it happened, a co-worker of Enrique was getting married and he was asked to sing at the wedding.  Among the guests at the reception was his former manager.  Needless to say, she was bowled over by Enrique’s performance and she became his manager on the spot.

A demo tape were recorded which was shipped to London where the labels top honchos were based. In no time at all, Enrique was signed on and he became Candid’s first male recording artist from Asia.  His first album was released in 2004 (A Collection of Classic Love Songs – CAN-KC-008).

Everything should have come up roses for Enrique but the singer suffered a series of setbacks that puts his promising career on hold.  His manager had a falling out with Candid and his father died after a long bout with his Alzheimer’s Disease.  Enrique had to come home to Bukidnon.

But he has a new manager now (Sherilyn Pascua of Music Brdige and Media Trends) and he’s back with Candid.  Said label is considered to be an independent label.  But Enrique said he doesn’t feel like he’s missing out on what a mainstream label could offer him.

He explained Candid is always looking for singers who can offer something different.  “They also give me an artistic freedom.  They make a list of new songs I would be recording  but they also allow me to choose Barry Manilow’s ‘I Made It Through The Rain’, because I relate to the lyrics.  I grew up in a small town and im here now in Manila.  My career was put on hold, my father passed away but that all behind now,” he said.

Enrique busies himself by promoting his album in various parts of the country.  He’s also very visible in German Moreno’s “Walang Tulugan” variety show on TV.  He’s also brought in his mother to live with him in Manila.

He said he doesn’t live on the fast lane as he still manages to live a quiet private life.  He bought his mother a house I  Las Pinas and opened a new business for her to run, a coffee shop.  “On my free nights, you can catch me there singing, siyempre!” he laughs.