 |
| Jason Fernandez |
On
embarking on a solo career, former Rivermaya frontman Jason Fernandez is very
much aware that he follows on the footsteps of Bamboo and Rico Blanco. Both
Bamboo and Rico Blanco were also former vocalists of Rivermaya who left the
band, pursued solo careers, and later on established themselves as among the
major acts in the Philippine music scene today. The road towards this end looks
daunting, but Jason takes it in stride and starts from the ground up with the
release of his debut album Panimula
released by Ivory Music & Video.
 |
| Jason and his band Sta. Maria |
Jason Fernandez, eager to show what he’s capable of, recently gave a performance in
line with the launch of his album over at Metrowalk. Accompanied by his band
Sta. Maria, Jason gave the Friday night crowd who gathered there to watch him,
and those dining and chilling within the area what he has to offer. He started
his set by dishing out a bunch of classic Rivermaya tunes like Elesi, Ulan,
Himala and Awit ng Kabataan. Then he served a healthy dose of tracks from his
album like the title track Panimula, Panaginip, the lead single Maria and
Bulong ng Kalaban, a track that really showcased his band Sta. Maria.
 |
| Kimpoy and Feliciano joins Jason on stage |
Several
artists made special appearances during that night like rappers Dello and Pio Balbuena who did rap interludes in a couple of songs. Jason had a bit of fun
also when he dragged Kimpoy Feliciano and Jordan Bautista on stage to join him
in singing the Rivermaya classic Hinahanap-Hanap Kita. Kimpoy and Jordan, who had to rely on lyric sheets on their mobile phones during this number, are also
handled by Jason’s management company which is Orion Entertainment.
 |
| Pio Balbuena performs with Jason |
Serving
as opening acts for the night were fellow Ivory Music & Video artist Kaligta, MMJ,
Caleb and another Orion Entertainment talent Jensen Gomez. While the music and
repertoire of Kaligta and Jensen Gomez fit the occasion and the venue, I felt
that former XLR8 members MMJ and Caleb’s inclusion in the lineup felt a bit out
of place. Also spotted during the night among the audience showing his support was Callalily
vocalist Kean Cipriano.
Judging by what I saw during the launch, Jason is off to a good start as a solo artist. His brand of music is indeed rock, heavily influenced by Rivermaya and also showered with elements of praise. I think that among the former vocalists that Rivermaya had, Jason is the one who possesses a clear and distinct vibrato probably owing to his theater experience in the past. All this combined with his solid songwriting make for a promising effort. I only wish that the album has more tracks.
Jason Fernandez’s debut album Panimula, released by Ivory Music & Video is now available in record stores nationwide and in MyMusicStorePhilippines .
The album launch was presented by Ivory Music & Video, Orion Entertainment
and MyPhone.
Jason Fernandez’s debut album Panimula, released by Ivory Music & Video is now available in record stores nationwide and in MyMusicStore
