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Martin Nievera holds a press conference on August 16, 2024 for his upcoming concert.

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Anna Cerezo

ABS-CBN News

<div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:560px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1723852068568Martin-Nievera.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Martin Nievera holds a press conference on August 16, 2024 for his upcoming concert.</span></span></span></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">MANILA — Martin Nievera, widely known as the &quot;the Concert King&quot; of the Philippines, shared the title that carries his legacy of success in the entertainment industry started as a “sarcastic joke.”</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">According to Nievera, the label was first coined by the press. </p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">“His name: Bob Castillo, People’s Journal. He meant it sarcastically. He did not like me, only right before he passed did we become friends. ‘Yung ‘Concert King Kuno’,” he recalled during the press conference for his 42nd anniversary concert in September. </p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">“It started as a joke. In my very first concert at the Folk Arts Theater… It was never televised because it was so bad—every song was out of tune. Every single tune, but they did not care…. without sounding like I am bragging—I could not hear from the screams,” he added.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><br/></div><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/2024/8/1/martin-nievera-wala-nang-nais-patunayan-1540">RELATED: Martin Nievera, wala nang nais patunayan?</a></div><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">Nievera, however, persevered to earn the iconic title, which, over time, became a reflection of his dominance and influence in the Philippine music scene.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">“I had to learn to be the Concert King. I put myself in Reno, Nevada, to sing in dives. I paid my dues. Ang ganda ng boses mo—can you do it in front of an audience? Can you do it in front of an audience that’s not listening, smoking, drinking, and not caring? We had to go through that before we could appreciate the screaming fans.” </p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">He went on, “We had to go through that. What started as a joke, I became on the right track.” </p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">Four decades into his, career, however, Nievera says he is still not comfortable labeling himself as the “Concert King.” </p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">“The audience is my king, not me… Doesn’t matter if full, big venue or small. We can make venues feel big,” he said. </p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">“The King 4ever,” is produced by Ogie Alcasid’s ATeam. According to Alcasid, who convinced Nievera to again perform at the Big Dome, the show is a “dream come true,” as the latter had long been his idol. </p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">“High School, third or fourth year, I could drive na, my car only had three radio stations. So I had to play cassettes everyday. The only cassette I had was Martin’s. I’d play it every single day. You are my idol,” he said. </p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">“The King 4ever” will be held on September 27, 8 p.m, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/r3LdToCca6c?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>“I had to learn to be the Concert King. I put myself in Reno, Nevada, to sing in dives. I paid my dues," Nievera said.</p>

“I had to learn to be the Concert King. I put myself in Reno, Nevada, to sing in dives. I paid my dues," Nievera said.

Martin Nievera's 'Concert King' title started as a joke

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Martin Nievera's 'Concert King' title started as a joke

Anna Cerezo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Aug 17, 2024 08:10 AM PHT

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Updated Aug 17, 2024 01:02 PM PHT

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Martin Nievera

Ogie Alcasid

Concerts

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