Ogie Alcasid, together with Cacai Velasquez, co-produced Martin Nievera’s upcoming concert, The King 4ever, at the Araneta Coliseum. The singer/ songwriter is no stranger to concert production, but his choice to produce a major concert for Martin reflects his journey as an artist.

“College ako nito. ‘Yung sasakyan ko Japanese brand, ‘yung radio tatlo lang ang station na nasasagap dito sa atin, kaya lagi ako may dala cassette tapes para sa music and ‘yung cassette tape na ‘yun album ni Martin. Idol ko siya (I was in college at the time. My car was a Japanese brand, and the radio could only pick up three stations here, so I always carried cassette tapes for music, and one of those tapes was Martin’s album. He was my idol),” Ogie said.

Ogie also said that, during the early stages of his music career, Martin set the standard.

“When I was with Kundirana, ‘yung boses ni Martin ang hinahabol namin na maging katunog pero ako sa voice range ko di ko kaya ‘yung boses ni Martin (When I was with Kundirana, we were trying to match Martin’s voice, but with my vocal range, I couldn’t achieve Martin’s voice),” he said.

Fast forward to the present, and Ogie has finally found the right time to ask Martin for a major concert.

“Magkasama kami sa dressing room sa ABS-CBN na madalas naman mangyari lalo kapag ASAP. Sabi ko sa kanya, ‘Oh, lets produce your concert. Akala nya yata di ako seryoso (We were together in the dressing room at ABS-CBN, which happens often, especially during ASAP. I said to him, ‘Oh, let’s produce your concert.’ He probably thought I wasn’t serious),” Ogie said.

The inspiration of Martin Nievera’s colorful career journey never fades for Ogie.

“This is like a dream come true for someone I’ve admired since I was a young boy. Every time I hear Martin’s voice, it’s like magic, and I want to hear that magic again and again,” he said.

Martin’s concert, The King 4ever, happens on 27 September at the Araneta Coliseum.