For Ice Seguerra’s upcoming interactive birthday concert — a reprise of his smash-hit “Videoke Hits” series at the Music Museum last May — the OPM Acoustic Icon has one simple rule: “Lahat ng pupunta kailangan may regalo [Everyone has to bring a gift].
“Birthday ko eh,” Ice further quips, setting the tone for the playful mood that will greet his loyal fans, family, and friends on September 13 at the iconic Music Museum in Greenhills, San Juan City.
At 40 plus one, Ice Seguerra is at a stage where he values every opportunity to share his passion for music with others.
“I’m turning 40… plus one,” the former comedy child star-turned-OPM sensation cheekily adds, and finally shaking off the funnies more seriously, says, “I just really want everyone to have fun, sing along with me and party.
“Joke lang talaga yung kailangan magdala ng gift — promise [The gift thing was just a joke],” the singer deadpans one last time.
Prodded by The Manila Times Entertainment to reflect on why he chose to celebrate his birthday with a concert for the first time, Ice begins by sharing how grateful he is for the continued success of his career. He says that at 40 plus one, he is at a stage where he values every opportunity to share his passion for music with others.
“I find that the older you get, the more you develop an appreciation for what you have,” he contemplates. “So, just the fact that I’m still able to do what I love to do, with people still enjoying watching me 37 years into my career, all that I have right now is this deep sense of gratitude for everyone who continues to support me.”
The coming special edition of “Videoke Hits,” therefore, stands as a testament to Ice’s enduring love for music and the deep bond he shares with his fans. Compared to other birthday concerts, however, this one is a grand videoke party where everyone is not only invited but expected to sing along like the concert’s past two editions.
The key twist for this restaging, though, is found in the slightly adjusted title: “Videoke Hits: OPM Edition.”
“I felt bitin [unsatisfied] during my last Videoke Hits shows because I didn’t get to sing my favorite OPM songs. There are so many OPM songs that I really love to sing in videoke, and that’s what the repertoire will be this time — OPM from beginning to end, along with my own hits, of course.”
When asked which OPM songs he made sure to include this time, the self-confessed forever videoke enthusiast quickly names Joey Albert songs like “Tell Me” and “Iisa Pa Lamang.”
Nevertheless, Ice acknowledges how challenging it’s been to finalize the setlist, with endless, beautiful OPM hits to choose from.
Videoke has been a significant part of Seguerra’s musical journey.
“It’s so difficult to choose the songs,” he wails. In fact, he even conducted polls on his social media pages to narrow down the choices, though he humorously confesses that it didn’t help much either.
“We’re picking the Top 3 for now to feature in the ‘By Request’ segment, and we’ll see how it goes,” he notes.
As before, one of the most exciting segments of the show is the “Ice-fied” set, where the singer breathes new life into classic videoke songs. Back in May, Ice delivered an unbelievably stirring rendition of a slowed-down “Dancing Queen” that brought out the goosebumps.
This time, fans can expect to hear what is sure to be stunning new arrangements of tracks like “Anak” and “Isang Linggong Pag-ibig” and even the novelty tune, “Bikining Itim.”
Now as ordinary as Filipinos may consider videoke singing to be — often dubbed as the “pambansang pastime” or national hobby besides basketball — Ice actually credits the videoke for honing his skills as a singer. In fact, the artist goes as far as to say in this interview that the hobby has been a significant part of his musical journey.
“Sa videoke ko nilalabas yung mga paborito kong kanta na hindi ko makanta sa shows [It’s singing on videoke that I get to try my favorite songs that I can’t quite sing in my shows],” he explains.
The coming special edition of ‘Videoke Hits’ is a testament to Seguerra’s enduring love for music and the deep bond he shares with fans.
For Ice, his constant videoke sessions, even for fun, have served as a form of practice that helped him experiment with different genres and styles, making him the versatile and top-caliber artist he is today.
So, as Ice closes in on 40 plus one, he has no intention of changing his favorite pastime anytime soon — or ever. After all, everything that he and almost every other Filipino loves is there for the taking with the videoke — good music, all-out singing, and non-stop laughter shared with the most valuable company of friends, family, and, in Ice’s case, his beloved fans.
Watch “Videoke Hits: OPM Edition” and experience it for yourself on September 13 at the Music Museum. Tickets are selling fast via TicketWorld and Fire and Ice Live (09175420303).
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