Martin Nievera heads Silver guest list

The song “Be My Lady” will always be special for two people: Martin
Nievera and Vehnee Saturno.

The song, which was Vehnee’s entry to the Professional Division of the
Sixth Metropop Song Festival, actually didn’t win any prize for him. He
had another song, “Ako’y Ako,” interpreted by Lerma de la Cruz that won
second prize that night. “Be My Lady,” which was interpreted by Pedrito
Montayre, finished dead last out of seven entries and would have gone
unnoticed until Chito Ilagan heard it and picked it up for Martin
Nievera, then starting his own career.

To say that the song—which was inspired by a dream Vehnee had about a
girl who wasn’t being treated right by her boyfriend—was a big hit would
be an understatement. “That made me,” acknowledges Vehnee, who recently
marked his 25th year as a professional songwriter.

On May 26, Nievera will sing “Be My Lady” once more as he leads a
star-studded lineup of guests for Silver: The Songs of Vehnee Saturno. The
concert, which is for the benefit of the church renovation and
rebuilding project of the Sta. Maria Goretti Parish, the Pope Pius XII Catholic
Center in Manila, is not a tribute to Vehnee, but to his songs, which
have helped establish the careers of countless singers.

Some of them—like Rachelle Ann Go, Mark Bautista, JayR, Jaya, Louie
Heredia, Randy Santiago and the husband-and-wife team of Jessa Zaragoza
and Dingdong Avanzado—will also be in the concert. Juris Fernandez and
Chin Alcantara of MYMP, Kyla and the vocal group The CompanY will be
there as well. Although none of them have recorded a Vehnee Saturno song,
Vehnee is a great admirer of their talents.

As is only fitting, Martin’s performance of “Be My Lady” will be the
opening number of the show.

Even Vehnee is looking forward to Martin joining the show, since the
song means so much to them both. It will also give Martin’s fans a chance
to see him again after he has spent so much time abroad, particularly
in Las Vegas, where he is trying to build a solo career.