Rafael Centenera: Home at Last

MANILA, Philippines - Spanish-Filipino singer Rafael Centenera is now doing what he loves most — singing for the Filipino audience. The voice behind the ‘70s romantic ballad Missing You, Filipino listeners thought he was Mexican because of his foreign-sounding name.

Before returning to the Philippines six years ago, Rafael spent decades performing in lounges all over Japan and Malaysia. His extensive repertoire includes English, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese and Malaysian songs.

Born in the Philippines, his musical journey began during his college years in UST singing in top Manila bars like Kismet, El Rivera and Chevalier. “I studied during the day, and sang in the evening,” he happily shared.

At 18, he accepted an offer to perform in Japan for six months, which was extended to 10 years. He toured the clubs in Tokyo, Ginza and other key cities, doing as many as three shows a night. “Talagang lagare ako, I would perform for 30 minutes in each club and then hop on to another club.”

After his Tokyo stint, he moved to Kuala Lumpur and became the regular performer at Regent Hotel. He recorded albums for EMI Malaysia and was best known for the romantic ballad Missing You by Malaysian composer Eric Boon. The song became a big hit when it was released in the Philippines in the late ‘70s. He did a few shows in Manila, but he had to immediately return to Malaysia.

Now enjoying a more laidback lifestyle but still actively singing, he decided to come back to his roots. Married to Malaysian fashion designer Jenny Hui, he now cherishes every opportunity to sing Tagalog songs, and actually has Filipino audience appreciating his music.

“At some point, I felt I would be more fulfilled if I sang to my countrymen. What’s the use of being a Filipino singer if you haven’t recorded an all-Filipino album and never sang for your kababayan,” he said.

He recently released an album under Viva Records, which carries five original love songs by hitmaker Vehnee Saturno. The composer also wrote the lyrics to Ako Pa Rin Sa Yo, the Tagalog version of the hit song Missing You. His latest single is titled Ikaw Ang Susi, which is written by Russtar Wilma Balwit. The MTV is now available on YouTube.

Aside from promoting his album, the crooner serenades the crowd in Via Mare in Shangri-La every Wednesday. His repertoire consists of pop and standard songs, “You name it, I can sing any song,” he joked.

The restaurant’s mature crowd is familiar with his repertoire, yet he equally enjoys meeting the younger set of music lovers. He is very active in social media, and happily poses for selfies after his show. He looks forward to performing for special gatherings, and occasionally holds shows in different venues.

And while the entertainment scene is so overwhelmingly different compared to when he started his career decades ago, he believes the love for beautiful music will never fade. As long as people look for good music, the balladeer is all set to take the stage.