This is Erik’s moment

‘I am a very sociable person and my big mouth at times gets me into trouble. There was one instance where I unintentionally offended an important person in my life. I did everything to iron things out with him.’

As he celebrates his 15th anniversary in showbiz, Erik Santos stars in a concert aptly titled My Greatest Moments, set for Saturday, Sept. 22, at the Mall Of Asia (MOA) Arena. The repertoire traces his rise in the music world after he won ABS-CBN’s talent search Star In A Million (Season 1) in 2003.

“That moment jumpstarted everything for me,” Erik told Conversations.

Produced by Cornerstone Concerts and Lucky 7 Koi Productions, and presented by Advanced Aesthetics by Dr. Venia Javellana, the concert features a stellar guest-performer line-up that includes Christian Bautista, Kyla, Yeng Constantino, Angeline Quinto, Jay-R, Vina Morales, Daryl Ong, Jason Dy, Moira dela Torre and “power couple” Ogie Alcasid and Regine Velasquez. Erik himself is directing the concert with John Prats.

“My 15 years in the business have been colorful,” said Erik. “There were ups and downs but I can say I am fulfilled as a singer and as a person as well. All those years were full of hope, love and gratitude.”

Admittedly, along the way, Erik has made mistakes that taught him lessons of a lifetime.

“I am a very sociable person and my big mouth at times gets me into trouble,” he confessed. “There was one instance where I unintentionally offended an important person in my life. I did everything to iron out things with him.” (Conversations knows who the “offended” VIP is but would rather keep it confidential.)

...relaxing in Hawaii

Asked what he liked most and didn’t like most about showbiz, Erik replied, “I like everything about the industry because it helped me reach my dreams of becoming a singer. I love the fun, the friendship I was able to build, the glitz and glamour and everything that comes with it. I also love the fact that I am able to do what I love to do the most which is singing. I also get to travel the world and meet different people because of this job. Few things I don’t like in the industry are complex behaviors of some individuals and unprofessionalism.”

As in his previous shows, Erik has a hand in drawing up the repertoire.

“I am very hands-on with this concert. For the repertoire, I scrutinize everything. We carefully chose the songs based on my branding, genre of music and what my audience likes. We made sure that the people who will watch the concert will enjoy and hopefully be inspired. We want them to feel that the time, money, and effort they spent were all worth it.”

And the three songs that mean so much to him?

1. This Is The Moment. “This song jumpstarted everything for me. I owe everything I have in my career to this song.”

2. I Believe I Can Fly. “This song has been my best weapon. It was my audition piece when I joined Star In A Million, and this was also the song I sang during the Wildcard competition.”

3. Pagbigyang Muli. “I can say is my biggest original hit that is why this song is so special to me.”

Besides energizing his vocal cords (before every show), Erik takes good care of his body. Thus, this “Body Talk.”

How do you take care of your body?

“I go to the gym regularly, eat healthy and sleep at least seven to eight hours a day.”

What kind of workout do you do and how often do you do it?

“Running on the treadmill and a little bit of weightlifting.”

What part of your body needs improvement?

“My lower abdominals.”

What part is most vulnerable?

“My heart. Hahaha!!!”

And what part is your favorite?

“My shoulders.”

What kind of diet do you follow?

“I am a pescatarian.”

What’s for breakfast, lunch and dinner…and snacks?

“I eat everything, except meat. I try to veer away from sweets and dairy products.”

How much water do you take per day?

“I drink a lot. I think more than eight glasses a day.”

What vitamins do you take?

“Supplements from YOLI.”

Do you take hard drinks?

“Occasionally.”

Do you smoke?

“No. Never!”

How do you cope with stress?

“I listen to my favorite songs.”

Favorite hideaway?

“Balesin, The Farm at San Benito.”

Outlook in life?

“Be nice to everyone, always smile and be grateful.”

How much sleep do you get per night?

“At least seven to nine hours. Sometimes it depends on my schedule. I love to sleep long hours.”

Favorite sleepwear?

“Boxers.”

Do you ever sleep in the nude?

“Not yet. But I want to try.”

How many pillows do you sleep with?

“Eight pillows.”

Do you snore?

“No.”

Do you talk in your sleep?

“Sometimes.”

Last thing that you do before you go to sleep?

“Pray.”

First thing that you do as soon as you wake up?

“Pray.”

How’s your love life?

“None at the moment.”

How’s your sex life?

“Uhmmm...of course, zero at the moment. Hahaha!!!

Lights on or lights off?

“Lights off.”

When did you lose your innocence?

“As far as I can remember I was 15.”

To a younger woman, older woman or woman your age?

“A little younger or my age.”

Three women you think have nice bodies?

“Pia Wurtzbach, Nadine Lustre and Kendall Jenner.”

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)