‘Vibe+’ beefs up its OPM roster with icons, Kapamilya stars

There is a funny thing about showbiz.

You can move out of a network. You can go to another show. You can reinvent yourself, start a new chapter, meet an entirely different generation of artists. And then, one random day, you find yourself standing in the same room with the same people you thought you had moved on from.

And before you know it, you’re back where you started.

That was the scene during rehearsals for “Vibe+”’s freshest all-Original Pilipino Music (OPM) countdown, when Concert King Martin Nievera came face-to-face with one of the people who helped shape not just his career, but the careers of generations of Filipino artists — Johnny “Mr. M” Manahan.

The artists of TV5 talent management agency StarWorx.

Mahigpit na yakapan ang naganap sa mala-grand reunion between Martin and Mr. M, who is now Vibe+ director and showbiz mentor.

And if there was anything nostalgic about the moment, it was quickly erased by the warmth between the two.

Ana Ramsey

“It feels great. It’s like we’ve never not seen each other,” Martin told us. “Ganito kami ni Johnny. It’s like we’re hand in hand.”

Then came the question: Did Mr. M miss Martin?

“Awfully,” Mr. M answered, without missing a beat.

Dylan Menor

For Martin, there was no question about the impact Mr. M has had on the industry.

“We all learned from the best. Every single person you see in the industry, whatever channel, anywhere, it’s Johnny Manahan.”

Queenay Mercado

That moment pretty much encapsulates what “Vibe+” appears to be building right now.

While the platform has been steadily introducing a younger, fresher generation of personalities and performers — including Gigi De Lana, Dylan Menor, Joao Constancia, Queenay Mercado, Ana Ramsey, Carmela Lorzano and Ryle Santiago, among others, it is also making room for the OPM icons and seasoned Kapamilya stars who have become part of the Filipino entertainment landscape. And honestly, it makes sense.

Mark Ian Garcia

Because if you want to build a music platform that speaks to different generations, why choose between nostalgia and what’s new when you can have both? “Vibe+” seems to be betting on exactly that.

The result is a roster where established names can share the same space with the artists and personalities who are shaping the next chapter of Filipino pop culture.

Gigi de Lana

Martin is one of those bridges. Before him, OPM royalty Ogie Alcasid also took the “Vibe+” stage just recently, giving viewers another dose of the kind of live performance that reminds us why Filipino music has such a deep emotional connection with its audience.

So, when Martin learned that Ogie had already performed, he naturally had something to say… albeit jokingly.

“It’s nice, ah. I watched the one of Ogie. He’s pretty good, ah!” Martin joked then came the ultimate compliment. “I think he’s the future. When he gets older and taller, he’s gonna be great.”

Of course, Martin was kidding.

But he said Ogie also had a little bit of playful jealousy after finding out that he would be sharing the stage with Gigi.

“Nainggit siya dahil nalaman niya kakanta ako with Gigi,” he said, laughing.

And that is precisely the kind of chemistry that makes a live music platform interesting. It isn’t simply about putting famous names on a stage. It is about creating combinations that viewers wouldn’t necessarily expect — established OPM royalty alongside younger performers, veteran entertainers alongside digital-age personalities and stars becoming part of a wider entertainment ecosystem.

For a music-driven platform like “Vibe+,” that mix could prove to be its biggest strength.

Martin, meanwhile, isn’t exactly at 100 percent as he prepares for his “Vibe+” appearance this Saturday.

The Concert King admitted that he has been feeling under the weather, and that his voice is still a little hoarse. But if there is one thing audiences have learned about Martin through the years, it is that he knows how to deliver when it is time to step onstage. That was what he imparted on stage that left the production team with a front seat to a world-class great experience.

So, despite not feeling his best, Martin said he is giving everything he has for his “Vibe+” segment.

The last time he performed regularly on TV5 was during the time when “ASAP” was airing on the network.

So, being back on the same network, in a different era and with a new generation of performers around him, feels like another chapter coming full circle.

“It always comes back to what should be. God has a plan. The industry has a plan. We can fight all we want, we can throw bombs and bad words and so on, but we are one industry, we are one people. You are the same audience no matter what station you are on, and we are after the same thing — to educate to entertain, and just to have a good time.” Martin shared with conviction.

That line may actually be the bigger story behind his “Vibe+” appearance. The entertainment industry is constantly evolving. Networks change. Platforms change. Audiences change. The way we discover music and entertainment has changed dramatically. Even how audiences consume pop culture.

But the appetite and nostalgia of Filipinos for live performances, OPM and personalities they grew up watching remain.

“Vibe+”’s current roster already has the energy of a younger, social-media-driven generation.

And for Mr. M, who also added the Starworx Batch 1 to “Vibe+” and has spent decades developing artists and creating some of Philippine television’s most memorable entertainment moments, “Vibe+” seems like another opportunity to mentor, curate and connect different generations.

The presence of Mr. M at rehearsals — and the obvious affection between him and Martin — was a reminder that while the names on television may change, the people who helped build the industry continue to influence where it goes next.

The future, after all, doesn’t necessarily mean leaving what was then. Sometimes, it means bringing the best parts of it forward.

For “Vibe+,” beefing up its lineup with more OPM icons and Kapamilya stars could be exactly the move that allows it to do just that. The platform already has the young energy.

Now, it is adding the voices, stories and experiences that come with decades in showbiz. And this Saturday, Singko gets another visit from the Concert King. Get ready because in the coming weeks, OPM icon Gary Valenciano is also set to take the “Vibe+” stage.