The night of September 15 was definitely a night to remember as singer-songwriter RJ Jimenez took centerstage at Teatrino Promenade and performed his heart out to commemorate his 20 years in the industry. Produced by Vantage Events and Spot Talent Management, the show was entitled RJ Jimenez: Now, a stage where RJ certainly reintroduced himself 20 years later and showed everyone how he has grown as an artist.
RJ Jimenez first made waves as a contender on the pilot season of the hit reality show Pinoy Dream Academy (PDA) that aired on ABS-CBN in 2006. His hit songs “Miss Kita Pag Tuesday” and “If We Fall in Love” definitely became many Filipinos’s Last Song Syndrome during that year. After his stint on PDA, RJ Jimenez continued his life as rockstar living out his endless passion in music.
A mix of family, friends, peers in music, and fans made up the crowd, all ready to show their love and support for the artist. Excited smiles and welcomed noise of shared stories livened the room. In their own ways, they all met RJ at different times, and in different ways, but one thing’s for sure – they were all touched by his infectious music. Their presence that night is a true testament to his craft as an artist contributing wonderful stories of melody to this world. Everyone was looking forward to a great night of music and celebration.
Lights dim and cheers echoed in the venue. To warm up the crowd, pop singer-songwriter Issa Rodriguez sang “Fragile”, “Down The Aisle”, and “Ready”, all three original songs by the artist.
For the moment everyone has been waiting for, RJ Jimenez graced the stage and cheers filled Teatrino Promenade. The rockstar opened the night with his version of Elton Johns’s popular track “I’m Still Standing”, the perfect song to represent his journey of 20 years. It’s a message to everyone that RJ Jimenez is here to stay in the wonderful world of music.
As it was a night of celebration, RJ Jimenez gave us a glimpse into his journey. A look back into his milestones that made him the person he is today – the firsts in his career that set the path for him and the endeavors that put his name out there. As each segment ends, he summarizes his experiences with a song that mirrors his life.
Like any journey, RJ Jimenez wasn’t alone in his. An artist never forgets his roots and the people who shaped him. Guest performers include singer Miro Valencia who sang “I am Grateful” and “Anghel sa Lupa”. Davey Langit, RJ’s co-student on Pinoy Dream Academy, joined RJ on stage as well and sang an Ilocano piece he wrote called “Idjay”. The two them also shared the stage as they sang a duet of Jason Mraz’s “I Won’t Give Up”, their anthem as musicians who never gave up on their dreams in music. As RJ’s mentors during his PDA days, The CompanY made him the honorary Sth member of the band and sang together a special version of their song “Pakisabi Na Lang”. The group also treated guests to a performance of “Gitna”, a song composed by co-guest Davey Langit.
A believer in paying it forward and honing the talents of others, RJ Jimenez is also a mentor himself. Issa Rodriguez, Charm and Charl, and Jino Labitigan, talents from Spot Talent Management, all had their moment to showcase their prowess in their talents. His music students also made their debut on stage and sang RJ’s unreleased original song from years ago.
Towards the end of the show, we see RJ Jimenez for who he is at present. Showing his side as a husband, RJ sang “Please Say Yes”, the song he composed to propose to his then girlfriend and now wife, Tin Jimenez. The crowd cheers as RJ got on one knee and pulled out a ring. As a father, RJ proudly introduced his daughter, Ellie Jimenez, and shared a beautiful father-daughter moment as they sang “A Million Dreams” from the movie The Greatest Showman, and an original song “Tandem”.
As the show comes to an end, the songs he sang at the end of each segment suddenly made sense. It was sung separately as pre-chorus and chorus, but at the end, it turned out to be one big song entitled “Dalawang Dekada”, an original piece and the very anthem of RJ Jimenez’s journey in the world of music for the past 20 years.
Of course, it wouldn’t be an RJ Jimenez concert without singing the OG hit which people eagerly waited for. He got people singing and dancing with his song “Miss Kita ‘Pag Tuesday” from his days at PDA. To say goodnight to the crowd, he performed “Ligaya”, a timeless Eraserheads favorite. As he ended his performance, he stood in front of everybody and took his last bow as all guests erupted in cheers and applause.
It’s been twenty years since RJ Jimenez entered the world of music, relishing every moment and gaining milestone after milestone. One thing’s for sure – RJ Jimenez’s journey doesn’t end here!