After winning the Los Angeles International Film Festival and Awards LAIFFA last August with his documentary “Pandemiocracy”, Filipino-Italian actor-director Ruben Soriquez is reviving his first passion: music.
Ruben reveals that he is now working on a solo album consisting of 12 original songs. Composed by Soriquez himself, the album will be produced by the Rome based Studio Karamazov, with eclectic and versatile Italian composer and orchestra director Franco Eco as musical arranger.
To please his Pinoy fans, Ruben says he will be adding a couple of Tagalog songs to his album.
“Although the album that will be released worldwide will be mostly in English, I asked the producer to include a couple of songs in Tagalog, and he agreed,” Soriquez shared.
Awed by his musicality, Eco, who has worked with various prestigious productions such as Warner Chappell Music, EMI/Sony, Ala Bianca Group, Sky, Vatican TV and Rai, was the one who convinced him to commence on his album.
“Music has always been my first love. I believe, it just took a backseat due to my acting commitments. But once the passion is there, it just doesn't die," he enthused.
"When I was studying music at Bologna’s University in Italy, I would explore any genre. There was a period in which I studied the string quartets of Beethoven and the operas of Mozart, Rossini and Verdi,” he added.
Ruben says he used to perform with his rock band from 1990 to 2005. After a long hiatus, he admits that going back to fulfill his dream is such a challenge. "My last concert was in 2005 and finding the motivation to get back to your passion is not that easy. It's kinda showing also the different side of your artistry, "he said.
"But since Mr. Eco has got good distribution channels, I know that we could make a good team and offer something refreshing," he added.
He also enjoys composing because he feels it’s about creation. "When I started playing my guitar again ideas started to flow as I had never stopped, I told myself: why not?” The genre? From pop to soft-rock to jazz atmospheres. And I'd find myself just like unloading my creative side. And everything that would come out from all the experiences and places I was coming from at the time," he said.
Ruben and Franco Eco started working on the album in September, which is due for an April 2022 release.
Speaking of TV projects, Ruben is quite elated that Dolce Amore, the top-rating Lizquen teleserye where he plays Soberano's kind-hearted adoptive father, has returned to free TV via A2Z channel 11.