GARY

As he reaches a turning point in his life, Gary Valenciano, one of the country's most renowned musical artists, relies on divine guidance to choose the right path

- Chit L Lijauco

Gary Valenciano, famously known as Mr Pure Energy, is about to turn 60. This raises the question of whether he will retire or not. Valenciano is one of the few artists who have reached Superstar status, has conquered every musical artist’s dream and is still performing. He is renowned for his high-energy performances, complicated jumps and gyrations, and a non-stop tempo called “hataw” in Tagalog slang. However, with him reaching 60, it remains to be seen whether he will still be able to deliver the energetic performances he is known for.

This is a valid question, considering that he has been on insulin for 45 years now because of Type 1 diabetes plus tuberculosis, pneumonia and knee surgeries. He’s also had a heart bypass, cancer of the kidney, hepatitis, dengue and Covid-19. With his full share of hospital stays, he, too, contemplated the matter. “A few years ago, I started thinking about slowing down. I was feeling tired. I just came from a bypass. I wanted to pull back. I wanted my last concert then to be my last,” Valenciano recalls.

A MATTER OF FAITH

When the pandemic hit, however, things began to change. Gary V, as he is also often called, did an online concert and two tours in the United States and Canada, one in 2022 and the other in 2023. “I was like, hey, wait a minute. How come my energy is back to the way it was before? I was surprised to feel my body feeling strong and energised,” Valenciano says.