‘Nievera’ jams at  ‘Filipinos4Ukraine’ concert

Robin Nievera (center) plays at the Miraj with Filipino fellow rockers. (Photo: Marlon Ajeda)

NILES, Illinois – “Filipinos4Ukraine,” a concert featuring Filipino American bands raised $1,000 for Ukrainian students, April 9,  to help them attend St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic School.

Robin Nievera, the son of Filipino singers Pops Fernandez and Martin Nievera, jammed with the other Filipino rockers even though he was feeling sick. “I almost canceled and I thought I had COVID-19,” he explained.

Nievera was in Chicago for two weeks to attend the wedding of his girlfriend’s brother when he was contacted to play for the benefit concert.

“It was very last minute,” he said.   “I love Chicago, it is very chill here. It has character,” he added.

The concert was organized by Nina Vidal and produced by Jason Dela Cruz of Dela CRUZ Productions. Nievera is a producer and a singer-songwriter. He helped produce and was a guest at his parents’ 2019 “Two-gether Again Concert” in the U.S. and Canada.

Nievera describes his style as very rock and folksy. He is compared to his famous parents a lot. He said that he “loves his parents’ music, but when fans ask him to sing one of their songs, he prefers not to.

“I am more of a musician than a singer. I’m not the best singer,” he said. “Nievera is really good in acoustic and electric guitar,” observed Jason Dela Cruz. When asked about what he thought of the other Pinoy bands, he said “there are a lot of bands that I was impressed with,” he said.

Pops Fernandez and Martin Nievera each have had their own successful careers for decades. As for Nievera, he said that producers didn’t help him with his own career in the Philippines. He moved to Los Angeles  a few years ago permanently.

“I’ve had a few gigs and have met people in the industry. I’ve found it difficult to become my own artist,” he admitted.

As for the coming Philippine elections in May, Nievera said that he wants a Philippine president who can “‘bring us all together’. “I like Leni Robredo the most. She is a great Vice president.”

In 2021, Nievera went back home temporarily in  June to escape COVID in the U.S. He started over by  changing his name from “Robin Nievera” to “Nievera” including his music style and goals.