My Auntie Joy introduced me to you a loooong time ago, when I was a tween and when you still had bleached blonde hair. I already thought you were amazing back then, I still do today. :) I figured Formspring would be my opportunity to tell you and to thank you for years and years of music. Haha! Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones, sir! I hope it’s been a good one.

oh cool joy is your aunt! thank you for your kind words. Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones too! Say hi to Auntie Joy. :)

i’ve seen the light on repackaged albums. would you do one for ‘your universe’ with all the cool music videos included? i would buy, no hesitation. yes? - anya c.

depends on my record label. they call the shots. thank you anya!

who’s your bet in the 2010 presidential elections?

none yet. but not keen on noy. still giving ALL a chance, malayo pa naman.

Some people say you have a resemblance to Christian Bautista. What can you say about it?

it means they don’t know him well, and they don’t know me well.

If given the chance, would you like to perform @ the Blue Roast this year? :P

sure!

from the muse guy: I’m 15 and yeahh thanks for the advice mr. rico blanco. do u have any more to share? like, how to improve your musical growth and stuff like that? btw do you own an ibanez guitar? :) just wondering

just keep listening to, and enjoying music. dont analyse aritsts works too much. music is just an expression. and dont forget to live your life. i always say - NO LIFE, NO MUSIC.

museguy: oh and I hope you can settle a concert here at canada, we filipinos would love to see your musical performance. YOU ROCK DUDE!

hope so. tnx!

nagdorm (o boarding house) ka ba when you were in university ? ang layo kaya ng san pedro. :)

yup!

hello again, mr. rico blanco! thanks for answering my question kahit malabo ang sinasabi ng bolang kristal :D i just want to say, my day isn’t complete pg hindi ko napakingan songs nyo po from your album - while getting ready for work, on my way to work, going home from work, and before going to sleep (adik po ba? haha!):P. i hope that the next year would again be a great year for you, personal- and work-wise. :)

thank you! God bless you!

who and what are your influences in music, particularly in guitar playing or in creating melodies for your songs? did your taste in music changed from the time you start your career and now?

my guitar playing style is based heavily on my keyboard playing so its mostly textures, atmpospheres usually utilizing the root, third, fifths of the key the song is in, in different octaves depending on dynamic intention. it is also rhythmic and effected owing to my influence from european dance and electronic music. I am also a producer and arranger even when performing so most of my guitar playing is based on shapes of sounds and textures. i think in these terms and not in terms of who influenced me. My all time favourite guitar players sound nothing like me, Brian May, the Beatles.

Re: taste, it evolves as you learn more as you grow and as you travel through life. Peoples preferences change all the time. almost anyone who had a choice wouldnt wear same color shirts everyday.

rico. sabi nila nagdradrawing ka daw. gusto ko sana makita mga drawing mu. mahilig ka din daw sa pictures. gusto ko rin sana makita mga pics mo. IDOL!!! GALING MU TALAGA!!

subaybayan mu nalang pu ang tumblr ku. slamat! :)

I’m so glad na proud kang taga Laguna ka. :D

proud to be Laguna boy

Hi rico! what was your course in ateneo?

ab management economics

nu po line up mo sa gadgets mo(like disto,chorus,delay,over drive etc..)???tska BOSS user ka ba???

me50, proco RAT. yun lang po

is the ambulansya song inspired from karma police? :) thanks

huh? because of the piano? lol. listen to more music first before you play ‘expert.’ the song was created when we were doing one of those provincial motorcades to promote a concert. we were standing on a truck bed and the lead car was blasting a siren at us the whole time. it was driving me insane, but then i figured if you cant beat em join em. the initial seed for the chorus was created right then and there.

Hey Rico! Hus the girl in your latest vid? Christine Reyes?

yup.

ALL HAIL RICO!

all hail rob!

Hola Mr. Blanco! I was a bit surprised sa video mong ‘Ayuz’ I never expected na you’d do a lot of dancing there. I enjoyed watching it. I just want to ask po if you had formal dance lessons or talagang gifted lng kayo in a lot of ways? haha! XD - Mia

no formal lessons. i just danced a lot as a kid. used to do battles in the streets and in school.

How do you go about writing or composing commercial jingles and stuff like that?

ad music arrangers are usually briefed by our clients. they tell me exactly what they want. then i do my best to convert all these things into musical form.

Is there really something between you and Bamboo Manalac? that is the question running in my mind way back when I was still young and up to now…well you can not answer this really I’m just taking a chance… I Love AYUZ BTW! smooth dance moves there! :)

yes there is respect. bamboo and i may not hang out as much as we used to when we were bandmates but i respect him a lot and i will always be a fan. we always say hello when we bump into each other.

henyo ka!

hindi po. ang henyo sila einstein, da vinci.

screen name nyu lang po ba ung rico blanco? if yes, bakit po rico blanco ung naisip nyung name. thanks.

its my real name.

Favorite eheads song? If any :)

light years, andalusian dog, butterscotch

are you masungit? you look intimidating..

my close friends, childhood friends, and buddies from school will tell you i always joke around and sometimes ako pa yung alaskado. if you see me quiet at work, sometimes i might seem masungit when im trying to focus to get ready for a gig or am deep in thought trying to write a song or solve a problem. during performance, the level is high so i might seem a little more intense even when i talk to my band mates and road team. when i come down from the stage i’m usually spaced out too trying to adjust back to the scale of communication (onstage i talk to thousands, off stage its one on one) and the adrenaline. on non gig days i’m just a little shy too. tao lang po.

what’s your middle name?

granados

I watched you “support” the Lotus Eaters during their concert at Rockwell—and man, you really rocked and aced that! Would you do the same for Tears for Fears, should an opportunity come up? :) -gpnava

hell yeah!

When the word genius pops on my mind, your name is the number one on the list. No questions asked. :) I love how you showed your extra skill on Ayuz video. Awesome! And yes, I love you Rico. Don’t worry, not in a romantic way :D I JUST LOVE YOU.

i am no genius. but thank you! you guys are the best!:)

OMG!! You are my favorite artist ever!! Can I ask why most of your music videos focus on your very handsome FACE (not that I’m complaining)? Are u a little vain? Keep making great music! :)

are we watching the same videos? cos theyre not mostly my face. and not any more than how most solo artists’ videos are. besides, i cringe when i see myself on tv and would rather change the channel. God bless you.

Hi! ilan na po Tumblarity mo? :D thanks in advance :)

tumblarity whats that? :)

aside from your music, i also idolize your eye for fashion, just asking, in your opinion what is you style when it comes to your clothing? (and may i just say you make me love OPM and the Filipino work)

thank you. re my style, wala lang. i wear whatever i feel like wearing. Thank you, i’m glad i have that effect on you - theres TONS of great opm! mabuhay ang Pinoy!

when you compose which comes first? words/lyrics or melodies/sounds?

no rules. sometimes its words, sometimes music, sometimes words and music at the same time.

Happy holidays Rico! Everyone is RB fan at home in Marikina Heights!Always looking forward to your new songs. By the way, I agree with you that Allan and Sam are cool basketball heroes. I am a solid SMB fan and Yvez Dignadice is a personal friend way back then.We called ourselves Yvez’ Angels- my friend Merly and I.Allan and Sam always got pasalubong every time Toto Yvez gets back from Ilo-ilo. Hayy! I miss the days!

:) hello to yves. hehe i was rooting for presto cos of Allan, since great taste days pa. cool when he went to smb. racela was there too, my fave pba point guard ever.

who or what is you inspiration when writing a lyrics of a certain song? Ü

most of the time its imagination. and sounds. i sit on the piano or play the guitar and just play away. the music gives me ideas. or sometimes im on the plane or the bus and i forget to bring my ipod, i just make up words or songs so i can sing something in my head so i’m not bored.

hi thanks for posting the urbanity.ph promo. I won!. You rock. Ayuz vid rocks, twas the first time I saw you dancing, nice. Any chance of having a reunion concert with Rivermaya ?

congrats. re:maya reunion concert -no.

have you ever been to PILILLA RIZAL?

i dont believe so

JAYA + REGINE V + RICO B = My Dream Concert!!! SOUL, POP, N ROCK!! My question is: Will you ever collaborate with KC in the future?? cause I read somewhere that she wants to collaborate with you. Sorry if the question is too awkward n random :) lol

Hi. Sorry, but no, i will not collaborate with her. No offense to anyone, but I do not even want to be associated with her. We’re not even friends anymore. I’ve moved on eons ago and am not interested in anything that has to do with her. Sorry I’m not trying to be mean or anything. I’ve kept quiet all these years as I believe a gentleman should, but some people don’t know how to stop, so I’m speaking up now just to give everyone the facts. I hope this is the last time i’ll have to talk about this. I mean no disrespect to anyone. This goes for questions about a rivermaya reunion concert too, my answer is NO. Let’s all please move forward and not get stuck in the past. Hope you understand and i hope this will put an end to these things already. Have a good day! :)

you sound like you don’t like muse.

i do not NOT like them. i enjoy their work.

kailan po lalabas ang studio version ng nebula?

ay hindi ko alam sa Warner :)

questions + answers