Rico Blanco

Rico Blanco is a Filipino singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer who first rose to prominence as the chief songwriter, vocalist, guitarist and keyboardist of the pioneering Pinoy rock band Rivermaya, which he co-founded in 1994. During his years with the band he wrote many of its best-known songs and helped shape the sound of Original Pilipino Music (OPM) rock through the late 1990s and 2000s, before departing to pursue a solo career in 2008.

As a solo artist, Blanco moved beyond straightforward rock into a more eclectic, pop-inflected and electronic-tinged sound, exploring cosmic and introspective themes alongside anthemic hooks. Songs such as «Your Universe», «Antukin» and «Bye Bye Na» became staples of Philippine radio and showcased his knack for blending personal songwriting with widescreen, festival-ready production.

Beyond music, Blanco is known in the Philippines as a multi-hyphenate figure — songwriter, occasional actor, entrepreneur and brand endorser — and remains one of the most respected architects of contemporary OPM, valued both for his Rivermaya legacy and for the consistently inventive catalog he has built as a solo artist.