The performer we know & love today as DIVO BAYER first saw daylight on the 11th of May 1978 in the city of Olongapo, Philippines. The budding artist was baby #3 for proud parents Clemente & Lewelyn. Siblings Weng & Lot got a younger brother, while Deck had yet to follow.

Indeed, the Emperor of Soul's childhood was a very happy one. He recalls, "During Family Days, Papa used to bring me to the fair. He'd enter me in many contests & we'd bag all the prizes!" From the very start, we might add, Divo loved singing. As a result, his siblings didn't believe he'd make it but eventually they came to admire & give him their full support. Looking back, Divo says, "I didn't think I'd see myself on TV & hear my songs on the radio. I could only hold to my faith that someday I'd really make it somehow." But did he ever think he'd become as successful a chanteur as he is today?

"In a sense, yes, because it was my ambition, but I still can't believe that it's actually happening."

But what jobs did he hold prior to finding himself the pop icon he has become? The answers might astound you. Divo's first means of bringing home the bacon was working at a Duty-Free Shop. It was a very rewarding experience, from which he learned the big lesson of working confidently in whatever field one goes into, because in that way, people respect you.

After his stint as a marketing assistant at the Duty-Free, Divo found himself a dealer in the casino. With all these colorful experiences in his past, it is no wonder the music he now brings into our lives is such a rich blend of many different emotions.

"The moment I found out that people enjoy my singing ability was the moment I began to contemplate seriously on performing," Divo pensively states. Even then, early audiences were amazed & awed, & he started to feel that he had to really focus & excel to the best of his abilities if he wanted to get anywhere.

And little by little, walk the path towards stardom he did, fronting for such bands as True Colors, Toy Symphony & Elements. (Trivia: it was prestigious artist Ella Mae of the renowned Saison clan who presented Divo with the moniker that has stuck with him to this day.)

After his band Elements had been enjoying a bit of success for a while, however, Divo felt that he could take the band's popularity a step further. He decided to aim for the popular singing competition Star Quest on ABS-CBN's hit noontime show, MTB. The year: 2002. At first, Divo admits to being quite nervous about joining. But he tells us, "I decided to do it because I wanted to experience what being a contender in such a contest was like. But most of all, I wanted to prove to myself that this was something I could pull off"

During the course of his Star Quest experience, Divo shares with us that, "Like most people, I expected to win. So I was disappointed when I lost. But when Star Records offered me a contract, that really made my day! I am so thankful they chose me to be one of their artists." It's no secret that many MTB viewers who'd been following Divo's progress on Star Quest were nothing short of shocked that their idol had lost. With influences such as Luther Vandross, James Ingram & Michael Bolton guiding his own singing style, Divo made a splash that captured the attention of Filipino fans all over the world.

Today, Divo's star continues to rise. He has performed rather notably, the theme song Ngayong Nandito Ka for the hit movie of the same title. And he is one of three artists who each give us four tracks in the album SOLO.

Now, he is added to the roster of the Philippines's world class artists by winning BEST MALE PERFORMER in the recently concluded 6th Shanghai Music Festival, held in Shanghai, China which is a yearly competition participated in by various Asian countries. Eleven countries joined the competition this year with 20 contestants from China, Malaysia, Korea, Sri Lanka & Japan, to name a few. Divo is the Philippines's sole representative to the competition.

His winning pieces are the songs Go the Distance (from the Disney movie Hercules, originally done by Michael Bolton) & Better Me, an original composition with lyrics by Jungee Marcelo & music by award-winning songwriter/producer Soc Villanueva.

More gigs, he now has, performing regularly at spots like Hard Rock Cafe, Conway's, Ratsky, ArKdia, Country Waffles, Suburbia & Baga Berde.

Divo who describes himself as "a simple person enjoying life to the fullest," is surely a force to reckon with in the music industry. Those who have fallen in love with his unique looks & stunning abilities (another trivia: Divo is the only male Filipino singer who can whistle a la Mariah Carey!) should continue to watch out for the latest in Divomania, as he has many more surprises hidden up his sleeve.

And yes, Divo, you definitely have arrived!