Scuttlebutt
By SHIRLEY MATIAS-PIZARRO
August 25, 2009, 12:07pm
Manila Bulletin

CHRISTIAN BAUTISTA and Melissa de Leon

Once again, the Christ’s Commission Fellowship (CCF) Cavite is mounting another fund-raising concert on Sept. 5 for the construction of the church featuring one of today’s hottest balladeers Christian Bautista.

Christian, who will be joined in the concert by Ms. Melissa de Leon, will be performing on Sept. 5 at 6 p.m. in CCF Cavite, located at the second floor of Sun City Plaza, Anabu 1 in Imus, Cavite. The Crossover Band will also be joining the concert for a cause.

Last year, CCF Cavite also mounted a successful production featuring ABS-CBN talent Ms. Toni Gonzaga at the same venue. Proceeds from the show helped defray the costs of the initial phase of the building project. This concert will help build classrooms for the Sunday school kids, as well as expand the worship hall to accommodate more church-goers in the area.

Christian, regularly seen on ABS-CBN’s “ASAP” and who remains to be one of the most sought-after singers in the country today, will be singing songs that are close to his heart like “You Raise Me Up,” “Magsimula Ka,” “The Prayer,” “The Way You Look at Me,” “I Could Sing of Your Love Forever,” “Jesus Lover of My Soul,” “I Have Fallen in Love with the Same Woman Thrice,” among others.

Melissa, who breaks her semi-retirement from showbiz just for this show, will be singing “Call Me,” “Bridges,” “Promises,” “Time and Tide,” and “Power of Your Love.” Melissa is a full-time wife to Ronnie Joseph and their four beautiful children. She says, “I just can’t say no to the request of our good friends Nett and Bang Gochuico from CCF Cavite. And this one will be worth it because it will be an honor to serve God this way.”

The concert is being sponsored by Drugmakers’ Laboratories Inc. and Broader Reach Operation, Inc.

By NRJ RAMOS
August 24, 2009, 4:26pm
Manila Bulletin

Photo by Gerardo Pineda Diwa

Singer Christian Bautista admits that he asked for Paula Taylor to be his partner in the promotional music video for his forthcoming single, “Tell Me Your Name,” because he has a crush on her.

“Who wouldn’t [have a crush] on [Paula Taylor]? She’s really super beautiful,” Bautista said of the Thai model-VJ.

“Tell Me Your Name,” a remake of the Jose Mari Chan original, is part of Christian’s fourth album (but his first one) under Universal Records.

Bautista feels it was serendipitous for him and Taylor to be together—for the music video at least.

“When Universal Records was planning for the music video, the idea was to do something really different, including the choice of [my] leading lady. By chance, Paula was in town.”

According to Bautista, Taylor told him that she also had wanted to work with him after she and her manager saw him on MYX.

“She told me that she actually asked her manager, ‘Who is that guy? Maybe we can do a video together…’

“So, when Universal Records called it was like, wow! It all fit. Everything just fell into places.”

This early, Bautista is already feeling the pressure of being compared to multi-awarded singer composer Jose Mari Chan.

“Hindi lang [kasi siya nag] hit ng Platinum [at] Diamond, kundi lahat na yata ng awards, naibigay na sa kanya.

“Nung nag-usap nga kami ni Mr. Jose Mari Chan, I told him, ‘It’s really an honor, thank you. I have to admit, it’s a big pressure coz this is big… I’m grateful that you allowed me [to sing your songs].’

“Ang sabi naman niya sa akin, ‘This is good. I’m also proud that you’re gonna do my songs.’”

Bautista said his aim is not top Chan’s achievements but to merely re-introduce his songs to a new audience..

“I’ll just be a tool [for that end] by singing his songs,” said Christian.

By Melba R. Llanera
Phil. Entertainment Portal
Sunday, August 23, 2009

 
With the legendary success of Jose Mari Chan, kahit sinong singer ay kakabahan na i-revive ang mga kantang napasikat niya. Constantly, Please Be Careful With My Heart, Beautiful Girl, ilan lamang ito sa mga kantang naging paborito at naging bahagi ng buhay ng mga music lovers

Busy finishing his new album containing all the hits of the respected and well-known singer/composer, Christian Baustista admitted to us that he feels the pressure.

“Presure talaga sa akin, di lang hit, diamond, platinum, lahat na yata ng awards, naibigay na sa kanya. Nung nag-usap nga kami ni Mr. Jose Mari Chan, ‘It’s really an honor, thank you. I have to admit, it’s a big pressure coz this is big, pero I’m grateful that you allowed me.’Ang sabi naman niya sa akin, ‘This is good. I’m also proud that you’re gonna do my songs.’

“This is also one way na naisye-share ko rin ang songs niya sa generation natin, I’m just only a tool to sing his songs.”

FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF JOSE MARI CHAN. With Universal records as his mother recording company, matagal na palang balak nitong i-revive ang mga kanta ng mahusay na singer pero hindi lang nila alam kung paano nila sisimulan at kung sino ang kakanta.

“Universal thought of reviving Jose Mari Chan songs pero di nila maisip kung paano. Gagawin ba nilang parang banda lahat, gawing pop lahat? Tapos naisip nila, why not Christian? Naisip nila in a way yung Beautiful Girl hit sa Indonesia, pati yung Please Be Careful With My Heart, sumunod ako sa yapak ni Jose Mari Chan who also sing songs in Indonesia. Saka sumikat din naman ang mga kanta ko nang kaunti in Malaysia, Thailand at Singapore. Naisip nila medyo may similarity nang kaunti. Of course di ko abot yung mga diamond niya pero again it fell into places. Hopefully din sa mga Indonesians and other Malay countries, ma-share ko uli ang mga kanta niya.”

Sa music video ng Tell Me Your Name, si Paula Taylor ang ka-partner ni Christian. Special request ng singer na makapareha ang magandang VJ sa music video at di niya itinago na may crush siya dito.

“Nung nagpa-planning ang Universal kung sino ang magiging kasunod na leading lady ko, dapat talaga iba ang dating coz it’s my first music video under Universal, so when we found out that Paula Taylor is in town, we immediately contacted her and apparently she just finished her movie with Mr. Vic Sotto and she’s available. Sabi nga niya sa akin, two weeks or a month ago, nanonood daw sila ng manager niya ng TV then napanood niya ako sa MYX, ‘Who is that guy? Maybe we can do a video together.’ Tapos tumawag nga ang Universal sa kanila, parang wow! It all fit. Everything just fell into places.

“Sino ba naman ang hindi magkaka-crush sa kanya? She’s really super beautiful. After I worked with her, napatunayan ko na ang bait-bait niya, very down to earth, madaling katrabaho, walang diva factor.”

DUETS. Sa nasabing album ay balitang kasama rin ang kantang I Have Fallen In Love With The Same Woman Three Times, ang kanta ni Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino sa asawang si ex-President Cory Aquino.

“Kasama rin siya. Nagpapasaslamat nga ako kay Mr. Jose Mari Chan na in-allow niya ako to sing that song. It’s gonna be part of the album.”

May mga ka-duet din si Chrsitian sa album na ginagawa. Ilan sa mga ito ay sila Regine, Sarah Geronimo at iba pa.

“Mayroon akong apat na ka-duet: si Jose Mari Chan in Heart’s Journey; Ms. Lani Misalucha, Here and Now—I’m so thankful to her kasi nag-record pa siya sa Las Vegas for this song; Sarah Geronimo—bagay na bagay—Please Be Careful With My Heart; and Ms. Regine Velasquez, My Girl, My Woman, My Friend. I’m so thankful and grateful for this project.”

Celebrity World
By CRISPINA MARTINEZ-BELEN
August 20, 2009, 12:28pm
Manila Bulletin

Universal Records has a new exclusive artist in the person of Asia’s Pop Idol Christian Bautista. And his much-awaited debut album under the company will be released in the country and other foreign territories Christian’s international recording career has its auspicious start with the release of the phenomenal single “The Way You Look At Me,” from his quadruple-platinum self-titled album, which was also released in Indonesia and other Asian countries.

His fourth album, “Captured,” with the single of the same title with Sitti, is his last release from his former record label.

“I will always be grateful to Warner Music Philippines for building me up and taking care of me,” says Christian. “They believed in me and made me what I am now. But there comes a time in every artist’s career when he can’t resist the urge to reinvent himself.”

When Universal Records offered a new concept album, Christian got excited. “I was challenged and felt that the change I have longed for has finally come. It was an offer I cannot refuse.”

Christian Bautista plunged into the “big move” and he now feels he has made just the right decision. People will surely agree with him upon hearing his debut Universal Records album.

Universal Records is also home to leading artists like Jose Mari Chan, Gary Valenciano, Regine Velasquez, Ogie Alcasid, Lani Misalucha, Billy Crawford, Jed Madela, Jay-R, Kris Aquino, Marian Rivera, Dingdong Dantes, Mark Herras, Parokya Ni Edgar, Kamikazee, Sponge Cola, Ronnie Liang, Sam Concepcion, Shamrock, Silent Sanctuary, Kenyo and Paraluman.

by: Edgar O. Cruz, Editor (Chief Agitator)
STIR.PH
11 Aug 2009
Tired of the same album projects, Christian Bautista has moved from Warner Music to Universal Records. And he’s doing an interesting one: he’s recording a 20-track concept album of Jose Mari Chan’s well-loved songs, a first, including duets with Sarah Geronimo, Regine Velasquez, and Jose Mari himself.

The buzz was Christian would sing Jose Mari’s “I Have Fallen in Love (With the Same Woman Three Times)” at Cory Aquino’s services. He did get to sing it on the second night of the wake but at the final tribute at the Manila Cathedral, Jose Mari did the honor. Perhaps this was appropriate to praise the singer first to composed the only song in honor the only woman ever loved by the National Hero.

Singing the song dedicated to Cory at the Manila Cathedral would have been a timely launching of the breakthrough development in his singing career. But it had a commercial motive so it was better he did not. Christian instead did an excellent version of “Ugoy Sa Duyan.”

Will Christian follow Jose Mari’s lead? Jose Mari is a very charming artist. With nosy entertainment writers around, he cools down their noses by singing snippets of his songs during media huddles. Will Christian do the same? Christian strives to be an original act. He’ll probably do that once but will not make it a habit.