Myrus on the rise

CEBU, Philippines - If the young ones have been recently heard humming and finding a newfound appreciation to a Claire de la Fuente jukebox classic, it is thanks to Myrus—a neophyte singer who gave a wonderful revival of the three-decades-old song “Sayang.” Upon release of the single around November of last year, it immediately dominated the airwaves and earned for him a 2008 Asian Star Entertainment Award for Most Promising Young R’nB Performer.

The contemporary flavor he brought to the ballad became his ticket to TV exposures such as in “SIS”, Kuya Germs’ “Walang Tulugan” and his most recent in “Wowowee,” where he’s sure to have wowed viewers with his remake’s highly emotional vocal interpretation with a hint of R’nB. The 19-year-old recording artist is the first male to cover the song.

Released by Sony BMG Music Entertainment, the song is part of his debut album “Love Cycle”, along with other original tracks that deal with musings on love—from first love to the first heartbreak. “Ang love kasi, paikot-ikot lang yan. You fall in love, minsan you fall out of love, then you love again. Kaya Love Cycle,” says Myrus.

A collaboration song with Dice and K9 Mobbstarr titled “Kaya Mo!”, is also a part of the repackaged version of his album and his other hit single “Laging Ikaw” (which has a music video featuring Angelica Panganiban) became a soundtrack of popular TV shows such as GMA’s “Daisy Siete” and TV 5’s “Lipgloss”. “Love Cycle” has already earned the gold record status.

He held a series of provincial radio tours in Iloilo, Bukidnon, Davao, Albay, and Cebu. In his recent Cebu visit for a singing gig in an event at the CICC in Mandaue, the teen crooner shared to The FREEMAN how he was discovered by his current manager Chris Cajilig through Friendster.

“May kaibigan ako na sumali sa isang contest searching for a singing girl group that was organized by Sir Chris so I searched for his name in Friendster tapos I messaged him, tinanong ko siya kung naghahanap din ba siya ng male singer,” he recalls. Cajilig, a PR entrepreneur, called him up after six hours and made him sing over the phone for almost 30 minutes.

Myrus is a Communication Arts junior at De La Salle University-Dasmariñas, Cavite but he filed a leave of absence to focus on his singing. “Sayang kasi ang opportunity eh. Hindi ko mapagsabay ang mga raket sa studies ko, tsaka gusto ko rin talaga maging singer,” he says. “At nakakatulong din ako sa pamilya ko kasi hindi ko na kailangang humingi ng pera sa kanila.”

Apparently, he inherited his vocal chops from his musically-inclined parents and his siblings who are professional singers abroad.

Myrus grew up listening to a wide range of music genres, from standards by Matt Monroe and Elton John, to pop and standard songs by both foreign and local artists like Michael Jackson, Gary Valenciano, Ogie Alcasid, Janno Gibbs, Raymond Lauchengco and Martin Nievera. And when it comes to R’nB, funk and soul music, he loves the songs of music icons Stevie Wonder, Luther Vandross, Usher, Prince, Brian McKnight, Joe and Eric Benet.

Myrus will be one of the guest performers in the November 31 benefit concert “Echoes of Dreams” at the Big Dome, a show mounted for the marginalized sectors of society like drug dependents who want to renew their lives, autistic and Down syndrome kids, sexually abused boys and girls and other special children. Other featured guests are international star Lea Salonga and child wonder Clark Gamol.