Paolo on an acoustic high

Paolo Santos is riding high on the crest of the acoustic trend. His three CDs (Wave Session has reached platinum), hits, countless gigs, even a commercial jingle for Close Up attest to that. But while the lanky 28-year-old admits he has it made, Paolo is not blowing his horn about it.

True, music royalty like him can choose his repertoire (Happy is always excluded, thank you), but the reality of instant recognition and autograph sessions still has to sink in.

"You can take this away from me tomorrow and I’ll be fine. I’m not so comfortable with it, anyway," he confesses.

"When someone calls out Paolo in a public place, I don’t look at the direction of the voice unless the person himself approaches me or taps me on the shoulder," he says. "You see, there are so many Paolos in this world."

And he’d like to maintain a semblance of normalcy in his already booked-solid-with-gigs life.

Perhaps, it’s because this graduate of Applied Economics in La Salle was not always on top of the world.

"I failed so many times in my life," he admits humbly. "School was one of those areas."

But the guy has fire in his belly. Paolo’s dad, a journalist who shares his passion for music, saw to that.

"My Dad pushed us his children to the limit," recalls Paolo."Second was not good enough for him."

Someone with a fainter heart could have just retreated in a corner. But Dad’s gentle push challenged Paolo.

Else, how could he have stuck it out, playing in small bars for two long years before getting his break?

"If you don’t take care of it (his music), you’ll suffer," Paolo explains his tenacity.

Paolo bought himself a top-of-the-line guitar worth $3,200 from the US as a Christmas gift to himself. It’s a steep price to pay for one’s craft but Paolo doesn’t mind. He needs only the best to give the best.

It’s a far cry from his father’s Lumanog guitar whose strings the then 13-year-old Paolo used to strum.

"Little did I know that the old guitar will open doors for me," Paolo can’t help but wax sentimental.

Striking while the iron is hot, Paolo has put up Acoustic Gold Productions, which manages artists like Tapica’s singing duo Dominic and Burton. The venture melds Paolo’s business and artistic sense in what he admits can be sometimes be a confusing combination.

"I wear two hats — that of a businessman and an artist," says Paolo. The fact that he put up the company with a group of friends has helped him a lot. Paolo benefits from the variety of opinions they freely give him.

Paolo, a.k.a. Mr. Acoustic will again perform his kind of music — unplugged, that is — on Wednesday, Feb. 11 at Music Museum in a show dubbed as Game of Love with Bituin Escalante and the seven-member Acoustic Jive.

"I was nursing a broken heart in 1996. I went to St. Jude Church and prayed hard. I was willing to sacrifice my love life to have a good job. A job I will enjoy," says Paolo, whose faith is as deep as his passion for music.

By now, we know his prayers were answered, and more. Our Romeo has found the love of his life. He has been going out with her for the last two years.

Patience has rich rewards. After refusing to say die all these years, things are finally falling into place for Paolo Santos.