Making his own Mark

"Buong-buo talaga ang boses ni Mark (Bautista). Ang galing niya, parang walang effort pag kumakanta!"

This was the consensus reached by those who went to see the Night of the Champions concert recently at the Araneta Coliseum about Mark, now more popularly known as Baste, his character in the daily ABS-CBN soap, Sarah: The Teen Princess.

Sarah Geronimo’s Star for a Night runner-up made his mark as a guest in the concert which headlined Sarah, Erik Santos and Rachelle Ann Go.

His kolehiyala fans were among the thousands of people who filled the Big Dome to the rafters that night. They couldn’t hide their admiration for the singing sensation from Cagayan de Oro as they screamed and shrieked to his every number on stage.

"Grabe po, parang mabibingi talaga ako," Mark said. "Nagpapasalamat ako sa kanilang lahat. Thank you sa suporta nila."

His distinct charisma is what endears Mark to his followers. His simple yet winsome smile makes his fans swoon and fall for him.

One of them, Liza, came all the way from Laguna just to see Mark perform in the Night of the Champions.

"Wala kasi akong natitiyempuhang show niya, eh. So, nang malaman kong guest siya sa Night of the Champions, nagpa-reserve talaga ako ng ticket para mapanood ko lang siya," Liza explained.

Mark didn’t let Liza down. He more than lived up to her and his other fans’ expectations by giving all he’s got during the performance.

Not content with just screaming at her idol’s song numbers on stage, Liza managed to make her way through the back stage to ask for an autograph and have her picture taken with Mark.

Aside from being a fast-rising balladeer, Mark shows strong potential as an actor. Proof of this is his credible portrayal of Baste’s character in Sarah: The Teen Princess.

And who can forget his moving performance as himself in a recent episode of Charo Santos-Concio’s drama anthology Maalaala Mo Kaya, which featured his life story recently?

That particular episode is among MMK’s top-raters. In fact, it scored a higher rating than its competitor.

Aside from regularly appearing in Sarah: The Teen Princess and ASAP Mania, Mark is busy promoting his first album under Viva Records.

The compilation, which contains the carrier single Baliw is available in CDs and cassettes at leading record bars nationwide.