Memorable firsts for Gary V

Gary Valenciano celebrated his 20th year with many memorable firsts. He gathered some of the best musicians like Raul Sunico, Tony Maigue, and Jay Cayuca to interpret his most memorable compositions like Sana Maulit Muli, Take Me Out of the Dark, Could You Be Messiah, to name a few in a classic compilation of instrumentals called Beyond Words. His two-night Xxtreme concert at the Big Dome won the Best Concert Act in the Aliw Awards and the Gary V Hits Music Museum 16-night series dazzled thousands. He was chosen to represent the Philippines in the Hong Kong Harbour Festival where he performed two solo-concert performances sharing equal billing with Rolling Stones, Santana, Michelle Branch, and Charlotte Church.

Last year, his entrance into television was a breath of fresh air. He became a regular co-host/performer in ABS-CBN’s ASAP. The show won several awards and nominations for Best Musical Variety show in various award-giving bodies. His albums reaped 17 nominations in the Awit Awards and he won the Best Performance by a Male Recording Artist for Magnifico, and Best Performance by a Duet (with Kyla) for Sana Maulit Muli. He broke records in London, performing for 5,000 fans and filled up the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles with Bryan McKnight as his special guest as well as other cities in the US.

The first Philippines’ National Ambassador of UNICEF since 1998, he has been re-appointed for another two-year term and topped surveys of the Southeast Asian Foundation for Children’s Television as the Most Wholesome Male Television Personality last year. Thankful, a jam-packed concert at the Araneta Coliseum, featured his children, Paolo, 20, Gabriel, 16, and Kiana, 12 as he celebrated a fruitful 20-year marriage with his wife and creative partner, Genesis Entertainment’s Angeli Pangilinan-Valenciano. He released a special collector’s item, a book of photographs and personal stories of family and friends, produced and edited by his photographer-father Vic Valenciano simply entitled Gary Valenciano. He was also tapped to endorse Globe Telecom’s G-Cash service which won at the Cannes GSM Awards as the Most Innovative Mobile Service of the Year. Sennheiser Asia also asked that he renew their three-year relationship with him as the main (microphone) product endorser for the brand.

This year he brought the Gary V Hits Series to Visayas and Mindanao and broke records at the Panaad Festival in Bacolod where he drew the biggest crowd in concert history in Negros with at least 25,000 people in attendance. He also drew about 4,000 fans in Dubai. He also received his 15th and 16th nominations as finalist for the Best Performance by a Male Recording at the Awit Awards on May 26 for two songs, How Did You Know and Bcuz of You, two movie theme songs of two blockbuster movies of Star Cinema. Soon to be released are a music video collection and a music book featuring him as a songwriter with piano arrangements by Raul Sunico. At 40, Gary continues to inspire and encourage his fans and colleagues with a brand of performance uniquely his own.

Busy at his recording studio preparing for several albums, he has been touring malls promoting his latest release under Universal Records, a videoke and CD compilation of his inspirational songs, Soul Full as well as his movie theme songs released by Star Records. His latest composition, Break Me, the last demo song he presented to the late Bella Tan less than an hour before she passed away due to cancer, will be a bonus cut of the album.

The song is so powerful that 700 Club host Gordon Robertson invited Gary to sing the song this year in the US 700 Club in Virginia Beach which is shown nationwide in the US. On June 9, 10, 16 and 17 he pays tribute to a lady he considers as his longest-running partner in the music industry, having co-produced over 16 albums under Universal Records and selling over 1,000,000 albums and winning over a hundred music awards and nominations. Gary and his wife were the only friends present as one of the greatest pillars of OPM, Bella Dy Tan, quietly met her Maker. Gary V @ 22 will feature a tribute to her and will showcase many of their co-productions together. The concert-series will benefit the Shining Light Foundation. For details, call 7214406 or 7251937 or trunkline 7214405 local 103.