Mark on solo flight this time

Every new artist dreams of solo stardom, that magic moment when he can honestly prove to everybody that he is indeed a star who commands a big following. For a singer, the crucial test comes with the solo concert. Alone for at least two hours on stage he should be able to hold his own and hopefully sell every seat in the house.

Mark Bautista already knows how it feels to perform to a full house both here and in other countries. But then, those shows always featured other artists. While he certainly had his own following who came to watch him perform, it was clear that he cannot take credit for the success or failure of a concert, until now.

Mark is now all set to prove his worth as a performer in the show Pop Heartthrob which will be held at the Aliw Theater in Parañaque on Friday, March 24. Joining Mark in some numbers will be fellow champion Sarah Geronimo and Juris of M.Y.M.P. while lovely comedienne Rufa Mae Quinto and singer/songwriter Ogie Alcasid will be his special guests.

Mark’s solo concert could not have come at a better time. Mindanao’s contribution to the champion craze recently notched one big hit after another. These are his take on the LeAnn Rimes inspirational I Need You and the original pop ballad produced by Hollywood producer Christian de Walden, You Win the Game, which earned him his second Gold Record award a few weeks ago.

Both songs come from his CD-Lite titled Dream On, which did so well saleswise that it was expanded into a full-length CD with 12 songs. Aside from I Need You, You Win the Game and the title track Dream On, cover of a Side A song, this Expanded version also has Mark’s versions of How Did You Know, Be My Lady and When Will I See You Again. He recorded the latter with fellow singing champions Sarah, Rachelle Ann Go and Raymond Manalo. Other new originals are Sagot Ka by hitmaker Vehnee Saturno, Fun and Games, And By Now, Until the Morning Comes, On Your Own and Window of My Heart, a duet with Rachelle Ann.

Mark is proof that a loser can still emerge a winner in his own right. He was introduced to the public as the Star for a Night finalist who hitched a ride on a cargo boat to Manila because his family could not afford the fare from Zamboanga. He did not win the title, which went to Sarah. But three years later, Mark is doing better than he ever expected with a successful career in the movies, TV shows, hit records and now his very own concert.

Mark Bautista, Pop Heartthrob is a Viva Concerts production directed by GB Sampedro with Marc Lopez as musical director. Tickets are priced at P800 and P500 and are now available at all SM Ticketnet outlets.

Speaking of Rachelle Ann, the Search for a Star champion from two years ago has a new single. The song is I Care, another composition by Saturno, which is the title cut of her second album. Rachelle sailed through the fabled sophomore jinx with the phenomenal success of her recording of the power-packed If You Walk Away. She received her Gold Record Award for the album two weeks ago. Now, she is expected to do even better with the sweet and mellow ballad, I Care, which might just hand her the Platinum plaque.

Rachelle Ann and Mark are two of the small number of singers able to hold their own against the present band explosion. Their hits If You Walk Away and You Win the Game, respectively are juggling chart positions with the local rock groups. Just goes to show that a good song can stand competition from anything.

Current airplay favorites are Narda by Kamikazee; Kung Wala Ka by Hale; I by 6Cyclemind; You Win the Game by Mark Bautista; Nobela by Join the Club; With a Smile by South Border; If You Walk Away by Rachelle Ann Go; Tulog Na by Sugarfree; I’ll Never Get Over You Getting Over Me by M.Y.M.P., and Ulan by Cueshé.

At MYX, the Filipino music channel, top videos for the week are Narda by Kamikazee; Sugod by Sandwich; Everything You Do by Christian Bautista; If You Walk Away by Rachelle Ann Go; Bakit Ba Iniibig Ka by Erik Santos and Regine Velasquez; 1 by 6Cyclemind; You Win the Game by Mark Bautista; Sorry by Madonna; Beep by the Pussycat Dolls and Pump It by the Black Eyed Peas.