On the wings of a song

Lumilipad Ako is the best cut out of Ogie Alcasid’s new album. The collection is also entitled Lumilipad after the song which was composed as a commercial jingle for Bench. The soaring ballad effectively mirrors the clean, vital and youthful lifestyle embodied by the clothing line and should serve as a good promo tool. You can now expect to hear Ogie whenever you walk into a Bench store.

Doubling the treat should be TV monitors all around. This is because Lumilipad comes with a video that also stars Lucy Torres-Gomez, one of Bench’s best-known endorsers. It also marks the debut of photographer Ronnie Salvacion as music video director. I am really glad a Filipino singer sings for a successful Filipino brand now sold in other countries and Ogie has come up with an appropriate tune his fans should also love on its own with or without Bench.

Aside from Lucy, Ogie has another new video leading lady: Gretchen Barretto. One of the country’s great beauties, semi-retired Gretchen appears in the video for the second cut entitled Minamahal Kita. This one is inspired by Hollywood classics from the ‘50s and the song is the theme from the soap series Agawin Mo Man ang Lahat on GMA 7.

If he has two video leading ladies, Ogie also made sure he has singing leading ladies. And he does present several in the album. He sings solo in Lumilipad Ako, Minamahal Kita, Sana ay Malaman Mo, Still in Love with You, Ikaw ang Tangi Kong Pag-ibig, Bakit Hindi Na Lang Tayo, Ibibigay Ko Sa Iyo and Munting Talahib.

An acoustic solo version of Lumilipad Ako closes the album but the rest of the cuts are all duets with different female singers. These are Hindi Ko Na Kayang Masaktan Pa, a duet with Regine Velasquez; Tangi Kong Pangarap with Sarah Geronimo; Just a Prayer Away with Rachelle Ann Go; Bakit Ikaw Pa Rin with Jinky Vidal; and Bakit ‘di Mo Sabihin with Jaya.

Produced and distributed by Viva Records, Lumilipad is Ogie’s 13th studio album. Its release comes with several sponsors. Aside from Bench, there is also MLhuillier plus GMA 7, Pacific Blue, Orange Innovative Technology, Kolin, Information Gateway, PLDT, My Music and MYX.

To continue promoting the album, Ogie is set to perform at SM Marilao tomorrow; Metro Town, Tarlac on Sunday, April 2; SM Santa Rosa on Saturday, April 22; SM Pampanga on Sunday, April 23; SM South Mall on Sunday, April 30; and SM North EDSA on Sunday, May 7.

Top 20 songs

The band bandwagon continues unabated in the local music scene but solo artists like Ogie still manage to make the grade. His Minamahal Kita video has entered the MYX Pinoy countdown and is now ranked at No. 13. The top 20 songs in the list are the following: Narda by Kamikazee; Sugod by Sandwich; Papa Cologne by Parokya ni Edgar; Invincible by Christian Bautista; Bakit Ba Iniibig Ka by Erik Santos and Regine Velasquez; 1 by 6Cyclemind; Toll Gate by Hale;

First of Summer by Urbandub; Can’t Let You Go by Cueshé; You Win the Game by Mark Bautista; Alaala Ni Batman by Radioactive Sago Project; Fire by Kitchie Nadal; Minamahal Kita by Ogie Alcasid; Lihim by Orange & Lemons; Reward by South Border; 6inthemorning by Dice and K9 Mobbstarr; If You Walk Away by Rachelle Ann Go; Everything You Do by Christian Bautista; Tell Me You Love Me by Nikki Bacolod; and Jeepney by Kala.

Sitti launches debut album

Meanwhile, new fast-rising new artist Sitti will launch her first album at The Podium on Sunday, April 2 at 4 p.m. Produced by Warner Music and entitled Café Bossa, the album is made up of pop favorites rendered in Sitti’s mellow bossa nova style. Carrier single is D’Sound’s Tattooed on My Mind.

Other cuts are bossa nova standards like Girl from Ipanema, Mas Que Nada, Fly Me to the Moon, Wave, One Note Samba and A Samba Song, composed by Pinoy Bong Penera and originally popularized by the Filipino jazz band Batucada. There are also Hey Look at the Sun, I Didn’t Know I was Looking for Love, Bridges, Lady Wants to Know and other old favorites.

Buy Café Bossa and get it autographed by Sitti herself on Sunday.