Aryana’s time has come

Contrary to what some people think, Aryana is no newcomer and her new album, which is also entitled Aryana, is not her first release. The talented Guamanian was first introduced to the Filipinos via the dance tune Bop Bop (Bop It) two years ago. The single was such a big hit that we usually found kids around us going bop it, bop it all the time. Unfortunately, although a platinum seller, the song became bigger than the artist and did not do much for Aryana. I guess the same can be said for her next release, Ako ang Nauna (Bumati ng Merry Christmas) with Parokya ni Edgar’s Buko Pie. It was a good production and an interesting concept but Aryana still had to make her mark.

However, it was her powerful rendition of Buko Pie which caught the attention of composer-producer Vehnee Saturno. Vehnee gets constantly invited to participate in foreign song competitions and is always on the lookout for newcomers who sound like potential winners. Aryana sounded like one and he lost no time getting her to record two of his originals and sending her demos to the Shanghai Asia Music Festival. By late October last year, Aryana was named an entry to the singing contest with the songs Reviving the Feeling and Time Will Come.

Shanghai attracts plenty of talented singers and songwriters from all over Asia and Eastern Europe. Competition is always tough and Aryana had to face up against several good performances. Besides, there was also the pressure of knowing that Rachelle Ann Go, the Philippines’ entry the previous year, not only won the Silver Prize but also gave Vehnee the Best Song Award for From The Start. Aryana did not disappoint. She also won the Silver Prize and Reviving the Feeling, which Vehnee co-wrote with Popsie Saturno, was named Best Song.

Unfortunately, Aryana’s new album does not include these two songs. Hopefully, these will make it to another album in the future. But the dusky beauty has other songs that were not heard in Shanghai but might make the grade with local listeners. Included in Aryana by Aryana are Flying, Ulan, Love Me Tonight, Muli, a duet with Brenan Espartinez, Babalik, Suddenly It’s Magic, Where Do You Run, Araw Gabi, Honestly, Everybody Needs a Little Love and an acoustic mix of the first single release, Ulan, a wistful ballad composed by Jimmy Antiporda.

Jimmy Marquez’s new single

Incidentally, Jimmy Marquez, the latest Filipino to win the Silver Prize in the Shanghai singing contest, has released his winning entry, Minsa’y Naging Bahagi Ka as his new single. Also composed by Saturno, the song is one of the cuts in his first album entitled Jimmy Marquez. The CD-Lite also includes Hanggang Ngayon, Tanging Ikaw, Hero and I Was Looking for Someone to Love. Jimmy, who comes from Toledo, Cebu and is the latest artist to affirm the Cebuano reputation for producing great singers, has just returned from the US where he performed in The Other Side concert tour of Sarah Geronimo.

As for Rachelle Ann, she conquered Shanghai two years ago with the big hit, From the Start, from her first album. This was recorded after she won the Search for a Star talent contest. Rachelle Ann is now getting ready for the release of her third album. This was produced by Christian de Walden of Hollywood and mixed and mastered by Luca Vittori in Milan. The two were the same team behind Sarah’s phenomenal-selling Becoming which contains the hit singles I Still Believe in Loving You and Carry My Love. This new CD marks Rachelle Ann’s bid to enter the international market.

Top 20 videos

Feedback from the local hit scene. From MYX, here is the list of the Top 20 among the most requested videos from Pinoy artists for this week: Bitiw by Sponge Cola; Waltz by Hale; Cross My Heart by True Faith; Carry My Love by Sarah Geronimo; Isang Bandila by Rivermaya; DVDX by Sandwich; Gitara by Parokya ni Edgar; Pintura by Kjwan; Take My Hand by Callalilly; Panalangin by Moonstar 88; Your Love by Erik Santos; Umaasa by 6Cyclemind; Doobidoo by Kamikazee; Borrowed Time by Cueshé; Hawak Kamay by Yeng; Manila High by Kala; Define by Hilera; Bakit by Rachelle Ann Go; Kung Ayaw Mo Na Sa Akin by Sugarfree and Taralets by Imago.