Mark sings ’80s hits

Kids who grow up with dreams of singing stardom also develop an affinity for old songs. Learning how to sing means learning the old songs by heart and these are what they perform in talent shows or while waiting for the opportunity to record their own originals.

It is no surprise then that young singers usually have a list of oldies they enjoy doing. They include these in their concert line-ups and when possible also in their albums. Now it is always best for a new artist to have original songs associated with them. That is how singing stars are made. Have several and a singer is set for life. But in their hearts, there beats the dream of one day to record an old song they have fond memories of.

Mark Bautista is no different. He loves old songs from Frank Sinatra’s to Martin Nievera’s. He also owes a lot to the oldies. After lots of little gigs in Cagayan de Oro singing old songs, he became a Star for a Night finalist with Basil Valdez’s Ngayon at Kailanman. Then his biggest hit after becoming a star was I Need You by LeAnn Rimes. And now it is showing signs that it might become his biggest selling CD to date is Every Now and Then, a collection of old songs from the ’80s era.

Mark is too young to have experienced anything life-shattering during the ’80s. He has always had the music in him though and while personal association may be minimal with these old favorites, he is now old enough to relate to the messages of the songs. I do not know if this is true but if I were to base it on his heartfelt rendition then I can say with certainty that he related very well. Or is that just an artist releasing emotions through the music?

Maybe so. But whatever it was, it resulted in his stunning recording of Angela Bofill’s Break It to Me Gently that became the unlikely first single of the album. Recorded with only a piano accompaniment by Mon Faustino, what was intended as an interlude in the largely pop line-up became the portrait of a heart breaking too powerful to ignore. So, we now have Mark, a male birit veteran at his most revealing with this quiet, reined-in but gut-wrenching performance of this beautiful song.

But there is really no need to worry that Mark’s Every Now and Then is a sad break-up collection. There are also happy songs, romantic songs, inspiring songs and whatever. Their common denominator is they all come with lots of memories from the ’80s.

Other cuts are Every Now and Then originally by Earth Wind and Fire; These Dreams by Heart; Got to Let You Know by Tito Mina; Naaalala Ka by Rey Valera; Kasalanan Ko Ba by The Neocolors; I Don’t Want You to Go by Lani Hall; Hold On by Side A; I’ll Be Over You by Toto; It’s All Behind Us Now by Patti Austin; Special Memory by Iwi Laurel from the movie Hot Shots; and See You There by Ding Mercado.

Meanwhile, Mark is still in the midst of an extensive mall tour geared towards promoting his album. It continues this week with shows at SM Southmall today; SM North EDSA tomorrow, May 12; SM Bicutan on May 13; SM Fairview, May 25; SM Bacoor, May 26; and SM San Lazaro, June 9. He is scheduled to once more leave the country for concert tours of European cities in June and the US in August.

Mark will be joined in all these mall shows by Rachelle Ann Go who is promoting Alam ng Ating Mga Puso, the second single from her latest album Obsession. The song was composed by LA-based Filipino songwriter Jimmy Borja. It is the follow-up single to Don’t Say Goodbye, a lovely ballad written expressly for Rachelle Ann by Mexican composer Tony Ramirez.

Obsession was produced by Christian de Walden and earmarked for international release. It also includes I Will Always Love You Anyway, This Must be Love, Come One Day, And You Love Me, Walk into My Life, You are My Obsession, And Me You, My Forever Love, I’m Sure, Something in the Air and Iyong-iyo.