August 20, 2007 | 12:00am
She still bubbles like the heady drink she’s named after. But this time, it’s not some inane sputtering that comes and goes like the cell phone models.
Champagne Morales today sparkles with the wisdom of early adulthood — a far cry from the teenybopper who sang girlish pop songs at the drop of a hat.
At 24, she has finished a psychology course, worked as account manager-eventologist in People Asia for two years, knows real estate like the palm of her hand. Dyna Dominguez’s daughter is a big girl now, and she rocks. As in she’s into those edgy, angst-driven songs that drip with longing and grit.
Has she fallen deeply in love and gotten herself scarred all over? Nothing in her cheerful face says so.
The answer, Champagne says, lies in many things. One is her manager-producer (of Rekindle, her new album for Vicor Music), Al Albert. The guy paved the way for this 180-degree turn in Champagne’s music.
It happened one fateful day when he called Champagne to say he had this original song, Take Me With You. Would she like to come over to the studio to hear it?
Champagne’s first reaction was non-committal. “Please send me a copy of the piece,” she asked.
But Al was adamant. The seasoned musician knows a good song when he hears one. “You have to go to the studio,” he insisted.
Was Champagne glad she did. She sang the piece, not minding if she was doing it right. All she cared for was how it allowed her to improvise, to flex her creative muscles. She has reached the point of no return.
“I can express myself more these days,” Champagne describes her newfound self. Before, all she did was say yes to her album producers. Now, she is as hands-on as can be. She has a say on what tracks go into her album. Six to seven of the songs are her original compositions (she wrote the others with Al), created when she took a break from the music scene and entered the corporate world.
Carrier single Sigaw centers on her newfound spirituality as she makes this song an offering of her faith in God.
Champagne has never missed music the way she did than during those years she spent away from it. Not that she didn’t get the hang of corporate culture. It was fun, yes. Champagne learned new things, especially about sales and marketing that she applied to her new album.
But music is her first love. She wrote 22 songs, did the rounds of places which play rock and performed with her own band for one-and-a-half years. It didn’t pay as well as her pop gigs did. But what the heck. Champagne was having the time of her life.
She was enjoying herself so much Champagne didn’t mind if not one of the recording outfits she sent a demo of Rekindle would accept it at first. She knows alternative rock is not easy to sell, since the melody is not as easy to sing to as pop. The record company must work twice harder to push it. And she understands.
Champagne was all set to dip deep into her pocket to produce the album herself under an independent label. Until lo and behold! Vicor Music Corp. came up with the answer to her prayers. The company, known for its OPM leanings, agreed to include Rekindle in its catalogue.
Suddenly, all the blood, sweat and tears, not to mention the money she spent in coming up with Rekindle were compensated.
“God is good,” Champagne declares, eyes a-twinkle.
Let’s toast to that, Champagne!
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